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The use of bacterial cells to produce fluorescent semiconductor nanoparticles (quantum dots, QDs) represents a green alternative with promising economic potential. In the present work, we report for the first time the biosynthesis of CdS QDs by acidophilic bacteria of the Acidithiobacillus genus. CdS QDs were obtained by exposing A. ferrooxidans, A. thiooxidans and A. caldus cells to sublethal Cd 2+ concentrations in the presence of cysteine and glutathione. The fluorescence of cadmium-exposed cells moves from green to red with incubation time, a characteristic property of QDs associated with nanocrystals growth. Biosynthesized nanoparticles (NPs) display an absorption peak at 360nm and a broad emission spectra between 450 and 650nm when excited at 370nm, both characteristic of CdS QDs. Average sizes of 6 and 10nm were determined for green and red NPs, respectively. The importance of cysteine and glutathione on QDs biosynthesis in Acidithiobacillus was related with the generation of H 2 S. Interestingly, QDs produced by acidophilic bacteria display high tolerance to acidic pH. Absorbance and fluorescence properties of QDs was not affected at pH 2.0, a condition that totally inhibits the fluorescence of QDs produced chemically or biosynthesized by mesophilic bacteria (stable until pH 4.5-5.0). Results presented here constitute the first report of the generation of QDs with improved properties by using extremophile microorganisms., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

We adapted a mixed culture of acidophiles to high arsenic concentrations to confirm the possibility of achieving more than 70% biooxidation of refractory gold concentrates containing high arsenic (As) concentration. The biooxidation process was applied to refractory gold concentrates containing approximately 139.67 g/kg of total As in a stirred tank reactor using an adapted mixed culture of Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans and Acidithiobacillus thiooxidans. The percentage of the biooxidation process was analyzed based on the total As removal efficiency. The As removal was monitored by inductively coupled plasma (ICP) analysis, conducted every 24 h. The results obtained with the adapted culture were compared with the percentage of biooxidation obtained with a non-adapted mixed culture of A. ferrooxidans and A. thiooxidans, and with their respective pure cultures. The percentages of biooxidation obtained during 358 h of reaction were 72.20%, 38.20%, 27.70%, and 11.45% for adapted culture, non-adapted culture, and pure cultures of A. thiooxidans and A. ferrooxidans, respectively. The adapted culture showed a peak maximum percentage of biooxidation of 77% at 120 h of reaction, confirming that it is possible to obtain biooxidation percentages over 70% in gold concentrates containing high As concentrations., (Copyright © 2015 The Society for Biotechnology, Japan. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

In this study, a Candida digboiensis strain was isolated from a heap leaching plant in Zambia and used in double-layer agar plate to efficiently isolate and purify leaching bacteria. Unlike Acidiphilium sp., the yeast strain was tetrathionate tolerant and could metabolize a great range of organic compounds including organic acids. These properties allowed the yeast strain to enable and fasten the growth of iron and sulfur oxidizers on double-layer agar plate. The isolates were identified as Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans FOX1, Leptospirillun ferriphilum BN, and Acidithiobacillus thiooxidans ZMB. These three leaching bacteria were inhibited by organic acids such as acetic and propionic acids; however, their activities were enhanced by Candida digboiensis NB under dissolved organic matter stress.