Map of Nopiming Provincial Park mine tailings. Right: Sites of bacteria sampling. From top left, site 1, site 2, site 3, site 4. (Image credit: Dr. Vladimir Yurkov)
Canadian Science Publishing: New metalloid oxide reducing bacteria found in Manitoba’s Nopiming gold mine tailings
Uncovering new bacteria with high resistance to toxic waste in Canada’s extreme environments has potential to contribute to future bioremediation technologies
As Canadian Science Publishing reports:
Ottawa, ON (14 February 2017) – A new study published in the Canadian Journal of Microbiology has identified new toxic metalloid-reducing bacteria in highly polluted abandoned gold mine tailings in Manitoba’s Nopiming Provincial Park. “These bacteria have the ability to convert toxic components that exist as a result of mining activities into less toxic forms and are prevalent in extreme environments,” says Dr. Vladimir Yurkov, Professor at the University of Manitoba. These bacteria or their enzymes may be potential candidates for the development of bioremediation technologies, a treatment that uses naturally occurring organisms to break down toxic substances. “We wanted to look at the bacterial resistance to toxic waste, which would be an important asset within the context of heavily polluted mines. We also aimed to enrich our understanding of the microbial diversity of extreme environments, knowing that the vast majority of these microbes and their potential uses and benefits, remain undiscovered,” continued Dr. Yurkov.