How do you break down kilometers of rock to get the metals within? You go small. Bacteria-level small. If you've got a big rock with a little bit of metal in it, how do you get it out? Most of the ...

The global bioleaching market was worth $10.14bn as of 2024 and is expected to grow to $21.37bn by 2033. The method is already used to produce up to 20% of the world’s copper and promises to offer ...

Among the environmental scars left behind by mining are heaps of waste known as tailings. They sit in exposed piles, are buried or are deposited in ponds and lakes. The danger comes from sulfide ...

As mining companies confront declining ore grades, rising demand for critical minerals and increasing pressure to decarbonise operations, bioleaching is re-emerging as a potential solution to some of ...

Salt and acid-tolerant bacteria with the potential to be used in mining processing have been uncovered in the Wheatbelt. The bugs were found during a "bio-prospecting" survey near Merredin and are ...

There are more than 1.4 billion cars in the world today, and that number could double by 2036. If all those cars burn petrol or diesel, the climate consequences will be dire. Electric cars emit fewer ...

E-waste specialist Bioscope Technologies has signed up Techbuyer, which refurbishes and resells servers and other data center equipment, as an early adopter of its novel bioleaching solution.

EVEN the sleekest gadget depends on the mucky business of digging stuff out of the ground. Mobile phones and computers use copper for their wiring and rely on cobalt, germanium, lithium, nickel, ...