• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.11 no.6
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• pp.1046-1054
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• 2001

Bioleaching is the process in which insoluble metal sulfide is oxidized by specialized iron- and/or sulfur-oxidizing lithotrophic bacteria in acidic, metal-rich environments. Most of these processes are carried out by the genus Thiobacillus. Three novel Thiobacillus strains (Thiobacillus thiooxidans AZ11, Thiobacillus thiooxidans MET, and thiobacillus thiooxidans TAS) associated with bioleaching have been isolated from soil and sludge (Korean patent No. 1999-0073060 for T. thiooxidans AZ11, Korean patent No. 1999-0005798 for T. thiooxidans MET, and Korean patent No. 1999-0073059 for T. thiooxidans TAS). A partial sequence of 16S ribosomal RNA gene (16S rDNA) and the entire sequence of 16S/23S intergenic spacer region (ISR) were determined in the three above novel strains and in Thiobacillus ferrooxidans ATCC19859 as a reference strain. When phylogenetic analysis was performed based on G+C contents and sequence alignments, T. ferroxidans ATCC19859 was found to be closely related to previously registered T. ferrooxidans strains in a monophyletic manner, while the three novel T. thiooxidans strains were classified in a paraphyletic manner. Close examination on the base composition of 16S/23S ISR revealed that the 5\` part (nucleotide residues 21-200) was specific for the genus Thiobacillus. On the other end, the 3\` part (nucleotide residues 201-520) showed specificity in T. ferrooxidans strains, but not in T. thiooxidans strains. These results suggest that the proximal and distal halves of 16S/23S could be used as a genetic marker for the identification of the genus Thiobacillus and the species T. ferrooxidans, respectively.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.30-40
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• 1978

Detergent soluble fractions were obtained from T. ferrooxidans ATCC 13598 and the T. thiooxidans ATCC 8085 which were treated with 3% of Tween 20. The detergent soluble antigen(crude antigen) fractions of the T.ferrooxidans and the T.thiooxidans were subjected to hydroxyapatite. In the case of T.thiooxidans, further purification was carried out on the DEAE-cellulose column chromatography. The antigen fractions, such as the hydroxyapatite peak-1(Tf, HA-1) and peak-2 from T.ferrooxidans(Tf. HA-2) and hydroxyapatite peak-1(Tt, HA-1), DEAE-cellulose peak-1(Tt, DP-1) and peak-2(Tt, DP-2) from T. thiooxidans wre compared each other with the homologous and the heterologous and the heterologous antisera against to the Thiobacillus species. The hydroxyapatite peak-2 fraction from the T.ferrooxidans(Tf, HA-2) and DEAE-cellulose peak-2 fraction from the T.thiooxidans(Tt, DP-2) were represented the type-specific immuno-reactivities between the T.ferrooxidans and the T.thiooxidans on the several sets of double gel diffusioin analysis. The type-specific antigen fractions from both of the baceteria were mainly composed of protein with entierly different electrophoretic mobility on the SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. However, the PAS positive banding patterns on the electrophorogram showed wide range of common antigenic properties in the T. ferrooxidans and the T.thiooxidans, respectively.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.155-166
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• 1972

With respect to a bacterium isolated some of the similarities and differences previously indicated between Thiobacillus thiooxidans and Thiobacillus concretivorus wee confirmed and the bacteria also provided considerable diferences compared to the two species in some repects. Severe precipitation of sulfur occurred in colonies and in liquid media of the organism isolated. The organism isolated utilized nitrate and asparagine as well as ammonium sulfate as a sole nitrogen source and grew well without being nearly inhibited by citrate and malate. This organism also showed the resistance to heats and external physical stimulations. Owing to some characters decribed above and the reports proposed, the organism isolated could be concluded to be Thiobacillus concretivorus and it was suggested that Thiobacillus concretivorus might be an apparently different species from Thiobacillus thiooxidans.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.183-190
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• 1999

The bioleaching of heavy metals from fly ash was performed by Thiobacillus thiooxidans MET isolated from the enrichment culture of an anaerobically digested sludge. The effect of solid concentrations on the efficiency of metal leaching was studied in shaken flasks. In the range of solid concentrations 20 g.L­$^1$to 100 g.L­$^1$T. thiooxidans MET oxidized S$^{0}$ to sulfate without any lag period. The final pH of slurry solution was decreased to below pH 1, and the final oxide-redox potential (ORP) was increased to over 420 mV in the solid concentrations below 100 g.L­$^1$. However, the initial lag period of 4 to 8 days was required to obtain the pH reduction and ORP increase of the slurry solutions in the range of solid concentrations 150 g.L­$^1$to 300 g.L­$^1$. The sulfur oxidation rate of T. thiooxidans MET in 20~100 g.L­$^1$solid concentrations was 0.70~0.75 g-S.L­$^1$ㆍ d­$^1$, but its sulfur oxidation activity was remarkably inhibited with increasing solid concentration over 150 g.L­$^1$. Increasing fly ash solids concentration in the range of solids concentration 20 g.L­$^1$ to 200 g.L­$^1$decreased the removal efficiency of Zn, Cu, Mn, Cr and Pb. The solubilization of heavy metals from fly ash was strongly correlated with the pH value of slurry solution. When the pH of slurry solution was reduced to 3, the solubilization process of Zn, Cu and Mn started, and their solubilization efficiency of Zn, Cu and Mn was progressively increased below pH 2. However, the solubilization process of Cr and Pb started at pH 2.5 and 2.0, respectively.

• KSBB Journal
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.145-149
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• 2000

Methyl mercaptan oxidase was isolated and purified from Thiobacillus thiooxidans KCTC2505 for the detection of mercaptans. T The produre of purification involved DEAE-Sephacel and Superose 12 column chromatographies with recovery yields of 40 a and 6.3%, and specific activity of 19.7 and 80.1 units/mg-protein, respectively. The molecular weight of purified methyl m mercaptan oxidase was determined to be 68.1 kDa by SDS-PAGE. The extract from DEAE-Sephacel column chromatography h had a high activity in oxidizing methyl mercaptan to produce formaldehyde which can be easily detected by purpald-coloring m method. Optimum temperature for activity was observed at $43^{\circ}C$. This enzyme was activated by $NH_4CI and (NH_4)_2S0_4$, and | inhibited by KCI and NaC!.

• KSBB Journal
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.389-397
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• 2001

The effect of sludge digestion on the leaching efficiency of heavy metals from sludge by bioleaching with Thiobacillus thiooxidans MET was investigated. The used sludges were a non- and anaerobically digested. The leaching efficiency of heavy metals was strongly dependent on the pH of the sludge solution rather than the sludge condition and stolid concentration. The lower the pH the more heavy metal was leached from 3.0 of pH. The sequent orders of leaching heavy metals were Zn, Cu, and Cr. Although the buffering capacity of non-digested sludge was similar to anaerobically digested sludge, the pH decrease rate of the anaerobically digested sludge solution was faster than that of the non-digested sludge solution due to the higher sulfur oxidation rate of T. thiooxidans MET in the anaerobically digested sludge. The amount of leached heavy metals from the anaerobically digested sludge showed higher than that of non-digested sludge at the same pH value. This result might be caused by the difference of the insoluble metal types, which were contained in the sludge. An increase in sludge solids concentration decreased the leaching efficiency of heavy metals in the range of solids concentration 10 g/L to 70 g/L. The optimum ratio of S° to sludge stolid was 0.1 in both the sludge. The bioleaching process of heavy metals with T. thiooxidans MET showed the disinfecting effect over 90% as well as the reduction effect in sludge weight of 20%.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.28 no.10
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• pp.1777-1780
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• 2007

The synthesis of well-defined dendrons based on aliphatic polyether dendritic cores and glassy polystyrene peripheries is described. The synthetic route involves a combination of living anionic polymerization and a stepwise convergent method consisting of iterative Williamson etherification and hydroboration/oxidation reactions. On the basis of molecular weight, as characterized by gel permeation chromatography (GPC), the first generation dendron (Generation-1) shows a random coil conformation like a linear polystyrene, while higher generations (Generation-2 and 3) reveal globular forms in solution.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.91-100
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• 1975

The chemolithoautotrophic bacteria, Freeobacillus ferroxidans and Thiobacillus thiooxidans were identified according to their immunological and serological properties. The antibody to these organisms was easily elicited in experimental animals, however, the overall serologicl reactivities were low according to different kinds of titration methods. By means of the quantitive and qualitative analysis such as hemagglutination or ouchterlony tests, F.ferroxidans and T. thiooxidans were different in their immunoreactivities, whereas the strains among the F.ferrooxidans were possessed, in some extent, the sharing antigenic determinants. In the results of the polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis/radioimmunometric method, the major antigenic determinants of the organisms illustrated the type specificitles in the fraction number of 20-30 in their gel electrophoretograms with some modifications of the antigenic moieties.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.109-114
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• 1973

It is well known that the ornithine-containing lipids were separated and identified from the other lipids of Rhodopseudomonas spheroides, Rhodospirillum, and Thiobacillus thiooxidans. An ornithine-containing lipid that lacks phosphorus and glycerol has been observed in Ferrobacillus ferrooxidans which was isolated from dalsung copper mine in Korea. The aminolipid was extracted from F.ferrooxidans and furthr purified by thin layer chromatography, and the product was identified as an ornithine-containing lipid by paper and liquid chromatography respectively.

• Resources Recycling
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.3-15
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• 2008

Different toxic wastes are disposed of in our surroundings and these will ultimately threaten the existence of living organisms. Biohydrometallurgy, which includes the processes of bioleaching and bioremediation through the activities of microorganisms such as bacterial or fungal species, is a technology that has the potential to overcome many environmental problems at a reasonable economic cost. Bioleaching were carried out for dissolution of metals from different materials using most important metal mobilizing bacteria such as Thiobacillus ferrooxidans, Thiobacillus thiooxidans and Laptospirillum ferrooxidans. According to the reaction, bioleaching is parted as direct and indirect mechanism. In direct mechanism the bacteria oxidize the sulphides minerals by accepting electron and producing sulphuric acid in leaching media for their growth and metabolism. In other hand the indirect bioleaching is demonstrated as the oxidation of sulphides mineral by the oxidant like $Fe^{3+}$ produced by the iron oxidizing bacteria. Through this process, substantial amount of metal can be recovered from low-grade ores, concentrates, industrial wastes like sludge, tailings, fly ash, slag, electronic scrap, spent batteries and spent catalysts. This may be alternative technology to solve the high deposition of waste, which moves toward a healthy environment and green world.