• BMB Reports
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• v.38 no.3
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• pp.307-313
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• 2005

Thiobacillus ferrooxidans is one of the most important bacterium used in bioleaching, and can utilize $Fe^{2+}$ or sulphide as energy source. Growth curves for Thiobacillus ferrooxidans have been tested, which show lag, logarithmic, stationary and aging phases as seen in other bacteria. The logarithmic phases were from 10 to 32 hours for Thiobacillus ferrooxidans cultivated with $Fe^{2+}$ and from 4 to 12 days for Thiobacillus ferrooxidans cultivated with elemental sulphur. Differences of protein patterns of Thiobacillus ferrooxidans growing on elemental sulphur and $Fe^{2+}$ separately were investigated after cultivation at $30^{\circ}C$ by the analysis of two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE), matrix-assisted laser desorption/ ionization (MALDI)-Mass spectrometry and ESI-MS/MS. From the 7 identified protein spots, 11 spots were found more abundant when growing on elemental sulphur. By contrast 6 protein spots were found decreased at elemental cultivation condition. Among the proteins identified, cytochrome C have been previously identified as necessary elements of electron-transfering pathway for Thiobacillus ferrooxidans to oxidize $Fe^{2+}$; ATP synthase alpha chain and beta are expressed increased when Thiobacillus ferrooxidans cultivated with $Fe^{2+}$ as energy source. ATP synthase Beta chain is the catalytic subunit, and ATP synthase alpha chain is a regulatory subunit. The function of ATPase produces ATP from ADP in the presence of a proton gradient across the membrane.

• KSBB Journal
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.254-261
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• 2000

A bacterial leaching was conducted for pyrite with Thiobacillus ferrooxidans(ATcC 19859) and Thiobacillus KY isolated from acid mine water around Kwangyang area to characterize the surface of substrate as reaction progress at the optimum condition under 9K medium for 3- days. It was found that the surface crystallinity changes referred to hkl plane was observed for 20 days leached by T. ferrooxidans similar changes also observed for 10 days leached pyrite by Thiobacillus KY. Based on he results of SEM-EDS the atomic ratios of Fe, S and Si on the surface were changed to sulfur rich phase but exposed Si ratio decreased from 16.94% to 4.85% during 30days mainly due to reprecipitating of Fe and S as a mixed compound.

• 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.

• 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.

• KSBB Journal
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.279-283
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• 1998

To investigate the feasibility of the microbial process for removal of heavy metals from the high solid content sludge, the effect of sludge concentration on the solubilization of heavy metals by an iron oxidizing bacterium Thiolbacillus ferrooxidans was examined. With increasing the sludge concentration, the removal efficiency of heavy metals and the oxidation rate of iron were inhibited. Especially, when the sludge concentration is over 5% (w/v), the activity of T. ferrooxidans was remarkably inhibited. This inhibition is considered to occur due to the dissolved inhibitory materials such as organic compounds, heavy metals, and others which were extracted from the sludge during incubation period. In conclusion, the microbial process by T. ferrooxidans is only effectively used in ranges of 1.3 to 4.0% (w/v) sludge concentration.

• Resources Recycling
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.17-25
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• 2005

In order to recover valuable metals from the waste electronic scrap, bioleaching of Cu, Zn, Al, Co, Ni, Sn and Pb was carried out using Thiobacillus ferrooxidans as a leaching microorganism in a shaking flask. In a preliminary study, to obtain the data on the leaching of Cu, Zn, Al, Co and Ni, the metal leaching was accomplished using metal powers instead of electronic scrap. The leaching percentaga of Cu, Zn, Co, Al and Ni powers was reduced with the increase of metal power concentration in solution. Below the metal concentration of 0.5 g/L, more than 85% of Cu, Co and Zn powers was leached out. At the electronic scrap concentration of 100 g/L, Thiobacillus ferrooxidans were able to leach more than 90% of the available Cu and Co while Al, Zn and Ni were able to leach less than 40%. Pb and Sn were not detected in the leachate. Pb was precipitated as PbSO$_4$, whereas Sn precipitated probably as SnO.

• 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.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.

• KSBB Journal
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.124-130
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• 1999

To evaluate the technical of microbial coal desulfurization during the storage in coal dumps, microbial pyrite oxidation in a packed column reactor with Thiobacillus ferrooxidans has been investigated. For microbial desulfurization in a packed reactor system, coal particle size over 1.0 mm with uniform size distribution seems to be most suitable as fas as drainage behavior and accessability of pyrite are concerned. When coal samples of 1∼2 and 2∼4 mm particle size were size were used, about 32∼42% of pyritic sulfur was removed within 70 days. The rate of pyritic sulfur oxidation was in the range of 348∼803 mg S/kg coal ·d, and the sulfur removal rates in packed columns were about 15∼25% of those in suspension cultures. Without any circulation of liquid medium, microbial coal desulfurization could be possible by the inoculation of T. ferrooxidans along on the coal dump. It was concluded that a microbial percolation process is one of possible processes for the desulfurization of high sulfur coal during a long-term storage.

• KSBB Journal
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.353-359
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• 1996

The experiments were conducted in the leaching of aqueous uranium from low-grade uranium ore by Thiobacillus ferrooxidans. The optimal concentration of ferrous iron in 9K medium was 16.2g/L when the uranium ore concentration in slurry was 40g/L. The leaching rates were increased by decreasing the particle size of uranium ore and by increasing uranium ore concentration. In the leaching experiments in an agitated vessel reactor, only 39.3% of uranium was leached out within 12 days, which was comparable as that in the shaking incubator, without any notable improvement. Hence, it was observed that an agitated vessel reactor was not effective in the leaching of uranium from uranium ore by T. ferrooxidans. In the leaching experiments in a draught-tube reactor, the maximum concentration of uranium leached and cell number were a 12.8mg/L and $2.47{\times}1010cells/mL$ respectively. The uranium yield reached up to 91.4% within 11 days culture due to enhanced aeration and mixing characteristics of draught-tube reactor as compared to agitated vessel reactor.