The Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, has developed a bioreactor technology that would help increase output in gold mines. Metallurgy involving bioabsorption and bioremediation is a cheaper and an environment -friendly technology as it does not leave behind huge residues of arsenic and cyanide. The bio-reactor uses a genetically engineered microbe, Thiobacillus ferroxidans, that works on tailing and post process mine dumps. Such bacteria act on minerals which occur naturally at mine sites and could be conditioned to enhance and accelerate gold production. This bioreactor will be initially installed for demonstration at the Hutti Gold Mines in Raichur, Karnataka.
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