Reverse engineering directed gene regulatory networks from transcriptomics and proteomics data of biomining bacterial communities with approximate Bayesian computation and steady-state signalling simulations

摘要

“Biomining” is the industrial process of exploiting acidophilic microorganisms for the recovery of valuable metals from sulfide mineral ores such as chalcopyrite [ , ]. The process is catalyzed by microbial oxidation of ferrous iron that provides ferric ions for the chemical oxidation of metal sulfides and establishes a cycle between the ferric iron oxidative attack and biological oxidation of ferrous ions. Sulfur-oxidizing acidophiles also contribute to the process of mineral degradation by producing sulfuric acid from inorganic sulfur compounds. Compared to conventional metal recovery operations, biomining is less harmful to the environment [ ]. It is therefore important to further optimize this process.