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Microbial Survey on Industrial Bioleaching Heap by High-Throughput 16S Sequencing and Metagenomics Analysis

Bioleaching processes are usually open systems where introduced and native microorganisms survive to changes in pH, temperature, salt and metal concentration, among others. Spatial and temporal description of the microbial community could be relevant for better comprehension of copper extraction process and help in the development of operative procedures to improve the metal extraction. We performed metagenomics and high-throughput sequencing of 16S rRNA genes analyses on samples from Escondida mine bioleaching heap and laboratory columns tests. Archaeal community structure in samples was assessed using three pairs of Archaea-specific primers, and results were highly depending on the primers pairs used. Similarly, three pairs of Bacteria-specific primers were used to assess the bacterial community. Moreover, according to the metagenomics analysis, At. thiooxidans, F. acidarmanus, Leptospirillum spp., Acidiphilium sp. JA12-A1, Acidiphilium spp., At. ferrivorans, and Leptospirillum ferriphilum were the most representative microorganisms. The repercussion of the different methodologies and outputs in the characterization of the bioleaching microbial community is discussed. A better understanding of the microbial community in bioleaching processes could improve the analysis regarding environmental changes in the heap process, its metallurgical performance and, can be used to assist in the decision-making process.