Study on free microbial diversity during leaching of moderately thermophilic bacteria

This study aims to elucidate the functional roles of free-living microbes during tetrahedrite bioleaching by moderately thermophilic consortia. By integrating bioleaching experiments with microbial diversity analysis, we seek to characterize the succession of microbial communities and identify keystone species driving mineral dissolution. Current research predominantly focuses on immobilized extremophiles, leaving a critical gap in understanding how enriched and acclimated moderately thermophilic consortia adapt to mineral interfaces and coordinate multi-species interactions. Through analyzing the dynamics of free-living microbes and their functional predictions during bioleaching, our findings will advance the mechanistic understanding of bioleaching ecology.