Curtin University of Technology researchers are hoping that a micro-organism can help save the mining industry thousands of dollars each year.

Biomedical Science PhD student Carla Zammit, 24, is trying to find a micro-organism that is salt tolerant and can be used in the biomining process.

Biomining uses micro-organisms to extract metal from low-grade or difficult to process ores. The process is inhibited by salt and has limited use in Western Australia due to the salt content in the soil and ground water.

Carla Zammit hopes to unearth a salt tolerant micro-organism to expand the use of biomining in WA.

“Identifying a salt tolerant micro-organism to be used in the biomining process could have a huge impact on the mining industry. The current process for extracting ore can involve sending carbon dioxide into the atmosphere and large amounts of energy.

“Biomining does not produce emissions associated with smelting, the micro-organisms involved in the process use the carbon dioxide in the air, it is low maintenance and metals can be economically extracted from waste ores.

“The low start up costs as well as maintenance costs means there is potential for Third World countries to start their own mining operations.”

Carla Zammit is part of the Environmental Microbiology group at Curtin’s Biomedical Science Department. Her supervisors are Dr Elizabeth Watkin, Dr Lesley Mutch (both from Curtin) and Dr Helen Watling (CSIRO Minerals).

She recently won a $10,000 scholarship from the Minerals and Energy Research Institute of WA and will use the money to fund a project in collaboration with the University of Umea, Sweden in the near future.

Miss Zammit will leave Perth in May for a three-month research program at Sweden ’s University of Umea . She plans to complete her study early next year.

www.curtin.edu.au