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Assessment of Microbial Patagonian Communities for Using in Heavy Metal Bioremediation

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Biology and Biotechnology of Patagonian Microorganisms

Abstract

Assessing microbial communities in extreme environments allows the search for novel extremophilic microorganisms that can be of use in the development or improvement of biotechnological processes. Most microbial communities developed in such harsh environments have different heavy metal resistance strategies of importance in some technological applications as biomining but also in the bioremediation of metal-polluted environments. In this chapter we describe the microbial diversity of an acidic, volcanic geothermal environment in Northern Patagonia of Argentina: the Copahue geothermal system, containing different geothermal manifestations with temperatures up to 90 °C and pH values from 2 to 7 under aerobic and anaerobic conditions, provoking an enormous biodiversity. In addition, we report some heavy metal applications of those communities, focusing mainly in the bioprecipitation of heavy metals using sulfate-reducing microorganisms.

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Acknowledgments

The authors gratefully acknowledge support from ANPCyT (PICT 2012 0623 and PICT 2013 0630).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. CINDEFI (CCT La Plata-CONICET, UNLP), Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, Calle 47 y 115, 1900, La Plata, Argentina

    Ana Belén Segretin, María Alejandra Lima, Graciana Willis Poratti, María Sofía Urbieta & Cecilia Bernardelli

  2. Industrial Fermentation Research and Development Center (CINDEFI), CONICET-UNLP, School of Science, National University of La Plata, La Plata, Argentina

    Edgardo Donati

  3. PROBIEN (CONICET, UNCo), Facultad de Ingeniería, Universidad Nacional del Comahue, Buenos Aires 1400, 8300, Neuquén, Argentina

    Alejandra Giaveno

Authors
  1. Ana Belén Segretin
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  2. María Alejandra Lima
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  3. Graciana Willis Poratti
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  4. María Sofía Urbieta
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  5. Cecilia Bernardelli
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  6. Alejandra Giaveno
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  7. Edgardo Donati
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Edgardo Donati .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Patagonian Institute for the Study of Continental Ecosystems (IPEEC-CENPAT), National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET), Puerto Madryn, Argentina

    Nelda Lila Olivera

  2. Andean-Patagonian Institute for Biological and Geoenvironmental Technologies (IPATEC) CONICET, National University of Comahue, Bariloche, Argentina

    Diego Libkind

  3. Industrial Fermentation Research and Development Center (CINDEFI), CONICET-UNLP, School of Science National University of La Plata, La Plata, Argentina

    Edgardo Donati

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Segretin, A.B. et al. (2016). Assessment of Microbial Patagonian Communities for Using in Heavy Metal Bioremediation. In: Olivera, N., Libkind, D., Donati, E. (eds) Biology and Biotechnology of Patagonian Microorganisms. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-42801-7_5

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