Microbial Interactions with Metals/Minerals: From Environmental Aspects to Applications

For the past decades interactions between microorganisms and metals/minerals have been a focus of research, encompassing microbial diversity, natural phenomena, and molecular mechanisms. These interactions are crucial in both natural environments and environmental technologies. Microorganisms can reduce or oxidize metals/minerals under oxic or anoxic conditions, leading to significant changes in metal speciation and mineral transformations. The electron-transferring mechanisms underlining the interactions can be applied for nanoparticles synthesis and/or bioelectrochemical systems.

This Research Topic will explore the complex relationships between microorganisms and metal/mineral substrates, emphasizing their impact on environmental processes and their potential for innovative applications. For example, certain microorganisms can reduce toxic metals and metalloids, such as chromium, uranium, and arsenic to less toxic species of metals/minerals, offering promising approaches for bioremediation. Conversely microbial oxidation of metals can be harnessed for bioleaching or biomining, enabling the recovery of valuable metals, e.g., lithium from electronic wastes. Additionally, microbial interactions can generate nanoscale metal materials, with potential applications in both environmental and industrial contexts, as well as generate electricity in the microbial fuel cells for various applications.

Despite significant progress, many questions remain about the ecological roles and biogeochemical contributions of microbial interactions with metals/minerals. To address these challenges, we propose this Research Topic, inviting contributions from experts across diverse fields:


- Microbial ecology in metal/mineral-related environments

- Molecular mechanisms of microbial interactions with
metals/minerals

- Microbial interactions with metals in biogeochemical cycles

- Microbial contributions to metal-contaminated environments

- Bioleaching and biomining for metal recovery

- Microbial synthesis and applications of nanoscale metal materials

- Impact of microbial metal/mineral interactions on environmental
sustainability

- Bioelectrochemical processes and its applications

- Novel microbial processes and emerging applications

Keywords: metals, minerals, bioleaching, bioremediation, biomining, nanoscale materials

Important Note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.