Mineral Exploration is the official publication of the Association of Mineral Exploration British Columbia.
Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/225045
Genomics UBC researchers taking samples that will be used in bioremediation testing. A NEW TOOL IN BIOREMEDIATION BY DR. GABE K ALMAR A s B.C.'s mineral resource sector continues to flourish, and as more mineral deposits and gas reserves are found and developed, safety concerns remain paramount. In the mining industry, safety precautions around groundwater contamination are of particular concern: no one wants toxic compounds from mining operations flowing into fish-bearing streams and our waterways. To ensure optimal safety levels, mining companies typically use chemicals to treat metal leaching and acid rock drainage. These treatments, while effective, are also highly expensive and produce their own waste byproducts – which must then be carefully contained for years to come. However, research here in B.C. is offering new options for an alternative way. A natural approach Many mining companies are beginning to invest more into bioremediation techniques to decontaminate mining wastewater. This innovative process Photograph : Genome BC p34-37_GenomeBC.indd 35 uses naturally occurring microbes that live in and around mine sites to "digest" the toxic compounds and detoxify the contaminated water. In essence, the specialized organisms thrive on these toxic chemicals, integrating them into their metabolism and neutralizing toxicity. Bioremediation has been around for years, yet we are still learning how these toxin-digesting microbes work, how to best exploit their unique capabilities and how to optimize them to work better in challenging environments. Susan Baldwin, PhD, a professor in the University of British Columbia's Chemical and Biological Engineering Department, is helping move the science towards application – making bioremediation a more economical and accessible option – by applying genomics to harness these detoxifying biological processes. cooking instructions, a genome contains all the instructions for making a particular organism. While bioremediation is not new, these genomic insights are. Genomics help us better understand the micro-organisms that grow in mine drainage sites, and how their genes interact with each other and with their environment. The real benefit of applying genomics to bioremediation lies in the understanding we can gain of how complex microbial communities living together in mining wastewater function and, more importantly, how to make them flourish. In order for these microbes to function effectively and detoxify water, it's imperative we know what sort of environment best fosters them – the type of nutrients, food sources and conditions that will maximize the growth and function of desirable microbes. How genomics is helping Tiny molecules, big problems Genomics is the study of the structure, function and inheritance of an organism's DNA. Like a recipe, which is a set of Baldwin and her team are working to discover microbes with particular abilities to treat a wide variety of waste streams, w i n t e r 2 013 35 13-11-27 10:02 AM