Publication: Microbial indicators and detection of Cu-sulfide ore mineralization

Summary: While the demand for copper is skyrocketing due to its applications in electric vehicles and other clean energy technologies, it is difficult to locate buried copper ore. In this paper, the authors used DNA sequencing to analyze the surface soil at known copper deposit sites. They identified specific changes in the composition of the microbial community resulting from the metal’s interaction with the soil. Such “bacterial fingerprints” offer a novel and accessible tool for mineral exploration.