Microbiology for Minerals, Metals, Materials and the Environment

This book disseminates the interdisciplinary relationship, some explored, and some yet to be, amongst biology and the inorganic world. The book studies the genesis of biology in the metal world, the various physiological aspects behind their existence in such a turgid environment, their applications in the mineral sector, metal extraction, and material synthesis. A major part of this book and many chapters emphasizes the importance of microbes in environmental remediation in the mining industries from core deep ground sample processing to preservation of finished products.

Dr. Abhilash is a scientist in the biohydrometallurgy lab of the Waste Recycling and Utilisation Group of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research-National Metallurgical Laboratory, Jamshedpur, and assistant professor, AcSIR (Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research)-NML, India. He earned a degree in microbiology from Nagpur University, a postgraduate degree specializing in mineral biotechnology from Bangalore University, and a PhD (engineering) from Jadavpur University. Dr. Abhilash has authored one book and edited two compendium volumes, published over 65 papers in journals and conference proceedings, and presented over 30 papers at various symposia/colloquiums. He is also on the editorial board of international journals and a reviewer for journals in his field.

Dr. B.D. Pandey is chief scientist, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research-National Metallurgical Laboratory (CSIR-NML), Jamshedpur, and professor, AcSIR (Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research)-NML, India. He earned his PhD in metal extraction and separation by solvent extraction and metal complexation from the Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India. He has contributed extensively in the area of extraction of non-ferrous metals from both primary and secondary resources, including the extraction of rare earths. His research areas include chemical beneficiation, hydro- and bio-hydro-metallurgy and bio-remediation, sulphation roasting and waste processing, recycling, and environmental management. He has published over 200 papers in journals and conference proceedings, and holds 10 patents.

Dr. K.A. Natarajan is currently a NASI (National Academy of Sciences) senior scientist—Platinum Jubilee Fellow and emeritus professor at the Department of Materials Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, Karnataka, India. He earned his MS and PhD specializing in mineral beneficiation and hydrometallurgy from the University of Minnesota, USA. The Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore conferred on him the degree of doctor of science in 1992 for his pioneering research contributions in minerals bioprocessing. He is on the editorial board of several international journals in the area of mineral processing, and has published over 300 papers in leading journals.