Microorganisms as sensors for concealed mineral deposits

• Main Author: Iulianella Phillips, Bianca P.
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: University of British Columbia 2021
• Subjects: Northwest Territories
• Online Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.14288/1.0390297; https://doi.library.ubc.ca/10.14288/1.0390297

Mineral exploration is becoming more challenging in that undiscovered deposits are likely concealed beneath thick cover sequences. Current, through-cover, geochemical methodologies often provide inconsistent results and have poorly developed anomalies that may go undetected. The development of innovative exploration strategies and robust techniques to see through cover is thus imperative to future discovery success. Profiling of microbial communities that populate the soils above mineral deposits provide a solution for geologists exploring in covered terrains. Microorganisms are well equipped to detect geochemical gradients as they are highly sensitive to subtle differences in the chemical and physical properties of their surroundings. High-throughput DNA sequencing technology and big-data analysis techniques have now advanced to the point that high-resolution information on microbial community composition and structure is readily accessible. My results have demonstrated the viability of microbial ...