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The Interactions of Microorganisms and Materials: Biocorrosion and Bioleaching

A special issue of Materials (ISSN 1996-1944). This special issue belongs to the section "Corrosion".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 April 2026 | Viewed by 2042

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
SPC “Armbiotechnology” NAS of Armenia, Yerevan 0056, Armenia
Interests: bioleaching; chemolithotrophic bacteria; wastewater treatment; biosorption; recycling
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Guest Editor
Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao 266071, China
Interests: marine corrosion; sulfate-reducing bacteria; microbiologically influenced corrosion; corrosive microbial communities

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Guest Editor Assistant
SPC “Armbiotechnology” NAS of Armenia, Yerevan 0056, Armenia
Interests: bioleaching; acidophilic bacteria; heavy metal resistance; bioremediation

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Microorganisms are crucial for the degradation and transformation of materials, with significant implications for industrial infrastructure, environmental sustainability, and resource recovery. This Special Issue focuses on the dynamic interactions between microorganisms and materials, particularly in the contexts of biocorrosion (microbiologically influenced corrosion, MIC) and bioleaching (microbe-assisted metal extraction). Biocorrosion poses critical challenges to marine, energy, and medical systems, accelerating material deterioration through microbial metabolic activities. Conversely, bioleaching offers an eco-friendly approach for metal recovery from ores and electronic waste, utilizing microbial processes to replace traditional, energy-intensive methods.

This Special Issue welcomes research articles and reviews that address microbial mechanisms, material responses, monitoring techniques, and mitigation strategies in biocorrosion and advances in bioleaching for sustainable metallurgy. We particularly seek interdisciplinary studies that integrate microbiology, materials science, and engineering. We aim to translate fundamental research findings into practical applications, fostering innovation in microbial–material interactions for both industrial protection and resource utilization.

Prof. Dr. Ruiyong Zhang
Dr. Arevik Vardanyan
Dr. Yimeng Zhang
Guest Editors

Dr. Anna Khachatryan
Guest Editor Assistant

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Keywords

  • microbiologically influenced corrosion (MIC)
  • bioleaching
  • material degradation
  • metal recovery
  • sustainable bioprocessing
  • metal corrosion

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

16 pages, 2793 KB  
Article
Bacterial Tolerance and Bioleaching in the Presence of Chloride
by Narine Vardanyan, Anna Khachatryan, Zaruhi Melkonyan, Nelli Abrahamyan, Sona Barseghyan, Ruiyong Zhang and Arevik Vardanyan
Materials 2025, 18(18), 4407; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma18184407 - 21 Sep 2025
Viewed by 953
Abstract
Chloride ions can enhance the bioleaching of copper minerals, yet most biomining microorganisms are highly sensitive to chloride and cannot survive or colonize mineral surfaces in saline environments. Chloride tolerance varies among acidophilic iron-oxidizing bacteria, but the concentrations at which they remain active [...] Read more.
Chloride ions can enhance the bioleaching of copper minerals, yet most biomining microorganisms are highly sensitive to chloride and cannot survive or colonize mineral surfaces in saline environments. Chloride tolerance varies among acidophilic iron-oxidizing bacteria, but the concentrations at which they remain active are generally too low to permit the industrial use of seawater. Therefore, identifying highly chloride-tolerant leaching microorganisms and studying their bioleaching potential in chloride-containing systems is of utmost importance. This study investigated chloride tolerance and adaptability of bacteria from different genera, with a focus on Sulfobacillus thermosulfidooxidans subsp. asporogenes 41, a moderately thermophilic strain that can oxidize both Fe (II) and reduced inorganic sulfur compounds (RISCs). This dual activity makes it advantageous for bioleaching by facilitating sulfur removal, generating acidity, and preventing mineral passivation. Comparative experiments on the bioleaching of pyrite and chalcopyrite demonstrated that adaptation to 0.3 M NaCl enhanced the chloride tolerance of S. thermosulfidooxidans subsp. asporogenes 41. The adapted strain exhibited significantly improved copper extraction under saline conditions compared with the native culture. Maximum copper recovery was achieved at 0.4 M NaCl, highlighting the potential of chloride-adapted moderate thermophiles for biomining applications in saline environments. In contrast the minimal inhibitory concentration for Acidithiobacillud ferrooxidans Dr was 0.005 M (causing 41.2% inhibition), while Leptospirillum ferriphilum CC was unaffected by lower concentrations (0.01–0.02 M) and only showed severe inhibition (86.5%) at 0.1 M NaCl, defining its minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) at 0.05 M. Full article
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