All kinds of microbes, including Aspergillus can contribute actively to geological phenomena. Central to many such geomicrobial processes is the transformation of metals and minerals.
Microbes have a variety of properties that can effect changes in metal speciation, toxicity and mobility, as well as mineral formation, dissolution and deterioration. Such mechanisms are important components of natural biogeochemical cycles for metals as well as other associated elements in biomass, soil, rocks and minerals (e.g. sulfur and phosphorus, and metalloids, actinides and metal radionuclides).
Apart from being important in natural biosphere processes, metal and mineral transformations can have beneficial or detrimental consequences in a human context. Bioremediation is the application of biological systems to the clean-up of organic and inorganic pollution, with bacteria and fungi being the most important organisms for reclamation, immobilization or detoxification of metallic and radionuclide pollutants.
Geo-microbiology sources
Articles
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Title
Author
Year
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Biosolubilization of poorly soluble rock phosphates by Aspergillus tubingensis and Aspergillus niger
M. Sudhakara Reddy, Surender Kumar, K. Babita, M.S. Reddy
2002
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Mahtab Kamali and Catherine N. Mulligan
2002
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A. Kapoor & T. Viraraghavan
1998
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Lal Bihari Sukla, Rabi Narayan Kar & Vinita Panchanadikar
1992
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J. V. Perfettini, E. Revertegat and N. Langomazino
1991