Microbes of biotechnological importance in acidic saline lakes in the Yilgarn Craton, Western Australia

Front Microbiol. 2024 Feb 14:15:1308797. doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2024.1308797. eCollection 2024.

Abstract

Acidic salt lakes are environments that harbor an array of biologically challenging conditions. Through 16S rRNA, 18S rRNA, and ITS amplicon sequencing of eight such lakes across the Yilgarn Craton of Western Australia, we aim to understand the microbial ecology of these lakes with a focus on iron- and sulfur-oxidizing and reducing microorganisms that have theoretical application in biomining industries. In spite of the biological challenges to life in these lakes, the microbial communities were highly diverse. Redundancy analysis of soil samples revealed sulfur, ammonium, organic carbon, and potassium were significant diversities of the microbial community composition. The most abundant microbes with a hypothetical application in biomining include the genus 9 M32 of the Acidithiobacillus family, Alicyclobacillus and Acidiphilium, all of which are possible iron- and/or sulfur-oxidizing bacteria. It is evident through this study that these lakes harbor multiple organisms with potential in biomining industries that should be exploited and studied further.

Keywords: Yilgarn Craton; acidophiles; biotechnology; extremophiles; halophiles; microbial ecology.

Grants and funding

The author(s) declare financial support was received for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article. The Australian Microbiome Initiative was supported by funding from Bioplatforms Australia and the Integrated Marine Observing System (IMOS) through the Australian Government’s National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy (NCRIS), Parks Australia through the Bush Blitz program funded by the Australian Government and BHP, and the CSIRO. KB acknowledges support through an Australian Government Research Training Program Scholarship.