Environmental biotechnology
Study of bacterial oxidation and reduction of iron and inorganic sulfur compounds at the cellular and enzymatic level in relation to the activity of acidophilic chemolithotrophic bacteria in biohydrometallurgy and the environment.
doc. Ing. Martin Mandl, CSc.
Group leader
Martin Mandl studied chemistry in Bratislava finishing his studies with "biochemical technology" specialisation. He joined our department in 1988 and since then Martin has worked on chemolithotrophic microorganisms with a focus on their application in bioleaching. Currently, Martin is the guarantor of the Biotechnology study programme aimed at preparing students for work in the industry.
About Martin Mandl
Contact information:
- Office – C05/332
- Phone – 549 49 5728
- Email – mandl@chemi.muni.cz
Education
- 1998 – Associate Professor in Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, MU, "Metabolism of Thiobacillus ferrooxidans in biotechnology and ecology"
- 1992 – CSc., Faculty of Chemical Technology, STU Bratislava
- 1978 – Ing., Biochemical Technology, Faculty of Chemical Technology, STU Bratislava
University activities
- Guarantor of the Master's program Biotechnology
- Board for studies – Program Board (Bioanalytical Laboratory Diagnostics in Medicine - Bioanalytic, Biotechnology, and Biochemistry)
- Boards and councils – Electoral and Mandate Committee of the AS MU
Non-university activities
- Honorary member of the standing committee of the "International Biohydrometallurgy Symposium"
- Member of the Council of the Czech Biotechnology Society
- Member of the Czechoslovak Society for Microbiology
Academical internships
- INRA (France) – 2013, 2015, 2017
- Delft University of Technology (Netherlands) – 1995
Research area
Our research objectives are to study chemolithotrophic acidophilic bacteria and their role in the oxidation of sulfide minerals. These bacteria are used in biohydrometallurgy to obtain valuable metals from low-grade ores and concentrate (Fig. 1). The metals are first bio-extracted from the minerals and then separated from the acid leachate, most commonly by electrolysis after extraction with an organic solvent and re-extraction into water. In addition to industrial processes, the spontaneous abiotic and biotic oxidation of sulfide minerals in abandoned mines and mine wastes leads to the formation of sulfuric acid and the mobilization of toxic metals with negative environmental impacts.
In addition to the fundamental study of the biochemical mechanisms of bacterial oxidation and reduction of inorganic substrates, our research objectives also concern applied environmental studies in affected areas after conventional mining with imperfect landscape revitalization. We are involved in developing and optimizing innovative energy-saving and environmentally friendly bioleaching processes, such as processes for the recovery of valuable metals from secondary sources - electrical waste and products of urban and industrial waste incineration (ash and slag).
Main research objectives
- Molecular detection of acidophilic sulfur bacteria
- Kinetics of bioprocesses
- Study of bacterial metabolism using omics methods
- Characterization of enzymes involved in bioleaching
- Genetic engineering of bioleaching microorganisms
- Bioleaching of sulfide and other wastes
Group members
Jiří Kučera, Ph.D. Assistant professor – MUNI | WOS | RG
- Office – C05/334
- Phone – 549 49 4628
- E-mail – jiri.kucera@sci.muni.cz
PhD students: Lenka Jurasová, Matěj Masař
Master’s students: Anna Huňorová, Ivan Kapusta
Bachelor students: Zdenka Vilhanová, Magdalena Votápková
Laboratory assistant: Hedvika Říčánková
PhD graduates: Pavla Češková, Iva Bartáková, Jiří Kučera, Blanka Pokorná-Omesová, Eva Pakostová, Jitka Kašparovská, Šárka Bořilová.
International and local cooperation
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Research projects
From Waste to Resource - Recycling Sewage Sludge Ash into Phosphate-rich Plant Fertilizer (PHOS4PLANT)
- Project Identification: ATCZ00043
- Project Period: 05/2024 – 04/2027
- Programme: Interreg Austria - Czech Republic 2021–2027
Phosphorus is an essential element for all living organisms. However, global phosphorus supplies are limited, so phosphorus recycling is receiving much attention. Due to its significant importance in fertilizer and food production and its heavy dependence on imports, phosphorus is on the EU's list of critical raw materials. Fly ash from the incineration of sewage sludge is one of the most promising secondary sources, as it contains significant amounts of phosphorus. The disadvantage of ash as a secondary source of phosphorus is the presence of heavy metals. The PHOS4PLANT project aims to optimize sewage sludge incineration processes and recover phosphorus from fly ash by bioleaching. Heavy metals will be separated from the bioleachate by employing bioelectrochemical processes and fractional precipitation. The bioavailable phosphorus obtained will be applied as fertilizer to the soil with selected valuable plants. Then, the growth parameters of their root system and aboveground part, heavy metal content, and microbial diversity in soil and plants will be monitored.
An overview of all current and completed projects can be found on the website MUNI.
Recent publications
An overview of all publications can be found on the website MUNI.
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Metal recovery from spent lithium-ion batteries via two-step bioleaching using adapted chemolithotrophs from an acidic mine pit lake
Frontiers in Microbiology, year: 2024, volume: 15, edition: January 2024, DOI
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Influence of mobile genetic elements and insertion sequences in long- and short-term adaptive processes of Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans strains
Scientific Reports, year: 2023, volume: 13, edition: 1, DOI
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Zinc recovery from bioleachate using a microbial electrolysis cell and comparison with selective precipitation
Frontiers in Microbiology, year: 2023, volume: 14, edition: August 2023, DOI
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Leachability of metals from waste incineration residues by iron- and sulfur-oxidizing bacteria
Journal of Environmental Management, year: 2021, volume: 280, edition: February, DOI
