September 01, 2024
A new manuscript by Jung, Inaba, and Banta describes the use of CRISPR interference in Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans to manipulate the flow of electrons that result from iron or sulfur oxidation. Knockdown of the petB2 gene enhanced iron oxidation which led to enhanced pyrite and chalcopyrite oxidation. These results demonstrate how synthetic biology can be used to create cell lines with enhanced biomining potential. The new results were published in the Journal of Biological Chemistry.