Copper Precipitation as Insoluble Oxalates by Thermotolerant Aspergillus spp. from Burning Wastes of Coal Mining

Micromycetes can precipitate metals in the form of insoluble oxalates, thus participating in metal removal from geochemical cycling and in secondary mineral formation. Metal precipitation has a practical application for bioleaching and bioremediation. Micromycetes from the genus Aspergillus are used as model organisms to study metal precipitation. All known biomineralization processes carried out by micromycetes described so far involved mesophilic organisms. Thermophilic eukaryotes may be advantageous for biotechnologies. This study reports the isolation of thermophilic/thermotolerant Aspergillus spp. from burning wastes of coal mining in Kuzbass and their participation in formation of insoluble copper oxalate, moolooite. Copper-enriched extracellular vesicles formed in the process may act as nucleation sites for the moolooite crystals formation.