Copper-resistant microorganisms and their role in the environment.

Naturally occurring, copper-resistant microorganisms are common in the environment. This review discusses the mechanism of copper resistance, which is not yet clearly understood, though the copper resistance conferred by a plasmid pPT23D has been elucidated at the molecular level. The different applications of copper-resistant microorganisms are described, including commerical bloleaching of copper ores. The construction of novel bioleaching strains through recombinant DNA technology may be possible. Biosorbents, the non-living microbial blomass, have been successfully used for metal recovery operations and are also reviewed.