Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42039836›Full record

ArticleFrontiers in microbiology2026

Bioleaching of critical trace metals by

Luca Tonietti, Mattia Esposito, Mirko Leggiero, Fiona Bunn, Lorna J Eades, Angelina Cordone, Louise Horsfall, Giovanni Covone, Charles S Cockell, Donato Giovannelli and 2 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Frontiers in microbiology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

12 authors.

Luca ToniettiUK Centre for Astrobiology, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom.
Mattia EspositoDepartment of Biology, Universitá degli Studi di Napoli "Federico II", Naples, Italy.
Mirko LeggieroDepartment of Biology, Universitá degli Studi di Napoli "Federico II", Naples, Italy.
Fiona BunnUK Centre for Astrobiology, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom.
Lorna J EadesSchool of Chemistry, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom.
Angelina CordoneDepartment of Biology, Universitá degli Studi di Napoli "Federico II", Naples, Italy.
Louise HorsfallSchool of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom.
Giovanni CovoneDepartment of Biology, Universitá degli Studi di Napoli "Federico II", Naples, Italy.
Charles S CockellUK Centre for Astrobiology, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom.
Donato GiovannelliDepartment of Biology, Universitá degli Studi di Napoli "Federico II", Naples, Italy.
Alessandra RotundiDepartment of Science and Technology, Universitá di Napoli Parthenope, Naples, Italy.
Rosa SantomartinoUK Centre for Astrobiology, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background: Biotechnological advances are transforming the potential for sustainable resource utilization in space exploration. Biomining, using microorganisms to extract valuable metals, has emerged as a viable strategy for in Methods: This study harnessed a comparative bioleaching analysis to investigate the organism's ability to extract industrially relevant metals from seven terrestrial and extraterrestrial rock types, including a meteorite, a basaltic rock, and samples from the Sudbury Basin, an impact structure formed ~1.85 Ga ago. Results: We demonstrated that, depending on the substrate mineralogy, Discussion: While extraction rates were lower compared to industrial biomining standards, these results underscore the organism's potential in low-grade rocks bioleaching, particularly relevant for sustainable terrestrial biomining and long-duration space missions. More broadly, this work demonstrates that bioleaching efficiency is shaped not only by the microbial species employed, but also by the specific characteristics of the substrate, emphasizing the need to tailor bioleaching strategies to distinct mineral contexts.

Indexed as

biominingceriumISRUrare earth elements (REE)space biologyspace biotechnologySphingomonas desiccabilisthorium

Identifiers

PMID42039836
PMCPMC13106364

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.