Abstract

• In this study, bioleaching of mineral pyrite ore collected from Moehti Moemi mining area, Yamethin Township, Mandalay Region was conducted by using Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans. Two Soil samples were collected from two sampling areas, (Sakhangyi, SKG and Shwesin, SHN mining sites), Moehti Moemi, Yamethin, Mandalay Region. A. ferrooxidans was isolated from these two soil samples. The principal objective of the present investigation was to isolate and identify the acidophilic sulphur oxidizing A. ferrooxidans and to grow the isolates on selected 9K medium. The most commonly studied pyrite oxidizing bacteria are thermophilic A. ferrooxidans, which oxidizes ferrous iron and sulphur. The isolated bacteria were identified by phenotypic and genotypic identifications. In phenotypic identification, twelve biochemical tests such as motility test, hydrogen sulphide test, catalase test, urease test, starch hydrolysis test, indole test, methyl red test, gelatin liquefaction test, Voges- Proskauer test, nitrate reduction test, citrate utilization test and triple sugar iron test were performed. In genotypic identification, A. ferrooxidans was detected and confirmed by using specific primers for 16S rDNA PCR.