Patent ID: 8372628

Claim:
A mineral bioleaching process, comprising: inoculating a sulfured metallic ore with an acid bacterial solution comprising an isolated bacterial strain belonging to species Acidithiobacillus thiooxidans , named Licanantay DSM 17318, deposited in DSMZ (Deutsche Sammlung von Mikroorganismen and Zellkulturen GmbH, Braunschweig, Germany), wherein said bacterial strain Licanantay DSM 17318 comprises sulfur-oxidizing activity and the acid bacterial solution comprises an effective amount of said bacterial strain Licanantay DSM 17318 to remove sulfur from the inoculated ore that acts as a leaching inhibitor in the bioleaching process; and leaching copper minerals from the inoculated ore at ambient temperatures at a pH from 1.0 to 2.5.