Acid Mine Drainage: A Tale of Extremophilic Organisms in Vershire, VT

Acid mine drainage (AMD) is a serious environmental problem, polluting more than 19,300 km of rivers and streams and 72,000 ha of lakes worldwide. AMD is the outflow of acidic water from mines and tailings containing metal... [ view full abstract ]

Acid mine drainage (AMD) is a serious environmental problem, polluting more than 19,300 km of rivers and streams and 72,000 ha of lakes worldwide. AMD is the outflow of acidic water from mines and tailings containing metal sulfide-rich rocks. This toxic water pollutes water bodies, resulting in impotable water and a decrease of biodiversity in these aquatic ecosystems. Despite its negative effects, the formation of AMD also selects for the propagation of extremophilic microorganisms, specifically acidophiles, such as Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans and Leptospirillum ferrooxidans. These organisms contain potentially novel genes that enable them to thrive in extreme environments, making them of great interest in the fields of natural products chemistry and for industrial purposes, such as bioremediation. This study focuses on characterizing the AMD microbial community at Ely Brook, an EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) Superfund Site in Vershire, VT. Here we examine how seasonal variations affect the relative abundance of specific taxa and metabolomes in the Ely Brook AMD microbiome and how these observations may be used for the discovery of novel compounds, as well as, for the remediation of this polluted site.