Microörganisms Concerned in the Oxidation of Sulfur in the Soil Ii. Thiobacillus Thiooxidans, a New Sulfur-Oxidizing Organism Isolated From the Soil

Abstract

By composting sulfur, rock phosphate and soil it was found (McLean, 1918) that sulfur is rapidly oxidized to sulfuric acid; the acid acts upon the tricalcium phosphate, converting it into di-and mono-calcium salts. In the absence of a neutralizing agent or, after this agent has all been used up, the sulfuric acid formed, in the presence of an excess of sulfur, accumulates in the medium. On inoculating such composts into proper culture media, we finally succeeded in isolating a small bacterium which is active in the oxidation of the sulfur. A detailed study of the composting of sulfur, of the transformation of the tri-calcium phosphate and of the methods used in the isolation of the organism are found elsewhere (Lipman, Waksman and Joffe, 1921); only a brief review of the process of isolation is presented here. Method of isolation. The following media were originally used for the isolation of the organism: Medium 1:

Biodiversity, metabolism and applications of acidophilic sulfur‐metabolizing microorganisms

“…The first acidophile to be described was the sulfur‐oxidizing proteobacterium At. thiooxidans (named at the time as Thiobacillus thiooxidans ; Waksman and Joffe, 1922). Several decades later, the first sulfur‐metabolizing archaea (although not referred to as such at the time) were isolated from geothermal sites in Yellowstone by James Brierley, and also by Tom Brock and co‐workers.…”

Biohydrometallurgy of secondary metal resources: a potential alternative approach for metal recovery

“…The optimal pH for growth is 2-3 and the temperature range for optimal growth is between 28 and 30 • C. The G + C content of the DNA is 52 mol%. 71 Acidithiobacillus caldus Acidithiobacillus caldus is a gram negative, motile bacterium, having a pH optimum for growth of 2-2.5 and an optimum growth temperature of 45 • C. It is classified as moderate thermophile. It is chemolithotrophic and grows on reduced sulphur substrates.…”

Studies on the Metabolism of Autotrophic Bacteria

“…It will grow in an extremely acid solution containing more than 5 per cent sulfuric acid. The strain used in these studies was discovered by Waksman and Joffe (1922) and was obtained through the kindness of Dr. Waksman. It has been studied physiologically by Starkey (1922, 1923) and Starkey (1925Starkey ( 6, 1925.…”