:: Biotech Product and Process Development and Commercialization Award 2003 to Indian Institute of Science team

Dr.Natarajan and his team at the Indian Institute of Science have developed a technology for biooxidation of refractory sulphidic gold concentrates involving isolation and adaptation of Thiobacillus sp., kinetics of biooxidation and process optimization in bioreactors. The bioreactor assembly of 17L, 60L and 6000L was designed to facilitate scale-up of the process with a total residence time of 120 hours and capacity to treat 200 kg per day of gold concentrate. The technology has been successfully demonstrated by setting up of a bioreactor assembly at Hutti Gold Mines Company. With bio-treatment the efficiency of extraction of gold and silver increased from 40 and 60% to more than 95%. The technology has potential application in leaching other metals such as copper, uranium and zinc.

The Biotech Product and Process Development and Commerciazation Award 2003 has been Jointly given for their outstanding contributions in the field of mineral bioprocesing and for development of indigenous bioreactor technology to treat refractory sulphidic gold concentrates and its successful commercial utilization at the Hutti Gold Mines.