Genome BC Spotlights M-MAP

Genome BC spotlights the Mining Microbiome Analytics Platform (M-MAP) in its latest feature on how microbes are reshaping modern mining, from water treatment to metal recovery.

The article explores the environmental challenge of selenium, a naturally occurring element that can become toxic to aquatic life when mobilized through mining. In British Columbia’s Elk Valley, Teck Resources has implemented microbe-powered treatment systems that convert dissolved selenium into solid forms, making it easier to remove from the water cycle, reducing selenium levels in treated water by up to 99%.

Image source: Genome BC, original article

Steelmaking coal mines in British Columbia’s Elk Valley are using microbes to remove up to 99% of selenium from treated water, preventing it from entering nearby waterways.

This microbial approach represents just one thread in a larger shift. Companies like Rio Tinto, BGC Engineering, and Allonnia are exploring how microbial biotechnology can support everything from dust suppression to the recovery of rare earth elements.

To accelerate this innovation, the Digital Supercluster-backed M-MAP initiative is building one of the largest genomic datasets from mine site environments, sequencing DNA from 15,000 samples and linking it with geochemical and climate data. As the article notes, the goal is not only to study known microbes, but to discover new ones with the potential to reshape mining sustainability.

Read the full blog from Genome BC here.