Bioleaching Uranium Boosts Iran's Nuclear Programme

Filed in archive Microbiology on August 30, 2005

Iran has announced that it has made a breakthrough in its nuclear programme using biotechnology to purify uranium ore in mines prior to mining. Such a process is termed as bioleaching: bacteria are introduced to the ore, eats on iron sulphur and produces sulphuric acid which in turn dissolves the ore and separates the uranium.

... "using biotechnology substantially decreases the cost, increases optimisation and prevents environmental contamination in the process that leads to the production of yellowcake, or concentrated uranium oxide.

Washington and the EU fear Iran could use the same techniques to produce bomb-grade fuel and want Tehran to freeze nuclear fuel work for good. Iran insists, however, that they are going to use the technology simply to generate electricity.