ENHANCEMENT OF MICROBIAL SILICA SOLUBILIZATION FROM MAGNESITE ORE THROUGH MUTAGENIC TREATMENT OF BACILLUS-LICHENIFORMIS

Presence of silica in magnesite lowers its refractory value. The chemi cal beneficiation of magnesite is both uneconomical and troublesome. B acillus licheniformis, a potential silica remover from magnesite ore, was treated with UV, MNNG and EMS successively, to improve its silica- solubilizing capacity. The mutant strain released 348 mug ml-1 of Si i n comparison to the wild which released only 128 mug ml-1 of Si, Later , both the strains were compared in a glass air-lift fermenter for rem oval of silica from Salem magnesite ore where the mutated strain showe d a very encouraging result.