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据《新科学家》近期报道,印度的科学家正在考虑利用一种细菌来促进该国的有争议的核武器计划。 设于浦那的国立阿戛卡尔研究所（ARI）是一个以生物技术为专业方向的研究机构.它认为一种名叫Thiobacillusferrooxidans的吃硫微生物可用于从印度的贫化铀矿中提铀。 印度对铀的需求可能大大超于供应。印度的核武器计划可能要求比它目前所查明的大1-2倍的铀储量。因此“最有效利用我们目前所拥有的东西就越来越重要了”,阿戛卡尔研究所所长阿尔文德·阿加特说。他引用了加拿大斯坦洛克铀矿的例子,那里就是用T.ferrooxidans从一个已被实际上“采空”的坑道中采铀。
According to recent reports by new scientists, Indian scientists are considering the use of a bacterium to promote the country’s controversial nuclear weapons program. ARI, a biotechnology-oriented research institute based in Pune, believes that a sulfur-consuming microorganism called Thiobacillus ferrooxidans can be used to extract uranium from indigent uranium deposits in India. India’s demand for uranium may outstrip supply. India’s nuclear weapons program may require uranium reserves that are 1-2 times greater than what it has so far identified. Therefore, “it is increasingly important to make the most effective use of what we currently have,” said Alvin Ed Agathe, director of the Institute of Archecars. He cites the example of the Stanstank uranium mine in Canada, where T.ferrooxidans was used to mine uranium from a tunnel that had actually been “mined”.