The biological oxidation of minerals and ores, called bioleaching, has been studied for the last decades to solubilize metals and recover them. In particular, iron sulfides are the most studied ores for an optimum extraction of different metals, such as copper or zinc. The use of chemolithotrophic bacteria, as Acidothiobacillus ferrooxidans, to oxidize both iron and sulfur species in aerobic conditions and at acidic pH shows promising results. In the field of heritage preservation, the development of “green” treatments is more and more studied. Waterlogged archeological wood presents an accumulation of iron sulfides within its structure, which, after exposition to oxygen, lead to salt precipitation and acidification and so to the degradation of the wooden artifact. A new extraction method, based on the dissolution of iron sulfides by the use of bacteria could be an alternative to the current chemical extraction methods, as being more respectful and ecological. While A. ferrooxidans is very effective in mines and groundwater, in the field of conservation-restoration of wood, Thiobacillus denitrificans is a better candidate as it grows at neutral pH, which is less aggressive for organic substrates (wood here). Preliminary studies show the efficiency of T. denitrificans for the dissolution of iron sulfides, as the concentration of nitrates used as electron donors decreases while the concentration of sulfates produced increases without degrading the wooden matrix. Long-term behavior should be studied to assess the stability of the artifacts after treatment.

过去几十年来，人们一直在研究矿物和矿石的生物氧化，称为生物浸出，以溶解金属并回收金属。尤其是，硫化铁是对各种金属（例如铜或锌）进行最佳提取的研究最多的矿石。化营养性细菌的用途，如铁氧化酸硫杆菌，在有氧条件下和酸性pH下氧化铁和硫物质均显示出令人鼓舞的结果。在遗产保护领域，越来越多地研究“绿色”疗法的开发。浸水的考古木材在其结构中呈现出硫化铁的积累，暴露于氧气后会导致盐沉淀和酸化，从而导致木质人工制品的降解。一种新的提取方法，基于通过使用细菌溶解硫化铁的方法，可以更加尊重生态，可以替代当前的化学提取方法。尽管氧化铁农杆菌在矿山和地下水中非常有效，但在木材的养护恢复领域，反硝化硫杆菌由于它在中性pH下生长，因此对有机底物（此处为木材）的侵蚀性较小，因此是更好的选择。初步研究表明，由于用作电子供体的硝酸盐浓度降低，而所产生的硫酸盐浓度增加而又不破坏木质基质，因此反硝化锥虫对硫化铁溶解的效率较高。应研究长期行为以评估治疗后伪影的稳定性。