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Bioleaching of sulfide minerals has been successfully applied worldwide for obtaining copper for decades. This technology provides about 5% of world copper production and is used as an alternative for pyrometallurgical processing of copper ores. Despite widespread of biohydrometallurgical technologies, there are a number of issues in this area, which impede the development and commercialization of bioleaching. For example, chalcopyrite (CuFeS2), the most abundant copper sulfide mineral, is refractory to biooxidati...