Possibility of biological micromachining used for metal removal

Besides the physical and chemical machining methods, a biological machining method has been presented. The experimental results show that machining of pure iron, pure copper and constantan by a special bacterium, Thiobacillus ferrooxidans , was possible. A micro gear and grooves on pure copper piece were bio machined. The depth of the groove so bio machined was directly dependent on the machining time. The biomachining mechanism has been analyzed from the electron transport chain (ETC) in the T. ferrooxidans membrane, and its developing direction has been also discussed.