Using microbes to neutralize and remediate tailings is still in its infancy, but if Australia-based microbiology expert Talitha Santini has her way, a new bioremediation technique being field tested now will enable the remediation of high-alkalinity tailings from bauxite and gold processing to yield a soil suitable for plant growth, and may also support reuse in agriculture, road and concrete infrastructure construction. Santini, a senior lecturer and environmental science chair at the University of Western Australia’s School of Agriculture and Environment, says the wide-scale adoption of this approach has the power to change the way we think of mining waste, reducing the risks associated with permanent tailings storage.