As part of ongoing efforts to support sustainable innovation in the environmental sector, lecturers from the Biology Study Program, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Yogyakarta State University (YSU), Prof. Dr. Tien Aminatun, S.Si., M.Si., and Dr. Anna Rakhmawati, S.Si., M.Si., have established a research collaboration with the mining company PT Bumi Suksesindo (PT BSI). The collaboration focuses on a research project entitled “Rhizobacteria Induction and Compost Application in Phytomining of Low-Grade Ore in Gold Mining Areas Using Local Plants.” The research was carried out at the Tumpang Pitu gold mine site, also known as the Tujuh Bukit Gold Mine, located in Banyuwangi Regency, East Java. Mining operations at this site have been conducted by PT BSI since 2017. The study was conducted in 2025 under the Regular Fundamental Research funding scheme supported by the Ministry of Education, Science, and Technology.

The main objective of the research is to evaluate the effects of rhizobacteria induction and compost application on the ability of local plants to extract and accumulate gold from low-grade ore (spent ore) under in situ conditions. Spent ore is a by-product of the gold mining process, particularly from heap leaching, in which most valuable metals have already been extracted. However, this material often still contains residual gold that cannot be efficiently recovered using conventional technologies. Gold phytomining offers an environmentally friendly alternative for recovering residual gold from low-grade ore by utilizing selected plants capable of accumulating metals in their biomass. Through this collaboration, phytomining supported by rhizobacteria is expected to provide a sustainable solution for gold recovery while reducing environmental impacts. This research also represents a tangible form of synergy between academia and industry in developing biotechnology-based innovations for sustainable mining practices.