The present invention is related to an isolated chemolithotrophic
bacterial strain belonging to the specie Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans,
named "Wenelen" and deposited at the Deutsche Sammlung von
Mikroorganismen und Zellkulturen GmbH--DSMZ under classification number
DSM 16786, the use of said bacteria for leaching ores or concentrates
containing of metallic sulfide species and leaching processes based on
the use of said bacteria or mixtures that contain said bacteria. This
Wenelen DSM 16786 strain has an increased oxidizing activity, especially
regarding chalcopyrite, when compared to known bacteria. Due to the
former feature, this bacteria strain show great interest for biomining
applications and it is presently being subjected to annotation processes
after sequencing.