Innovative Biorecovery Solutions

• Leslie Thompson holds a Bachelor of Science in Biology from Purdue University and has over 30 years of experience in the petrochemical and mining industries. She has developed integrated bio-process technologies for enhanced recovery of precious and base metals, oil and gas bio-recovery production, and bio-remediation processes for mine reclamation and closure. Her expertise also includes acid rock drainage control, recalcitrant petroleum hydrocarbon bioremediation, and metal contaminant stabilization through the application of custom bio-mineralization processes. Leslie has worked with numerous clients, including mining industry companies (gold, silver, and copper mining), government agencies, and academic organizations.

• Art Fisher has over 30 years of experience in mining, chemicals, and hazardous waste management. He has served in management, engineering, and production roles in North America, Europe, and Australia. Art is the author of numerous technical papers on mineral production, biotechnology, and hazardous waste management. He has presented these technical papers at conferences around the world. Art holds a degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of California, Davis, and currently resides in Fallon, Nevada.

• Ian MacCulloch holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of New England (1969) and is a Fellow of The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy.  For much of his career Ian was involved in exploration for VMS deposits, gold deposits all classes across many different ore types and   heavy mineral sand deposits both offshore and onshore in Australia. Since 2001, Ian has been involved in the commercialization of Auric’s biotechnology processes for gold, oil and gas, conversion of coal/shale (from Australia, US and Chinese basins) to gas, hydrocarbon remediation, cyanide and arsenic minimization programs, and liaising with U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA), Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC), U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), and other U.S. government agencies. He has identified suitable properties in Colorado and California that could be mined in situ using bacteria derived lixiviant sources. Ian has also conducted major surveys for gas in shales in the U.S. Midwest and minor surveys in the Michigan Basin and has investigated coal bed methane deposits in the Illinois Basin (USA) and the Palaeozoic Basins of Australia. His work also includes conducting regional and detailed geochemical and geophysical surveys for oil in the Mid-West Oil and Gas Basins in the USA and in and establishing correlation patterns between oil-based geochemical anomalies and earlier unsuccessful wells from the 1950s.

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• James (Jim) Dirstein's career began with studies in Geology and Geophysics at the University of Toronto, Canada. Over more than four decades, he has built a diverse career as a geophysicist, contributing to resource projects across Australia and around the world. What sets Jim apart is his passion for innovation. Alongside his field work, he has played a key role in bringing new technologies into practical use—acting as an early adopter, angel investor, and collaborator. His efforts span time-series and surface analysis, patented airborne survey systems, and artificial intelligence platforms. In recent years, Jim’s curiosity has extended into biotechnology. Collaborating with colleagues who have delivered decades of success in microbial solutions, he now champions the potential of microbes—among Earth’s most powerful and abundant biomes—to drive new applications and opportunities across the resource sector.