Initially we had some trouble obtaining A. ferrooxidans for use in the lab, however, we were lucky enough to contact Dr. Viridiana García from the UASLP (Autonomous University of San Luis Potosí). An expert in geomicrobiology, she was generous enough to help us; offering not only to help us obtain the bacteria, but also offering us to visit her lab for a few weeks so that we could learn to handle it and also counsel us on our project.

Well aware of the consequences of e-waste in our environment, she helped us contextualize our project in the reality of our society. Importantly, she counseled us on the previous efforts that had existed in our country of using bioleaching processes. We became aware of the enormous barriers of entry of such technology, but also of the opportunities available. Specifically, she also helped us obtain Acidithiobacillus thiooxidans, a microorganism that was isolated from a mine here in our country and that we could also use for our experiments.

Two of our members spent close to three weeks in San Luis Potosí in July, helping out in the lab while redesigning sections of the project with the new experience obtained. Overall, this collaboration helped us cement our project, besides opening opportunities for further collaborative work, and allowing us to contextualize our project beyond our city and in the rest of the country.