Iron ore is essential in steel making; however, high-grade ores have diminished, making low-grade ores inevitable. These low-grade iron ores need further beneficiation to upgrade the iron content. Currently, traditional physical and chemical methods are utilized and are not environmentally friendly. Bio-beneficiation techniques have emerged as a sustainable alternative for mineral recovery. This review delves into recent bio-beneficiation advancements for enhanced low-grade iron ore recovery using microbes. Research has revealed that bio-beneficiation methods such as bio-leaching, bio-flotation, and bio-flocculation have proven successful in iron recovery from ores. The bio-beneficiation process occurs in mild conditions using bio-reagents derived from microbes and offers a reduction of chemicals used in processing. Bio-beneficiation of iron ore potentially offers a relatively energy-efficient, cost-effective, and environmentally friendly method of maximum iron ore recovery. However, this review has identified a scaling-up difficulty in which a future approach for industrial-use applications is offered following a thorough sustainability assessment. Bio-beneficiation, using microbial processes, provides a viable avenue for maximizing iron ore recovery while tackling the constraints of dwindling high-grade iron ore resources and environmental sustainability.

铁矿石对于炼钢至关重要；然而，高品位矿石已经减少，低品位矿石不可避免。这些低品位铁矿石需要进一步选矿以提高铁含量。目前，采用传统的物理、化学方法，不环保。生物选矿技术已成为矿物回收的可持续替代方案。本综述深入研究了利用微生物提高低品位铁矿石回收率的生物选矿最新进展。研究表明，生物浸出、生物浮选和生物絮凝等生物选矿方法在从矿石中回收铁方面已被证明是成功的。生物选矿过程在温和的条件下使用源自微生物的生物试剂进行，并减少了加工过程中使用的化学品。铁矿石生物选矿可能提供一种相对节能、经济且环保的最大限度回收铁矿石的方法。然而，本次审查发现了扩大规模的困难，在全面的可持续性评估之后，为工业用途应用提供了未来的方法。使用微生物工艺的生物选矿为最大限度地提高铁矿石回收率提供了一条可行的途径，同时解决了高品位铁矿石资源日益减少和环境可持续性的限制。