Dr. Mackenzie Best is a geomicrobiologist and geochemist. Her research has primarily focused on microbe-mineral interactions, and includes work investigating atypical nutrient cycling and extremophilic microbial life in sulfidic cave systems, enhanced mineral weathering, bioleaching, and the microbial ecology and biogeochemistry of mining-impacted environments. Prior to grad school, Mackenzie worked as a mine geologist, working as a production geologist at a high-altitude open pit copper-gold-silver mine in the Peruvian Andes. Mackenzie worked as a consultant for Homeworld Collective to help prepare materials and lead discussion groups for their ‘Biomining under Complex Conditions’ workshop for industry professionals, researchers, and academics in the fields of geobiology, applied biogeochemistry, and mining in 2025. She also works as a geomicrobiology consultant for Koonkie Inc. to support the genetic study of microbial communities in mining environments including bioreactors, active and inactive mine sites for major mining companies to support site-specific bioleaching and bioremediation initiatives. Dr. Best is actively involved in the Society for Mining, Metallurgy, and Exploration’s (SME) Young Leaders Committee (YLC) and the Acidic Drainage Technology Initiative (ADTI) subcommittee of SME’s Environmental Division. She is currently a McClintock Postdoctoral Fellow at Sandia National Labs in Albuquerque, NM where her work investigates the effect of microbial community composition on bioleaching of mine waste under various geochemical and environmental conditions. She brings together her background in mining geology with her experience as a geomicrobiologist to focus on developing scalable technologies to enhance critical mineral release and recovery from non-traditional resources.