Researchers Discover Bacteria That Produces Pure Gold
Bacteria eats poison, poops out gold
The
gold you see in the photo above was not found in a river or a mine. It
was produced by a bacteria that, according to researchers at Michigan
State University, can survive in extreme toxic environments and create
24-karat gold nuggets. Pure gold.
Maybe this critter can save us all from the global economic crisis?
Of
course not—but at least it can make Kazem Kashefi—assistant professor
of microbiology and molecular genetics—and Adam Brown—associate
professor of electronic art and intermedia—a bit rich, if only for the
show they have put together.
The
gold you see in the photo above was not found in a river or a mine. It
was produced by a bacteria that, according to researchers at Michigan
State University, can survive in extreme toxic environments and create
24-karat gold nuggets. Pure gold.
Maybe this critter can save us all from the global economic crisis?
Of
course not—but at least it can make Kazem Kashefi—assistant professor
of microbiology and molecular genetics—and Adam Brown—associate
professor of electronic art and intermedia—a bit rich, if only for the
show they have put together.
Kashefi
and Brown are the ones who have created this compact laboratory that
uses the bacteria Cupriavidus metallidurans to turn gold chlroride—a
toxic chemical liquid you can find in nature—into 99.9% pure gold.
Accoding
to Kashefi, they are doing "microbial alchemy" by "something that has
no value into a solid [in fact, it the toxic material they use does cost
money. Less than gold, but still plenty], precious metal that's
valuable."
The
bacteria is incredibly resistant to this toxic element. In fact, it's
25 times stronger than previously thought. The researchers' compact
factory—which they named The Great Work of the Metal Lover—holds the
bacteria as they feed it the gold chloride. In about a week, the
bacteria does its job, processing all that junk into the precious
metal—a process they believe happens regularly in nature.
So yes, basically, Cupriavidus metallidurans can eat toxins and poop out gold nuggets.
It
seems that medieval alchemists were looking for the Philosopher's
Stone—the magic element that could turn lead to gold—in the wrong place.
It's not a mineral. It's a bug.
Note: The above post is reprinted from materials provided by Michigan State University
Note: The above post is reprinted from materials provided by Michigan State University
Forrás: http://www.geologyin.com/2016/03/researchers-discover-bacteria-that.html
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