Scientists Discover Bacteria That Turns Toxic Chemicals Into 24-Karat Gold

By on October 5, 2012 in News 9

Alchemy by bacteria, via the Huffington Post:

Scientists have developed a bug which produces pure gold. The team at Michigan State University say that they found the bacteria Cupriavidus metallidurans is able to take gold chloride, a toxic chemical found in nature, and turn it into 24-karat gold.

“Microbial alchemy is what we’re doing – transforming gold from something that has no value into a solid, precious metal that’s valuable,” said Kazem Kashefi, assistant professor of microbiology and molecular genetics.

Unfortunately however the process isn’t particularly cost-effective meaning that it is more expensive to enact the conversion than the actual value of the gold produced.

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  • http://www.sacredgeometryinternational.com/ Camron Wiltshire

    Fascinating!  

  • http://www.sacredgeometryinternational.com/ Camron Wiltshire

    Fascinating!  

  • http://buzzcoastin.posterous.com BuzzCoastin

    ah that’s nothing
    the Fed can turn keystrokes into money
    the down side, like with the microbes,
    there’s a net cost to the process

  • http://buzzcoastin.posterous.com BuzzCoastin

    ah that’s nothing
    the Fed can turn keystrokes into money
    the down side, like with the microbes,
    there’s a net cost to the process

  • Robert Pinkerton

    “Unfortunately however the process isn’t particularly
    cost-effective meaning that it is more expensive to enact the conversion
    than the actual value of the gold produced.”

    There had to be a catch — leaving aside the greater catch, that this sounds just too good to be true. Verify by replication, and qualify the description.

  • Antediluviancurrent

    Midas, just give it up bro.

  • Antediluviancurrent

    Midas, just give it up bro.

  • Miracles

    Alchemy this is not.  It is chemistry.  

  • Miracles

    Alchemy this is not.  It is chemistry.