Scientists Discover How Bacteria Changes Ions Into Gold

newswatch.nationalgeographic.com...

Bacteria with the ability to change ions into solid gold? This scenario may sound like a biochemist’s version of a fairy tale, but it’s real and scientists at McMaster University have just described how the process works in a recent article published online in the journal Nature Chemical Biology. The bacteria is called Delftia acidovorans, and it turns out that its King Midas-like conversion is part of a self-defense mechanism. Gold ions dissolved in water are toxic, so when the bacteria senses them it releases a protein called delftibactin A. The protein acts as a shield for the bacteria and changes the poisonous ions into harmless particles that accumulate outside the cells. Although the amount of gold that Delftia acidovorans release is tiny (the particles are 25-50 nanometers across) it’s possible that the bacteria or the protein could someday be used to dissolve gold from water or to help people identify streams and rivers carrying the mineral.

Don't get super excited, it's not like they can make bricks for us in our back yard.

Not yet. LOL

It wont be long though. But then the value of Gold will go down. Still gold is looovely so lol who cares... id have it even if it is from bacteria!

The author of that article is not very familiar with chemistry.
The bacteria do not change anything into gold. They precipitate gold ions out of solution. The ions are already gold.

it’s possible that the bacteria or the protein could someday be used to dissolve gold from water

newswatch.nationalgeographic.com...
Dissolve gold from water? Substances are not dissolved from water, they are dissolved in water. The reverse process is called precipitation and there are various means of accomplishing it. These bacteria have evolved one way to do so in order to protect themselves.

Thank you, I was thinking that as I read the article. But I needed the headline LOL

reply to post by winterkill


It's pretty nifty what the microbial world can enact on the macrobial(?) world. Also, it was posted already.

www.abovetopsecret.com...

Ah... so the bacteria isn't creating the gold.
it's just shielding itself from getting poisoned from the gold.

Not sure about practical applications of this.

There's gold in that there Manure.

nm, misread.

The title and OP do specify bacteria precipitate Gold Ions into GOLD.

Too bad for corporate capitalism, Delftia acidovorans cant be exploited for farming GOLD out of Earth's rivers, oceans, seas.

Then again, banksters prefer to print more money thus devaluing "money" Americans/Europeans work for, and adding value to their hoarded GOLD.

Exactly, if you could get more gold out, it would make theirs worth less

reply to post by winterkill

Then why are there so many gold mines in operation?
Gold is a commodity.

Supply and demand anybody?

Growing up, witnessed first hand, dairy farm where the government would sometimes buy up the 'extra' milk just to dispose of it, and farmers would burn excess corn harvest in order to keep the price high.

However, I dont fathom the government buying up extra gold and disposing of it to keep the price of gold high... or do they do something on the down-low that is similar?

Of course miners dont have the luxury of growing more (unless Delftia acidovorans' gold can be feasibly farmed) so they arent going to dispose of "excess" gold without compensations, are they?

Afterall, miners arent necessarily INVESTORS... are they??

humor LOL humor, wit, sarcasm...sigh

Originally posted by FreedomEntered
It wont be long though. But then the value of Gold will go down. Still gold is looovely so lol who cares... id have it even if it is from bacteria!

Or the technology might get LOST or the key scientist/researcher will accidentally disappear/go nuts/heaven with the help of someone from the investment community