This is for the gold bugs. Who would of thought it, Bacteria and gold in the same sentence. The gold you see in the photo below (the yellowish colour) 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.
But can they really? Well not exactly. 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. So there basically turning gold ions, which is gold in a different form and turning into solid gold.
So these bacteria are eating toxins and pooping out gold. 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!
Citations? Sorry for my skepticism but this is basically the discovery of the philosopher's stone.
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