25/07/2025
There are bacteria that can ingest toxic metals and excrete gold. One example is the bacterium Cupriavidus metallidurans, which can survive in environments with high concentrations of toxic metals like copper and gold. It transforms these toxic metal compounds into less harmful forms, and as a byproduct, it can precipitate tiny gold nuggets.
Here's how it works:
Toxicity:
Heavy metals like copper and gold are toxic to most living organisms.
Defense Mechanism:
C. metallidurans has developed a way to deal with these toxic metals. It has enzymes that help it pump out excess copper and convert toxic gold compounds into a less absorbable form.
Gold Precipitation:
As part of its defense mechanism, the bacteria can precipitate tiny gold nuggets as a byproduct of this process.
Location:
These bacteria are often found in soils rich in heavy metals, where they can thrive and produce these gold "nuggets
CTTO
