These Bacteria Produce Gold By Ingesting Toxic Metals: Here's How That Works

What if we told you told bacteria can turn matter into gold? Don't go hunting them yet!

This bacterium has extremely high levels of toxicity and is able to synthesise gold from natural compounds. In 2018, an international team of researchers found how the bacterium, Cupriavidus metallidurans, manages to survive even after ingesting toxic metallic compounds.

The bacterium produces tiny gold nuggets as a side-effect of consuming toxic compounds. Gold, just like other elements on Earth, can go through various processes. At every step of this process are microbes that somehow continue to survive.

American Society for Microbiology

How does the bacteria produce gold?

The rod-shaped bacterium Cupriavidus metallidurans was first found to be pooping gold back in 2009. "The results of this study point to their involvement in the active detoxification of gold complexes leading to formation of gold biominerals," lead researcher, geomicrobiologist Frank Reith said in 2009.

In 2018, the same folks found the exact mechanism that allows the bacterium to poop gold. C. metallidurans is able to persist in soils that contain both hydrogen and various toxic heavy metals.

Technical University of Munich (TUM)

In such environments, the bacterium doesn't have much competition that can be easily poisoned. C. metallidurans has copper and gold ions that interact and become deeply lodged inside the bacterium and create trouble.

Also read: Methane-Consuming Bacteria Could Help Generate Electricity

To avoid this, the bacteria use enzymes to remove the metals from their cells. For copper, an enzyme called CupA comes into play. However, when gold is involved, this enzyme is suppressed and the dangerous copper and gold compounds remain inside the cell.

At this point, another enzyme called CopA is involved. With this, the bacterium is able to convert copper and gold compounds into forms that are not absorbed by the cell so easily. Due to this, fewer copper and gold compounds enter the cell's interior.

Also read: Sugar Affects The Gut Bacteria, Removes Protection Against Obesity, Diabetes

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This ensures that the bacterium is poisoned less and the enzyme that expels copper continues to get rid of it. This process also causes nanoparticles of gold to appear on the bacterial surface, lending the bacteria their reputation of pooping gold.

What do you think about bacteria that spew out gold? Let us know in the comments below. For more in the world of technology and science, keep reading Indiatimes.com.

References

Dean, S. (2018, February 5). These Bacteria Digest Toxic Metals And Poop Out Tiny Gold Nuggets?: ScienceAlert. https://www.sciencealert.com/bacteria-produce-gold-nuggets-cupriavidus-metallidurans