6 days ago
Gold from waste? This tiny microbe can do what machines can't
In today's world, where mining precious metals often causes environmental harm, a tiny bacterium is quietly rewriting the rules. This microscopic organism survives in soils polluted with toxic metals by performing a natural chemical trick: it transforms harmful metal ions into harmless, solid particles of gold.
This biological process offers new hope for greener ways to extract valuable metals without relying on dangerous chemicals.
Bacteria built to withstand toxic metal overload
The bacterium known as Cupriavidus metallidurans is naturally adapted to live in metal-rich environments that would be deadly to most life forms. To cope with these harsh conditions, it uses specialized enzymes to regulate and detoxify metals inside its cells.
As per a report by Live Science, one of these enzymes, called CupA, helps the bacterium pump out excess copper from inside the cell to a protective area between two membranes called the periplasm.
This mechanism keeps copper at safe levels, allowing the cell to function normally.
Neutralising gold ions with enzymatic precision
Gold ions, however, present a greater challenge. These charged particles easily penetrate the bacterium's membranes and disrupt its delicate balance by inhibiting the CupA enzyme. This interference makes it difficult for the bacterium to handle the copper overload as well.
According to the report, to counter this, the bacterium uses another enzyme, CopA.
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This enzyme removes electrons from both copper and gold ions, converting them into stable metallic forms trapped in the periplasm. These solid particles are less toxic and do not easily move through the inner membrane.
As mentioned in the Live Science report, Dietrich Nies, the molecular microbiologist leading this research at Martin Luther University, Germany, explains: "Once the metallic gold nanoparticles are formed in the periplasm, they are immobilized and less toxic."
Gold nuggets released into the environment
As the metallic gold builds up, the bacterium's outer membrane eventually ruptures, releasing tiny gold nuggets. Although these nuggets are very small– only micrometers in size– they can cluster together into particles resembling grains of sand.
This natural detoxification and gold recovery process provides a potential blueprint for environmentally friendly mining. Currently, extracting gold from ores often involves mercury or other toxic chemicals, which have serious health and environmental consequences.
Towards sustainable gold recovery
As per the report, the study is published in Metallomics. It highlights how understanding and mimicking this bacterial process could lead to safer, more sustainable gold extraction methods. Using microbes or their enzymes to convert gold between soluble and solid forms might reduce dependence on harmful chemicals and lower pollution risks.
Images: Canva (for representative purposes only)
