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Superman-Strength Bacteria Produce Gold

At a time when the value of gold has reached an all-time high, Michigan State Univ. researchers have discovered a bacterium’s ability to withstand incredible amounts of toxicity is key to creating 24-karat gold.

“Microbial alchemy is what we’re doing– transforming gold from something that has no value into a solid, precious metal that’s valuable,” says Kazem Kashefi, assistant professor of microbiology and molecular genetics. He and Adam Brown, associate professor of electronic art and intermedia, found the metal-tolerant bacteria Cupriavidus metallidurans can grow on massive concentrations of gold chloride – or liquid gold, a toxic chemical compound found in nature.

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