Gold-Digging Microbe: Scientists Decode How Cupriavidus Metallidurans Turns Toxic Metals into Gold Nuggets

In a breakthrough that blends microbiology with alchemy, scientists have unraveled how the soil bacterium Cupriavidus metallidurans survives toxic metal exposure and excretes microscopic gold nuggets. The discovery, published in Metallomics, sheds light on the bacterium’s unique detoxification mechanism and its role in Earth's biogeochemical gold cycle.

 

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Sources: ScienceAlert, Live Science, Moneycontrol, IndiaTimes, Metallomics Journal (July 2025)