Canadian scientists have discovered a tiny alchemist in disguise, the bacterium Delftia acidovorans. When this microbe is infused within a toxic mixture of water-soluble gold, it excretes a molecule that both protects it from the elements while also transforming the poisonous ions into solid nanoscale gold particles. It’s a discovery that could someday allow for the conversion of mine waste into gold, or the creation of gold structures with unique properties
http://www.nature.com/nchembio/journ...mbio.1179.html
http://www.nature.com/news/gold-digg...ticles-1.12352