Postal Gold Blog – Everything About Gold

A bacterium named Ralstonia Metallidurans seems to be able to transform dust into gold, according to an article in Science magazine from July 2006. This discovery was made by a team of Australian investigators who analysed gold grains from 2 gold mines situated at a distance of more than 3.000 km distance. They verified that 80% of those grains contained the microbe.

This bacteria absorbs heavy metals that can be found dissolved in the soil – these metals are toxic when present in high quantities – and it converts them in solid and less toxic forms.

Accordingly to Frank Reith, the person in charge of this investigation, the presence of this microbe in the grains of gold is due to the ability the organism has to detoxify the environment surrounding gold grains. This investigator also maintains that his discoveries are the strongest proof that microorganisms have a big contribution towards the formation of gold nuggets, although the exact mechanisms involved in these transformations are as yet unknown.  This theory has been questioned by several scientists who maintain that gold grains come from bigger forms or are a result of chemical processes.