I know what the majority of you are thinking; since when was Iron Man bacteria? A recent study led by Gemma Reguera, a professor of microbiology and molecular genetics at Michigan State University, has shown that the Geobacter genus of bacteria can be used to absorb toxic pollutants.
In their study, they’ve discovered that Geobacter bacteria found in soil use metals in the ground to breathe (mainly iron oxide), to see how it would react to toxic metals. Geobacter was placed with cobalt, a rare metal used in electric vehicle batteries and spacecraft alloys which is highly toxic to living organisms and bacteria. Rather than being overpowered by the cobalt or ingesting it, the Geobacter coated itself in tiny particles of the cobalt. “They form cobalt nanoparticles on their surface. They metalize themselves and it’s like a shield that protects them,” Regera said. “It’s like Iron Man in a suit.”
Regera sees this discovery as proof of many unique and exciting possibilities. Quoting Jioforme, she said: “for example, Geobacter can lay the foundation for new biotechnology built to recycle and recycle cobalt from lithium-ion batteries, reducing the country’s reliance on foreign cobalt mines.”
“The lesson is that we need to think outside the box, especially in biology. We only know the tip of the iceberg. Microbes have been on Earth for billions of years and thinking that something can’t be done hinders us. So many ideas and applications.” Regera says. The potential of Geobacter and other microbes is truly a marvel.
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