Friday, 14th July 2006 (4599 views)

Scientists in Australia have found fairly authoritative evidence that a form of bacteria is involved in the formation of gold grains and nuggets.

Led by German Frank Reith, the group of scientists carried out analyses of gold samples taken from two mines in different parts of Australia and found that the microbes, named Ralstonia metallidurans, were present on 80 per cent of the grains.

The Ralstonia bacteria is believed to be responsible for converting miniscule amounts of gold found in quartz veins below the ground into small grains and nuggets in the dust above the surface, according to findings reported in the latest edition of US magazine Science.

He told the Associated Press: "What we just wanted to show is that micro-organisms are capable of contributing to the formation of gold nuggets and before that was always doubted.

"I'm not saying that the organisms are the only way how gold nuggets in soils can form, but it's one of the ways."

It appears that the microbe performs the role of cleansing its local environment through removing the concentrated dissolved gold which it finds toxic and converting it into the more visible grains.

However, this does not prove the old alchemist theory that gold can be created from nothing, as the gold must be present in some form in the first place.

 

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