R.I.P. Scout26
This microbial magician, named Cupriavidus metallidurans, when placed in a minilab full of gold chloride, a nasty toxin, gobbled up the poison and, in about a week, processed it out as 24-karat nuggets of the precious yellow metal.
I was hoping for some sort of atomic surgery rather than molecular chemistry. Though I guess that's not likely to happen unless we find nuclear radioactive bacteria, in which case all bets are off.
Well, not exactly radioactive itself but... Deinococcus radiodurans
What sort of bio-reactor will you need to assemble in order to provide the bacteria with a suitable host environment? I expect that will add a significant cost to the whole mess.
You know who we need to talk to? Dr. Ken Alibek, who used to run the Soviet Biowar program. In his books, he talks about the bio-reactors of several thousand liter capacities when they were making anthrax and smallpox. I am sure this project would be a piece of cake for someone like him, especially if you can get the bio-reactors and associated piping and fittings for cheap.
Somewhere in the story is a politician joke.
Except the bacteria would eat the gold and poop lead.
Lead is valuable, they would poop toxic poop.
Gold Choride, min order 20 metric tons. Ability to provide 200,000 Metric tons per year.I bet there's a quantity discount.Can I buy the bacteria like I can buy yeast?
200,000 metric tons per year of gold chloride? That's impressive, as one year would take MORE GOLD THAN HAS EVER BEEN MINED IN THE HISTORY OF THE WORLD
Gold(I) chloride may irritate the skin and eyes, damage kidney function, and reduce white blood cell counts.