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Bacteria turns toxic chemicals into 24-carat gold

Kazem Kashefi and Adam Brown's 21st century alchemy demonstration, “The Great Work of the Metal Lover.”

Kazem Kashefi and Adam Brown’s 21st century alchemy demonstration, “The Great Work of the Metal Lover.” (G.L. Kohuth)

Bacteria turning a toxic chemical compound into solid gold as part of “The Great Work of the Metal Lover.”

Bacteria turning a toxic chemical compound into solid gold as part of “The Great Work of the Metal Lover.” (G.L. Kohuth)

Ancient alchemists had it all wrong when they tried to turn common elements into gold with the philosopher’s stone — they should have turned to bacteria instead.

The bacteria in question turns a toxic chemical compound found in nature, which kills other critters, into 24-carat gold, according to scientists at Michigan State University.

“Microbial alchemy is what we’re doing – transforming gold from something that has no value into a solid, precious metal that’s valuable,” said Kazem Kashefi, an assistant professor of microbiology and molecular genetics.

PHOTOS: 21st Century Alchemy

Kashefi and his partner Adam Brown perform their 21st-century alchemy by holding the special bacterium, Cupriavidus metallidurans, as they feed it gold chloride — a liquid version of gold that is less expensive than the solid version.

After about a week the bacteria transforms the toxic liquid and produces gold, a process that Kashefi and Brown believe mimics how nature produces solid gold.

Unfortunately for would-be home alchemists, Kashefi and Brown say that their technique is cost prohibitive to produce on a massive scale but that hasn’t stopped the pair from producing a piece of performance art that stylishly demonstrates their finding called, “The Great Work of the Metal Lover.”