Green alchemy
gold can now be made inside the cells of a microorganism, thanks to the ecofriendly work of researchers from the National Chemical Laboratory and the Armed Forces Medical College, Pune.
They took microorganisms called Rhodococcus from a fig tree and exposed them to a liquid containing gold ions (electrically charged gold particles). When exposed to the ions, the microorganisms were induced to produce enzymes that acted as a catalyst for the formation of gold nanoparticles in the microorganisms' cells. Following the biosynthesis, the cells of Rhodococcus multiplied normally, as the ions used were not toxic to the cells