Crazy new bacteria feeds on metal, and scientists discovered it by accident

[Mike Wehner]

• A researcher from Caltech accidentally discovered a metal-eating bacteria after leaving a dirty glass in tap water.
• The bacteria appear to feed on manganese, creating oxidation, and creating a bit of a mess.
• The scientists now believe that the bacteria may be responsible for some well-known issues with water distribution systems in which oxidized manganese piles up and clogs water flow.

Bacteria are the tiny organisms that we never see but which have huge impacts on our day-to-day lives. They live all around us — and inside of us! — and researchers can only try to fathom how many different types there are. Now, a team of microbiologists from Caltech has stumbled upon a bacteria that does something they've never seen before: it eats metal.

The bacteria was discovered completely by chance. Jared Leadbetter, a professor of environmental microbiology at Caltech, was performing experiments with manganese and left a dirty glass jar soaking in a sink at his office before leaving for several months. Upon his return, the jar looked a whole lot different.

Continue reading...

Today's Top Deals

1. 10 deals you don’t want to miss on Sunday: Rare chance for 3M KN95 and N100 masks, Lysol spray, Fire TV Stick 4K, more
2. 10 deals you don’t want to miss on Saturday: Lysol spray, 3M N100 face masks, Purell, AirPods 2 at lowest price ever, more
3. Walmart’s unadvertised sale has so many great deals – here are 10 you need to see

Trending Right Now:

1. Doctors discovered a new coronavirus symptom that patients didn’t even know they had
2. Dogs possess an ability that humans can only dream of
3. This is why some people don’t believe the official coronavirus numbers

Crazy new bacteria feeds on metal, and scientists discovered it by accident originally appeared on BGR.com on Sun, 19 Jul 2020 at 11:04:39 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Via BRG - Boy Genius Report