- A Caltech researcher accidentally discovered a metal-eating bacterium after leaving a dirty glass in tap water.
- The bacteria seem to feed on manganese, creating oxidation and creating a bit of a mess.
- Scientists now believe the bacteria may be responsible for some well-known problems with water distribution systems in which oxidized manganese accumulates and obstructs the flow of water.
Bacteria are the little organisms that we never see but that have a great impact on our daily life. They live around us, and within us! – and researchers can only try to understand how many different types there are. Now, a team of Caltech microbiologists has stumbled upon a bacterium that does something they’ve never seen before: eat metal.
The bacteria was completely discovered by chance. Jared Leadbetter, a professor of environmental microbiology at Caltech, was conducting experiments with manganese and left a dirty glass jug in a sink in his office before leaving for several months. On his return, the bottle looked very different.
As described in a press release about the investigation, the bottle “was coated with a dark material.” Having no idea what exactly it was, Leadbetter decided to examine it in more detail. “I thought, ‘What’s that?'” Leadbetter says. “I began to wonder if the much sought-after microbes could be responsible, so we systematically tested to solve it.”
It turns out that the manganese left in the dirty bottle had been oxidized, consumed by microscopic bacteria that apparently came from the tap water in which the bottle was immersed. Despite extensive research into the study of bacteria, no one had ever observed a type of bacteria that actually feeds on metal, until now. The research was published in Nature.
Even more interesting, the bacteria may be responsible for a problem that has been observed with water distribution systems. Similar oxidation has been observed in systems that direct water, and although some scientists theorized that bacteria could be responsible, they had not yet shown it.
“There is a complete set of environmental engineering literature on drinking water distribution systems that are clogged with manganese oxides,” Leadbetter said in a statement. “But how and for what reason such material is generated, an enigma has remained. Clearly, many scientists have considered that bacteria that use manganese for energy could be responsible, but the evidence supporting this idea was not available until now. “
Furthermore, Leadbetter and his team theorize that similar bacteria may be responsible for creating large metallic “nodules” that have been observed in Earth’s oceans. They have been seen as early as the 1870s, but no one knew what process led to their creation. It’s possible, the researchers say, that bacteria are the builders of these strange seabed features.
Mike Wehner has reported on technology and video games for the past decade, covering the latest news and trends in virtual reality, handheld devices, smartphones, and future technology. Most recently, Mike served as technical editor at The Daily Dot, and has appeared on USA Today, Time.com, and countless other websites and in print. His love of reporting is second only to his addiction to games.
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