# @science on Instagram - **Type:** Image - **Original URL:** https://www.instagram.com/p/DP4p_1ek5Hv - **Gondola URL:** https://gondola.cc/posts/35760433-science-instagram - **Thumbnail:** https://img.gondola.cc/tr:w-,h-,fo-auto/postThumbnails/d222f562c3.jpg - **Posted:** 2025-10-16T21:30:15.000+00:00 - **Account Owner:** Science šŸ§¬ (@science) ā€” https://gondola.cc/science ## Caption Scientists in Finnish Lapland have found gold forming inside Norway spruce needles, and the work is being done by bacteria, of all things. These microbes live within the needles and convert dissolved gold from the soil into solid nanoparticles, tiny flecks far too small to see or harvest, but rich in information about what lies underground.ā  ā  Working near the KittilƤ gold mine, researchers sampled 138 needles from 23 spruces and detected gold in four trees. Under the microscope, the particles sat inside bacterial biofilms. DNA sequencing pointed to specific groups, P3OB-42, Cutibacterium, and Corynebacterium, that were more abundant in gold-bearing needles.ā  ā  The process is called biomineralization. Water moves soluble gold ions from the soil into the plant, and endophytic microbes precipitate those ions back into solid form, likely reducing the metalā€™s toxicity for both tree and microbe. The result is nanoscale ā€œgold dust,ā€ measured in millionths of a millimeter, that functions as a biological record rather than a resource.ā  ā  This mechanism strengthens biogeochemical exploration, where plants and soils are screened for traces of buried ore. If certain microbial ā€œfingerprintsā€ consistently accompany gold inside leaves and needles, surveyors could map those microbes to guide exploration, cutting down on drilling and reducing environmental damage.ā  ā  The same chemistry points beyond prospecting. Similar microbial communities in mosses may trap metals from contaminated waters, offering low-impact tools for cleaning up mine run-off. In that sense, a spruce needle becomes more than a leaf, it is a living sensor, capturing the movement of elements through ecosystems and revealing how life and geology collaborate beneath our feet.ā  ā  #science #biology #microbes #biomineralization #trees #finland #gold #environment #ecology #mining #earthscienceā  ā  Source: 10.1186/s40793-025-00770-x ## Stats - **Views:** 0 - **Likes:** 8,710 - **Shares:** 0 - **Comments:** 100 ## Tags earthscience, microbes, science, finland, trees, ecology, mining, biomineralization, environment, gold, biology --- Copyright (c) Gondola