"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, assistant professor of microbiology and
molecular genetics.
A bioreactor uses a gold-loving bacteria to turn liquid gold into useable, 24-karat gold.
He and Adam Brown, associate professor of electronic art and
intermedia, found the metal-tolerant bacteria Cupriavidus metallidurans
can grow on massive concentrations of gold chloride -- or liquid gold, a
toxic chemical compound found in nature.
In fact, the bacteria are at least 25 times stronger than previously
reported among scientists, the researchers determined in their art
installation, "The Great Work of the Metal Lover," which uses a
combination of biotechnology, art and alchemy to turn liquid gold into
24-karat gold. The artwork contains a portable laboratory made of
24-karat gold-plated hardware, a glass bioreactor and the bacteria, a
combination that produces gold in front of an audience.
Brown and Kashefi fed the bacteria unprecedented amounts of gold
chloride, mimicking the process they believe happens in nature. In about
a week, the bacteria transformed the toxins and produced a gold nugget.
"The Great Work of the Metal Lover" uses a living system as a vehicle for artistic exploration, Brown said.
In addition, the artwork consists of a series of images made with a
scanning electron microscope. Using ancient gold illumination
techniques, Brown applied 24-karat gold leaf to regions of the prints
where a bacterial gold deposit had been identified so that each print
contains some of the gold produced in the bioreactor.
"This is neo-alchemy. Every part, every detail of the project is a
cross between modern microbiology and alchemy," Brown said. "Science
tries to explain the phenomenological world. As an artist, I'm trying to
create a phenomenon. Art has the ability to push scientific inquiry."
It would be cost prohibitive to reproduce their experiment on a
larger scale, he said. But the researchers' success in creating gold
raises questions about greed, economy and environmental impact, focusing
on the ethics related to science and the engineering of nature.
"The Great Work of the Metal Lover" was selected for exhibition and
received an honorable mention at the cyber art competition, Prix Ars
Electronica, in Austria, where it's on display until Oct. 7. Prix Ars
Electronica is one of the most important awards for creativity and
pioneering spirit in the field of digital and hybrid media, Brown said.
"Art has the ability to probe and question the impact of science in
the world, and 'The Great Work of the Metal Lover' speaks directly to
the scientific preoccupation while trying to shape and bend biology to
our will within the postbiological age," Brown said.
From sciencedaily
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