The news may be surprising: to the south of Perth, Australia, a team of researchers has made an astonishing discovery: a mushroom named fusarium oxysporum, which has displayed some incredible capabilities. Dr. Tsing Bohu, co-leader of the study, explained:
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Mushrooms are known for their essential role in decomposition and recycling of organic materials such as leaves and bark, as well as in the cycle of metals such as aluminium, iron, manganese and calcium.
But the property discovered by his team is even more impressive: according to him, fusarium oxysporum is capable of inciting dissolution and precipitation reactions of particles which are taken from the air, and from them, produce… gold!
'You have to see it to believe it!'
Gold is so unreactive chemically that its interaction is both unusual and surprising… you have to see it to believe it! The researcher is currently following up his study, to understand the ins and outs of this incredible interaction. His theory: this deposit could be the sign of a larger quantity under the surface.
Australia is currently the third largest producer of goldin the world, behind China and Russia, producing 325 tonnes each year. But the industry is threatened by the increasing lack of resources. These gold-producing mushrooms could therefore help to resolve an impending crisis. Dr Ravi Anand, the main scientist behind the study, concluded:
We hope to understand whether the fungi that we’ve studied can be used under certain conditions with exploration tools, to help the industry target potential zones.
Check out the video above to see these incredible mushrooms for yourself!
