Platinum to be mined soon from ... flowers?

Platinum and other useful materials may soon be "mined" from fields of native flowers, if ongoing research by a team of scientists in the United Kingdom proves successful.

 

The scientists aim to use plants to extract soil pollutants that bacteria will process into useful materials, Discovery News reported.

 

“We hope to demonstrate feasibility of the approach, and implementation of the nanoparticles in specific applications within three years with industrial adoption envisaged very quickly afterward,” lead researcher Kerry Kiwan of the University of Warwick said.

 

Led by the University of Warwick, the project aims to use the biological phenomenon to not only cleanse soils, but turn the growing plants into manufacturing plants.

 

It said bacteria may be engineered to harvest the desired chemicals from the plants then create nanoparticles that can be used in catalytic converters, cancer treatments and other applications.

 

"Together the bacteria and plants will become biofactories," it said.

 

Discovery News noted some plants like the flower Alyssum naturally draw certain chemicals, such as arsenic and platinum, from the soil.

 

Such plants concentrate the chemicals in their tissues, making them potentially ideal for use in reclaiming polluted land.

 

Biofactories

 

Kiwan said these virtual biofactories are a combination of bacteria that harvest the metals from the plants and create the nanoparticulate shells, along with a suitable biorefinery that provides the correct conditions for this to happen.

 

Such biorefineries will also provide the conditions necessary for extracting other high value compounds directly from the plants.

 

On the other hand, the bacteria will be contained in a fully enclosed system to prevent their accidental release into the environment.

 

However, the plants may help to restore native plant communities.

 

“We have access to a global dataset of plant/crop genetics and capabilities that will allow us to identify suitable native species. One key aspect is to ensure that no impacts on localized biodiversity occur,” said Kiwan. — ELR, GMA News