Overview
- Researchers from the University of Oulu and the Geological Survey of Finland report gold nanoparticles inside Norway spruce needles growing above the Tiira deposit in Finnish Lapland.
- The Environmental Microbiome study analyzed 138 needle samples from 23 trees and confirmed gold in four trees using field-emission scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy.
- Gold particles were located near bacterial biofilms, and DNA sequencing showed distinctive microbial communities in gold-positive needles, including higher presence of Corynebacterium, Cutibacterium and P3OB-42.
- Findings suggest a microbial contribution to precipitating dissolved gold, offering a low-impact signal that could refine biogeochemical mineral exploration near deposits such as the Kittilä mine satellite.
- Occurrences were sporadic and tied to variable groundwater pathways and microbiomes, and the team is also exploring whether similar processes could help plants and mosses sequester toxic metals for remediation.