Scientists in Finland discovered gold nanoparticles inside the needles of Norway spruce trees and the finding could indicate large gold deposits beneath the surface.
New research has confirmed exactly when Burl sang “Silver and gold decorations on every Christmas tree” in Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer; he surely did not actually know that Christmas trees actually have gold inside their needles."
The study, published in the journal Environmental Microbiome on August 28 found that bacteria help Norway spruce trees concentrate colloidal gold.
An ecologist at the University of Oulu in Finland, Kaisa Lehosmaa, said, “Our results suggest that bacteria and other microbes living inside plants may influence the accumulation of gold in trees.”
These resident bacteria are primarily known as endophytes-symbiotic microorganisms that facilitate both the absorption of nutrients and their distribution for the body's growth and repair among other functions.
These bacteria crystallize soluble particles that the trees absorb through their roots.
The process refers to a form of biomineralization in which living things control the formation of minerals in their tissues through an extensive range of processes.
In this case the endophytes likely compacted particles to reduce their toxicity.
The researchers investigated spruce trees near the Kittila mine in northern Finland, which is the largest ever gold producer in Europe.
Researchers have examined 138 needle samples from 23 spruce trees and needles of four of those trees contained gold nanoparticles.
This serves as a new and environmentally friendly method for inspecting and locating deep underground gold deposits.
