Posted on 11/22/2020 2:55:06 PM PST by BenLurkin
[M]icrobes are currently used on Earth to extract materials of value from rock.
Human miners crush the rocks and add liquid — usually water — to activate microbes dormant in the ore.
The microbes then use chemical processes to break down rocks — essentially digesting them — to access nutrients like phosphorus and nitrogen. Valuable metals and minerals can be a bacterial waste product.
On Earth, mining companies use bacteria to extract about 20 per cent of the world's copper and five per cent of our planet's gold.
Mining experiment aboard the ISS.
The basalt rock they used in the experiment is similar to what's found on the moon or Mars.
Italian astronaut, Luca Parmitano, put the biomining reactor into a miniature centrifuge that spun the samples around to simulate different gravity conditions.
The microbes were then left to grow and feed for 21 days. Samples were then flown back to Earth for analysis.
One of the bacterial species they tested..."did successfully extract rare earth elements out of the rock."
He said what was even more interesting though, was how the microbes managed to overcome the problem of different gravity conditions — perhaps by changing their rate of growth — to eventually reach the same concentration of bacterial cells in the reduced gravity conditions as in the Earth's gravity.
Cockell said he envisions settlements on the moon or Mars, or bases on an asteroid, and nearby, there could be a giant processing facility where microbes could be used to help break down rocks to extract desirable elements.
He has another experiment called "BioAsteroid," which is scheduled to fly in a few weeks time. in which astronauts will conduct the same biomining experiment, but using a crushed up meteorite instead of Mars-like rock.
(Excerpt) Read more at cbc.ca ...
It has been speculated that the oil and natural gas inside the earth’s surface may be the result of microbes getting water to activate and then eating rocks. The waste product of that process being oil and gas. Therefore, as long as there is water and rock there will be oil and natural gas.
Interesting. God doesn’t let anything go to waste.
Honestly, I read that twice, (wondering) as,
Microbes may be ON our miners asteroids, moons and other planets.
Forgive me, that is not usual for me.
Gee this FR place is gettin’ too me 😆
Just wait. It may not be long before some erstwhile Freeper makes mention of a certain popular planet.
By George, I think you’re right 😆
Good, now figure out a way to extract di-lithium crystals, and we’re off to the races!
There are definitely microbes on THE SEVENTH PLANET.
Regards,
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