For education and discussion only. Not for commercial use. Grains contain gold in forms that seem tailor-made for industrial use. Rumpelstiltskin, the fairy-tale rogue who spun straw into gold, has nothing on Miguel Yacaman and Jorge Gardea-Torresdey. The two University of Texas researchers have developed a way to draw gold from wheat, alfalfa, or – best of all – oats. No spinning wheel required. In this day and age, a simple solvent will suffice to turn homely vegetation into a source of precious metals. But if you're thinking of quitting the day job and buying an alfalfa farm, don't be...