Arsenic-munching bacteria found'

[devance]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7558448.stm

'In the warm, bubbling pools of Mono Lake in California, scientists have isolated a bacterium that fuels itself on arsenic.

Combining light and arsenic, these bacteria make their food and multiply using a chemical that is toxic to most other life forms. '

Where I live at, arsenic was used a common pesticide for orchard fruits.

[pears and such].

I just don't do the dishes for a couple of days and sulfur dioxide comes up, but not arsenic.

Have I discorvered a new patentiable lifeform in my sink?

[Stonehenge]

Arsenic is an element so "eating" it does nothing but combine it into another form. The new form will be just as toxic. Now if they ate cyanide, that might work.

[Hagakure]

might be helpful if they collect all the arsenic into their cells. then you could have the stuff growing in contaminated water or whatever than scoop the cells and junk em.

[.dg]

He suspects that this is an ancient ability in bacteria.

"We think that bacteria were photosynthesising before oxygen was present in the atmosphere," he said.

very interesting.

i bet bacteria would be easier to filter out of water than arsenic,

[WoodDragon]

The initial bruhaha was that the bacteria could use arsenic rather than phosphorus as a structural element of their DNA.

Turns out that they don't:

http://rabett.blogspot.com.au/2012/07/claim-of-arsenic-eating-bacteria.html