How a Chinese lab used a saltwater-loving microbe to turn waste water into precious semiconductor materials

Researchers discover trailblazing method to transform contaminated water into valuable chemicals using engineered bacteria. Cheaper, eco-friendly production costs could open the door to more innovative chip manufacturing. — SCMP

Scientists in China have succeeded in using sunlight-driven bacteria to clean organic pollutants from waste water and, in the process, make valuable new chemicals. The ability to extract useful chemicals from heavy metal contaminated water could pave the way for sustainable and eco-friendly production of valuable semiconductor materials.

The study, spearheaded by Professor Gao Xiang of the Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and Professor Lu Lu of the Harbin Institute of Technology in Shenzhen, was published in the peer-reviewed journal Nature Sustainability on October 16.