Uploaded August 2023 | Updated September 2026, 17 hours ago
Did you know that there are microscopic superheroes around us? Perhaps you haven’t seen them, but there are microbes with impressive abilities all around.
I bet you’ve never thought about the potential abilities of the microbes living in your kitchen sink drain.
In the fall of 2013, we examined kitchen sink drains as part of a course and found an intriguing microbe: Delftia acidovorans.
This microbe was first identified in contaminated soils in Delft, Netherlands. Delftia has been found in numerous environments and can thrive in habitats containing high concentrations of often toxic metals, such as copper and cobalt.
How does Delftia do this?
Well, Delftia acidovorans produces a small protein that allows it to avoid toxicity from gold by precipitating it out of solution.
How can we discover the superpowers of these microbes?
Using high-throughput approaches and automation, researchers can investigate the abilities of microbes.
Automation does not have to use complex robots or production facilities: portable sequencers, microfluidics devices, and compact liquid handlers allow us to sequence communities of microbes.
Prepare samples without tedious or repetitive tasks and test numerous conditions simultaneously.
Now the question is: how can these microbial superpowers help us?
For starters, Delftia acidovorans can be used to recover gold from discarded electronics, helping us address one of our biggest concerns worldwide: e-waste.
The improvement of high-throughput methods for studying these extraordinary microorganisms, could identify new ways to dispose of and recycle electronics to protect the environment and ensure a better future.
Isn’t it incredible to think we could hold the key to a greener future in our kitchen sinks?
Did you know that there are microscopic superheroes around us? Perhaps you haven’t seen them, but there are microbes with impressive abilities all around.
I bet you’ve never thought about the potential abilities of the microbes living in your kitchen sink drain.
In the fall of 2013, we examined kitchen sink drains as part of a course and found an intriguing microbe: Delftia acidovorans.
This microbe was first identified in contaminated soils in Delft, Netherlands. Delftia has been found in numerous environments and can thrive in habitats containing high concentrations of often toxic metals, such as copper and cobalt.
How does Delftia do this?
Well, Delftia acidovorans produces a small protein that allows it to avoid toxicity from gold by precipitating it out of solution.
How can we discover the superpowers of these microbes?
Using high-throughput approaches and automation, researchers can investigate the abilities of microbes.
Automation does not have to use complex robots or production facilities: portable sequencers, microfluidics devices, and compact liquid handlers allow us to sequence communities of microbes.
Prepare samples without tedious or repetitive tasks and test numerous conditions simultaneously.
Now the question is: how can these microbial superpowers help us?
For starters, Delftia acidovorans can be used to recover gold from discarded electronics, helping us address one of our biggest concerns worldwide: e-waste.
The improvement of high-throughput methods for studying these extraordinary microorganisms, could identify new ways to dispose of and recycle electronics to protect the environment and ensure a better future.
Isn’t it incredible to think we could hold the key to a greener future in our kitchen sinks?
