PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

There's gold in them thar trees

2013-10-23
(Press-News.org) Contact information: Emily Lehmann
emily.lehmann@csiro.au
61-395-458-746
CSIRO Australia
There's gold in them thar trees

Eucalyptus trees - or gum trees as they are know - are drawing up gold particles from the earth via their root system and depositing it their leaves and branches.

Scientists from CSIRO made the discovery and have published their findings in the journal Nature Communications.

"The eucalypt acts as a hydraulic pump – its roots extend tens of metres into the ground and draw up water containing the gold. As the gold is likely to be toxic to the plant, it's moved to the leaves and branches where it can be released or shed to the ground," CSIRO geochemist Dr Mel Lintern said.

The discovery is unlikely to start an old-time gold rush – the "nuggets" are about one-fifth the diameter of a human hair. However, it could provide a golden opportunity for mineral exploration, as the leaves or soil underneath the trees could indicate gold ore deposits buried up to tens of metres underground and under sediments that are up to 60 million years old.

"The leaves could be used in combination with other tools as a more cost effective and environmentally friendly exploration technique," Dr Lintern said.

"By sampling and analysing vegetation for traces of minerals, we may get an idea of what's happening below the surface without the need to drill. It's a more targeted way of searching for minerals that reduces costs and impact on the environment.

"Eucalyptus trees are so common that this technique could be widely applied across Australia. It could also be used to find other metals such as zinc and copper."

Using CSIRO's Maia detector for x-ray elemental imaging at the Australian Synchrotron, the research team was able to locate and see the gold in the leaves. The Synchrotron produced images depicting the gold, which would otherwise have been untraceable.

"Our advanced x-ray imaging enabled the researchers to examine the leaves and produce clear images of the traces of gold and other metals, nestled within their structure," principal scientist at the Australian Synchrotron Dr David Paterson said.

"Before enthusiasts rush to prospect this gold from the trees or even the leaf litter, you need to know that these are tiny nuggets, which are about one-fifth the diameter of a human hair and generally invisible by other techniques and equipment."

CSIRO research using natural materials, such as calcrete and laterite in soils, for mineral exploration has led to many successful ore deposit discoveries in regional Australia. The outcomes of the research provide a direct boost to the national economy.



INFORMATION:



ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

The hitchhiker antigen: Cause for concern?

2013-10-23
The hitchhiker antigen: Cause for concern? Since antibodies first attained prominence as research reagents in modern biological science labs, researchers have been perplexed as to why one production lot can differ significantly from the next, ...

How are Open Access and MOOCS disrupting the academic community in different ways?

2013-10-23
How are Open Access and MOOCS disrupting the academic community in different ways? New article in SAGE Open compares and contrasts the disruptive tensions of open-access publishing with MOOCs Los Angeles, CA (October 23, 2013) Supporters of open academic content ...

New eye treatment effective in laboratory tests

2013-10-23
New eye treatment effective in laboratory tests Promising new approach may lead to treatments for common eye diseases like neovascular macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy LA JOLLA, CA – October 23, 2013 – A promising technique for treating human eye disease ...

Changes in epigenetic DNA functions reveal how diabetes predisposes individuals to Alzheimer's

2013-10-23
Changes in epigenetic DNA functions reveal how diabetes predisposes individuals to Alzheimer's Mount Sinai researchers hope to exploit findings to develop novel preventive and treatment strategies for Alzheimer's disease New ...

Swiss private banking in clinch with high cost level

2013-10-23
Swiss private banking in clinch with high cost level For the international wealth management industry, 2012 was a more benign year than the harsh 2011. Due to favorable stock and bond markets the volumes of managed funds increased, though not returning to pre-crisis ...

The molecular clock of the common buzzard

2013-10-23
The molecular clock of the common buzzard Bielefeld biologists reveal the influence of genes on dispersal behavior This news release is available in German. Be it hibernation or the routes of migratory birds: all animal behaviour that is subject to annual ...

Nanopore opens new cellular doorway for drug transport

2013-10-23
Nanopore opens new cellular doorway for drug transport A living cell is built with barriers to keep things out – and researchers are constantly trying to find ways to smuggle molecules in.‬ ‪Professor Giovanni Maglia (Biochemistry, Molecular and Structural ...

New software traces origins of genetic disorders 20 times more accurately

2013-10-23
New software traces origins of genetic disorders 20 times more accurately In a bioinformatics breakthrough, iMinds – STADIUS – KU Leuven researchers have successfully applied advanced artificial intelligence to enable the automated analysis of huge amounts of ...

Insights into how TB tricks the immune system could help combat the disease

2013-10-23
Insights into how TB tricks the immune system could help combat the disease Researchers have identified a potential way to manipulate the immune system to improve its ability to fight off tuberculosis (TB). TB is a major problem for both humans and ...

Communication with similar people stronger than believed

2013-10-23
Communication with similar people stronger than believed People's tendency to communicate with similar people is stronger than earlier believed, which restricts the flow of information and ideas in social networks. These are the findings that an Aalto University ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

Post-LLM era: New horizons for AI with knowledge, collaboration, and co-evolution

“Sloshing” from celestial collisions solves mystery of how galactic clusters stay hot

Children poisoned by the synthetic opioid, fentanyl, has risen in the U.S. – eight years of national data shows

USC researchers observe mice may have a form of first aid

VUMC to develop AI technology for therapeutic antibody discovery

Unlocking the hidden proteome: The role of coding circular RNA in cancer

Advancing lung cancer treatment: Understanding the differences between LUAD and LUSC

Study reveals widening heart disease disparities in the US

The role of ubiquitination in cancer stem cell regulation

New insights into LSD1: a key regulator in disease pathogenesis

Vanderbilt lung transplant establishes new record

Revolutionizing cancer treatment: targeting EZH2 for a new era of precision medicine

Metasurface technology offers a compact way to generate multiphoton entanglement

Effort seeks to increase cancer-gene testing in primary care

Acoustofluidics-based method facilitates intracellular nanoparticle delivery

Sulfur bacteria team up to break down organic substances in the seabed

Stretching spider silk makes it stronger

Earth's orbital rhythms link timing of giant eruptions and climate change

Ammonia build-up kills liver cells but can be prevented using existing drug

New technical guidelines pave the way for widespread adoption of methane-reducing feed additives in dairy and livestock

Eradivir announces Phase 2 human challenge study of EV25 in healthy adults infected with influenza

New study finds that tooth size in Otaria byronia reflects historical shifts in population abundance

nTIDE March 2025 Jobs Report: Employment rate for people with disabilities holds steady at new plateau, despite February dip

Breakthrough cardiac regeneration research offers hope for the treatment of ischemic heart failure

Fluoride in drinking water is associated with impaired childhood cognition

New composite structure boosts polypropylene’s low-temperature toughness

While most Americans strongly support civics education in schools, partisan divide on DEI policies and free speech on college campuses remains

Revolutionizing surface science: Visualization of local dielectric properties of surfaces

LearningEMS: A new framework for electric vehicle energy management

Nearly half of popular tropical plant group related to birds-of-paradise and bananas are threatened with extinction

[Press-News.org] There's gold in them thar trees