News Microbes

Scientists stumbled across the first known manganese-fueled bacteria

Two species of bacteria left telltale manganese metal pebbles in a dirty lab jar left to soak

Bacteria that eat manganese

Newly discovered bacteria use manganese to grow, transforming the metal into roughly half-millimeter-wide lumps of manganese oxide shown here in this colorized scanning electron micrograph.

H. Yu/Caltech

By Carolyn Beans

- More than 2 years ago

Scientists have discovered the first bacteria known to use the metal manganese to grow.