In a new study, researchers have developed a low-cost and eco-friendly method to extract gold from electronic waste using the leaves of the plant Lagerstroemia speciosa, commonly called the Pride of India. They have applied the principle of biosorption—the ability of biological materials in an aqueous solution to bind with heavy metals—to extract gold from wastewater.
The study from IISc found a previously unidentified yeast-like symbiont inside the lac insect Kerria lacca, which gives the insect its distinctive red colour and, may also provide other nutrients in return for shelter.