Using Bacteria to Harvest the Ocean's Minerals


The world needs clean water, and increasingly, we're pulling it from the oceans, desalinating it, and drinking it. But what to do with the salty brine left behind?

In this intriguing short talk, TED Fellow Damian Palin proposes an idea: mine the ocean for other minerals we need, with the help of some collaborative metal-munching bacteria.

Check out the video in the panel to the right.

Is this the beginning of a new industry?

Image: Damian Palin, from TED YouTube video