Surprising metals found in microbes

For first time, organism shown to need rare earth element to survive

HOT DIGS  Methylacidiphilum fumariolicum, the first life form found to rely on a rare earth element for survival, lives in steaming volcanic mud pits like this one outside Naples, Italy.

Paola Marinani, Radboud University Nijmegen

Look out, smartphone users: Bacteria may be after your rare earths.