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The Device in Your Junk Drawer Contains Real Gold. Scientists Just Found a Way to Get It Out With Cheese Waste
Researchers at ETH Zurich created a whey‑protein aerogel that can extract gold ions from acid‑dissolved electronic waste, and they recovered a 450‑milligram, 22‑carat gold nugget from 20 old computer motherboards in lab tests.
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What happened
Researchers at ETH Zurich created a whey‑protein aerogel that can extract gold ions from acid‑dissolved electronic waste, and they recovered a 450‑milligram, 22‑carat gold nugget from 20 old computer motherboards in lab tests.
Confirmed
Global impact / market context
If the method can be scaled, it could turn discarded electronics into a new source of gold, reducing reliance on traditional mining and potentially lowering the environmental impact of gold production.
Analyst inference
Gold prices have been volatile, and investors watch any development that could change supply dynamics, especially as the mining sector faces increasing ESG (environmental, social, governance) pressure.
Analyst inference
What to watch
- Commercial pilots of the aerogel process to see if recovery rates and costs are viable at scale. Analyst inference
- Regulatory responses to recycling electronic waste for precious metals, which could affect permitting and incentives. Analyst inference
- Impact on gold mining companies’ earnings if recycled gold begins to offset a portion of primary production. Analyst inference
Affected assets
- ETH — Ethereum