[virgakwolfw]

There are a few different types of these microbes.

Often you can find them hanging out in old mine waste water or inside where ever mineral exposures are. Several versions eat iron sulfide minerals to function, others eat metallic compounds in waste water. Mining companies are looking at using these microbes to help break down acid rock drainage, the harmful acids generated by sulfide minerals exposed to air.

One species of the microbes can collect precious metals inside its self as a side effect, releasing them when they die as perfect metallic orbs.