Thermithiobacillus

Okay kiddo, have you ever heard of a bacteria? It's a tiny living thing that we can't see with our eyes because it's too small. One type of bacteria is called thermithiobacillus. It's kind of like a superhero that likes to live in very hot places, like near a volcano or in a really hot spring.

Thermithiobacillus has a very cool superpower: it can turn things that are bad for the environment into something good. For example, when people mine for metal like copper and gold, they leave behind a lot of waste called 'tailings'. Tailings are not good for the environment because they can release chemicals that can hurt animals and plants. But, thermithiobacillus can use these tailings as food and turn them into something harmless, like sulfuric acid.

So, thermithiobacillus is like a tiny superhero that can help clean up after people and make the environment safer for everyone. Isn't that cool?