Microbes could be used to extract metals and minerals from space rocks

Why limit ourselves to space rocks? What about rocks on planet earth?

I believe this kind of research has been going on for decades, but hopefully we will see more practical applications!

"The team ... suggests that microbes could help accelerate mining on extraterrestrial bodies by as much as 400%, helping to separate metal powders and valuable minerals from other useful elements like oxygen. The fact that [bacteria] seem able to withstand microgravity suggests these microbes could be a potentially cheap way to extract resources to make life in space more sustainable—and enable lengthy journeys and settlements on distant worlds."

Microbes could be used to extract metals and minerals from space rocks | MIT Technology Review New experiments on the International Space Station suggest that future space miners could use bacteria to acquire valuable resources. A species of bacteria can successfully pull out rare Earth elements from rocks, even in microgravity environments, a study on the International Space Station has found.

Here is the respective research article:

Space station biomining experiment demonstrates rare earth element extraction in microgravity and Mars gravity These data demonstrate the potential for space biomining and the principles of a reactor to advance human industry and mining beyond Earth.