[Rockhounds] Can Bacteria Eat rock?

[Paul]

Scientists Waited Two and a Half Years to See whether
Bacteria Can Eat Rock. The mystery of dirt’s origins is a
thorny experimental problem. Jennifer Frazer, May 1, 2020
https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/artful-amoeba/scientists-waited-two-and-a-half-years-to-see-whether-bacteria-can-eat-rock

Napieralski, Stephanie A., Heather L. Buss, Susan L. Brantley,
Seungyeol Lee, Huifang Xu, and Eric E. Roden. "Microbial
chemolithotrophy mediates oxidative weathering of granitic
bedrock." Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
116, no. 52 (2019): 26394-26401.
https://www.academia.edu/41372966/Microbial_chemolithotrophy_mediates_oxidative_weathering_of_granitic_bedrock
https://www.pnas.org/content/116/52/26394

Yours,

Paul H.