But, now that oil prices moved higher, they found designer bacteria in the lab with biotech.

FORBES: 11 Next-Generation Commodity Names

The council said the levels of bacteria had been "higher than minimum" and apologised for any inconvenience caused.

BBC: Lincolnshire

They kept adding gold chloride to the water to see how much the bacteria could handle, eventually stopping at 25 times higher than previously researched concentrations.

FORBES: FOCUS: 'Microbial Alchemy' Produces Gold From Toxic Chemical

But Blaser and others theorize that overuse of antibiotics may be causing higher rates of asthma, allergies and other diseases by killing useful gut bacteria.

FORBES: Our Germs, Ourselves

He and Adam Brown, associate professor of electronic art and intermedia at Michigan State, found that the bacteria, Cupriavidus metallidurans, can withstand concentrations of gold chloride 25 times higher than previously reported by scientists.

FORBES: FOCUS: 'Microbial Alchemy' Produces Gold From Toxic Chemical

"Lots of organisms, particularly tiny bacteria, eat and take nutrients from detritus and in doing so they make it available to the higher organisms who eat them, " said Mackinson.

BBC: The model should aid future management of the North Sea