Here's another interesting side story involving gold for anyone who is interested.
The researchers developed a test which can detect cancer cells by picking up this epigenetic pattern in blood and biopsy tissue.
The development was made possible after they discovered that placing the cancerous DNA in a solution caused it to fold up into 3D structures.
It turns out these structures stick to gold, so when cancerous DNA is put into a solution with gold nanoparticles, it attaches to them and instantly changes the colour of solution.
"It's just a simple blood test that you can see with a naked eye," said Professor Trau.
