Nickel may not grow on trees-but there's a chance it could someday be mined using plants. Many plant species naturally soak up metal and concentrate it in their tissues, and new funding will support research on how to use that trait for plant-based mining, or phytomining. Seven phytomining projects just received $9.9 million in funding...

This is today's edition ofThe Download,our weekday newsletter that provides a daily dose of what's going on in the world of technology. How plants could mine metals from the soil Nickel may not grow on trees-but there's a chance it could someday be mined using plants. Many plants naturally soak up metal and concentrate it...