"Patients can speak to their pharmacist about the option of having the pharmacy compound Tamiflu capsules into a liquid, " DeAngelis said in an e-mail.
By combining an artist and scientific quest, the two professors at Michigan State University found that a certain type of metal-loving bacteria can transform high amounts of the toxic chemical compound gold chloride from a liquid into solid 24-karat gold.
But pharmacists can "compound as needed to continue filling prescriptions for the liquid Tamiflu to meet the needs of patients during this flu season, " he said.