A lead-zinc mine in Nanjing, China has contaminated surrounding soils with dangerous heavy metals like lead, zinc, and cadmium over 70 years of operation. Researchers discovered that combining amaranth plants with a beneficial bacterium called Bacillus velezensis dramatically reduced heavy metal pollution in soil, lowering pollution levels from severely contaminated to acceptable levels. This plant-microorganism approach also improved plant growth while reducing heavy metal uptake in the edible parts of crops, offering a practical solution to make farmland around mines safer for growing food.