Rare earth elements (REEs) are an indispensable component of the digital technologies that are now an integral part of everyday life. Yet their biological role has been discovered only recently. A few years ago, it became apparent that these metals are essential elements for methano- and methylotrophic bacteria. One representative is the bacterium Methylacidiphilum fumariolicum SolV, which was found in a volcanic mudpot near Naples, Italy, and is known to be strictly dependent on REEs such as lanthanum and cerium for its growth.