The struggle of the alchemist was not turning lead into gold but dissolving gold in a alkahest that is a safe solution of gold that could be ingested for health benefits. The Chinese even figured out similar techniques first. Science is now using gold nanoparticles to treat cancer because they do not oxodize in the body. at a nanoparticle scale doctors to use noninvasive electoamgnetic lasers to stimulate the gold nanoparticles particles in the sick area killing the cancer. It also behaves oldlybeoth DNA actually assisting in the zipping and unzipping of nucleotides.
https://youtu.be/9M-58niEOpU
https://youtu.be/9M-58niEOpU