INCREASER (2024-2026)

Biomining for recovery of rare earth elements towards green transition

Project team: Io Antonopoulou (project leader)

Duration: 2024-2026

Funded by the J. Gust. Richert foundation

Rare earth elements (REEs) are crucial for sustainable energy technologies due to their unique properties, but their increasing demand may lead to scarcity issues. Traditional mining and refining processes are energy-intensive, environmentally damaging, and often lead to a small yield of REEs. Recycling presents a promising solution; however, current recycling methods also have drawbacks such as high energy consumption and low yield.

New approaches like biosorption, utilizing biological materials to extract REEs, offer a more sustainable alternative. Certain bacteria produce organic acids capable of extracting REEs, albeit with lower efficiency compared to traditional methods. Additionally, some bacteria produce proteins like lanmodulin (LanM), which selectively bind REEs, potentially offering an eco-friendlier separation process. However, commercial viability and scalability of these methods remains uncertain.

The purpose of the INCREASER project is to explore the diversity of LanM-like proteins in microorganisms using publicly available metagenomic libraries and utilize selected candidates for highly selective binding and separation of REEs. Through metagenomic analysis, promising LanM-like proteins will be identified and produced in the lab. These proteins will then be immobilized for reuse and tested for their efficacy in biomining REEs from commercially available ore deposits and recyclable materials. We aim to elucidate the mechanism of the selective binding REEs and draw connections between structure and function of the targeted proteins. During the past couple years, few revolutionary studies revealed the structure motifs of two LanM proteins. This opened a vast field of research for the application of such proteins in development of bioprocesses.

With the INCREASER project, we aspire to provide a proof-of-concept for the utilization of proteins in the environmentally friendly REE recovery and recycling, combining approaches within protein discovery, library screening, protein characterization and process development. This approach aligns with the principles of circular economy and supports Sweden's Green Transition by enabling eco-friendly REE mining.