An international team of researchers has turned a virus into a microscopic recycling machine capable of selectively extracting rare earth elements from mine wastewater.
Rare earth elements, essential for smartphones, wind turbines, and electric vehicles, are critical to modern technologies. Yet before these 17 chemically similar elements can be processed, they must be painstakingly separated through energy-intensive and environmentally harmful methods. The chemicals typically used in conventional extraction can cause significant pollution, driving the search for greener alternatives.
Now, scientists led by the University of California, Berkeley have refined a biological approach that transforms a virus into a selective “recycling tool.” The team genetically modified a bacteriophage, a virus that infects only bacteria and poses no danger to humans or the environment, by adding two special proteins to its surface.
One of these proteins acts like a molecular claw or bright sponge, capable of binding rare earth elements in a solution. The second protein functions as a temperature-sensitive switch: when the liquid is gently warmed, the viruses, with their captured metals, settle to the bottom of the tank. After draining the fluid, the bound metal ions can be released by adjusting the pH level.
The process has already been successfully tested on acidic mine wastewater, a byproduct of past mining activities that often contains valuable residual metals.
Greener and Cheaper Than Conventional Methods
According to the researchers, their virus-based system is both more environmentally friendly and more cost-effective than traditional separation technologies. The modified phages remain efficient even after multiple recycling cycles, offering a durable and sustainable extraction tool.
The system can also be adapted for other uses, such as recovering rare earths from electronic waste or extracting other critical minerals, including lithium, cobalt, and platinum group metals. “It could even be used to clean water contaminated with toxic heavy metals like mercury or lead,” explains Seung-Wuk Lee, Professor of Bioengineering at UC Berkeley and co-author of the study.
The next phase of research, supported by the Rio Tinto Centre for Future Materials, will explore how the method can be applied to copper recovery. The centre, established by the mining company in collaboration with several universities, focuses on developing sustainable technologies and materials for the energy transition and greener resource extraction.
More on the topic: Genetic engineering also plays a role in other emerging methods for separating rare earths. Researchers are experimenting with bacteria, algae, electrical currents, and even natural sponges, all part of a growing effort to reduce the dependence on traditional mining for the recovery of critical materials.
Photo: CDC CCO Images, Blender Timer via Canva, Montage: rawmaterials.net