Can Microbes Detoxify Mine Waste to Release Valuable Rare Earth Elements

Highlights

• UQ researchers are using bacteria to detoxify toxic red mud from mining sites and extract valuable rare earth minerals.
• The biohydrometallurgy process could make mining more sustainable and unlock new value streams for mineral explorers.
• The UQ Biosustainability Hub is collaborating with industry to develop economically viable biological solutions for global challenges, including net-zero transitions.

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The jars depicted below are full of toxic red mud – a waste material produced by the long ton  at mining sites across Australia. 

However, University of Queensland researchers, when adding the right type of bacteria, can help detoxify the sludge and allow for the extraction of valuable rare earth fragments.  Dr. Rosie Gillane, Dr Rosie Gillane (opens in a new tab), Fernanda Soto, and Luke Webster (opens in a new tab) find a potentially compelling breakthrough reports (opens in a new tab) the University of Queensland Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology.

According to Webster “You wouldn’t usually associate bacteria or microorganisms with mine rehabilitation.”  His  PhD thesis is focused on ‘synbio’ mining techniques like the one he’s describing. 

 The group, party of the Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology (opens in a new tab),  use biohydrometallurgy to recover critical minerals and detoxify red mud from bauxite operations. 

“It’s called biohydrometallurgy. Basically, we can use certain proteins to extract critical metals from red mud so they can be reused in sustainable technologies.

“The process is greener but not yet competitive for industry to adopt. If we can show that it can be done on an industrial scale, it’s a huge win for mining companies and sustainability.”

Not New but Groundbreaking Potential

Biohydrometallurgy is itself not a new science. However,  Luke, Fernanda, and Rosie collaborate at the institute in a bid to establish it as standard industry practice to cut pollution and open new value streams for mineral explorers.

This includes processing red mud from bauxite mining operations to recover hidden stores of nickel, cobalt, gallium, and other rare earth materials that are crucial to the production of electric vehicles and clean energy.

Rosie’s groundbreaking research on extremophile microbes from mine waste environments is unlocking new possibilities for biomining. By isolating and cultivating these specialized organisms, she’s paving the way for more efficient metal recovery and environmental remediation techniques. 

Fernanda, meanwhile, is leveraging engineering fungal strains adapted to the harsh conditions of red mud to produce organic acids that effectively bind to and isolate critical elements, potentially creating new metal extraction processes.

Overseeing the team’s research is the AIBN’s Dr Denys Villa Gomez (opens in a new tab), an Advance Queensland Research Fellow and associate investigator at the ARC Centre of Excellence in Synthetic Biology (opens in a new tab), who also leads synbio mining projects as the chief investigator at the ARC Training Centre in Critical Resources for the Future.

Embedding Biomining into Rare Earths Via the BioHub

Using the equipment and expertise on hand at the AIBN, the School of Civil Engineering (opens in a new tab), and the newly established UQ Biosustainability Hub (opens in a new tab), Denys says her team is working hand in hand with industry to embed biomining as a sustainable and economically viable waste treatment option.

“Biomining has helped us recover a significant portion of the world’s copper and gold,” Denys says.

“However, the mine environment does limit how efficiently we can do this.

“With synthetic biology, we can engineer specific microbes that suit these extreme environments and allow us to carry out biomining processes at a larger scale.”

Much of the work done by Denys, Luke, Fernanda, Rosie, and the wider UQ Biosustainability Hub team revolves around harnessing biological processes to produce fuels, chemicals, ingredients, and other biomaterials in a more sustainable way.

The ‘BioHub’ – the first of its kind in Australia – aims to provide a one-stop-shop for industry wanting to partner with AIBN research teams to create carbon neutral and economically viable products.

Rio Tino Already Investigating

Mining giant Rio Tinto (opens in a new tab) is among the industry players already working with the BioHub, including working with Denys on a three-year Advance Queensland project to harness synthetic biology to recover critical minerals. Rare Earth Exchanges has reached out to the team to learn more about this initiative.

As well as securing a new stream of valuable minerals, Dr Rosie Gillane says she hopes the team’s red mud research will help build a stronger environmental legacy around mine rehabilitation.  

“A lot of the materials we work with are really harsh waste products that can cause a lot of issues if they leach into waterways or soils,” Rosie says.

“So, as well as unlocking new value, biohydrometallurgy is a process we can use to help remediate sites that could have otherwise remained a problem.”

UQ Biosustainability Hub

The UQ Biosustainability Hub, a collaboration between research and industry, will help the world’s biggest companies transition to net zero, or at least that is the quest. The team works with industry to create economically viable biological solutions to some of the world’s most serious challenges.

As far as their vision, they seek to create economically viable biotechnological opportunities for every company that wants to transition to net zero. By the end of the decade, synthetic biology could be used extensively in manufacturing industries that account for more than a third of global output- a share of $30 trillion in terms of value. The UQ Biosustainability Hub aims to capture a piece of that market share and drive a new industry in Australia.

This hub is a piece of cutting edge research infrastructure, and it houses research expertise, combined with industry relationships with projects not seen anywhere else in Australia.

Directing the Biosustainability Hub is Professor Esteban Marcellin.

The UQ Biosustainability Hub’s five focus areas are: