NSF Award
2435259
This award is funded by NSF Global Centers program, an innovative program that supports use-inspired research addressing global challenges through the bioeconomy. It is co-funded by the Office of International Science and Engineering, and the Directorate for Geosciences. It supports U.S.-based researchers developing global international partnerships and building multi-stakeholder engagement to advance use-inspired research, in the aim to develop their project toward a large-scale international effort. <br/><br/>Building a carbon-neutral sustainable energy infrastructure is one of the most pressing challenges of our time. It requires an enormous supply of critical metals. Traditional metal extraction and separation form ores pose significant environmental risks, especially given the large supply needed. Biomining, a promising alternative, uses microorganisms to dissolve minerals, and separate and concentrate metals. It offers a more environmentally friendly approach. It is already a growing industry supplying 5% of the world’s gold and 15% of its copper. However, industrially useful microbes for extracting energy-critical metals from ores and waste materials are still undeveloped. The Microbe-Mineral Atlas project aims to address this gap by investigating how microbes interact with minerals and rocks. This is a crucial step toward using synthetic biology to create microorganisms capable of mining critical metals. The project also examines the necessary policy adaptations for this emerging technology. Furthermore, it provides comprehensive education and training to students at all levels, preparing a future workforce to responsibly commercialize these innovations. By fostering innovation and promoting environmental stewardship, the Microbe-Mineral Atlas project paved the road to the global transition to renewable energy.<br/><br/>The project is driven by four key questions that guide its research activities: (1) How have microorganisms adapted to the mineral and metal diversity found in natural and man-made environments, and what unique adaptations can be leveraged? To answer this, the team uses bioprospecting, metagenomic sequencing, advanced microbe cultivation, and high-throughput screening to catalog organisms and genes involved in mineral interactions, and isolate new synthetic biology chassis organisms for biomining. (2) Can we harness the geobiodiversity discovered through genetic engineering for more efficient and sustainable metal extraction, separation, and concentration? The team uses advanced genetic engineering to develop engineered organisms with enhanced metal extraction, separation, and accumulation capabilities. (3) What are the benefits and complexities of new biotechnologies for mining and refining low-grade and recycled metals? This is assessed using life cycle analysis. (4) What social and regulatory frameworks are necessary for a sustainable future in mining? The project explores these frameworks through public opinion surveys and policy analysis.<br/><br/>This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
