Optimising electrogenic bacteria for rare metal recovery through next-generation sequencing methods.

Technologies that allow the recycling of rare and precious metals such as silver and platinum from waste materials are an important part of a sustainable future. Some bacteria breathe by release electrons into the environment, which can be used to recover metals from liquid waste by precipitation. These same bacteria can also survive using electrons delivered from an cathode, but for both these processes the mechanisms are unclear.

This project aims to use a technique called transposon directed insertion site sequencing (TRADIS) to identify the genes involved in metal reduction and tolerance, and understand how bacterial metabolism can be reversed to allow cell survival on a cathode. The project involves growing a culture containing millions of bacterial mutants in competition experiments and using next-generation sequencing to identify genes in the surviving bacteria that are important for survival. Identified genes will be used to generate a industrially relevant engineered strain that is optimised for metal recovery. The same techniques will be used to identify genes that are important to allow bacteria to interact directly with cathodes and generate ATP and NADH for cellular survival.

This cross discipline project will take place within the Schools of Biology and Chemistry at the University of East Anglia, and the Quadram Bioscience institute. The student will be trained in a wide range of techniques, including microbiology and molecular biology, bioelectrochemistry and next-generation sequencing methods.