Biologically Upcycling Metals
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Edinburgh
Department Name: Sch of Biological Sciences
Abstract
Metals have a finite supply, thus metal scarcity and supply security have become worldwide issues. We have to ensure that we do not drain important resources by prioritizing the desires of the present over the needs of the future.
To solve such a global challenge we need to move to a circular, more sustainable economy where we use the resources we have more wisely. One of the founding principles of a circular economy is that waste is an unused feedstock; that organic and inorganic components can be engineered to fit within a materials cycle, by the design, engineering and re-purposing of waste streams.
In this fellowship I propose to design and engineer bacteria to repurpose our waste streams for us. I plan to use the new tools and techniques provided by advances in biology to engineer a microbe with the ability to upcycle critical metal ions from waste streams into high value nanoparticles.
Certain bacteria have the ability to reduce metal cations and form precipitates of zero-valence, pure metals, as part of their survival mechanism to defend against toxic levels of metal cations. I will adopt the modular approach used in Synthetic Biology alongside iterative design, build and test cycles in order to enhance, manipulate and standardise the biomanufacture of these nanosize precipitates as high value products. With training in life cycle assessment, I will determine the financial benefits for business of adopting biological waste treatment methods with high value resource recovery and I will provide biogenic material to other researchers (academic and industrial) free of charge to encourage user pull for the technology.
To solve such a global challenge we need to move to a circular, more sustainable economy where we use the resources we have more wisely. One of the founding principles of a circular economy is that waste is an unused feedstock; that organic and inorganic components can be engineered to fit within a materials cycle, by the design, engineering and re-purposing of waste streams.
In this fellowship I propose to design and engineer bacteria to repurpose our waste streams for us. I plan to use the new tools and techniques provided by advances in biology to engineer a microbe with the ability to upcycle critical metal ions from waste streams into high value nanoparticles.
Certain bacteria have the ability to reduce metal cations and form precipitates of zero-valence, pure metals, as part of their survival mechanism to defend against toxic levels of metal cations. I will adopt the modular approach used in Synthetic Biology alongside iterative design, build and test cycles in order to enhance, manipulate and standardise the biomanufacture of these nanosize precipitates as high value products. With training in life cycle assessment, I will determine the financial benefits for business of adopting biological waste treatment methods with high value resource recovery and I will provide biogenic material to other researchers (academic and industrial) free of charge to encourage user pull for the technology.
Planned Impact
This project will address the important challenge of recovering critical metals for future use and economic gain.
Industrial Impact: The ability to manipulate bacteria in combination with their ability to synthesise nanoparticles could provide access to a host of novel nanoparticles. While I cannot predict their properties at this stage, it is possible that similar properties may arise in particles with lower critical metal composition than those already in use. Combined with a bioprocess for the recovery of critical metals, this would allow the novel biogenic nanoparticles to lower our dependency on critical metals that have prices dictated by countries outside of the UK, and thus ensure resource security and safe guard UK productivity. Industrial impact will be realised through interaction with the synthetic biology IKC, HVM catapult, Scottish IBioIC, KTN and specific companies (e.g. Selex ES, Ingenza, Umicore, GSK, Dyson).
Public and Social Impact: The resource efficiency KTN estimated that world wide mining activities are responsible for 5% of global carbon dioxide emissions, consume limited fossil fuel resources and produce other damaging 'greenhouse gases', recovery of metals would reduce the burden on mining and its environmental impact.
Economic Impact: The industrial impacts described will produce economic benefits to the UK and concurrent social benefits to some of the less affluent areas of the UK, creating employment and reducing healthcare needs, which in turn leads to economic benefits at a national and international level. The recovery of materials from waste streams has obvious economic benefits and the development of new process routes for the production of lower cost and/or higher performance metal nanoparticles may contribute towards wealth generation in a number of possible sectors.
Policy Makers: World politics are determined by the interdependency of countries, most often for resources. There is a dispute, ongoing since 2012, between China and the US (supported by Brazil, Canada, Colombia, European Union, India, Japan, Korea, Norway, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Chinese Taipei, Viet Nam, Argentina, Australia, Indonesia, Turkey, Peru, Russia) over China's restrictions on the export of various forms of rare earth elements; with the full implementation of Word Trading recommendations and rulings currently under contention since May 2015. A technology which eases our reliance upon Chinese REE exports would greatly impact our whole foreign policy.
Additionally there is potential for further impact on policymakers on future technology options in: contaminated waste remediation (e.g. DEFRA & SEPA); eco-friendly/economic production routes for nano-materials (BIS and DEFRA); advancing biotechnology/synthetic biology in the public interest and in the development of a range of high-value products that rely on nanoparticles (BIS, DH and DECC).
Industrial Impact: The ability to manipulate bacteria in combination with their ability to synthesise nanoparticles could provide access to a host of novel nanoparticles. While I cannot predict their properties at this stage, it is possible that similar properties may arise in particles with lower critical metal composition than those already in use. Combined with a bioprocess for the recovery of critical metals, this would allow the novel biogenic nanoparticles to lower our dependency on critical metals that have prices dictated by countries outside of the UK, and thus ensure resource security and safe guard UK productivity. Industrial impact will be realised through interaction with the synthetic biology IKC, HVM catapult, Scottish IBioIC, KTN and specific companies (e.g. Selex ES, Ingenza, Umicore, GSK, Dyson).
Public and Social Impact: The resource efficiency KTN estimated that world wide mining activities are responsible for 5% of global carbon dioxide emissions, consume limited fossil fuel resources and produce other damaging 'greenhouse gases', recovery of metals would reduce the burden on mining and its environmental impact.
Economic Impact: The industrial impacts described will produce economic benefits to the UK and concurrent social benefits to some of the less affluent areas of the UK, creating employment and reducing healthcare needs, which in turn leads to economic benefits at a national and international level. The recovery of materials from waste streams has obvious economic benefits and the development of new process routes for the production of lower cost and/or higher performance metal nanoparticles may contribute towards wealth generation in a number of possible sectors.
Policy Makers: World politics are determined by the interdependency of countries, most often for resources. There is a dispute, ongoing since 2012, between China and the US (supported by Brazil, Canada, Colombia, European Union, India, Japan, Korea, Norway, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Chinese Taipei, Viet Nam, Argentina, Australia, Indonesia, Turkey, Peru, Russia) over China's restrictions on the export of various forms of rare earth elements; with the full implementation of Word Trading recommendations and rulings currently under contention since May 2015. A technology which eases our reliance upon Chinese REE exports would greatly impact our whole foreign policy.
Additionally there is potential for further impact on policymakers on future technology options in: contaminated waste remediation (e.g. DEFRA & SEPA); eco-friendly/economic production routes for nano-materials (BIS and DEFRA); advancing biotechnology/synthetic biology in the public interest and in the development of a range of high-value products that rely on nanoparticles (BIS, DH and DECC).
Publications
Capeness M
(2020)
Synthetic biology approaches towards the recycling of metals from the environment
in Biochemical Society Transactions
Capeness MJ
(2019)
Production of Biogenic Nanoparticles for the Reduction of 4-Nitrophenol and Oxidative Laccase-Like Reactions.
in Frontiers in microbiology
Capeness MJ
(2019)
Shotgun proteomic analysis of nanoparticle-synthesizing Desulfovibrio alaskensis in response to platinum and palladium.
in Microbiology (Reading, England)
Cueva ME
(2017)
The contribution of microbially produced nanoparticles to sustainable development goals.
in Microbial biotechnology
Echavarri-Bravo V
(2022)
Selective bacterial separation of critical metals: towards a sustainable method for recycling lithium ion batteries.
in Green chemistry : an international journal and green chemistry resource : GC
Echavarri-Bravo V
(2019)
Synthetic biology for the development of bio-based binders for greener construction materials
in MRS Communications
Era Y
(2021)
Micellar catalysis of the Suzuki Miyaura reaction using biogenic Pd nanoparticles from Desulfovibrio alaskensis.
in Green chemistry : an international journal and green chemistry resource : GC
Harper G
(2023)
Roadmap for a sustainable circular economy in lithium-ion and future battery technologies
in Journal of Physics: Energy
Maddalena G.
(2020)
Waste opportunity
in Biologist
Pantidos N
(2018)
Room temperature bioproduction, isolation and anti-microbial properties of stable elemental copper nanoparticles.
in New biotechnology
Pantidos N
(2020)
Understanding the role of SilE in the production of metal nanoparticles by Morganella psychrotolerans using MicroScale Thermophoresis.
in New biotechnology
Wachter G
(2022)
Synthetic biology landscape in the UK
in Biotechnology Notes
Zante G
(2024)
A toolbox for improved recycling of critical metals and materials in low-carbon technologies
in RSC Sustainability
Title | Landscape Within |
Description | The 'Landscape Within' Project is a development of the previous collaborative project 'Instruments of the Afterlife', focusing on the synthetic biology work of the Horsfall lab, and is supported by a Wellcome Trust Arts Award awarded to the artists Burton Nitta. The first piece of artwork resulting from this project has been exhibited as part of Digital Design Weekend, V&A, London, (23 - 25 September 2016); at Tank Gallery, St Saviour's & St Olave's School, London (November - December 2016), and at MU Gallery, Eindhoven (December 2016 - February 2017). Further work and exhibitions include the Old Truman Brewery (London), the Westminster Reference Library (London), TEDx London, Southbank Centre (1 July 2018). |
Type Of Art | Artwork |
Year Produced | 2017 |
Impact | Over 7000 people interacted with our piece directly at the V&A. The Digital Design Weekend overall audience was around 20,000. Nearly 100 students have visited and interacted with the piece when exhibited at schools. The artwork has proved to be a teaching aid for a diverse range of subject including: Design, Art, Science, Technology, Philosophy and Religious Studies, and material on the research underway in the Horsfall Lab was also provided. We have no numbers for the gallery in Eindhoven, as yet. |
URL | http://burtonnitta.co.uk/LandscapeWithin.html |
Title | Mudlarking; written by Neil Williamson |
Description | The fiction writer Neil Williamson interviewed me about my research and took inspiration from this when writing his short story - mudlarking. This interview/pairing was part of the art-science project Biopolis. |
Type Of Art | Creative Writing |
Year Produced | 2020 |
Impact | Mudlarking was included in the book Biopolis: Tales of Urban Biology |
URL | https://www.shorelineofinfinity.com/product/biopolis-tales-of-urban-biology/ |
Description | The key objectives of this fellowship are to: - Repurpose bacterial nanoparticle synthesis for the reclamation of critical metals - Scale up of this metal recovery process - Address the challenges posed by industrial samples - Exploit results through applications and collaborations To date we have successfully extended the range of critical metals that bacteria are able to transform into nanoparticles. We have engineered the bacteria responsible for nanoparticles synthesis to enable their successful fermentation at the 5L scale, and we have also demonstrated scale up of the metal recovery process to 30L. We have successfully recovered metals from industrial samples. We have demonstrated superior catalysis of biosynthesised nanoparticles under green chemistry conditions and submitted a patent related to this process. We are collaborating with academics and industry to explore the impact our results may have, both for the recovery of metals from wastes and also the application of biosynthesised nanoparticles. |
Exploitation Route | The biosynthesised nanoparticles have a number of potential applications but our primary focus at the moment is their use as catalysts in the medicinal chemistry reactions that are vital in the manufacturing of pharmaceuticals. The bacterial upcycling process is now also being developed to recycle metals from spent lithium ion batteries in research that is funded by the Faraday Institution. We believe our research may also be of interest to those wishing to develop sustainable mining and refining practices, bioremediation efforts and in supporting a circular economy for metals. |
Sectors | Energy Manufacturing including Industrial Biotechology Pharmaceuticals and Medical Biotechnology |
Description | I have highlighted the use of biotechnology and engineering biology for climate mitigation and sustainability advances through magazines, newspaper articles and a short-story collaboration. My views were used in a short video by the Royal Society of Edinburgh in their COP26 - Face the Facts series. This fellowship has helped nucleate research the uses bacteria to recycle metal. The BBSRC even had a specific call in the area of circular bioeconomy for metals and textiles. They then proceeded to use my resulting research awards as examples at international meetings of where their funding had been used. A patent application has been filed in relation to the micellar catalysis of Suzuki Miyaura cross-coupling by bacteriogenic Pd nanoparticles under mild conditions and conversations with companies are in progress. The proof of concept within this fellowship research - engineering of bacteria for better metal recoveries and better nanoparticle-products, has led to numerous other research funding awards which in turn are demonstrating the potential of this area for sustainable metal recovery and recycling. Together this portfolio of work has led to invitations by the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office to join delegations to India for a Critical Minerals workshop and to the US to join an Engineering Biology partnership event. |
First Year Of Impact | 2019 |
Sector | Manufacturing, including Industrial Biotechology |
Impact Types | Economic Policy & public services |
Description | 21ENGBIO: Engineering Biology for Integration with Deep Eutectic Solvents |
Amount | £100,787 (GBP) |
Funding ID | BB/W01307X/1 |
Organisation | Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) |
Sector | Public |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 01/2022 |
End | 12/2022 |
Description | Biological recovery of Rare Earth Elements |
Amount | £23,785 (GBP) |
Funding ID | 2019-3-2 |
Organisation | IBioIC |
Sector | Academic/University |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 07/2020 |
End | 04/2021 |
Description | Freezyme: a new expression platform for cold-active enzyme production |
Amount | £10,395 (GBP) |
Funding ID | BB/T00441X/1 |
Organisation | Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) |
Sector | Public |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 06/2019 |
End | 10/2019 |
Description | Impact Acceleration Account |
Amount | £16,759 (GBP) |
Organisation | Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) |
Sector | Public |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 01/2017 |
End | 03/2017 |
Description | Novel Microbial Pd Catalysts from Waste for Sustainable Synthesis |
Amount | £302,345 (GBP) |
Funding ID | BB/X011615/1 |
Organisation | Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) |
Sector | Public |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 02/2023 |
End | 01/2025 |
Description | Selective Metal Biorecovery from Lithium Ion Batteries |
Amount | £302,670 (GBP) |
Funding ID | BB/X011720/1 |
Organisation | Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) |
Sector | Public |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 02/2023 |
End | 01/2025 |
Description | Sustainable cold expression of cleaning enzymes |
Amount | £253,035 (GBP) |
Funding ID | BB/V003453/1 |
Organisation | Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) |
Sector | Public |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 09/2020 |
End | 07/2023 |
Title | Active nanoparticles from Desulfovibrio alaskensis |
Description | This novel catalyst system uses metal nanoparticles produced by the bacterium Desulfovibrio alaskensis. These biogenic metal nanoparticles (BNP's) are highly active catalysts for metal catalysed cross-coupling reactions, outperforming commercially available catalysts and other biologically-supported metal nanoparticles. The catalytic activity of these nanoparticles is greatly enhanced by the use of biocompatible nanomicellar surfactants, enabling efficient cross-coupling reactions in water at 37 °C. Moreover, the benign nature of the catalyst system enables bi-functional catalysisin cascade systems incorporating the biohydrogenation of crosscoupling products. The heterogenous nanoparticle catalysts can be recovered from reactions using centrifugation and regenerated using bacteria. |
IP Reference | PCT/GB2022/052538 |
Protection | Patent / Patent application |
Year Protection Granted | |
Licensed | No |
Impact | Currently international patent application has been submitted - not granted. Further research work reported in scientific publications |
Description | BBC Arabic's 4Tech interview |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press) |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | The 4Tech programme, on BBC Arabic, focuses on technology and the advances it can bring. A research in my lab and I were both interviewed for a feature to describe how we could use bacteria to capture and recover metals from waste. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
URL | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p2f2NUwKi30 |
Description | Bang Goes the Borders activities |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Schools |
Results and Impact | Organised and demonstrated research-related activities for Bang Goes the Borders event in Melrose, Scottish Borders. We discussed our research and its impact with both school pupils and their families. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
Description | Cafe Sci |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Presented my research in an publicly-accessible manner to Cockermouth Café Scientifique |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
Description | Contribution to an article published in E+T (Engineering and Technology) |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Contributed to an article, by way of an interview about the rise of Platinum Nanoparticles in the medical field. The article was to highlight the monetary costs and consideration alternate sources for their production as well as their recapture post-use to prevent their loss to the environment. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
URL | https://eandt.theiet.org/2022/05/18/medical-miracles-plant-grown-platinum |
Description | I'm A Scientist Get Me Out Of Here |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Schools |
Results and Impact | Free-flowing online chat sessions, themed around Microbiology, Biology, and Sustainability. Students could ask any question, and had access to a profile of the scientists involved. This in general fuelled better understanding about the capability of microbes and how useful they are in everyday life and in future prospects. There has also been a constant offline component where students are free to ask much wider ranging questions based on monthly changing topics. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021,2022,2023 |
URL | https://imascientist.org.uk/ |
Description | Invited speaker to 'Curious Minds' lecture series |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Third sector organisations |
Results and Impact | Presented my research in an accessible way to the Perthshire Society of Natural Science. A regional learned society. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
Description | Synthetic biology debate panellist |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Invited synthetic biology debate panellist at the Linnean Society of London, hosted by the London Evolutionary Research Network. This was a public debate, organised by a learned society. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
Description | UN Biodiversity Conference 2018 |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
Results and Impact | The Royal Society, the African Academy of Sciences and the Wellcome Trust organised an event on synthetic biology at the Conference of Parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity. This event informed conference delegates about synthetic biology as they debate how these technologies should be regulated. The Convention on Biological Diversity's (CBD) has been in discussions on synthetic biology since the 2016 Conference of Parties (COP) and there was another effort at this year's COP to agree proposals that would serve as a moratorium on gene drive research and possibly have wider implications for synthetic biology. This event at COP was to provide delegates with an opportunity to hear about synthetic biology research and governance in a range of countries and contexts. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |