Biologically Upcycling Metals

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.

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).