BioCriticalMetals. BioCriticalMetals

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1 BioCriticalMetals Recognition of microbial functional communities and assessment of the mineralizing potential (bioleaching) for high-tech critical metals ERAMIN Sustainable Supply of Raw Materials in Europe Coordenation University of Coimbra

2 Precious Pollutants (i) not biodegradable, unlike organic pollutants; (ii) toxic and metal ions can undergo transformations to potentially toxic and carcinogenic compounds; (iii) transfer across the trophic levels of the food-chain, reaching higher trophic levels and bioaccumulating in living organisms are included in the countries priority pollutants list. Environmentally sustainable processes in critical metals recoveryy Coimbra, 6 th June 2016

3 Metals are raw materials Precious raw materials to the economy of a country and need to be secured for sustainable production of key components of various products, 1) low carbon energy technologies, 2) automobiles, 3) electronic and biomedical devices, The availability and supply of critical metals greatly influence the economy of a country by affecting manufacturing, export, and job creation

4 Where obtaining metals Through mining of primary sources Finite Unequally distributed Dwindling as a result of urbanization, increasing standards of living, and the population explosion Secondary sources Recycling from end-of-life metal wastes Mine tailings and wastewaters

5 Metals supply are a EU concern

6 Metals elected as Critical by EU Critical metals: elements which are essential for economic development but are associated with scarce availability and a supply security risk. The scarcity of critical metals is perceived as an increased supply risk faced by the industry and is made evident by price volatility.

7 BioCriticalMetals This project is conceived as a need-drivenresearch, focused on the concept that waste can become a valuable resource, supplying metals that are extracted today by other processes, promoting recycling, minimizing harmful waste and hazard and dissipation.

8 Biotechnological processes are an energy efficient, environmentally friendly, and inexpensive methods involving bacteria, other microorganisms, and biomolecules are used to leach metals from the ore (bioleaching) and selectively separate them (biosorption, biomineralization). Present methodologies have limitations for metals occurring in highly complex ores and at very low concentrations (as it does for secondary resources). Biological methods are well suited to increasing both the amount and diversity of usable resources.

9 Microbe-metal interaction

10 Bacteria activity on metals Biohydrometallurgy: Microorganisms are used to produce the leaching agents (oxidants and/or acids) needed for extraction of metals Biomineralization (bacterial): the process by which bacteria produce mineral phases. Bacteria are known to form a variety of minerals, both inside and outside the cell.

11 Simon Silver* and Le T. Phung, 2005 BioCriticalMetals Arsenic bacterial resistance Arsenate As(V), mimics phosphate and can therefore enter the microbial cell via transporters meant for the uptake of this essential nutrient. Arsenite, on the other hand, enters via a different route (aquaglycerolporins) and targets a broader range of cellular processes

12 Genetic organization of ars determinantes in Ochrobactrum tritici SCII24 ars1 operon Operon ars1 Operon ars1 TTGCCAAGTTGATCTGCGCCCTCTATTATAGCCTTTCGACGATGAACGATAGAGATAAAATTCGATG RBS TTGCCAAGTTGATCTGCGCCCTCTATTATAGCCTTTCGACGATGAACGATAGAGATAAAATTCGATG RBS Operon ars2 Operon ars2 ars2 operon CBS arsr1 arsd arsa domain arsb CBS arsr1 arsd arsa 109 aa 124 aa 582 aa domain arsb 175 aa 429 aa 109 aa 124 aa 582 aa 175 aa 429 aa TTATCAGAGCAGGTTGACAACGGCTATATATCCGTTATTCTGGATATATG -35 TTATCAGAGCAGGTTGACAACGGCTATATATCCGTTATTCTGGATATATG -10 RBS RBS arsr2 arsr2 117 aa 117 aa arsc1 arsc1 175 aa 175 aa Acr3 arsc2 arsh arsr3 Acr3 arsc2 arsh arsr3 352 aa 137 aa 234 aa 121 aa 352 aa 137 aa 234 aa 121 aa GTATAAAGTTGTTAGGAACTTAATAACTTAGCTCCTATGGCTTGTACTTGCATTAGCTGTT GTATAAAGTTGTTAGGAACTTAATAACTTAGCTCCTATGGCTTGTACTTGCATTAGCTGTT RBS RBS Branco et al.,bmc Microbiology 2008, 8: Kb 0.5 Kb

13 Biofilters applied to arsenic uptake SEM micrographs of immobilized cells of O. tritici mutant As5 in modified PTFE membranes, in the presence of 1 mm As(III). Small figures inscribed inside are SEM micrographs of the corresponding cells with an higher magnification (10000 x) A B C

14 Scientific objectives -1 To sample and characterize mine waste tailings and associated microorganisms from tungsten and massive sulphide deposits from different climate contexts State of the art: EU efforts are being made to catalogue secondary sources across the EU (ProSUM, Minventory, Waste Atlas). This data will be used, along with evidence from the published literature. Beyond the state of the art: New data on secondary resources from EU and from Argentina to be obtained. The information will be made available through a link in the BIOAlMinore Commitment page and webpage of the project.

15 Nancharaiah et al., 2016 BioCriticalMetals Scientific objectives -2 To assess the bioleaching process using microorganisms to mobilize critical metals W, In, Ga, Te and Mo from mine waste tailings for further processing (i.e. biosorption and accumulation) State of the art: no specific biological solutions for the metals targeted in this project. Efficiency of these processes depends not only on the activity of the bacteria but also on the geochemical composition of the resources. Beyond the state of the art: other microorganisms than the classical chemolithoautotrophic bacteria, performing different metabolic processes, is feasible, open-up innovative bioleaching applications.

16 Scientific objectives -3 To evaluate the bioaccumulation development for biosorptive leachate treatment with bacteria for W, In, Ga, Te, Mo State of the art: Bioaccumulation is a metabolically active process that works through adsorption, intracellular accumulation, and bioprecipitation mechanisms Beyond the state of the art: The transportation of metal across the cell membrane yields intracellular accumulation, which is dependent on the genetics and metabolism of the cell. So far, the combined testing of bioaccumulation and the subsequent chemical adsorption of metals using nanoparticles hasn t been accessed.

17 Scientific objectives -4 To develop experimental reactors for selected cases focused on the use of microbial consortiums. State of the art: bioleaching and bioaccumulation have been evaluated for strains working independently although, in the environment, microorganisms work in consortia. Beyond the state of the art: Identification and enhancement of stable microbial consortia, efficient on bioleaching and bioaccumulation, and assessment of the effects of nanomaterials on the biological processes.

18 Scientific objectives -5 To assess the wastes produced by bioleaching. Prediction of the environmental risk imposed by bioleaching residues and effluents and its comparison with scenarios before bioleaching. State of the art: The long-term stability of bioleached wastes is relatively unknown. Beyond the state of the art: Zero valent iron can be also used as an end-of-line physical treatment, the wastes produced from bioleaching should have low metal contents and high stability over time.

19 Expected results 1. Ensure an alternative sourcing of critical materials, namely W, In, Ga, Te and Mo to the EU industry, from European locations; 2. Enhance critical raw materials recovery from both mine waste tailings and mineral ores (in tungsten and massive sulphides mines); 3. Increase the efficiency of minerals processing methods and, consequently, the feasibility of the exploitation of low grade/small size mines in Europe; 4. Contribute to solving environmental risks posed by existing mine tailings from tungsten and massive sulphide mines; 5. Reduce the amount and the hazard of mine tailings disposals; 6. Provide fundamental knowledge on the microbial diversity of mine wastes; 7. Develop isolations of new organisms/ new species that can be future biotools (for diverse applications); 8. Identify microorganisms able to be used in innovative bioleaching of the materials tested; 9. Develop bioaccumulation biomarkers in microorganisms for W, In, Ga, Te and Mo recovery; 10. Development of new approaches, combing biological systems and engineered nano materials, to increase the speed and efficiency of metals adsorption processes; 11. Better understanding of integrated batch systems that could lead to commercial advances for biometallurgical processing; 12. Preliminary analyses, facilitated by integrated piloting, will facilitate development of cost models and technological transfer; 13. Enhanced cooperation with Argentina, a raw materials producing country.

20 Romania Portugal DPMSL Argentina