Calgary 2021

Project Description:

Rare earth elements (REEs) are becoming increasingly ubiquitous in modern technology, playing essential roles in medical devices and personal electronics. However, recovery of REEs from mines is often unsustainable, costly, and environmentally harmful, while recovery from alternative sources, such as electronic waste (e-waste), is often low yield and economically infeasible. Given that the annual demand for REEs is predicted to double by 2035, there is therefore an immediate need for a novel stream of efficient and sustainable REE sourcing. Our solution aims to develop an all-encompassing and innovative system of recovering REEs from e-waste, which represents a massively untapped reservoir of REEs given its status as the fastest growing solid-waste stream globally. Using bioleaching, a microbial method of metal extraction that is more cost-effective and environmentally friendly than conventional metallurgy, we plan to extract a lanthanide-rich leachate from the e-waste feedstock. The REEs will be isolated by engineering E. coli to express and secrete the recently discovered lanthanide-binding protein, lanmodulin. With an affinity for REEs that is 100 million-fold greater than that for non-REEs, the use of lanmodulin will enable the development of a highly selective method of REE isolation. Furthermore, the protein-based nature of this method makes it more sustainable and environmentally-friendly than traditional chemical processes, which are commonly non-reusable, toxic, and energy-intensive. As current metal measurement protocols are often inaccessible and expensive, we also plan on developing a luminescence-based lanthanide ion detection system, which can be modified for use in the field. By developing innovative methods of recovering and measuring REEs from e-waste, our solution takes a circular approach to REE production and e-waste recycling, thereby establishing a sustainable, cost-effective, and environmentally responsible source of REEs.

...