A research team at the University of California, Davis has received a $3 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA‑E) to develop a new method for extracting rare earth elements from acidic wastewater produced by mines and industrial processes.
Led by Yi Wang, assistant professor in the Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering, the project seeks to engineer acid-tolerant microbes that can produce metal-binding proteins capable of capturing rare earth elements directly at low pH levels. This approach is intended to offer a less chemically intensive and more environmentally friendly alternative to conventional extraction methods.
Rare earth elements are vital components in products such as electric vehicles, wind turbines, and advanced electronics. Traditional extraction processes require significant chemical use and generate large amounts of waste. The UC Davis team aims to address these challenges by using bio-based technologies that could enable on-site recovery from dilute waste streams.
“This technology aims to turn a liability into a resource,” said Wang. “By selectively capturing rare earths where acidic wastewater is generated — like acid mine drainage and tailings liquors — we can reduce chemical use and waste while strengthening a resilient domestic supply chain for clean‑energy manufacturing.”
The project will utilize artificial intelligence for protein design, structural characterization, and development of acid-compatible processes. According to Justin Siegel, co-principal investigator and professor in the Department of Chemistry, “Our AI‑guided protein design lets us tune the protein binding loops to remain fast and highly selective even at very low pH. That molecular precision — coupled with acid-tolerant microbes — enables a shorter, greener recovery train with fewer unit operations.”
The initiative also includes efforts to move beyond laboratory research toward real-world application. Boon-Ling Yeo, co-principal investigator responsible for tech-to-market activities at UC Davis, stated: “Our job is to make sure this doesn’t stay just a great idea on paper. We’re evaluating costs, markets and potential partners so that recovering rare earths from wastewater is not only technically feasible, but also economically attractive for utilities, mining operators and manufacturers across the United States.”
Collaborators on the project include Libin Ye from the University of South Florida as well as Ning Sun and Chang Dou from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.
Support for proposal development was provided by the Proposal Development Services team within UC Davis’ Office of Research.
This work is part of ARPA-E’s RECOVER program—a $25 million federal investment aimed at developing technologies that recover critical minerals previously discarded in U.S. wastewaters—announced earlier this year by the Department of Energy (https://arpa-e.energy.gov/news-and-media/press-releases/energy-department-announces-25-million-extract-critical-minerals).
