A new federally funded initiative at the University of California, Davis, aims to recover rare earth elements from US wastewaters, turning industrial and mining waste into valuable resources.
The U.S. Department of Energy’s Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) awarded UC Davis $3 million to develop a bio-based process for capturing rare earths from acidic waste streams. The project focuses on US wastewaters from mines and industrial sites, which often contain dilute concentrations of these critical metals.
Led by Yi Wang, assistant professor of Biological and Agricultural Engineering, the team plans to engineer acid-tolerant microbes capable of producing metal-binding proteins. These proteins can selectively extract rare earth elements directly from low-pH environments, reducing chemical use and environmental impact. Wang explained, “By capturing rare earths where US wastewaters are generated, we can transform a liability into a resource while supporting domestic clean-energy supply chains.”
Artificial intelligence will play a key role in designing these proteins. Co-principal investigator Justin Siegel said AI-guided design allows the team to optimize protein binding loops, ensuring they remain fast and selective even in highly acidic wastewaters. The engineered biocatalysts will be deployed in microbial hosts, offering a simpler and cleaner method to recover rare earth elements from US wastewaters.
The project also emphasizes technology translation. Boon-Ling Yeo, co-principal investigator, highlighted the plan to make this solution economically viable. “We are considering costs, identifying markets, and exploring partners to ensure rare earth recovery from US wastewaters is technically and economically practical,” she said.
The research involves collaborators from the University of South Florida and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. The $3 million UC Davis award is part of ARPA-E’s $25 million RECOVER program, which seeks to reduce U.S. dependence on imported critical minerals and establish secure domestic supply chains.
By turning US wastewaters into a source of rare earth elements, the project promises to advance sustainable clean-energy technology while strengthening domestic industrial resilience.
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