Biomining viruses deliver rare earth elements but no toxic horrors of mining: Scientists genetically engineer a harmless virus that acts like a microscopic aquatic miner that can extract rare earth elements without causing ecosystem-killing pollution and destruction.

**Biomining viruses deliver rare earth elements but no toxic horrors of mining**

Thanks to bioengineering professor Seung-Wuk Lee and his team at UC Berkeley, there’s a brand new way to make viruses **that can extract REEs without causing horrific, ecosystem-killing pollution and destruction**.

In a paper recently published in the journal Nano Letters, Lee and his team describe **genetically engineering a harmless virus that acts like a microscopic aquatic miner** by retrieving REEs from mine drainage water, and following a temperature and pH change, delivers them for harvest. Such a method could mean an eventual replacement of the pervasive and hyper-destructive methods of modern mining.

So, how does the virus work? Lee’s team transformed a bacteriophage (a type of virus that attacks bacteria without harming humans or the rest of the biosphere) into a micro-mining machine by adding two specialized proteins. One is a lanthanide-binding peptide on the phage’s surface acting as a claw for collecting REEs, and the other, an elastin motif peptide that, when temperature-activated, exits the solution and delivers its REEs.

For an outstanding bonus, the biomining viruses remain effective even after completing their “shift,” meaning they can come back to work whenever they’re needed. They’re easy and inexpensive to grow at industrial scale, too – simply add them to bacteria, and when the bacteria replicate, the virus replicates with them.

According to Lee, the new biomining method is “not only eco-friendly, but also incredibly simple, requiring little more than a mixing tank and a heater.” With it, scientists “can use a programmable, biological tool to perform a complex industrial task that currently requires toxic chemicals and a lot of energy.”

For those interested, here’s the link to the peer reviewed journal article:

https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.nanolett.5c04468

Seems usefull for mining rare earth deposits in the middle of rhe ocean – from what I remember USA laid claim to such area a few years back

Oh cool, let’s send a bunch to Eros and then drive it into Venus.