Learning from nature: recovery of rare earth elements by the extremophilic bacterium Methylacidiphilum fumariolicum

We present the extremophilic bacterium Methylacidiphilum fumariolicum SolV as a platform for the recovery of rare earth elements (REE). Strain SolV is able to selectively extract the light REE from artificial industrial waste sources, natural REE-containing and post-mining waters. Upscaling, different media composition and accumulation over several cycles were successfully implemented, underlining the potential for bio-recovery of REE.

Automated summary

We introduce an extremophilic bacterium called Methylacidiphilum fumariolicum SolV as a potential platform for recovering rare earth elements (REE). Strain SolV demonstrates the ability to selectively extract light REE from industrial waste, natural REE-containing sources, and post-mining waters. Scaling up, modifying media composition, and cycling accumulation were successfully implemented, highlighting the potential for bio-recovery of REE.