Al Mayadeen English

  • Ar
  • Es
  • x
Al Mayadeen English

Slogan

  • News
    • Politics
    • Economy
    • Sports
    • Arts&Culture
    • Health
    • Miscellaneous
    • Technology
    • Environment
  • Articles
    • Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Blog
    • Features
  • Videos
    • NewsFeed
    • Video Features
    • Explainers
    • TV
    • Digital Series
  • Infographs
  • In Pictures
  • • LIVE
News
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Sports
  • Arts&Culture
  • Health
  • Miscellaneous
  • Technology
  • Environment
Articles
  • Opinion
  • Analysis
  • Blog
  • Features
Videos
  • NewsFeed
  • Video Features
  • Explainers
  • TV
  • Digital Series
Infographs
In Pictures
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Asia-Pacific
  • Europe
  • Latin America
  • MENA
  • Palestine
  • US & Canada
BREAKING
Syrian Defense: We call on all parties in Sweida to cooperate with security forces and exercise restraint
Al Mayadeen's correspondent: The Lebanese Army is continuing its investigations and will later announce any information that does not affect the confidentiality of the investigation
Al Mayadeen's correspondent: It has not yet been determined whether the detainees belong to ISIS or another organization
Al Mayadeen's correspondent: Around 10 people of different nationalities, including Lebanese nationals, were detained
Al Mayadeen's correspondent: The Lebanese army arrested a number of people in the Matn area of Mount Lebanon with possession it has not disclosed
Gaza Civil Defense spokesman: We have strong indications that there are martyrs, injuries, and trapped people in the Salah al-Din area
Gaza Civil Defense spokesman: Citizens should avoid Salah al-Din Street because anyone who approaches it is at risk of being directly targeted
Gaza Civil Defense spokesman: Reality is that there is a very limited retreat of the vehicles, with the occupation forces providing cover undeer fire up to Salah al-Din Street
Gaza Civil Defense spokesman: Claims that the Israeli occupation has withdrawn from areas in the neighborhoods of al-Zaytoun, al-Tuffah, and al-Shujaiya are false
Hamas: The two delegations stressed that any negotiations must lead to the achievement of our people's goals and aspirations, foremost among which is ending the war and the complete withdrawal of enemy forces

Bacteria assisting in rare metal extraction in old batteries

  • By Al Mayadeen English
  • Source: Agencies
  • 25 Aug 2024 14:40
  • 1 Shares
5 Min Read

Scientists have enhanced green technology with the latest development of bacteria that can extract lithium, cobalt, manganese, and other minerals from old batteries and electronic equipment

Listen
  • x
  • University of Edinburgh Professor Louise Horsfall and the Horsfall Group, undated. (The Horsfall Group)
    University of Edinburgh Professor Louise Horsfall and the Horsfall Group, undated. (The Horsfall Group)

Scientists have developed a new method of combatting climate change while enhancing green technology for environmental use.

They are using bacteria to assist in the extraction of rare metals, highlighting that without these microbes, there would be a scarcity of raw materials to build turbines, electric cars, and solar panels. 

The initiative is led by scientists from the University of Edinburgh, aiming to use the bacteria to extract lithium, cobalt, manganese, and other minerals from old batteries and electric equipment. These scarce and expensive materials are essential for building devices dependent on green technology, such as electric cars, Professor Louise Horsfall, chair of the university's sustainable biotechnology, highlighted. 

“If we are going to end our dependence on petrochemicals and rely on electricity for our heating, transport, and power, then we will become more and more dependent on metals,” said Horsfall, adding that “All those photovoltaics, drones, 3D printing machines, hydrogen fuel cells, wind turbines and motors for electric cars require metals – many of them rare – that are key to their operations.”

The extraction and recycling process

Scientists stressed that politics is an additional issue concerning raw materials, since China controls the main supplies of the elements and their processing. 

"To get around these problems we need to develop a circular economy where we reuse these minerals wherever possible, otherwise we will run out of materials very quickly,” the professor said.

“There is only a finite amount of these metals on Earth and we can no longer afford to throw them away as waste as we do now. We need new recycling technologies if we want to do something about global warming," she added. 

Horsfall highlighted that the microbe is essential to the recycling process since it converts metal atoms into nanoparticles as a detoxification process, explaining that "Basically they latch on metal atoms and then they spit them out as nanoparticles so that they are not poisoned by them.”

Related News

Superbugs may kill 39m by 2050 amid rising drug resistance: Lancet

CDC alerts over 'flesh-eating bacteria'

Horsfall and her teams have utilized these bacterial strains to extract waste from electronic batteries and cars, dissolving it, and allowing the bacteria to latch on to the specific metals and convert them into solid chemicals. 

“First we did it with manganese. Later we did it with nickel and lithium. And then we used a different strain of bacteria and we were able to extract cobalt and nickel.”

The bacteria strains used for metal extraction were naturally occurring. However in order to enhance the output of metals, Horsfall and her team plan to use gene-edited versions in the future. 

“For example, we need to be able to extract cobalt and nickel separately, which we cannot do at present," she said.

The next phase of the process is to demonstrate that these materials can be used as constituents of new batteries or electronic devices once they have been extracted from the old electronic waste.

“Then we will know if we are helping to develop a circular economy for dealing with green technologies," Horsfall said, highlighting, "New legislation has decreed that by the next decade recycled metals will have to be used at significant levels for manufacturing new green technology devices. Those goals will be hard to achieve and bacteria will be vital in achieving them."

Drop in mineral prices indicate lack in green energy investment: IEA

A sharp drop in mineral prices critical for green energy production is masking a looming shortage due to inadequate investment, the International Energy Agency (IEA) said on May 17. 

In its first review of the market for critical materials, the IEA pointed to the prices of key minerals used in the production of electric vehicles, wind turbines, and solar panels, saying that the prices fell back to pre-pandemic levels as supplies surpassed demand.

The Paris-based agency said it is concerned that the price drops will deter investment needed to meet the demands of the green energy transition. Demand is expected to take a sharp rise, as many governments work on phasing out internal combustion engines in favor of electric vehicles in the next decade.

As such, the IEA says that announced projects, concerned with the sourcing and production of minerals and metals, will only be able to meet 70% of copper and 50% of lithium requirements in 2035. The IEA based its estimates on a scenario in which all countries would meet their national climate goals for 2035.

"The world’s appetite for technologies such as solar panels, electric cars, and batteries is growing fast – but we cannot satisfy it without reliable and expanding supplies of critical minerals," IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol said in a statement.

  • Green technology
  • bacteria
  • rare earth minerals
  • Climate change

Most Read

Hezbollah SG reveals war details on Al Mayadeen for the first time

Hezbollah SG reveals war details on Al Mayadeen for the first time

  • Politics
  • 8 Jul 2025
Major ambush in Gaza kills 6 Israeli troops, injures dozens

Major ambush in Gaza kills 5 Israeli troops, injures 14

  • Politics
  • 8 Jul 2025
Israeli soldiers are seen in Beit Hanoun ahead of an operation by the al-Qassam Brigades, undated (Al-Qassam Brigades Military Media)

'Israel' on blast as media exposes report discrepancies in Gaza ambush

  • Palestine
  • 8 Jul 2025
Yemen Navy sinks ETERNITY C ship, shares footage of operation

Yemen Navy sinks ETERNITY C ship, shares footage of operation

  • Politics
  • 9 Jul 2025

Coverage

All
The Ummah's Martyrs

Read Next

All
The Freedom Flotilla ship Handala as it departs for Gaza, where it aims to break the maritime blockade at a port in Syracuse, Sicily in southern Italy on July 13, 2025. (AFP)
Palestine

Freedom Flotilla's Handala departs Sicily in bid to break Gaza siege

The container ship CMA CGM Laperouse, left, docks at the Georgia Ports Authority's Port of Savannah, Sept. 29, 2021, in Savannah, Ga (AP)
Politics

US shipbuilding woes deepen as tariffs, outdated policies backfire

Gaza war raises ethical questions for ex-Obama, Biden officials
Politics

Mercenary firm tied to Gaza war crimes hires Obama-Biden PR operatives

'Israel' targets children in Gaza collecting water
Palestine

'Israel' strikes Gaza kids fetching water, blames it on 'malfunction'

Al Mayadeen English

Al Mayadeen is an Arab Independent Media Satellite Channel.

All Rights Reserved

  • x
  • Privacy Policy
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Authors
Android
iOS