Portuguese 
English 
Spanish 
3 min of reading 
0 comments 
Modified Microbe Extracts Rare Earths With 73% More Efficiency and Captures Carbon 58 Times Faster Without Harming the Environment.
In the global effort for clean energy and combating climate change, scientists have found an unexpected ally: a metal-eating microbe. Called Gluconobacter oxydans, it is being reprogrammed to replace heavy equipment and toxic chemicals in the extraction of rare earth elements.
This tiny organism not only extracts metals from rocks, but it also accelerates the Earth’s natural ability to retain carbon dioxide, offering a dual benefit to the environment.
Genetic Adjustments Enhance Efficiency
Scientists at Cornell University have developed new genetic modifications in G. oxydans. With these alterations, the microbe increased its ability to extract rare earth elements by up to 73%, without causing the environmental damage associated with traditional mining.
-
Man uses AI to apply for 1,000 jobs while he sleeps
-
The Earth has become an orbital junkyard: 15,550 tons of space debris surround the planet with dead satellites, abandoned rockets, and fragments traveling at 28,000 km/h.
-
Unmanned and with the autonomy to cross oceans for up to 30 days, the DriX O-16 is a 15.75-meter naval drone that sails alone for 3,500 nautical miles carrying sensors for warfare, surveillance, and submarine mapping missions.
-
Solar garden table created by a Swiss company promises to generate energy at home, power everyday devices, and even pay for itself over time using only sunlight.
Additionally, the same genetic adjustments allowed the bacteria to accelerate the natural capture of carbon by 58 times. This occurs by transforming common rocks into long-term CO₂ storage systems.
“More metals will have to be extracted this century than in all of human history, but traditional mining technologies are extremely harmful to the environment,” explained Buz Barstow, associate professor of biological and environmental engineering at Cornell’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.
Barstow further emphasized that the United States relies on foreign sources, such as China, to obtain these elements. This creates supply chain disruption risks, making the search for sustainable alternatives even more relevant.
How the Microbe Transforms Rocks
Metals such as magnesium, iron, and calcium naturally react with carbon dioxide, forming minerals that permanently retain the gas. The microbes modified by Cornell enhance this process by breaking down rocks more quickly, exposing a greater amount of metal to CO₂ and turning the soil itself into a carbon trap.
“What we are trying to do is harness processes that already exist in nature, but turbocharge their efficiency and improve sustainability,” said Esteban Gazel, Charles N. Mellowes Professor of Engineering at the same university.
Exploring the Bacteria’s Genetic Code
In an effort to expand the potential of the microbe, Cornell scientists closely analyzed the genetic code of G. oxydans. With just two edits to the genome, they were able to make it even more efficient at dissolving rocks. One alteration increased acid production, while the other removed internal limits that restricted the recovery of rare earths.
However, the acid produced was not the only mechanism available. In an additional study, the researchers deleted genes one by one in a high-performing strain. Thus, they identified 89 genes linked to the bioleaching process, 68 of which had never before been associated with metal extraction. This discovery allowed them to elevate extraction efficiency by over 100%.
Carbon Capture Under Natural Conditions
Another study conducted by the team showed that G. oxydans can accelerate carbon capture without the need for high temperatures, elevated pressure, or aggressive chemicals. By breaking down magnesium- and iron-rich rocks, these elements combine with carbon dioxide, forming solid minerals such as limestone that permanently store carbon.
“This process can occur under environmental conditions, at low temperatures, and does not involve the use of aggressive chemicals,” stated Joseph Lee, a doctoral student and lead author of the study. “It absorbs CO₂ naturally and stores it permanently as minerals. We are also recovering other essential metals for energy, such as nickel, as byproducts. It’s a dual solution.”
From the Laboratory to the Real World
With funding from the National Science Foundation, the U.S. Department of Energy, Cornell Atkinson, and alumni donors, the work is now advancing from the lab to practical applications.
The research, published in the journals Communications Biology and Scientific Reports, was led by Alexa Schmitz. She currently serves as CEO of REEgen, a startup based in Ithaca that seeks to commercialize the developed technology.
The combination of efficiency in metal extraction and carbon capture positions G. oxydans as a promising tool in the face of environmental challenges and resource supply constraints in the 21st century.
Be the first to react!