Eleven new partnerships launched to accelerate innovation in engineering biology for sustainable critical mineral supply chains.
Elemental is pleased to announce the successful award of funding through the Catalysing New UK-US Critical Minerals Research Partnerships scheme.
Funded by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and delivered in partnership with the UK Science and Technology Network, this initiative provides targeted grants to strengthen transatlantic collaboration in sustainable critical minerals and materials (CMM) research. Sustainable supply chains are important for diversification efforts, by both the UK and the US, to ensure resilience and security of critical minerals essential for advanced technologies.
Following a call for proposals open to Elemental investigators and US partners, eleven researchers from UK and US institutions have been selected to receive funding to support short-term research and industry exchanges between November 2025 and May 2026. The awards will support visits to partner institutions to build research networks, identify complementary technical strengths, discuss plans for collaborative projects, and undertake pilot experiments. These collaborations will advance engineering biology and circular economy approaches to securing resilient, sustainable critical mineral supply chains.
Professor Martin Warren, Chair of Elemental and Chief Scientific Officer at the Quadram Institute, said: “We are delighted to support the Catalysing New UK–US Critical Minerals Research Partnerships scheme. Critical minerals and rare earth elements underpin many of the technologies driving the green transition, from renewable energy to advanced electronics. Developing more sustainable and efficient methods for their production is essential, not only to reduce environmental impact but also to help ensure a more resilient and reliable global supply. This collaboration offers an exciting opportunity to combine UK and US expertise to address these shared challenges.”
Awarded Collaborations
The funded exchanges bring together leading researchers across 20 institutions in both countries, spanning engineering biology, environmental science, and mineral recovery:
- Professor Joseph Alfred Cotruvo, Jr. (Pennsylvania State University) collaborating with University of Edinburgh and University of East Anglia
This project supports collaboration to advance biomolecular strategies, using lanmodulins and engineered ferritins, for recovering rare earth elements from complex industrial bioleachates. - Professor Paul A. Schroeder (University of Georgia) collaborating with Natural History Museum
This collaboration brings together clay scientists and geomicrobiologists to assess the potential for environmentally sustainable rare earth element extraction from UK primary kaolin deposits by integrating field sampling, industry engagement, and comparative studies with US kaolin systems. - Professor Jennifer Glass (Georgia Institute of Technology) collaborating with University of Leeds
This project focuses on engineering microbial S-layer proteins to biomineralize manganese oxides for capturing critical elements from waste streams and seawater. - Professor Liz Rylott (University of York) collaborating with Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and North Carolina State University
The exchange links plant engineering, phytomining, and lanmodulin-based separation technologies across three leading labs to develop integrated, sustainable approaches for rare earth element extraction. - Dr Danting Chen (University College London) collaborating with University of Alaska Anchorage and Idaho National Laboratory
The exchange will assess laboratory- to pilot-scale biorecovery systems in the US to identify technical and strategic gaps, enabling joint UK–US research to advance sustainable critical-mineral recovery. - Dr Sophie Randriamahefasoa (University of Surrey) collaborating with University of Alaska Anchorage
The project focuses on studying and experimenting with microorganism-based metal extraction and elemental separation, collecting experimental data to perform a laboratory-scale Life Cycle Assessment. - Alexa Schmitz (REEgen Inc.) collaborating with University of Manchester
This collaboration focuses on evaluating REEgen’s engineered bioleaching microbes for rare earth element recovery from waste materials, comparing them with existing systems, and identifying synergistic mechanisms and strategies to advance bio-based rare earth elements recovery. - Dr Virginia Echavarri-Bravo (University of Edinburgh) collaborating with Georgia Institute of Technology
The project focuses on integrating bacterial bio‑recycling of lithium‑ion battery metals with high‑throughput electrochemical testing to optimise bio‑precipitation processes and assess material performance. - Dr Manuel David Montaño (King’s College London) collaborating with Colorado School of Mines
The exchange will combine advanced metallomics and field studies to understand microbial uptake of critical minerals in acid mine drainage sites, aiming to develop methods for sourcing critical minerals from polluted environments. - Dr Alla Silkina (Swansea University) collaborating with Texas A&M University–Corpus Christi
The project will co-design and test microalgal systems for selective uptake of lithium, cobalt, and rare earth elements from high-salinity waters, generating preliminary data and joint research for sustainable approaches to critical mineral recovery. - Professor Justin Perry (Northumbria University) collaborating with University of Alaska Anchorage
The project will adapt Northumbria’s microbe-infused polymer coatings for critical mineral capture, leveraging Alaska’s microbial insights and collaborative trials to advance bio-based resource recovery and sustainable system design.
Elemental notes the particularly strong participation of early- and mid-career researchers, as well as growing industrial engagement through partners such as REEgen Inc.
Looking Ahead
The collaborations will take place through early 2026, with outcomes expected to inform future joint research on critical minerals and/or engineering biology.
Stephanie Ashmore, Americas Director for the UK Science and Technology Network, said: ‘The UK Science and Technology Network is thrilled to announce these new research partnerships. The collaborations will contribute to our collective efforts to reduce dependence on existing supply chains through recycling and more sustainable extraction methods for the critical minerals essential for the global economy. Innovation is key to diversification of supply chains, and the UK is excited to lead the way in partnership with the US.”
About Elemental
The Elemental project is tackling the global challenge of building resilient critical mineral supply chains through engineering biology applications, bringing together specialists from various UK institutions, including the University of Kent, Quadram Institute, University of East Anglia, University of Manchester, Durham University, Natural History Museum, University College London, University of Surrey and the University of York. It is one of six UKRI-funded Engineering Biology Mission Hubs.
Contact
For more information or media enquiries, please contact: Elementalmetalhub@kent.ac.uk or https://elementalhub.org/