Innovative biotechnological methods for effective mining of secondary material

Aim and goal
The main goal is to create and validate new biotechnological metallurgical methods that have the potential to concentrate metals in a diluted solution while the remainder is free of toxic substances.

Challenge
The project addresses problems regarding complex waste processes where the metals are present in low concentrations.

Solution
BIOMIMIC will result in biotechnological methods for metal extraction from hazardous waste using specially developed microorganisms as well as new innovative reactor design. The process for efficiently and selectively extracting metals is simultaneously developed and evaluated while removing sulfate from the residual water.

Effect
The overall expected impact of BIOMIMIC include:

1. pushing the EU to the forefront in the areas of sustainable exploitation and processing technologies and solutions
2. improving competitiveness, creation of added value and new jobs
3. unlocking a substantial volume of various raw materials enabling better efficiency of exploitation of raw materials’ resources and increasing the range and yields of recovered raw materials (including water and energy consumption) and reduced environmental footprint
4. training of scientists and engineers to exploit BIOMIMIC findings and
5. contribution to achieving the objectives of the ERA-MIN roadmap and the EIP on Raw Materials.