Creating clean rare earth elements
Rare earth elements (REE) are critical for sustainable energy infrastructure, but their current environmental impact is simply too high. REEgen is reimagining the global rare earth supply by replacing the most harmful production steps with clean microbial processes, securing these critical elements for a future of unbounded, widespread renewable energy.
About REEgen
We’ve got a bug to make things better. Building on research from Cornell professor Buz Barstow’s lab, REEgen is optimizing the bacteria Gluconobacter oxydans to extract rare earth metals more efficiently. We are motivated by the incredible environmental damage as well as the national security risk that conventional extraction methods represent. A swift transition to a clean energy future means that we need better ways of doing things. So as demand goes high, we go low – low temperature, low pressure, low environmental impact. We see the future in a biological solution to our rare earth needs. Want to learn more about our process, or interested in joining the team? Reach out to us today.
Current Extraction Technologies Aren’t Working.
Here’s Why:
Skyrocketing demand: The current supply chains can’t scale to meet the 12% compound annual growth rate in demand.
Environmental damage: Rare earth element production creates extraordinary amounts of acidic and radioactive waste.
Huge carbon footprint: One wind turbine requires 2 tons of rare earth elements, resulting in 90 tons of carbon dioxide equivalent.
US energy security at risk: 58% of rare earth mining, 89% of separation, and 90% of refining occurs in China resulting in a risky supply chain.
We let biology do the work
Forget high heat, extraordinary pressure, and caustic chemicals. We’ve designed bacteria that safely and economically extract rare earth elements like yttrium and neodymium at room temperature from low-grade sources that are currently dumped into landfills.
We put the clean in "clean energy"
The bacteria Gluconobacter oxydans is an acetic acid bacteria that produces biodegradable organic acids that can release metals from rock. We have optimized the bacteria to extract rare earth elements at efficiencies that approach conventional methods—but without the egregious environmental damage that limits production to countries willing to accept it.
We recover REEs from "waste"
Rare earth elements are currently thrown in landfills as part of “waste” from industrial processes. Their trash is our treasure. We are creating a whole new stream of recycled REEs that do not have the same environmental impact or geopolitical risk as primary sources of REEs.
Working to Revive the Domestic Rare Earth Industry
Securing a reliable source of rare earth elements will allow for unfettered adoption and innovation of new technologies that could unlock a future with unlimited, clean energy.