Selective Biological Recovery of Critical Minerals and Materials from Waste Streams

Critical minerals and materials (CMM), such as rare earth elements (REEs), lithium, and platinum group metals (PGM), are essential for renewable energy systems, advanced electronics, and defense infrastructure. Global demand for these resources is rapidly increasing, while conventional mining processes remain environmentally intensive and geographically constrained. As a result, there is a growing interest in recovering CMM from secondary sources such as electronic waste leachate and industrial effluents. However, conventional extraction methods often suffer from low selectivity, high energy/chemical inputs, and significant solvent waste generation. This Research Topic aims to highlight emerging biological approaches for the selective CMM extraction and recovery from diverse waste streams. The collection seeks to advance fundamental understanding of interactions at biological-mineral-material interfaces while promoting the development of innovative biological strategies that contribute to sustainable resource recovery.We welcome contributions that explore molecular recognition and binding mechanisms, develop engineered biological systems with enhanced selectivity and stability, and design integrated bioprocesses for efficient CMM recovery. Studies combining experimental and computational approaches, including high-throughput screening, systems biology, and machine learning, are encouraged.By bringing together advances in microbiology, coordination chemistry, and bioseparation technologies, this Research Topic seeks to accelerate the translation of biological strategies into practical solutions that support circular economy frameworks and sustainable supply of critical resources.Topics of interest include, but not limited to: • Molecular-level mechanisms of critical minerals and materials (CMM) recognition, binding, transport, and transformation• Biosensing platforms for CMM detection, monitoring, and discovery• Microbial and bioleaching strategies for CMM extraction and recovery• Engineering of proteins, peptides, and biomolecules for enhanced CMM selectivity, affinity, and stability• Microbial uptake, sequestration, biomineralization, and precipitation of CMM• High-throughput screening, modeling, artificial intelligence (AI), and computational design (e.g., protein design) for CMM-binding biomolecules• Biohybrid and biomaterial-based systems for selective REE separation and recovery• Bioprocess design, reactor engineering, and process integration for scalable CMM recovery• Techno-economic analysis (TEA) and life cycle assessment (LCA) of biological CMM recovery processesPlease note that Microbiotechnology does not consider descriptive studies that are solely based on amplicon (e.g., 16S rRNA) profiles or comparisons of nucleic acid extracts (e.g., metagenomics), unless they are accompanied by a clear hypothesis and experimentation and provide insight into the microbiological system or process being studied. Topic editors: Quanhui Ye, Hongbo Zhao, Shuxin Zhang, Zihang Su Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/81250/selective-biological-recovery-of-critical-minerals-and-materials-from-waste-streams