Lithium biomining employing extremophilic microorganisms from the Central Andes.

The demand for lithium has been rising over the last few years due to the increased usage of lithium batteries. Since traditional recovery techniques present many drawbacks, a biotechnological strategy that maximises the economic benefits and minimises the environmental impact appears as a beneficial alternative.

This project aims to study lithium-tolerant isolates from Argentinian lithium evaporation ponds, through omics analysis, control environmental assays, and functional and structural characterization of novel proteins involved in lithium tolerance and precipitation. In the future, these analyses could be used to develop green lithium biomining techniques.

Collaborators

Alejandro Nusblat, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Argentina