Engineered microbes could produce sustainable supplies of rare metals vital to a range of industries, according to Edinburgh scientists featured in a new Government report.
An Edinburgh researcher has contributed to a Government Office for Science’s publication on how the power of Engineering Biology could be harnessed to tackle complex real-world problems.
Professor Louise Horsfall of the School of Biological Sciences was among a select group of UK researchers involved in producing the report.
Her work focuses on engineering microbes to extract and recycle key metals – which are often in limited supply or raise geopolitical issues – from old batteries, industrial catalysts and electronic wastes.
Forging a more environmentally friendly future for metal production would benefit areas such as the sustainable energy sector, which relies on rare metals for technologies including electric vehicle batteries and magnets in wind turbine generators, Horsfall says.
Government analysis
The new report highlights the breadth of engineering biology’s potential to drive economic growth and benefit areas such as healthcare, sustainability, agriculture and energy.
It provides a vision for how engineering biology could help solve enduring economic and societal challenges over the next 10 years and beyond.
The publication details how applying engineering principles to biological systems could help transform a range of sectors. This could include facilitating the production of green fuels and lab-grown blood, supporting more sustainable fashion and improving crop production.
Professor Louise Horsfall said:
Engineering Biology is a platform technology that has the potential to impact so many aspects of our daily lives. Its use in sustainable mining and as a tool to improve recycling will provide significant environmental benefits compared to current practice. At a time when global politics is intensely focused on critical minerals, the importance of transitioning to a circular economy for metals cannot be overstated. ”
University expertise
With more than 200 scientists working on aspects of Engineering Biology, the University has one of the largest groupings of researchers worldwide focused on this pioneering field.
The University is also home to state-of-the-art facilities, including the Edinburgh Genome Foundry, which is the world’s largest automated DNA assembly platform.
Since 2007, the University has received more than £100m investment in Engineering Biology from UK Research and Innovation (UKRI). Edinburgh’s expertise in the area has also led to partnerships with major companies including Unilever, FUJIFILM Diosynth Biotechnologies and Lubrizol.
Ian Hatch, Head of Business Development for the College of Science and Engineering at Edinburgh Innovations (EI), the University’s commercialisation service, said:
Edinburgh Innovations has been working with Professor Horsfall and colleagues such as Professors Susan Rosser and Stephen Wallace for a long time to turn their pioneering engineering biology research into industry solutions.
Engineering biology holds the promise of moving from a fossil fuel economy to a more sustainable bioeconomy, and we would encourage companies interested in getting involved to contact us here at EI.”
Professor Horsfall’s research has received long-term support from the Faraday Institution, the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) and the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC).
Professor Dame Angela McLean, the UK Government’s Chief Scientific Adviser, said:
I hope that this report will demonstrate the breadth of engineering biology’s transformative potential to solve real-world problems and help to communicate the benefits of engineering biology beyond communities already familiar with the technology. ”
Business Development Executive
College of Science and Engineering
Chemistry and Biology
