Cleaner metal recovery starts with better separation chemistry.

BioMetalix is developing protein-based separation reagents that capture valuable metals from water and concentrate them through ion flotation. Our platform is designed to reduce reliance on organic solvents, lower waste generation, and improve recovery from dilute and complex material streams.

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Selective metal capture powered by protein chemistry

BioMetalix develops protein–ligand conjugates, or PLCs, that selectively capture valuable metals from water.

PLCs are created by modifying naturally foaming proteins with metal-binding molecules; the protein provides the physical properties for foam separation, while the ligand provides affinity for metals. Capture: The PLC binds selected dissolved metals. Float: Air bubbles transport the metal–PLC complex to the surface. Concentrate: The complex is collected in a smaller foamate volume. Recover: The metal is released and the PLC is regenerated for potential reuse. This platform is being developed for integration with industrial foam-fractionation and dissolved-air-flotation systems.

Applications

BioMetalix focuses on rare-earth-element recycling and early-stage enrichment for critical-mineral processing, while evaluating additional aqueous metal-recovery opportunities.

Bench-scale results and validation

Selective and tunable: Protein scaffolds and metal-binding ligands can be combined and adjusted for different metals, feedstocks, and operating conditions. Aqueous processing: The platform operates in water under comparatively mild conditions and is being developed to reduce dependence on petroleum-derived extractants and organic solvents. Designed for dilute streams: Ion flotation is particularly attractive for concentrating metals that are present at relatively low concentrations in large volumes of water. Performance in complex conditions: Preliminary experiments show that the PLC platform can retain metal-capture and flotation performance in the presence of high salt concentrations and competing ions. Potential for reagent recovery: The captured metal can be released under mild conditions, creating the potential to recover both the metal product and the PLC reagent.