Metal-Binding Biomolecules

Campaign name: Discovery and Characterization of Critical Metal-Binding Small Molecules and Proteins (Metal-Binding Biomolecules)

The demand for critical materials and minerals in the United States, including rare Earth elements, continues to increase. Metallophores and ionophores—biologically produced small-molecule metabolites or proteins capable of binding metal ions selectively and with high affinity—are produced by a diversity of microbes to facilitate metal uptake for cellular needs. 

From a practical view, these biomolecules may have utility in processes that increase the concentrations of critical minerals and elements and therefore may aid in their recovery. However, their discovery and characterization require a variety of analytical capabilities. 

The Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory (EMSL) is leading a campaign titled, "Discovery and Characterization of Critical Metal-Binding Small Molecules and Proteins (Metal-Binding Biomolecules)," that will leverage the user facility's state-of-the art analytical instrumentation and resources to identify and characterize novel microbial metallophores and ionophores, and the associated transport systems facilitating cellular uptake. 

In addition to discovering new molecules, the campaign will investigate any associated transport and uptake pathways, providing a more comprehensive understanding of their mechanisms and potential uses. The outcomes will contribute to developing microbially enhanced critical minerals and elements extraction, concentration, and refining processes via in vivo and cell-free utilization of these microbe-derived metallo- and ionophores. 

Instruments and resources 

EMSL's instrumentation will be used to carry out the identification of putative metallo-/ionophore molecules, quantitatively characterize their metal-binding properties, determine molecular structures, and elucidate binding mechanisms. 

Using specialized capabilities, the campaign will explore the interactions between microbes and critical minerals and elements. 

Relevant capabilities may include: 

• Advanced mass spectrometry for metabolomics 
• Advanced mass spectrometry for top-down proteomics 
• Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry 
• Liquid nuclear magnetic resonance for metabolomics 
• Liquid nuclear magnetic resonance for structural biology 
• Solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance 
• Electron paramagnetic resonance 
• Cell-free expression 
• Cryogenic transmission electron microscopy 
• Nanoscale secondary ion mass spectrometry 
• X-ray diffraction

How to get involved  

Check out the recording below of our November 2025 community science meeting at which researchers worked to identify and prioritize critical minerals and materials (CMM) research needs aligned to EMSL's goals and the research priorities of the DOE Office of Science's Biological and Environmental Research (BER) program.

The meeting featured three keynote speakers:

• Heileen Hsu-Kim
  • Professor, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Duke University
  • Presentation: “Resourcing Critical Minerals from Waste Streams: Lessons Learned from Extracting Rare Earths from Acid Mine Drainage” 
     
• Rene Boiteau
  • Assistant Professor, Department of Chemistry, University of Minnesota
  • Presentation: “Mining Environmental Microbiomes for Selective Metallophores” 
     
• Scott Angle
  • Senior Vice President for Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Florida
  • Presentation: “Phytomining: Past, Present, Future, and Gaps”

Additional opportunities for user involvement will happen throughout the coming year. Stay tuned by joining the EMSL mailing lists and following EMSL on LinkedIn.

Contact

If you have questions or are interested in learning more about how you can participate, email Will Kew.