Unmet Need: Efficient method for recovery of rare earth elements
Rare earth elements (REEs) are increasingly used in a multitude of applications, including as catalysts, magnets, and various electronic products. However, given the lack of available mines in the US and rarity of these elements worldwide, as well as the high cost and the possible environmental damages associated with current recovery techniques for these elements from e-waste, efficient methods to isolate and recover these rare earth element methods are needed.
The Technology: High-capacity peptide binding to rare earth elements
This technology describes peptides that fold into a beta roll secondary structure upon binding to metals. These peptides were shown to bind all rare earth elements tested with high affinity, without binding to non-rare earth elements, and can conduct this binding in acidic conditions up to a pH of 1.5. Comparison with lanmodulin, another protein that has been previously described as a binder of rare earth elements, demonstrated that the beta roll peptides had greater binding to rare earth elements due to the greater number of binding sites for rare earth elements within these peptides.
This technology has been validated with purified proteins.
Applications:
- Isolation, recovery, and recycling of rare earth elements
- Extraction of rare earth elements from electronic wastes, seaweed ash, or mining waste
- Sensor for rare earth elements for research applications
- Delivery vehicle for bound rare earth elements in vivo
Advantages:
- Greater binding capacity than lanmodulin
- Functional in acidic conditions
- Engineerable for further binding capacity, affinity, or for precipitative capability
- Purifiable from bacteria
- Energy efficient
Lead Inventor:
Scott Banta, Ph.D.
Patent Information:
Patent Pending(US20240209472)
Related Publications:
Bulutoglu B, Banta S. “Block V RTX Domain of Adenylate Cyclase from Bordetella pertussis: A Conformationally Dynamic Scaffold for Protein Engineering Applications” Toxins (Basel). 2017 Sep 17;9(9):289.
Bulutoglu B, Yang SJ, Banta S. “Conditional Network Assembly and Targeted Protein Retention via Environmentally Responsive, Engineered β-Roll Peptides” Biomacromolecules. 2017 Jul 10;18(7):2139-2145.
Dooley K, Bulutoglu B, Banta S. “Doubling the cross-linking interface of a rationally designed beta roll peptide for calcium-dependent proteinaceous hydrogel formation.” Biomacromolecules. 2014 Oct 13;15(10):3617-24.
Dooley K, Kim YH, Lu HD, Tu R, Banta S. “Engineering of an environmentally responsive beta roll peptide for use as a calcium-dependent cross-linking domain for peptide hydrogel formation.” Biomacromolecules. 2012 Jun 11;13(6):1758-64.
Blenner MA, Shur O, Szilvay GR, Cropek DM, Banta S. “Calcium-induced folding of a beta roll motif requires C-terminal entropic stabilization.” J Mol Biol. 2010 Jul 9;400(2):244-56.
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