PHYTO4METAL: Development of an integrated phytomining system for the recovery of metal nanoparticles from mine waste

PHYTO4METAL：开发用于从矿山废物中回收金属纳米颗粒的集成植物采矿系统

• 批准号: BB/X011712/1
• 负责人: Luis Novo
• 金额: $ 38.08万
• 依托单位: Scotland's Rural College
• 依托单位国家: 英国
• 项目类别: Research Grant
• 财政年份: 2023
• 资助国家: 英国
• 起止时间: 2023 至 无数据
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=BB%2FX011712%2F1
• 关键词: PHYTO4METAL; Development; integrated; phytomining; system

The ever-growing build-up of mine waste across the planet constitutes an opportunity for the recovery of residual metals of technological significance. Whilst exploiting these low-grade resources via conventional techniques is impractical, a plant-based technique known as phytomining offers an environment-friendly and cost-effective alternative. Some plants, dubbed hyperaccumulators, can uptake extraordinary amounts of metals into their harvestable parts. What's more, under certain conditions some plants have the ability to accumulate metals like gold, silver, and copper and reduce them inside their living tissue to nanoparticles (NPs) with unique, beneficial properties. Since NPs have a myriad of biomedical, agricultural, environmental, and technological applications, there has been increased interest in biogenic NPs due to advantages over chemically synthesized NPs. In this light, producing NPs via phytomining heralds great promise as it would represent a low-cost, eco-friendly, and carbon-neutral strategy to farm nanoparticles from residues. This project brings together the expertise from Scotland's Rural College (SRUC), the University of York, the University of Edinburgh, and the University of Nottingham, along with critical industrial knowledge from Scotgold Resources and Promethean Particles. We propose the use of UK native plants for the exploitation of the Cononish gold mine tailings, and the retrieval of the biosynthesized NPs through enzymatic processing. We will conduct a comprehensive array of glasshouse and field experiments to enhance the process through several green approaches, including the use of beneficial microorganisms and environment-friendly compounds to promote plant growth and metal uptake. The harvested plant biomass will undergo advanced enzymatic processing for NP recovery. With the aim of fostering the circular bioeconomy, we will determine the potential of the waste biomass for production of value-added bioproducts. Following thorough characterisation, a preliminary evaluation of the recovered NPs potential will be carried out. The project will be complemented with a life cycle assessment and techno-economic analysis for determining its environmental impacts and hot-spots identification.The project will generate unprecedented knowledge about using phytomining to produce NPs from metal-rich wastes. The proposed work will help elucidating numerous processes related to metal uptake and biosynthesis of NPs in living plants. The research will facilitate a first-time assessment of biogenic NPs, which will help inferring their potential in the industrial, agricultural, environmental, and biomedical sectors. Additionally, this proposal will enable the development of new enzyme technology to support the R&D sector, and the design of specific high-value bioproducts from the waste biomass for commercial-scale production. This project will be a critical steppingstone to the development of an important biotechnology-based solution for recovering technology-relevant metals. Indeed, its strategic value is highlighted by the participation of two key players in the UK mining and nanotechnology industry.

整个地球上的矿物废物不断增长为恢复具有技术意义的残余金属的机会。尽管通过传统技术利用这些低级资源是不切实际的，但一种以植物为基础的技术，即植物序列化提供了一种环境友好且具有成本效益的替代方案。一些被称为高积累剂的植物可以将大量的金属吸收到其可获得的部分中。更重要的是，在某些条件下，某些植物具有积聚金，银和铜等金属的能力，并将其在活组织中减少到具有独特，有益的特性的纳米颗粒（NP）。由于NP具有无数的生物医学，农业，环境和技术应用，因此由于比化学合成的NP的优势，人们对生物NP的兴趣增加了。鉴于这一观点，通过植物预告生产NP，这将代表一种低成本，环保和与碳中性的策略，从残留物中耕种纳米颗粒。该项目汇集了苏格兰农村学院（SRUC），约克大学，爱丁堡大学和诺丁汉大学的专业知识，以及来自Scotgold Resources和Promethean颗粒的重要工业知识。我们建议使用英国本地植物来剥削孔子矿山尾矿，并通过酶促加工来检索生物合成的NP。我们将通过多种绿色方法进行全面的温室和现场实验，以增强该过程，包括使用有益的微生物和环境友好的化合物来促进植物的生长和金属摄取。收获的植物生物量将进行晚期酶促加工以进行NP恢复。为了促进循环生物经济性，我们将确定废物生物量在产生增值生物产品的潜力。彻底表征后，将对回收的NPS电位进行初步评估。该项目将与生命周期评估和技术经济分析相辅相成，以确定其环境影响和热点识别。该项目将产生前所未有的知识，内容涉及使用植物序列化从金属富含金属的废物中产生NP。拟议的工作将有助于阐明与金属摄取和生物合成有关NP在活植物中的多种过程。该研究将促进对生物NP的首次评估，这将有助于推断其在工业，农业，环境和生物医学领域的潜力。此外，该提案将使新酶技术的开发能够支持研发部门，并从废物生物量中设计用于商业规模生产的特定高价值生物产品。该项目将是开发基于生物技术的重要解决方案，用于恢复与技术相关的金属的关键垫脚石。确实，英国采矿和纳米技术行业的两个主要参与者的参与强调了其战略价值。

项目成果

Inventing hyperaccumulator plants: improving practice in phytoextraction research and terminology

发明超积累植物：改进植物提取研究和术语的实践

• DOI: 10.1080/15226514.2024.2322631
• 发表时间: 2024
• 期刊: International Journal of Phytoremediation
• 影响因子: 3.7
• 作者: Van Der Ent A

Introducing Transformative Plant Biotechnology: Engineering plants to recover metals from our environment

变革性植物生物技术简介：工程植物从环境中回收金属

• DOI: 10.52843/cassyni.r7mlb0
• 发表时间: 2023
• 作者: Rylott L