TECHNOLOGY LICENSING OPPORTUNITY: Bioengineered Peptide Platform for Low-Water Critical Mineral Recovery

The Los Alamos National Laboratory is offering a technology licensing opportunity for a bioengineered peptide platform that enables the selective recovery of high-value critical minerals from dilute and complex process streams. This platform uses a bioengineered, low-chemical, low-water approach that integrates directly into existing bioleach operations. The technology has several key advantages, including reduced operating costs, improved recovery from low-grade and dilute streams, lower water use and waste generation, and minimal capital disruption. The platform is compatible with existing infrastructure and has flexibility across multiple critical minerals. • The technology is designed to address the challenges of critical mineral recovery, including high reagent consumption, poor economics at low ppm concentrations, high water usage, and increasing ESG and regulatory pressure. • The platform introduces a bioengineered, low-water preconcentration step that integrates directly into existing bioleach operations. • The technology has potential market applications in mining and hydrometallurgical processing, critical materials and strategic metals supply chains, battery and electrification materials, semiconductor and advanced electronics materials, industrial metals refining and recycling, environmental and water treatment, and defense and national security supply chains.