Project description
Bacteria for recycling electronic waste
Discarded electrical and electronic equipment including mobile phones, computers and household appliances generate millions of tonnes of waste which release toxic metals to the environment. Current recycling methods such as hydrometallurgy face issues of energy use and sustainability. With the support of the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the MS-GMT project addresses the pressing need for low-carbon metal recycling solutions using magnetotactic bacteria (MTB). MTB have the unique ability to absorb and store metals from electronic waste in magnetic nanoparticles called magnetosomes. Researchers will develop a novel, energy-efficient bioreactor tailored to the growth needs of MTB. The proposed approach has the potential to reduce the environmental impact of electronic waste and support circular bioeconomy goals.
Objective
Annually, the world generates over 62 million tonnes of electronic waste (e-waste), which contains metals (e.g. lead, mercury, cadmium), which, if not properly managed, can leach into the environment, contaminating soil, water, and air. This situation poses a significant risk to human health and ecosystems, necessitating innovative recycling measures. So far, hydrometallurgical processes for metal recovery have made strides in addressing these issues. However, challenges such as their sustainability approaches, storage capacity, high energy costs, and scalability are problematic, leading to an urgent need for new solutions. The use of magnetotactic bacteria (MTB) represents an alternative low-carbon route for metal recovery, as they can uptake and store large amounts of metals in the form of magnetosomes, (magnetic nanoparticles that can be doped with a variety of metals for superior biotechnology applications) and biosorb a wide range of metals on the bacterial membrane. However, MTB are typically cultivated using off-the-shelf bioreactors as a one-fit-all system, with sparging hydrodynamics significantly limiting microbial growth as they require tightly controlled microaerobic conditions. Therefore, this interdisciplinary project aims to develop, optimize and scale up a sustainable biomanufacturing strategy (via enhancing production performance) for MTB growth using e-waste with a novel bioreactor design. This aim successfully addresses a significant environmental problem with a low-energy, sustainable process. Overall, the developed technology will create industrial potential for its utilisation in other applicable processes, such as the health sector. This project will have a great social and economic impact in Europe by contributing to reaching Net Zero and the Green Deal targets by 2050 while advancing bionanotechnologies. It also has the potential to create new business models and technology development while promoting circular bioeconomy principles.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- engineering and technology environmental engineering waste management waste treatment processes recycling
- engineering and technology environmental biotechnology bioremediation bioreactors
- natural sciences biological sciences microbiology bacteriology
- natural sciences chemical sciences inorganic chemistry transition metals
- engineering and technology nanotechnology nano-materials
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Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.1.2 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)
MAIN PROGRAMME
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Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-PF-EF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) HORIZON-MSCA-2024-PF-01
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
B4 7ET Birmingham
United Kingdom
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.