This $347,924 project grant from the National Science Foundation's Geosciences program (CFDA 47.050) supports research at North Carolina State University to identify and characterize biogenic ligands that promote the solubilization and uptake of rare earth elements by bacteria from soils and other matrices. Over a three-year period from January 2023 to December 2025, the university will combine microbiology with coordination, soil, and analytical chemical approaches to discover and study "lanthanophores," bacteriogenic compounds that facilitate the solubilization and binding of rare earths. The results have the potential to transform understanding of rare earth element importance in biological systems and their impact on nutrient cycling. They may also revise current theories around nutrient uptake and microbial-mineral relationships.
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