André Studart

Bio-Recovery of Rare Earths from Urban Waste

Our project contributes to a circular European supply chain by using specialized microbes to 'mine' rare earth elements from waste-to-energy residues, securing the minerals necessary for the continent’s green energy transition.

Our vision is to establish the groundwork for a future deep-tech spin-off that commercializes a modular bio-recovery system. By proving the viability of methylotrophic REE extraction at pilot scale, we aim to create a standardized "recovery unit" that can be replicated at Waste-to-Energy plants across Europe. Long-term, we desire to transform municipal utilities into strategic mineral refineries. This creates a resilient, circular supply chain that reduces European reliance on primary mining, turning our group’s translational expertise into a scalable industrial reality.