Technology
Transforming Rock into Ore
We deliver low-cost chemical products that activate wild microbial communities to recover more metal, faster. While conventional approaches struggle with large volumes of low-grade sulfides, our rapid customization platform allows us to tap into nature’s own metal extraction mechanisms.
How it Works
01
Sample Analysis
Using proprietary methods, we extract microbial DNA from ore samples. Our unmatched techniques reveal the full ore microbiome, including impossible-to-culture native extremophiles — delivering actionable connections between physicochemical parameters and microbial metal extraction.
02
Custom Design
Our platform predicts the optimal combination of low-cost additives from our library to enhance the native ore microbiome’s leaching abilities.
03
Validation
We confirm performance improvements through advanced testing protocols that integrate seamlessly from bench to industrial leach columns.
04
Implementation
Our products are delivered as a drop-in to the existing leaching irrigation system, with ongoing monitoring and optimization to ensure peak performance over time.
The Evolution of Biomining
The Third Wave Advantage
Status Quo: Focusing on adapting or engineering a handful of well-known lab strains of iron and sulfur oxidizers instead of the hundreds of unnamed interacting species working together.
Transition: We leverage the complexity and robustness of native microbes that cannot be cultured, communities perfected over billions of years to thrive in extreme mining environments.
A new approach
Giving Nature a Helping Hand
Status Quo: Trying to replace or overpower the native microbiome, requiring tightly controlled conditions that don’t work at the volume of mining.
Transition: Our customized products selectively support a mine’s existing microbiome (like a prebiotic or precision fertilizer) to create self-regulating systems that maintain performance at scale.
Turning Black Boxes into Smart Systems
Implementation and Monitoring
Status Quo: Treating heap leaching as a “black box” with no visibility into biological drivers of metal production.
Transition: Our approach means we can continuously monitor and make data-driven optimizations throughout the leach cycle to maintain peak performance without added infrastructure.
From Waste to Resource
Current and Future Applications
Status Quo: Leaving increasing amounts of valuable metals unrecovered while producing more waste and environmental liabilities.
Transition Biomining: Efficiently and sustainably heap leaching copper-contained sulfides like chalcopyrite, enargite, and pyrite is the first step. Our technology can also be extended to other critical minerals (such as gold, silver, cobalt, nickel, and some REEs), tailings reprocessing, and mine remediation.
How our technology can elevate your work
Process low-grade ores onsite
Transform sub-mill cutoff ore into economic resources using your existing SX-EW capacity.
Cut operating costs
Reduce sulfuric acid requirements with in-situ microbial production and decreasing leach cycles by up to half.
Extend mine life
Extract additional value from waste rock stockpiles and delay expensive closure procedures.
Maintain performance over time
Monitor heap bio-health metrics that predict recovery performance and enable corrective actions.
Meet Our Team
We are industrial biotechnology experts and scientists united by a simple mission: get more from what's already been mined. Learn more about the people and vision behind our work.