EPSCoR Research Fellows: NSF: Decoding and Engineering MetalBinding Proteins for REE Recognition and Recovery

This Research Infrastructure Improvement (RII) EPSCoR Research Fellows project provides a fellowship to the PI and training for a graduate student and an undergraduate student at the University of Nevada, Reno. This work will be conducted in collaboration with Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Through the fellowship, the PI will investigate the structure of biomolecules binding to rare-earth elements (REEs) to understand the mechanism of capturing REEs from complex waste streams, addressing the nation’s need for a secure, domestic supply of these critical materials. The project combines biology, chemistry, and materials science to design biomolecule-based capture tools for binding to REEs, offering a low-cost, environmentally friendly alternative to conventional chemical extraction methods needed for electric vehicles, wind turbines, and defense technologies. In addition to advancing rare earth element recovery, the project will train students in advanced structural biology techniques and expand STEM opportunities for Nevada’s student population. This project will understand the structural details of metal-binding biomolecules for the efficient recovery of rare earth elements (REEs) from complex and dilute waste streams. It will make an intellectual contribution by revealing the structural determinants of lanthanide binding. Using protein engineering and computational modeling and design, and structural biology techniques, biomolecules will be engineered and designed for binding to individual lanthanides. Neutron Scattering and complementary structural biology techniques, performed in collaboration with Oak Ridge National Laboratory, will resolve binding geometry and conformational changes under native solution conditions. The fellowship will strengthen structural biology and protein engineering infrastructure at the University of Nevada, Reno, providing hands-on training for a graduate student and an undergraduate researcher. It will integrate with the university’s broader efforts in critical materials research and STEM workforce development. This project is supported by the EPSCoR Research Infrastructure Improvement Program: EPSCoR Research Fellows (ERF). The ERF program supports early- and mid-career investigators in eligible jurisdictions to develop collaborations at the nation’s private, government or academic research institutions. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.