Bioinspired membranes for lithium recovery

Aston Institute for Membrane Excellence

This studentship is supported by the Aston Institute for Membrane Excellence. AIME is a unique, interdisciplinary, intersectoral research and training hub for translational membrane science. AIME is a globally unique, cross-disciplinary institute to develop novel membranes for use in applications as varied as drug discovery and water purification. The team behind AIME believes that the full potential of membranes will only be realised by a research team spanning biology, physics and chemistry that can investigate membranes holistically. No other institute has the platform, potential or promise for major breakthroughs in this area. The vision is for AIME to become a ‘one-stop shop’ for interdisciplinary, translational membrane research through access to its facilities and expertise, ideally located in the heart of the UK.

Details of the Project

Selective removal of molecules from water is essential in processes from wastewater treatment to fermentation biotechnology and blood dialysis. Technologies that enable this significantly impact health, environment and society. Current selection and filtration methods are limited to a “materials science” approach, using solely polymer-based (plastic) membranes that separate based on physicochemical properties of the molecule(s) of interest. However, this often requires multiple extraction steps due to poor selectivity and is energetically expensive. To transform the field, we have taken inspiration from biological membranes that have overcome this challenge. They consist of an essentially impermeable lipid bilayer incorporating exquisitely selective protein transporters powered by a simple ionic gradient to transport the molecule of interest against its concentration gradient. However, the lipid bilayer alone is too fragile to scale to industrial membranes (meaning that biology alone cannot overcome the challenge) and membrane proteins cannot simply be embedded in a plastic membrane and work correctly. Therefore, we must take an interdisciplinary approach to interface the biological and synthetic elements of our biomimetic membranes. We will develop state-of-the-art polymers to capture membrane proteins in nanoscale protein lipid discs (PLDs) and embed them in plastic membranes.

Despite their name, “rare earth minerals”, are relatively abundant in the Earth’s crust, but are rarely found in concentrated forms, making extraction economically challenging. These minerals are critical for the manufacture of numerous high-tech products and are indispensable in high-tech applications such as electronics, renewable energy, and defence industries. We are particularly interested in lithium.

Lithium recovery from geothermal brine is vital for securing this precious resource for the sustained future of UK energy storage. Lithium is the most commonly used metal ion in battery devices and has enabled the rapid development of disruptive technologies from the first truly hand-held devices to modern day electric vehicles. Whilst relatively straightforward, the process of recovering lithium from geothermal waters requires several high energy processing steps and is extremely time consuming.

The lithium recovery technology market is expected to significantly growth in the next decade to combat the 1.42Mt supply deficit that will result from increased lithium consumption, partially driven by the move to widespread adoption of electric vehicles. As of 2023, the market size for lithium was approximately $22 billion. This market is projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of over 21%, reaching about $90 billion by 2030. We are currently collaborating with UK-based lithium extraction companies who recognise the value of this technology and will have significant input into the project, creating a direct pathway to impact.

The main objectives of this project are to use functional polymers to extract and solubilise membrane proteins that are capable of selectively transporting lithium species. The aim then is to embed these stabilised proteins within a polymer membrane that is otherwise impermeable to generate a highly selective lithium extraction membrane device.

This is an exciting interdisciplinary project which would suit someone with a biological background who is keen to apply fundamental research to solve real world challenges. The techniques used are broad and full training, within a vibrant interdisciplinary lab, will be given.

Person Specification

The successful applicant should have been awarded, or expect to achieve, a Masters degree in a relevant subject with a 60% or higher weighted average, and/or a First or Upper Second Class Honours degree (or an equivalent qualification from an overseas institution) in a relevant subject. Previous experience in membrane protein or lipid biochemistry would be desirable.

Overseas Applicants

This application is not available to Overseas students.

Contact information

For formal enquiries about this project contact Alan Goddard at a.goddard@aston.ac.uk

Submitting an application

We can only consider applications that are complete and have all supporting documents. Applications that do not provide all the relevant documents will be automatically rejected. Your application must include:

1. English language copies of the transcripts and certificates for all your higher education degrees, including any Bachelor degrees.
2. A Research Statement detailing your understanding of the research area, how you would approach the project, and a brief review of relevant literature. Be sure to use the title of the research project you are applying for. There is no set format or word count.
3. A personal statement which outlines any further information which you think is relevant to your application, such as your personal suitability for research, career aspirations, possible future research interests, and further description of relevant employment experience.
4. Two academic referees who can discuss your suitability for independent research. References must be on headed paper, signed and dated no more than 2 years old. At least one reference should be from your most recent University. You can submit your references at a later date if necessary.
5. Evidence that you meet the English Language requirements. If you do not currently meet the language requirements, you can submit this at a later stage.
6. A copy of your passport. Where relevant, include evidence of settled or pre-settled status.

Apply for this position here

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Please select “Research – Biomedical Sciences” from the application form options.

If you require further information about the application process, please contact the Postgraduate Admissions team at pgr_admissions@aston.ac.uk