UK scientists turn to biology to unlock cleaner lithium
The project aims to separate battery metals using engineered proteins with precisely controlled pores.
Researchers at the University of Birmingham are leading a £6.2-million ($8.2-million) project to develop protein-based membranes that could make lithium extraction more selective and potentially less energy-intensive.
The three-year initiative, funded by the UK’s Advanced Research and Invention Agency (ARIA), will initially target one of the toughest challenges in direct lithium extraction (DLE): separating lithium from sodium to produce the high-purity lithium compounds required for battery manufacturing.
“Biology can construct ordered materials with precision that is extremely difficult to achieve using existing manufacturing methods. We aim to harness this to create membranes with uniform, programmable pores,” project lead Dr. Dominik Kubicki, from the University of Birmingham, said.
The technology could eventually extend beyond battery materials to critical-mineral recovery, water treatment and chemical and pharmaceutical manufacturing. Its success would depend on whether researchers can translate the precision of biological structures into durable membranes capable of operating at industrial scales.
The consortium, which includes Aston University and three industrial partners, plans to use S-layer proteins, which naturally assemble into highly ordered two-dimensional lattices on the surfaces of many microorganisms.
Researchers aim to engineer these proteins into large-area membranes containing uniformly sized pores capable of distinguishing between lithium and sodium ions despite their similar chemical properties.
The project forms part of ARIA’s Universal Fabricators program , which seeks to use engineered proteins as programmable building blocks for manufacturing materials with exceptional control over their geometry.
“S-layer proteins offer an extraordinary starting point for materials engineering because they can spontaneously assemble into highly ordered structures,” project co-lead Professor Tim Knowles said. “By combining computational design, structural biology, and experimental screening, we aim to reprogram these natural building blocks to perform demanding technological functions.”
Industrial partners will contribute expertise across the development process. Fold9’s Jude Wells will lead AI-guided protein design, while UK-based Evove will handle membrane manufacturing, scale-up and testing. Adaptyv Bio will provide high-throughput screening capabilities to evaluate thousands of protein variants.
The most promising candidates will undergo larger-scale production and integration into practical membrane systems.
The researchers will combine computational protein design, structural biology, and high-throughput screening with protein production, membrane production, and testing under realistic operating conditions.
“A key challenge will be translating molecular-level control into membranes that can be manufactured and operated at useful scales,” Professor Owen Thomas, from the University of Birmingham, said. “Close integration of biological design, materials characterisation, and chemical engineering gives us the opportunity to address that challenge from the outset.”
The programme will combine computational protein design, structural biology and experimental screening with membrane production and testing under realistic operating conditions.
Although the approach remains at the research stage, the consortium hopes to establish a manufacturing platform capable of producing highly selective separation materials for multiple industries.
For lithium producers, the critical test will be whether the engineered membranes can deliver reliable separation performance outside the laboratory while maintaining the durability and scalability needed for commercial use.
