This Government Contract opportunity from Department Of Energy was posted on April 23, 2026. The submission period has ended. Browse the details below for market research, or find similar active opportunities.
TECHNOLOGY LICENSING OPPORTUNITY: Bioengineered Peptide Platform for Low-Water Critical Mineral Recovery
Contract Overview
Solicitation details, issuing organization, response deadlines, documents, and interested companies for this government contract opportunity.
Active Opportunities Like This One
AI Contract Overview
A bioengineered peptide platform is being offered for licensing to enable selective, low-water recovery of high-value critical minerals from dilute and complex process streams, particularly within existing bioleach operations. The technology uses engineered metal-binding peptides combined with self-assembling interfacial proteins to selectively capture and concentrate minerals such as gallium, rare earth elements, cobalt, and nickel at gas-liquid interfaces, bypassing the need for energy- and chemical-intensive conventional methods like solvent extraction or ion exchange. This approach significantly reduces reagent consumption, water usage, and secondary waste while enhancing recovery efficiency from low-grade or low-concentration streams where traditional systems fail, making it ideal for early-stage enrichment and improving the economics of critical mineral supply chains. The platform is designed as a drop-in module compatible with current hydrometallurgical infrastructure, minimizing capital disruption and offering flexibility across multiple minerals and industries including clean energy, electronics, defense, and recycling. Developed at Los Alamos National Laboratory and currently at TRL 3, the technology is protected by a pending U.S. patent and is available through exclusive or non-exclusive licensing agreements for commercialization. It targets high-demand sectors such as battery materials, semiconductor manufacturing, and strategic mineral supply chains where sustainable, domestic production is increasingly critical due to regulatory, environmental, and security pressures. The opportunity is open to companies seeking to innovate in mineral recovery solutions, with responses due by May 10, 2026. Potential partners can engage through Los Alamos National Laboratory’s licensing program, with primary contact information provided for licensing discussions. The technology supports broader national goals of reducing reliance on foreign supply chains and lowering the environmental footprint of critical material production.
General Info
Place of Performance
Los Alamos, NM, 87545, USASet-Aside
Documents
0AI Contract Breakdown
Uniform Contract FormatNo documents to break down
The breakdown needs solicitation documents. None were found from this contract's source.
Timeline
Submission Closed
Organization & Contact Information
Full Description
This Bioengineered Peptide Platform enables selective recovery of high-value critical minerals from dilute and complex process streams using a bioengineered, low-chemical, low-water approach that integrates directly into existing bioleach operations. As demand for critical minerals accelerates across clean energy, electronics and defense sectors, mining operators need more efficient and sustainable enrichment methods. This platform offers a biologically enabled preconcentration step that can unlock value from low-grade ores and complex streams while reducing environmental impact.
The Challenge:
Critical mineral recovery from bioleach and hydrometallurgical circuits faces persistent bottlenecks:
- High reagent consumption in solvent extraction (SX), ion exchange (IX), and precipitation steps
- Poor economics at low ppm concentrations, where valuable metals are diluted or masked by competing ions
- High water usage and secondary waste streams
- Increasing ESG and regulatory pressure to reduce environmental footprint
- Growing demand for secure domestic supply of gallium, rare earth elements (REEs), cobalt, nickel and other critical materials
Traditional separation technologies are chemical-intensive, multi-stage and inefficient in early-stage or dilute process streams.
Problems Solved:
This technology introduces a bioengineered, low-water preconcentration step that integrates directly into existing bioleach operations.
The platform:
- selectively binds target metals in complex, dilute streams;
- concentrates them at the liquid surface for physical recovery;
- reduces reliance on external chemical reagents; and
- enables earlier-stage enrichment where conventional systems are least efficient.
The result is a cleaner, more efficient pathway to recover high-value critical minerals. The platform combines engineered metal-binding peptides designed for high selectivity and cooperative binding to specific critical minerals with self-assembling interfacial proteins (e.g., hydrophobin-based scaffolds) that localize to gas–liquid interfaces. The system is designed as a drop-in module compatible with existing infrastructure.
Key Advantages:
- Reduced operating costs through lower reagent consumption
- Improved recovery from low-grade and dilute streams
- Lower water use and waste generation
- Minimal capital disruption via integration with established circuits
- Platform flexibility across multiple critical minerals
Market Applications:
- Mining & Hydrometallurgical Processing
- Critical Materials & Strategic Metals Supply Chains
- Battery & Electrification Materials
- Semiconductor & Advanced Electronics Materials
- Industrial Metals Refining & Recycling
- Environmental & Water Treatment
- Defense & National Security Supply Chains
Development Status: TRL 3
US patent application pending
LA-UR-26-23312
LANL Tech Partnerships: Unlock the Innovative Potential
Los Alamos National Laboratory offers a wide range of cutting-edge technologies and capabilities that may provide your company with a competitive edge in the market and unlock the innovative potential that can enhance, refine, and revolutionize your products.
LANL’s licensing program focuses on moving inventions developed by our researchers to commercial innovations. Patented and patent pending inventions and copyrighted software are available to existing and start-up companies through exclusive and non-exclusive licensing agreements. For specific discussions, please contact contact@example.gov.
Note: This is not a call for external services for the development of this technology.
https://www.lanl.gov/engage/collaboration/feynman-center/partner-with-us/licensing-technology
m.lanl.gov/tech-search
More opportunities from Department Of Energy → Triad - DOE Contractor
Same awarding agency
Earlier notices in this NAICS code
Posted before this notice, open and closed
Find Active Opportunities Like This
Get AI-powered intelligence on the opportunities still open
Every page of the solicitation package shredded into a compliance breakdown
AI-powered matching based on your capabilities and past performance
Competitor and incumbent history on the requirement
Automated alerts on amendments, Q&A deadlines, and award
Join 750+ contractors already using CLEATUS