We are pleased to share that one of our core delivery partners, the University of British Columbia (UBC) Bradshaw Research Institute for Minerals and Mining (BRIMM), has secured significant new funding from Genome British Columbia (Genome BC) to advance biomining research aligned with the Rio Tinto Centre for Future Materials (RTCFM).
This new investment of up to $1 million over three years builds on our established partnership with UBC BRIMM, one of the main delivery Principal Investigators (PIs) for RTCFM research. It marks an important milestone for the Centre and highlights how RTCFM-supported projects can successfully attract additional external funding to accelerate innovation and real-world impact.
The funding will support a Biomining Innovation Partnership designed to bridge the gap between academic research and industrial implementation. Through this collaboration, we will expand training opportunities and deliver research that demonstrates how biological tools can be applied to real-world mining challenges.
At the heart of the partnership is biomining: the use of microorganisms to extract metals from mineral ores and waste streams. This biological approach enables the recovery of valuable materials from low-grade ores and the treatment of complex waste streams, including tailings and polluted water, that traditional chemical or mechanical processes cannot efficiently manage.
“For the mining sector to remain competitive in the global energy transition, we must adopt technologies that are both economically viable and environmentally responsible,” said Tony Brooks, Interim President and CEO of Genome BC. “By investing in this partnership, we are de-risking the development of genomic tools that allow industry to harness nature’s own processes to capture resources and support a more sustainable bioeconomy.”
Demonstrating the Impact of RTCFM Partnerships
This new funding is closely aligned with RTCFM’s research priorities and Grand Challenges process, ensuring that projects are shaped by real-world operational needs from across the global mining sector.
By demonstrating the value of biomining through collaborative use cases, the partnership also creates a pathway to attract further co-investment from industrial partners and funding bodies — helping scale promising research beyond early-stage development.
Strengthening Leadership in Sustainable Mining
“The mining industry is at a critical juncture where the ‘easy’ deposits are gone, and the remaining resources require more sophisticated extraction methods,” said John Steen, Director of UBC BRIMM. “This partnership with Genome BC and RTCFM allows us to expand our research capacity and streamline the pathway from the lab to the mine site. We are building the genomic infrastructure required to solve the sector’s most pressing metallurgical and environmental challenges.”
As the global mining sector works to reduce its environmental footprint, the ability to harness biological resources — such as microbial strains and gene products — will become an increasingly important competitive advantage.
Through our long-standing partnership with UBC BRIMM and this major funding win from Genome BC, we are accelerating the development of biomining solutions while setting a strong example of how RTCFM projects can leverage external investment to drive greater impact.