#TIL über Phytomining
Genomines estimates that about 30 to 40 million hectares of land across the globe contain enough nickel for their phytomining processes to prove enough nickel for the world’s EV needs, at 7-14 times the amount currently being mined
October 5, 2025 at 7:53 AM
#TIL über Phytomining
Critical Minerals? There’s a Plant for That
Could phytomining—using plants to pull metal out of the soil—put the green in “green transition”?
by @sarahdeweerdt.bsky.social
www.biographic.com/critical-min...
Could phytomining—using plants to pull metal out of the soil—put the green in “green transition”?
by @sarahdeweerdt.bsky.social
www.biographic.com/critical-min...
Critical Minerals? There’s a Plant for That - bioGraphic
Could phytomining—using plants to pull metal out of the soil—put the green in “green transition”?
www.biographic.com
November 6, 2025 at 2:06 PM
Critical Minerals? There’s a Plant for That
Could phytomining—using plants to pull metal out of the soil—put the green in “green transition”?
by @sarahdeweerdt.bsky.social
www.biographic.com/critical-min...
Could phytomining—using plants to pull metal out of the soil—put the green in “green transition”?
by @sarahdeweerdt.bsky.social
www.biographic.com/critical-min...
The Department of Energy’s Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy announced up to $10 million in funding for phytomining research.
Phytomining is the ability of some plants to suck metals like nickel from the earth is called.
Phytomining is the ability of some plants to suck metals like nickel from the earth is called.
How Metal-Absorbing Plants Could Make Mining Greener
Plants called “hyperaccumulators” have evolved to absorb high levels of metals. Scientists want to harness them for greener metal mining.
buff.ly
December 4, 2024 at 2:17 PM
The Department of Energy’s Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy announced up to $10 million in funding for phytomining research.
Phytomining is the ability of some plants to suck metals like nickel from the earth is called.
Phytomining is the ability of some plants to suck metals like nickel from the earth is called.
Some hopeful sci-fi science. There is a class of plants called hyperaccumulators, which can absorb heavy metals from soils and store them in their biomass. Planting and harvesting them for the metals (phytomining) may be an interesting soil reclamation strategy. 🧪
Link: www.mdpi.com/2571-8789/8/...
Link: www.mdpi.com/2571-8789/8/...
July 29, 2025 at 6:47 AM
Some hopeful sci-fi science. There is a class of plants called hyperaccumulators, which can absorb heavy metals from soils and store them in their biomass. Planting and harvesting them for the metals (phytomining) may be an interesting soil reclamation strategy. 🧪
Link: www.mdpi.com/2571-8789/8/...
Link: www.mdpi.com/2571-8789/8/...
Interesting demonstration project for “phytomining” (growing gmo-ed crops to extract nickel from soil…instead of digging it out of mines) in South Africa. Plants concentrating to up to ~8% Ni by weight on otherwise in-arable lands?
www.fastcompany.com/91406694/thi...
www.fastcompany.com/91406694/thi...
September 19, 2025 at 1:46 PM
Interesting demonstration project for “phytomining” (growing gmo-ed crops to extract nickel from soil…instead of digging it out of mines) in South Africa. Plants concentrating to up to ~8% Ni by weight on otherwise in-arable lands?
www.fastcompany.com/91406694/thi...
www.fastcompany.com/91406694/thi...
Metalplant is a start-up that specializes in a technique called phytomining—a method of extracting metals from the soil using plants—which they apply to farming fields of O. chalcidica and harvesting the valuable nickel contained within it. cen.acs.org/business/sta... #chemsky🧪
Metalplant farms nickel instead of mining it
The phytomining start-up is using plants to extract nickel from Albania’s soil
cen.acs.org
March 31, 2025 at 1:45 PM
Metalplant is a start-up that specializes in a technique called phytomining—a method of extracting metals from the soil using plants—which they apply to farming fields of O. chalcidica and harvesting the valuable nickel contained within it. cen.acs.org/business/sta... #chemsky🧪
SO pleased to see my @biographic.bsky.social piece on phytomining reprinted in @thetyee.ca!
How ‘Phytomining’ Could Put the Green in the Green Transition
Using plants to pull metal out of soil could help curb environmental destruction and human rights abuses.
thetyee.ca/News/2026/01...
Using plants to pull metal out of soil could help curb environmental destruction and human rights abuses.
thetyee.ca/News/2026/01...
How ‘Phytomining’ Could Put the Green in the Green Transition | The Tyee
Using plants to pull metal out of soil could help curb environmental destruction and human rights abuses.
thetyee.ca
January 7, 2026 at 9:49 PM
SO pleased to see my @biographic.bsky.social piece on phytomining reprinted in @thetyee.ca!
"Several phytomining startups have already begun commercial operations."
Like GenoMines, a French firm, that's using a genetically engineered plant in the daisy family to farm nickel in South Africa.
www.biographic.com/critical-min...
Like GenoMines, a French firm, that's using a genetically engineered plant in the daisy family to farm nickel in South Africa.
www.biographic.com/critical-min...
Critical Minerals? There’s a Plant for That - bioGraphic
Could phytomining—using plants to pull metal out of the soil—put the green in “green transition”?
www.biographic.com
January 24, 2026 at 5:50 AM
"Several phytomining startups have already begun commercial operations."
Like GenoMines, a French firm, that's using a genetically engineered plant in the daisy family to farm nickel in South Africa.
www.biographic.com/critical-min...
Like GenoMines, a French firm, that's using a genetically engineered plant in the daisy family to farm nickel in South Africa.
www.biographic.com/critical-min...
Genomines estimates that about 30 to 40 million hectares of land across the globe contain enough nickel for their phytomining processes to prove enough nickel for the world’s EV needs, at 7-14 times the amount currently being mined
September 28, 2025 at 12:11 AM
Genomines estimates that about 30 to 40 million hectares of land across the globe contain enough nickel for their phytomining processes to prove enough nickel for the world’s EV needs, at 7-14 times the amount currently being mined
Death by a thousand cuts? Why not focus on healing each cut, little by little, suture by suture. Phytomining, the time has arrived: www.biographic.com/critical-min... 🧪
Critical Minerals? There’s a Plant for That - bioGraphic
Could phytomining—using plants to pull metal out of the soil—put the green in “green transition”?
www.biographic.com
November 7, 2025 at 6:13 PM
Death by a thousand cuts? Why not focus on healing each cut, little by little, suture by suture. Phytomining, the time has arrived: www.biographic.com/critical-min... 🧪
Nickel may not grow on trees—but there’s a chance it could someday be mined using plants.
Many plant species naturally soak up metal and concentrate it in their tissues, and new funding will support research on how to use that trait for plant-based mining, or phytomining.
Many plant species naturally soak up metal and concentrate it in their tissues, and new funding will support research on how to use that trait for plant-based mining, or phytomining.
How plants could mine metals from the soil
Phytomining could unlock the nickel soaked up and held inside certain plants.
www.technologyreview.com
September 6, 2024 at 1:35 PM
Nickel may not grow on trees—but there’s a chance it could someday be mined using plants.
Many plant species naturally soak up metal and concentrate it in their tissues, and new funding will support research on how to use that trait for plant-based mining, or phytomining.
Many plant species naturally soak up metal and concentrate it in their tissues, and new funding will support research on how to use that trait for plant-based mining, or phytomining.
Read more about alpine pennycress and its role in the emerging field of "phytomining" in:
Critical Minerals? There’s a Plant for That
www.biographic.com/critical-min...
Critical Minerals? There’s a Plant for That
www.biographic.com/critical-min...
Critical Minerals? There’s a Plant for That - bioGraphic
Could phytomining—using plants to pull metal out of the soil—put the green in “green transition”?
www.biographic.com
November 6, 2025 at 8:36 PM
Read more about alpine pennycress and its role in the emerging field of "phytomining" in:
Critical Minerals? There’s a Plant for That
www.biographic.com/critical-min...
Critical Minerals? There’s a Plant for That
www.biographic.com/critical-min...
Love reprints, love syndication, love more eyeballs seeing the work we spend so much energy and effort producing.
@sarahdeweerdt.bsky.social's piece on phytomining was picked up by @motherjones.com:
www.motherjones.com/environment/...
@sarahdeweerdt.bsky.social's piece on phytomining was picked up by @motherjones.com:
www.motherjones.com/environment/...
These special plants accumulate critical metals without destructive mining
"Phytomining" is no panacea, but it could make the transition to clean energy a bit more sustainable.
www.motherjones.com
November 17, 2025 at 4:00 PM
Love reprints, love syndication, love more eyeballs seeing the work we spend so much energy and effort producing.
@sarahdeweerdt.bsky.social's piece on phytomining was picked up by @motherjones.com:
www.motherjones.com/environment/...
@sarahdeweerdt.bsky.social's piece on phytomining was picked up by @motherjones.com:
www.motherjones.com/environment/...
Vanadium, tungsten, and aluminum create incredibly strong heat resistant materials perfect for reactors and space vehicles.
Coupled with Synacran Mycelial tech, and the use of hyper-accumulating for phytomining (plants absorb metal from the soil), they solved their metal rarity issue.
2/2
Coupled with Synacran Mycelial tech, and the use of hyper-accumulating for phytomining (plants absorb metal from the soil), they solved their metal rarity issue.
2/2
January 29, 2026 at 7:23 AM
Vanadium, tungsten, and aluminum create incredibly strong heat resistant materials perfect for reactors and space vehicles.
Coupled with Synacran Mycelial tech, and the use of hyper-accumulating for phytomining (plants absorb metal from the soil), they solved their metal rarity issue.
2/2
Coupled with Synacran Mycelial tech, and the use of hyper-accumulating for phytomining (plants absorb metal from the soil), they solved their metal rarity issue.
2/2
Hyperaccumulating plants can become as much as 5% metal by weight. In the emerging field of phytomining, scientists and industrialists are learning to extract these valuable metals in a way that is much gentler on the landscape than conventional mining.
www.biographic.com/critical-min...
www.biographic.com/critical-min...
Critical Minerals? There’s a Plant for That - bioGraphic
Could phytomining—using plants to pull metal out of the soil—put the green in “green transition”?
www.biographic.com
November 10, 2025 at 5:13 PM
Hyperaccumulating plants can become as much as 5% metal by weight. In the emerging field of phytomining, scientists and industrialists are learning to extract these valuable metals in a way that is much gentler on the landscape than conventional mining.
www.biographic.com/critical-min...
www.biographic.com/critical-min...
That is so cool! I know about phytomining but mycomining is a new one.
February 9, 2026 at 2:30 PM
That is so cool! I know about phytomining but mycomining is a new one.
Traditional metal mining uses chemicals and heat to extract metals from ores that naturally want to hold on to them. Phytomining, on the other hand, allows plants to do most of the work of extraction, reducing the energy input required. cen.acs.org/business/sta...
Metalplant farms nickel instead of mining it
The phytomining start-up is using plants to extract nickel from Albania’s soil
cen.acs.org
April 7, 2025 at 12:38 PM
Traditional metal mining uses chemicals and heat to extract metals from ores that naturally want to hold on to them. Phytomining, on the other hand, allows plants to do most of the work of extraction, reducing the energy input required. cen.acs.org/business/sta...
How 'Phytomining' Could Put the Green in the Green Transition via @thetyee.ca thetyee.ca/News/2026/01...
How ‘Phytomining’ Could Put the Green in the Green Transition | The Tyee
Using plants to pull metal out of soil could help curb environmental destruction and human rights abuses.
thetyee.ca
January 1, 2026 at 4:39 PM
How 'Phytomining' Could Put the Green in the Green Transition via @thetyee.ca thetyee.ca/News/2026/01...
Wir könnten diese Seltenen Erden auch mit Phytomining bei uns in nicht unwesentlicher Menge einfach "farmen".
Aber wir haben eine wissenschaftsfeindliche Regierung, die lieber fossilen Despoten und Autokraten versucht in den Hintern zu steigen, als selbigen einfach zu lüpfen.
Aber wir haben eine wissenschaftsfeindliche Regierung, die lieber fossilen Despoten und Autokraten versucht in den Hintern zu steigen, als selbigen einfach zu lüpfen.
September 18, 2026 at 5:45 PM
Wir könnten diese Seltenen Erden auch mit Phytomining bei uns in nicht unwesentlicher Menge einfach "farmen".
Aber wir haben eine wissenschaftsfeindliche Regierung, die lieber fossilen Despoten und Autokraten versucht in den Hintern zu steigen, als selbigen einfach zu lüpfen.
Aber wir haben eine wissenschaftsfeindliche Regierung, die lieber fossilen Despoten und Autokraten versucht in den Hintern zu steigen, als selbigen einfach zu lüpfen.
thoughts on hyperaccumulation
di.bearblog.dev/1pg-essays-h...
di.bearblog.dev/1pg-essays-h...
1pg essays: Hyperaccumulating
Admittedly, prior to this essay, I wasn't even aware of the terms "phytomining", "hyperaccumulator", or "metallophyte"—though their existence is fascinating....
di.bearblog.dev
August 22, 2026 at 8:03 PM
thoughts on hyperaccumulation
di.bearblog.dev/1pg-essays-h...
di.bearblog.dev/1pg-essays-h...
TIL about phytomining, pretty solarpunk!
September 16, 2026 at 4:37 AM
TIL about phytomining, pretty solarpunk!
