Genome BC, BRIMM biomining partnership aims to de-risk genomic tools development

[Ben Graham]

A new partnership between Genome British Columbia (Genome BC) and the University of British Columbia (UBC) Bradshaw Research Institute for Minerals and Mining (BRIMM) aims to grow BC’s local expertise in biomining while demonstrating how biological tools can solve industry challenges.   

Genome BC Interim President and CEO, Tony Brooks, and UBC BRIMM Director John Steen. Submitted image.  

Supported by an investment of up to C$1 million over three years, this collaboration aims to bridge the gap between academic research and industrial implementation.  

It will expand training and support research that develops practical examples of how these technologies can work on the ground, Genome BC said.  

At its core is biomining: the use of microorganisms to extract metals from mineral ores and waste streams. This biological approach allows companies to recover valuable materials from low-grade ores and treat complex waste, including tailings and polluted water, that traditional chemical or mechanical processes cannot efficiently manage. 

“For BC to remain a competitive leader in the global energy transition, our mining sector must adopt technologies that are both economically viable and environmentally responsible,” Genome BC CEO Tony Brooks said in a news release. 

 “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 ensure a more sustainable bioeconomy,” Brooks said.  

Demonstrating the value of biomining   

The partnership is strategically integrated with the Rio Tinto Centre for Future Materials (RTCFM), which received a C$150 million investment over 10 years to advance early-stage platform technologies. Through this synergy, research projects within the Biomining Innovation Partnership will be considered for co-funding via the RTCFM’s “Grand Challenges” selection process.  

This alignment ensures that research conducted at UBC is directly informed by the real-world operational needs of global mining leaders, Genome BC said.  

“The mining industry is at a critical juncture where existing deposits are being depleted, and new locations require increasingly complex extraction methods and attention to environmental concerns,” UBC BRIMM Director Dr. John Steen said.  

“This partnership with Genome BC allows us to expand our research objectives and build the genomics capacity required to solve the mining sector’s most pressing metallurgical and environmental challenges.”