Unleashing the potential of biology in mining and enhanced rock weathering by bridging the academic-industry gap

Unleashing the potential of biology in mining and enhanced rock weathering by bridging the academic-industry gap Martin Van Den Berghe, CEO of Cytochrome, along with Jayme Feyhl-Buska and Paul Reginato of Homeworld Collective, explore the potential of biology in mining and enhanced rock weathering by bridging the gap between academia and industry. Rock dissolution is well understood to be a core mechanism in keeping the Earth livable over billions of years. Natural rock weathering is often called “Earth’s thermostat” because it regulates atmospheric carbon dioxide – storing it in the oceans as dissolved bicarbonate and in the geosphere as carbonate rocks. (1) Simultaneously, natural weathering provides dissolved nutrients essential for life. Rock dissolution processes have also long supported human societies and their ability to obtain metals as a critical component of mining and hydrometallurgy.