Greg Bowman presented the keynote address at the 2026 Partner Forum where experts from across the R&D spectrum discussed how to build a stronger domestic supply chain for critical minerals. Photo by Joe DelNero, National Laboratory of the Rockies/
At 2026 Partner Forum, Industry, Academia, Government, and Researchers Convene To Talk U.S. Supply Strangleholds, Modern Mining, and Optimism If you drive through one of the western-most points of West Texas—about 85 miles east of El Paso County—you might spot a rounded brown mountain in the empty dust sprawl alongside … [continued]
Researchers from the National Laboratory of the Rockies and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory are cataloging proteins that can bind to rare earth elements, supporting critical mineral production in the United States. Shawn Laursen, a bioengineering postdoctoral researcher, prepares a protein sample for purification. Photo by Josh Bauer, National Laboratory of the Rockies.
Bioprospecting Tool Could Boost Critical Mineral Refining By Anna Squires Throughout the 1800s, naturalists journeyed to far-flung corners of the world to catalog birds, mammals, minerals, and plants. Now, a team of U.S. researchers is assembling a catalog of their own: an atlas of naturally occurring proteins capable of binding … [continued]
Companies Need Critical Minerals for Electronics, Medical Equipment, Crops, and More. These 3 Techniques (and Others) Could Make Some Easier To Get. “The Fast Lane” series zooms in on some of the thousands of technologies born in national laboratories that companies can license today. This iteration focuses on tools and … [continued]
New IEA report highlights growing mismatch between accelerating use of rare earths across a wide range of technologies and slow pace of supply diversification globally. Rare earth elements are moving rapidly to the forefront of global policy making for energy, transport, advanced manufacturing and digital technologies as demand continues to … [continued]
A new, 3-D printed, reusable sponge-like cartridge can soak up critical minerals from domestic mining, industrial, and electronic waste.
A team searches for seaweed samples on the shore of Moira Bay, Alaska. Photo by Stefanie Van Wychen, NREL.
Some Seaweeds Accumulate Critical Minerals. NREL Scientists Are Studying Which Ones Do It Best Seaweed: the phyto(mining) frontier? Puns aside, seaweed is emerging as a surprising mining source. NREL chemist Stefanie Van Wychen and a team of five departed Juneau, Alaska, on an early spring—and surprisingly green—April morning. The crew … [continued]
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) made enormous progress supporting the growth of critical mineral and material supply chains under President Joe Biden and Democrats in Congress. After some delays and uncertainty with regard to support of this industry, the Trump administration is now continuing the support. The DOE has … [continued]
From technologies for extracting rare earth elements from plants to advanced membranes for water filtration, and from vertical-axis wind turbines to next-generation, long-lived flywheel energy storage, innovators bring exciting ideas to the fourth cohort of West Gate—NREL’s Lab-Embedded Entrepreneurship Program. “We are supporting the vast landscape of energy technologies that … [continued]
Whether electric vehicles or gas-powered cars, production could come to a grinding halt in the US and Europe soon. Word on the street is that the escalating trade combativeness between the West and China has led to China putting restrictions on rare earth minerals and magnets. China controls more than … [continued]
ChatGPT generated panoramic image of a battery farm with the atomic symbols of critical minerals floating above it
Recently I had the opportunity to sit down with Gavin Mudd, director of the centre for critical minerals intelligence with the British Geological Survey. He’s been doing leading research with global collaborators on how much of what resources we can actually get at. Below is the first half of our … [continued]
