umthombo:omusha

Izakhi zomhlaba ezingavamile(ama-REE) afanai-lanthanumfuthii-neodymiumziyizingxenye ezibalulekile zezinto zikagesi zesimanje, kusukela komakhalekhukhwini namaphaneli elanga kuya kumasathelayithi nezimoto zikagesi. Lezi zinsimbi ezisindayo zenzeka nxazonke zethu, nakuba ngamanani amancane. Kodwa isidingo siyaqhubeka sikhuphuka futhi ngenxa yokuthi zenzeka ezindaweni eziphansi kangako, izindlela ezivamile zokukhipha ama-REE zingase zingasebenzi kahle, zingcolise imvelo, futhi zibe yingozi empilweni yabasebenzi.

Manje, ngoxhaso lwe-Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Environmental Microbes njengohlelo lwe-BioEngineering Resource (EMBER), abacwaningi baseSan Diego State University bakha izindlela ezithuthukisiwe zokukhipha ngenhloso yokuthuthukisa ukuhlinzekwa kwama-REEs ekhaya.

"Sizama ukuthuthukisa inqubo entsha yokululama ehambisana nemvelo futhi esimeme," kusho isazi sezinto eziphilayo kanye nomphenyi oyinhloko uMarina Kalyuzhnaya.

Ukwenza lokhu, abacwaningi bazongena ekuthambekeni kwemvelo kwamabhaktheriya asebenzisa i-methane ahlala ezimeni ezimbi kakhulu ukuze athwebule ama-REE emvelweni.

"Zidinga izakhi zomhlaba ezingavamile ukuze zenze enye yezindlela eziyinhloko zokusabela kwe-enzymatic ezindleleni zazo ze-metabolic," kusho uKalyuzhnaya.

Ama-REE afaka izinto eziningi ze-lanthanide zethebula le-periodic. Ngokubambisana neNyuvesi yaseCalifornia, iBerkeley kanye nePacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), abacwaningi be-SDSU bahlela ukuhlehlisa izinqubo zebhayoloji ezivumela amagciwane ukuthi avune izinsimbi endaweni ezungezile. Ukuqonda le nqubo kuzokwazisa ukudalwa kwamaphrotheni omklami wokwenziwa ahlanganisa ukucaciswa okuphezulu ezinhlotsheni ezahlukene zama-lanthanides, ngokusho kwesazi samakhemikhali ezinto eziphilayo u-John Love. Ithimba le-PNNL lizohlonza izakhi zofuzo zebhaktheriya enqwabelanayo ye-extremophilic kanye ne-REE, bese libonisa ukuthi lithatha i-REE.

Ithimba lizobe seliguqula amagciwane ukuze akhiqize amaprotheni abopha insimbi ebusweni bamaseli awo, kusho u-Love.

Ama-REE maningi uma kuqhathaniswa emisileni yezimayini, udoti wensimbi ethile, njenge-aluminium.

“Izinsalela zemayini empeleni ziyimfucuza esenazo izinto eziningi eziwusizo kuyo,” kusho uKalyuzhnaya.

Ukuze kuhlanzwe futhi kuqoqwe ama-REE ngaphakathi, lawa ma-slurries amanzi namadwala agxotshiwe azoqhutshwa ngesihlungi se-bio esiqukethe amagciwane aguquliwe, okuvumela amaphrotheni abaklami angaphezulu kwebhaktheriya ukuthi abophe ngokukhetha ama-REE. Njengamagciwane athanda i-methane asebenza njengezifanekiso zawo, amagciwane athuthukisiwe azobekezelela ukweqisa kwe-pH, izinga lokushisa kanye nosawoti, izimo ezitholakala emisileni yezimayini.

Abacwaningi bazosebenzisana nozakwethu wemboni, i-Palo Alto Research Center (PARC), inkampani ye-Xerox, ukwenza i-bioprint i-porous, i-sorbent material ezosetshenziswa ku-biofilter. Lobu buchwepheshe be-bioprinting buyizindleko eziphansi futhi buyahlaziywa futhi kulindeleke ukuthi buphumele ekongeni okukhulu uma busetshenziswa kabanzi ekubuyiseni amaminerali.

Ngokungeziwe ekuhloleni nasekulungiseleleni isihlungi sezinto eziphilayo, ithimba kuzodingeka futhi lithuthukise izindlela zokuqoqa ama-lanthanide ahlanziwe kusihlungi sezinto eziphilayo ngokwaso, ngokusho kukanjiniyela wezemvelo uChristy Dykstra. Abacwaningi bahlanganyele nenkampani yokuqala, i-Phoenix Tailings, ukuhlola nokuhlunga inqubo yokutakula.

Ngenxa yokuthi umgomo uwukuthuthukisa inqubo esebenzisekayo yezohwebo kodwa ehambisana nemvelo yokukhipha ama-REE, i-Dykstra kanye nozakwethu abambalwa bephrojekthi bazohlaziya izindleko zesistimu ngokuqhathaniswa nobunye ubuchwepheshe bokubuyisela ama-lanthanide, kodwa kanye nomthelela wemvelo.

“Silindele ukuthi kuzoba nezinzuzo eziningi ngokwezemvelo kanye nezindleko eziphansi zamandla uma kuqhathaniswa nalokhu esisetshenziswa njengamanje,” kusho uDykstra. “Uhlelo olufana nalolu lungaba uhlelo lokucutshungulwa kwe-biofiltration, olunokufakwa kwamandla amancane. Bese-ke, ngokwethiyori, ukusetshenziswa okuncane kwezincibilikisi eziyingozi emvelweni nezinto ezinjalo. Izinqubo eziningi zamanje zizosebenzisa izincibilikisi ezinokhahlo nezingezona imvelo.”

I-Dykstra iphawula nokuthi njengoba amagciwane eziphindaphinda, ubuchwepheshe obusekelwe kumagciwane buyazivuselela, “kanti uma besingasebenzisa indlela yamakhemikhali, bekuzodingeka siqhubeke sikhiqiza amakhemikhali engeziwe.”

"Ngisho noma izobiza kancane, kodwa ayilimazi imvelo, lokho kungaba nengqondo," kusho uKalyuzhnaya.

Umgomo wephrojekthi exhaswe yi-DARPA ukunikeza ubufakazi bomqondo wobuchwepheshe bokubuyisela kabusha i-REE obuqhutshwa yi-bio eminyakeni emine, u-Kalyuzhnaya athi uzodinga umbono wamasu kanye nombono wokuqondiswa kwezigwegwe.

Ubuye wengeza ngokuthi le phrojekthi izonikeza abafundi abaphothule i-SDSU ithuba lokubamba iqhaza ocwaningweni lwemikhakha eminingi “futhi babone ukuthi imiqondo ingakhula kanjani emibonweni nje yonke indlela yokuvivinya imibukiso.”

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Isikhathi sokuthumela: Apr-17-2023