UK scientists’ protein membranes for cleaner lithium: DLE implications for mine planners
Reviewed by Tom Sullivan

First reported on MINING.com
30 Second Briefing
UK researchers led by the University of Birmingham have secured £6.2 million from the UK’s Advanced Research and Invention Agency to develop protein-based membranes that can selectively separate lithium from sodium for high-purity battery-grade compounds. The three-year project will engineer S‑layer proteins into large-area membranes with uniform, programmable pores, combining AI-guided protein design by Fold9, membrane scale-up and testing by Evove, and high-throughput variant screening by Adaptyv Bio. Success would provide lithium producers with a new DLE route, contingent on achieving industrial-scale durability and consistent separation performance outside the lab.
Technical Brief
- S-layer proteins are being re-engineered into 2D lattices forming uniformly sized ion-selective pores.
- ARIA funding sits within its Universal Fabricators programme, focused on protein-based manufacturing building blocks.
- Fold9 leads AI-guided protein sequence design to tune pore geometry and ion-binding behaviour.
- Evove is responsible for membrane fabrication, scale-up and performance testing under realistic brine operating conditions.
- Adaptyv Bio supplies high-throughput screening, enabling evaluation of thousands of protein variants for Li/Na selectivity.
- Research methods integrate computational protein design, structural biology, experimental screening, protein production and membrane characterisation.
Our Take
The University of Birmingham already features in our database for campus-scale sustainability and life-science infrastructure work, which suggests this lithium and sodium separation research is being embedded in a broader institutional push on low-impact technologies rather than as a stand-alone lab initiative.
Within the 96 keyword-matched lithium and sodium pieces in our coverage, most focus on brine or hard-rock extraction projects, so a UK-based biology-led route positions this work in a niche space that could appeal to European OEMs seeking lower-footprint, non-brine supply options.
The £6.2-million ARIA-backed programme in the United Kingdom signals that early-stage bio-based battery-materials processing is starting to attract public innovation capital at a scale comparable to pilot mining projects, which may give UK start-ups like Fold9 and Evove leverage when negotiating future industrial or automotive partnerships.
Prepared by collating external sources, AI-assisted tools, and Geomechanics.io’s proprietary mining database, then reviewed for technical accuracy & edited by our geotechnical team.
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