Wyoming Receives Funding for Rare Earth Energy Research
The $6 million grant supports research into using microbes to process coal waste into minerals essential for national security.
Updated on Oct. 20, 2026 in Energy
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The National Science Foundation has awarded $6 million to the University of Wyoming for research into using microorganisms to extract rare earth elements from coal waste. This research, conducted alongside partners in Alaska and Montana, aims to establish a domestic method for sourcing materials currently dominated by foreign production.
Why it matters
By developing domestic processing capabilities for rare earth elements, this project seeks to improve U.S. national security and economic independence. The initiative addresses the critical reliance on foreign supply chains for minerals essential to modern industry.
Researchers are investigating microbial mineral processing to separate rare earth elements from coal and its byproducts. The team is currently performing mineral characterization to identify parameters including chemical composition, grain size, and cohesive strength.
The players
University of Wyoming
A public research institution in Laramie that performs mineral characterization, including grain size and composition analysis.
National Science Foundation
The federal agency that funded this $6 million research grant through its Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research.
University of Alaska, Anchorage
The lead research institution managing the collaborative study involving Wyoming and Montana partners.
Montana Technological Institute
A technical university in Montana serving as a research partner for the rare earth extraction project.
The details
The process uses specialized bacteria that interact with coal or its remnants to isolate rare earth elements. Scientists then perform mineral characterization to analyze the material's properties, a necessary step to determine if microbial extraction can be scaled beyond the laboratory. This methodology is currently in the research phase as the team works to assess if these biological pathways can effectively replace traditional physical or chemical refining.
Timeline
October 20, 2026: The National Science Foundation announced the grant award.
Over the past decade: China has maintained its position producing about 90% of global rare earth elements.
The Tech Race
The project aims to reduce dependence on a global market where China currently controls roughly 90% of production. It competes against established industrial extraction methods as the team seeks to validate microbial processing as a scalable alternative.
This project is currently in the research phase and does not offer immediate commercial products for Wyoming residents. Future updates will focus on whether the team can successfully prove the economic viability of scaling up this microbial extraction method.
The takeaway
The team is currently in the research stage, working to determine if bacteria can serve as a viable processing agent for coal waste. Stakeholders should monitor future project milestones regarding the economic viability of scaling up microbial mineral processing.
Further reading
For more on the changing landscape of local resource development, see Energy.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Wyoming Public Media.
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Should the U.S. prioritize domestic extraction of rare earth minerals over importing them from other nations?
