University of Massachusetts Amherst scientists using camelina for phytomining

In Massachusetts, University of Massachusetts Amherst scientists are working with Camelina sativa, a member of the mustard family, to enhance a trio of the plant’s superpowers: absorbing trace amounts of the critical mineral nickel from the soil and improving the soil’s fertility, storing that nickel in its biomass where it can be harvested and extracted for use, and, in its seeds, providing a rich source of the oil needed for biofuels.

All plants absorb nutrients and minerals from the soil and incorporate them into their leaves and stems, but there are some, known as “hyperaccumulators,” that have evolved the ability to accumulate specific minerals in staggering quantities. 

It’s only a short step from phytoremediation to phytomining, which is when the hyperaccumulated mineral is then harvested from the plant for use in industrial or manufacturing applications.