Atria University and MiniMines Cleantech Solutions have partnered to establish the MiniMines-AU Laboratory for Sustainable Resource Recovery; a research facility focused on recovering critical metals from spent lithium-ion batteries using artificial intelligence and synthetic biology.

The laboratory, located at Atria University's campus, will bring together Atria University's expertise in artificial intelligence and life sciences with MiniMines' experience in lithium-ion battery recycling, critical mineral recovery and process development to create new resource recovery technologies.

The demand for critical minerals is expected to more than double by 2030, while domestic mining may take over a decade to achieve significant production. Recovering these materials from used batteries could help strengthen India's critical mineral supply chain.

The collaboration aligns with the Government of India's BioE3 (Biotechnology for Economy, Environment and Employment) policy, which promotes bio-based manufacturing and circular economy solutions in strategic sectors, and the National Critical Minerals Mission (NCMM), aimed at establishing a framework for self-reliance in the critical minerals sector.

The laboratory’s first phase will focus on recovering lithium from used lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries. The research will target lithium recovery while preserving high-grade iron phosphate, which can be degraded through conventional chemical recycling methods. The facility will support research activities ranging from microbial cultivation and bioleaching experiments to laboratory-scale validation with the involvement of researchers, faculty and students.

"Securing critical minerals is central to India's clean-energy transition and economic resilience. This partnership demonstrates how industry and academia can build strategic technologies together by combining our strengths in artificial intelligence and life sciences with an industry partner's real-world expertise, ensuring research translates from the laboratory to the ground," said Dr. Madhavan Nair Rajeevan, Vice-Chancellor, Atria University.

“India's transition to clean energy will depend not only on manufacturing batteries but also on securing a sustainable domestic supply of critical minerals. At MiniMines, we believe the future of resource recovery will be driven by a combination of advanced metallurgy, artificial intelligence, and biological innovation. Together with Atria University and its capabilities in AI and life sciences, we aim to accelerate the development of scalable, high-impact solutions for the circular economy," said Mr. Arvind Bhardwaj, CTO, MiniMines Cleantech Solutions.

The laboratory operates under Atria University's SynBioAI initiative, an AI-guided synthetic biology hub. Its research uses SynBioAI's AI platform, which applies specialised AI models to support scientists in developing microbial strains and reducing the time required for biological research.

The partnership will explore microbial processing as a complementary approach to conventional recycling, with the aim of reducing chemical and energy use while recovering metals from complex or low-grade waste. The initiative is expected to contribute to India's critical mineral security and support the development of domestic capabilities in sustainable resource recovery.

MiniMines will assess whether these processes can be scaled up, remain economically viable, and be used in industrial operations. The partnership combines industry knowledge and academic research to develop solutions for recovering critical minerals and improving battery recycling.