• Sesuvium portulacastrum is a hyperaccumulator of key metals including gold, silver, copper, and lithium
• Metal uptake is significantly higher in seaweed grown in polluted/brackish water compared to clean marine environments
• Conventional chemical extraction methods were unsuccessful due to the complex multi-metal profile of the biomass

BPH Global Ltd (ASX: BP8) has successfully completed its initial six-month research and development (R&D) program into the identification and potential extraction of precious and rare earth minerals from seaweed. The program was conducted by Temasek Innovation Holdings Pte Ltd (TPIH) in collaboration with the company's Singapore-based R&D consultant Gaia Mariculture Pte Ltd. The final assay results confirm that Sesuvium portulacastrum, a halophy tic seaweed species, is a hyperaccumulator of several high-value metals, including gold, silver, copper, and lithium. These metals were consistently detected in moderately high to high concentrations across four separate samplings, with levels ranging between 5.23 and 81.32 milligrams per kilogram of dry biomass. The findings also confirm the robust adaptability of Sesuvium, capable of thriving in a broad range of salinity and habitat conditions, which bodes well for future deployment across diverse coastal regions. While metal uptake by the biomass has been confirmed, the separation and extraction of specific metals from the dissolved biomass has proven more complex. Using conventional chemical reagent-based techniques to isolate and extract gold from the aqueous solution produced by dissolved seaweed was unsuccessful. As a result, the company and TPIH will now treat the seaweed biomass as 'bio-ore' and shift focus to biological extraction techniques, with a new six-month R&D program under negotiation involving a specialist biology team to lead development of selective extraction processes.

The company's key forward initiatives include finalizing a new six-month R&D agreement with TPIH focused on biological extraction, deploying a new research team within TPIH with appropriate biological and microbiological expertise, initial testing of microbial-assisted extraction processes on Sesuvium biomass samples, exploration of potential partnerships or commercial interest in 'bio-ore' solutions for metal recovery, and continuation of seaweed sourcing from strategic locations with known mineral-rich marine waters.