ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Damian Palin - Biological miner
Damian Palin is developing a way to use bacteria to biologically "mine" minerals from water -- specifically, out of the brine left over from the desalinization process.

Why you should listen

Research engineer Damian Palin has long been fascinated by the process of biomineralization–with particular attention on the mechanisms involved for mineral precipitation. At the Singapore Institute of Manufacturing Technology (in collaboration with Nanyang Technical University, Singapore), he conducts experiments to assess the ability of microorganisms to mine selected minerals out of seawater desalination brine. This study was based on compelling and burgeoning evidence from the field of geomicrobiology, which shows the ubiquitous role that microorganisms play in the cycling of minerals on the planet. 

He says: "It is my aim to continue to research in the field of biomineralization, while exploring the mechanisms responsible for mild energetic mineral (including metal) precipitation for the production of mineral composites."

Read our in-depth Q&A with Damian Palin >>

More profile about the speaker
Damian Palin | Speaker | TED.com
TED2012

Damian Palin: Mining minerals from seawater

Damian Palin: 从海水中开采矿物质

Filmed:
1,002,297 views

这个世界需要干净的水,而我们开始更多的从海洋中抽水,脱盐并饮用它。但我们拿剩下的浓盐水怎么办?在这个短小有趣的演讲中,TED 成员 Damian Palin 提出了一个想法: 和吸收金属的细胞合作,从中提取其他我们需要的矿物质。
- Biological miner
Damian Palin is developing a way to use bacteria to biologically "mine" minerals from water -- specifically, out of the brine left over from the desalinization process. Full bio

Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.

00:16
I collaborate合作 with bacteria.
0
312
2138
我和细菌们合作。
00:18
And I'm about to show显示 you
1
2450
882
而我即将向你们展示
00:19
some stop-motion停止运动 footage镜头 that I made制作 recently最近
2
3332
2180
一些我最近拍摄的
00:21
where you'll你会 see bacteria accumulating积累 minerals矿物质
3
5512
2234
关于细菌如何在一个小时里从周围环境
00:23
from their environment环境
4
7746
1550
累积矿物质的单格片段。
00:25
over the period of an hour小时.
5
9296
1934
累积矿物质的单格片段。
00:27
So what you're seeing眼看 here
6
11230
1365
你看到的
00:28
is the bacteria metabolizing代谢,
7
12595
2218
是细菌的新陈代谢,
00:30
and as they do so
8
14813
1199
在这个过程中
00:31
they create创建 an electrical电动 charge收费.
9
16012
1606
它们产生了电流。
00:33
And this attracts吸引 metals金属
10
17618
2333
而电流会吸引周围的金属。
00:35
from their local本地 environment环境.
11
19951
2167
而电流会吸引周围的金属。
00:38
And these metals金属 accumulate积累 as minerals矿物质
12
22118
2917
这些金属会以矿物质的形式
00:40
on the surface表面 of the bacteria.
13
25035
1917
积覆在细菌上。
00:42
One of the most pervasive无处不在 problems问题
14
26952
2167
今天的世界最普遍的问题之一
00:45
in the world世界 today今天 for people
15
29119
1749
今天的世界最普遍的问题之一
00:46
is inadequate不足 access访问
16
30868
1417
便是缺乏干净的饮用水。
00:48
to clean清洁 drinking water.
17
32285
1751
便是缺乏干净的饮用水。
00:49
And the desalination海水淡化 process处理
18
34036
1666
海水淡化的工序
00:51
is one where we take out salts.
19
35702
1784
让我们过滤掉海水里的盐分。
00:53
We can use it for drinking and agriculture农业.
20
37486
2515
这种水可以用来饮用或者灌溉农田。
00:55
Removing删除 the salts from water --
21
40001
2085
通过反向过滤
00:57
particularly尤其 seawater海水 --
22
42086
1261
从水中 ,特别是海水中
00:59
through通过 reverse相反 osmosis渗透
23
43347
1604
移除盐分
01:00
is a critical危急 technique技术
24
44951
1318
是一个无比重要的技术。
01:02
for countries国家 who do not have access访问 to clean清洁 drinking water
25
46269
3232
这对那些没有办法获取干净的饮用水的国家。
01:05
around the globe地球.
26
49501
1119
尤为重要。
01:06
So seawater海水 reverse相反 osmosis渗透
27
50620
1464
海水反向过滤是一种使用隔膜过滤的技术。
01:07
is a membrane-filtration膜过滤 technology技术.
28
52084
2167
海水反向过滤是一种使用隔膜过滤的技术。
01:10
We take the water from the sea
29
54251
2570
我们抽取海水并施以压力,
01:12
and we apply应用 pressure压力.
30
56821
1531
我们抽取海水并施以压力,
01:14
And this pressure压力 forces军队 the seawater海水
31
58352
2924
而这个压力强迫海水通过隔膜。
01:17
through通过 a membrane.
32
61276
1300
而这个压力强迫海水通过隔膜。
01:18
This takes energy能源,
33
62576
1435
这是通过消耗能量来得到干净的水。
01:19
producing生产 clean清洁 water.
34
64011
2532
这是通过消耗能量来得到干净的水。
01:22
But we're also left with a concentrated集中 salt solution, or brine盐水.
35
66543
3701
但我们同时也有很浓的盐水剩下。
01:26
But the process处理 is very expensive昂贵
36
70244
1413
而且整个过程非常的昂贵,
01:27
and it's cost-prohibitive成本过高 for many许多 countries国家 around the globe地球.
37
71657
2634
它高昂的代价吓退了世界上很多的国家。
01:30
And also, the brine盐水 that's produced生成
38
74291
1782
不仅如此,产生的浓盐水常常被直接送回海洋中。
01:31
is oftentimes通常情况下 just pumped back out into the sea.
39
76073
2884
不仅如此,产生的浓盐水常常被直接送回海洋中。
01:34
And this is detrimental有害 to the local本地 ecology生态
40
78957
2548
对当地的海洋生态有破坏性的影响,
01:37
of the sea area that it's pumped back out into.
41
81505
2435
对当地的海洋生态有破坏性的影响,
01:39
So I work in Singapore新加坡 at the moment时刻,
42
83940
2016
我现在在新加坡工作,
01:41
and this is a place地点 that's really a leading领导 place地点
43
85956
2767
这是现在在脱盐科技领于领先位置的地方。
01:44
for desalination海水淡化 technology技术.
44
88723
2001
这是现在在脱盐科技处于领先位置的地方。
01:46
And Singapore新加坡 proposes建议 by 2060
45
90724
2550
新加坡计划在2060年之前
01:49
to produce生产 [900] million百万 liters per day
46
93274
3099
达到每天生产9亿升的脱盐水的目标。
01:52
of desalinated淡化 water.
47
96373
1833
达到每天生产9亿升的脱盐水的目标。
01:54
But this will produce生产 an equally一样 massive大规模的 amount
48
98206
3350
但这同时也会生产出同样大量的浓盐水。
01:57
of desalination海水淡化 brine盐水.
49
101556
1753
但这同时也会生产出同样大量的浓盐水。
01:59
And this is where my collaboration合作 with bacteria comes into play.
50
103309
3198
而这就是我和细菌合作的开始。
02:02
So what we're doing at the moment时刻
51
106507
1949
我们现在正在做的
02:04
is we're accumulating积累 metals金属
52
108456
2666
便是从浓盐水中累积像钙、钾和镁的一样的金属。
02:07
like calcium, potassium and magnesium
53
111122
1984
便是从浓盐水中累积像钙、钾和镁的一样的金属。
02:09
from out of desalination海水淡化 brine盐水.
54
113106
2234
便是从浓盐水中累积像钙、钾和镁的一样的金属。
02:11
And this, in terms条款 of magnesium
55
115340
2282
而这……就拿镁来说吧。
02:13
and the amount of water that I just mentioned提到,
56
117622
2550
通过处理9亿升的浓盐水,
02:16
equates相当于 to a $4.5 billion十亿
57
120172
2950
我们能生产价值45亿美元的镁。
02:19
mining矿业 industry行业 for Singapore新加坡 --
58
123122
2399
而新加坡本身
02:21
a place地点 that doesn't have any natural自然 resources资源.
59
125537
2534
是一个没有任何自然资源的地方。
02:23
So I'd like you to image图片 a mining矿业 industry行业
60
128071
2650
所以我希望你们可以想象一个
02:26
in a way that one hasn't有没有 existed存在 before;
61
130721
2089
前所未有的矿业;
02:28
imagine想像 a mining矿业 industry行业
62
132810
2166
想象一个不需要污损地球土地的矿业;
02:30
that doesn't mean defiling玷污 the Earth地球;
63
134976
2267
想象一个不需要污损地球土地的矿物业;
02:33
imagine想像 bacteria helping帮助 us do this
64
137243
2111
想象细菌帮我们从浓盐水中
02:35
by accumulating积累 and precipitating沉淀
65
139354
3472
想象细菌帮我们从浓盐水中
02:38
and sedimenting沉降 minerals矿物质
66
142826
2417
累积、凝结以及沉淀矿物质。
02:41
out of desalination海水淡化 brine盐水.
67
145243
1849
累积、凝结以及沉淀矿物质。
02:42
And what you can see here
68
147092
1418
而你现在可以看到的是
02:44
is the beginning开始 of an industry行业 in a test测试 tube,
69
148510
2482
一个从试管中升起的行业,
02:46
a mining矿业 industry行业 that is in harmony和谐 with nature性质.
70
150992
3350
一个和自然和谐共存的矿业。
02:50
Thank you.
71
154342
1351
谢谢。
02:51
(Applause掌声)
72
155693
3632
(掌声)
Translated by Zhenwei Huang
Reviewed by Tyler Yan

▲Back to top

ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Damian Palin - Biological miner
Damian Palin is developing a way to use bacteria to biologically "mine" minerals from water -- specifically, out of the brine left over from the desalinization process.

Why you should listen

Research engineer Damian Palin has long been fascinated by the process of biomineralization–with particular attention on the mechanisms involved for mineral precipitation. At the Singapore Institute of Manufacturing Technology (in collaboration with Nanyang Technical University, Singapore), he conducts experiments to assess the ability of microorganisms to mine selected minerals out of seawater desalination brine. This study was based on compelling and burgeoning evidence from the field of geomicrobiology, which shows the ubiquitous role that microorganisms play in the cycling of minerals on the planet. 

He says: "It is my aim to continue to research in the field of biomineralization, while exploring the mechanisms responsible for mild energetic mineral (including metal) precipitation for the production of mineral composites."

Read our in-depth Q&A with Damian Palin >>

More profile about the speaker
Damian Palin | Speaker | TED.com