Hyperaccumulator plants: ecological insights and biotechnological potential for metal recovery and agromining

Tomica Mišljenović, Ph.D

Department of Ecology and Geography of Plants, University of Belgrade

Hyperaccumulator plants represent a rare group, comprising less than 0.2% of all plant species, with the unique ability to accumulate exceptionally high concentrations of metal(loid)s in their tissues without toxicity symptoms. These plants, which occur in different families and around the world, play an important role in understanding plant-metal interactions and offer promising biotechnological applications. In this talk, we will review the diversity of plants that hyperaccumulate metals, the biological mechanisms behind metal hyperaccumulation and their evolutionary advantages. We will also address the methods used to identify new hyperaccumulators, including novel techniques such as XRF herbarium scanning. In addition, the presentation will highlight how hyperaccumulators can be utilised for bioremediation and agromining — to extract valuable metals from soils in a sustainable way. By combining ecological knowledge with modern biotechnology, hyperaccumulators have the potential to reshape metal recovery strategies and contribute to more environmentally friendly mining practises.