Unlocking Value from Hypersaline Water Through Biology

Hypersaline water—water containing salt concentrations far exceeding that of seawater—has long been viewed as a disposal problem or an environmental constraint. At HydroBIND, we see it differently. Hypersaline water represents an underutilized resource, rich in valuable dissolved ions that are increasingly critical to modern agriculture, energy, and manufacturing.

As global pressures on freshwater supplies grow, the ability to responsibly extract value from saline and hypersaline water sources is becoming both an environmental necessity and an economic opportunity.

What Makes Hypersaline Water Unique

Hypersaline water typically contains salt concentrations well above 35 grams per liter and is commonly found in evaporation basins, industrial brines, produced water streams, and natural saline formations. These environments are chemically complex and often hostile to conventional treatment technologies.

What makes hypersaline water especially compelling is not just its salinity—but its ion diversity. Depending on origin, these waters can contain meaningful concentrations of sodium, potassium, magnesium, calcium, lithium, and other ions essential to food systems, energy storage, and industrial supply chains.

The challenge has never been identifying the value. The challenge has been selective, efficient extraction under extreme conditions.

Why Traditional Extraction Struggles at High Salinity

Most conventional ion extraction technologies were not designed for extreme salinity or complex ion mixtures. Methods such as membranes, chemical precipitation, and bulk adsorption can work—but often at the cost of:

• High energy consumption

• Extensive chemical inputs

• Fouling, degradation, or frequent regeneration

• Limited selectivity when multiple ions compete

As salinity increases, these tradeoffs become more pronounced, limiting scalability and economic viability.

HydroBIND’s Biology-First Perspective

HydroBIND approaches hypersaline ion extraction from a different angle—biology instead of brute force.

In nature, proteins routinely operate in chemically extreme environments, performing highly selective tasks with remarkable efficiency. Our work is grounded in the belief that protein-based systems can outperform traditional approaches where salinity, complexity, and selectivity matter most.

Rather than attempting to remove everything and sort it later, protein-driven strategies enable targeted ion interactions, opening the door to:

• Greater selectivity in complex brines

• Reduced energy and chemical requirements

• Modular and adaptable system designs

• Improved compatibility with sustainable treatment architectures

While the specific mechanisms behind our technology remain proprietary, our focus is clear: precision over bulk separation.

Applications Across Critical Industries

The ability to selectively recover ions from hypersaline water has implications across multiple sectors:

• Agriculture: Recovery of nutrient-relevant ions from saline water streams

• Energy: Supporting supply chains for batteries and energy storage materials

• Water Management: Transforming waste brines into value-generating resources

• Industrial Operations: Reducing disposal costs while recovering usable inputs

In each case, success depends on selectivity, resilience, and scalability—areas where biology offers unique advantages.

Sustainability at the Core

Sustainable hypersaline water management is not just about extraction—it is about balance. Poorly managed recovery efforts can strain ecosystems, energy systems, and local communities.

HydroBIND’s platform philosophy emphasizes alignment with long-term sustainability goals by prioritizing:

• Lower energy intensity

• Reduced secondary waste generation

• Compatibility with existing water infrastructure

• Adaptability to site-specific chemistries

This approach supports responsible deployment while enabling economic returns.

Looking Forward

Hypersaline water is no longer a fringe challenge—it is central to the future of water, energy, and resource resilience. As industries and governments seek smarter ways to manage complex water streams, solutions that combine biological precision with engineering discipline will be essential.

At HydroBIND, we believe proteins represent a powerful, scalable path forward—capable of evolving alongside the demands of a rapidly changing world.

The journey to fully unlocking hypersaline water’s potential is just beginning. By rethinking how ion extraction is approached, we can turn some of the most challenging water sources on Earth into engines of sustainability and innovation.