TORONTO, March 20 2025 /PRNewswire/ - Rock Tech Lithium Inc. (TSXV: RCK) (OTCQX: RCKTF) (FSE: RJIB) has entered a technology partnership with GEA Group AG one of the world's largest system suppliers for advanced process technology to deliver key equipment for its Lithium Converter in Guben GEA will supply crystallization and zero-liquid discharge technology ensuring the highest standards in battery-grade lithium hydroxide monohydrate (LHM) production Following two and a half years of an intensive selection process followed by technical specifications and negotiations Rock Tech has successfully completed test works with GEA to procure crystallizers essential to produce 24,000 tons of battery-grade LHM annually This equipment contract is a significant step to establish an automated and continuously operating Lithium Converter in Europe "Finalizing the commercial and technical contract conditions is a key milestone We are pleased to have reached this milestone with such a reputable partner as GEA establishing a strong foundation for successful collaboration," says Frank Spellier The cooperation with GEA ensures that Rock Tech benefits from the company's extensive process knowledge In the past few years GEA has contributed to key lithium crystallization projects globally GEA supplied technology for a lithium hydroxide plant in Argentina (25,000 tons/year) two process plants for lithium hydroxide production in South Korea a facility producing 20,000 tons/year in Europe and crystallization and drying technology for an Australian Lithium plant GEA supplied several lithium hydroxide production lines focusing on solid-liquid separation technologies for a leading North American Lithium producer. These projects underscore GEA's expertise in high-purity lithium hydroxide production for battery applications the formal contract signing is the next step subject to the project's Final Investment Decision (FID) As Rock Tech progresses toward the finalization of the contract preparations are in place to integrate GEA's high-automation solutions allowing continuous lithium production at the Guben site Rock Tech's vision is to supply the electric vehicle and battery industry with sustainable the company plans to build Lithium converters at the doorstep of its customers beginning with the Company's proposed Lithium-Hydroxide Converter in Guben The second Converter is planned to be built in Red Rock Rock Tech Lithium plans to source raw material from its own Georgia Lake spodumene project in the Thunder Bay Mining District of Ontario and procure from other ESG-compliant mines Rock Tech's goal is to create a closed-loop Lithium production system Rock Tech has gathered one of the strongest teams in the industry to close the most pressing gap in the clean mobility story The Company has adopted strict environmental social and governance standards and is developing a proprietary refining process to increase efficiency and sustainability further.  GEA is one of the world's largest suppliers of systems and components to the food every second pharma separator for essential healthcare products such as vaccines or novel biopharmaceuticals is produced by GEA every fourth package of pasta or every third chicken nugget are processed with GEA technology. With more than 18,000 employees the Group generated revenues of about EUR 5.4 billion in more than 150 countries in the 2024 fiscal year components and services enhance the efficiency and sustainability of customers' production They contribute significantly to the reduction of CO2 emissions GEA makes a key contribution toward a sustainable future in line with the company's purpose: "Engineering for a better world the European STOXX® Europe 600 Index and is also a constituent of the leading sustainability indices DAX 50 ESG MSCI Global Sustainability and Dow Jones Best-in-Class World NEITHER THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER (AS THAT TERM IS DEFINED IN POLICIES OF THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE) ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE.  CAUTIONARY NOTE CONCERNING FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION Certain statements contained in this news release constitute "forward-looking information" under applicable securities laws and are referred to herein as "forward-looking statements" outcomes or developments that the Company expects to occur are forward-looking statements "could" or negative versions thereof and other similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements this press release contains forward-looking information pertaining to expectations concerning the Guben Converter including the design and features of the Guben Converter timing and outcomes thereof; statements regarding the Company's future plans and schedules relating to the Guben Converter including the anticipated timing of future activities taken in support of the development thereof; Rock Tech's potential financing arrangements; the expected economic performance of the Guben Converter and anticipated production of battery-grade Lithium Hydroxide and related processing methods employed; the estimated capital and operating costs of the Guben Converter; the anticipated timing and outcomes of a final investment decision construction activities and commissioning of the Guben Converter; statements regarding the Company's sustainability and ESG related goals and strategy including the benefits and achievement thereof and future actions taken by the Company in relation thereto; expected regulatory processes and final outcomes; expectations regarding the electric vehicle industry including the demand for and pricing of battery-grade Lithium Hydroxide and the benefits therefrom and the development of political and regulatory frameworks especially in Germany and the European Union; Rock Tech's opinions beliefs and expectations regarding the Company's business strategy development and exploration opportunities and projects; and plans and objectives of management for the Company's operations and properties Forward-looking statements by their nature are based on assumptions and involve known and unknown risks uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements uncertainties and other factors discussed in the Company's most recent management's discussion and analysis and annual information form filed with the applicable securities regulators No assurances can be given that any of the events anticipated by the forward-looking statements will transpire or occur and the Company cautions the reader not to place undue reliance upon any such forward-looking statements nor does it assume any obligation to update or revise any of the forward-looking statements except to the extent required by applicable law (TSXV: RCK) (OTCQX: RCKTF) (FWB: RJIB) (WKN: A1XF0V) (the "Company" or "Rock Tech") is.. (TSXV: RCK) (OTCQX: RCKTF) (FWB: RJIB) (WKN: A1XF0V) (the "Company" or "Rock Tech") has .. Mining & Metals Mining & Metals Automotive Transportation, Trucking & Railroad Do not sell or share my personal information: The dates displayed for an article provide information on when various publication milestones were reached at the journal that has published the article activities on preceding journals at which the article was previously under consideration are not shown (for instance submission All content on this site: Copyright © 2025 Elsevier B.V. Lithium Metal Market Analysis: Industry Market Size Copyright © ChemAnalyst - 2020 | Terms & Conditions | Privacy Policy TORONTO, Nov. 27, 2024 /PRNewswire/ - Rock Tech Lithium Inc. (TSXV: RCK) (OTCQX: RCKTF) (FWB: RJIB) (WKN: A1XF0V) ("Rock Tech" or the "Company") is proud to announce significant advancements at its Guben Converter site in Germany bringing the project closer to completion of site preparation by Q1 2025 Two key goals have recently been achieved: These achievements mark significant progress in the development of the Guben Converter site a cornerstone of Europe's lithium supply chain With nearly all preparatory construction tasks complete the final steps include fencing the property and constructing a gas pressure reduction station "The completion of these milestones highlights the strong collaboration between Rock Tech and our Guben region partners," said Henrik Wende "We extend our gratitude to the City of Guben for its support and highly appreciate the availability of state funding for infrastructure improvements in Guben We thank ONTRAS for assistance with gas pipe relocation the State Railway Supervisory Authority for the railway connection permit and IPP Hydro Consult GmbH for driving this project forward." Rock Tech's Guben Converter is set to play a pivotal role in Europe's transition to sustainable energy by providing locally refined lithium hydroxide for electric vehicle batteries These recent developments reinforce the Company's commitment to delivering a robust and efficient supply chain solution for the European market the company plans to build lithium converters at the doorstep of its customers beginning with the Company's proposed Lithium Hydroxide Converter in Guben Rock Tech's goal is to create a closed-loop lithium production system social and governance standards and is developing a proprietary refining process to increase efficiency and sustainability further including the anticipated timing of future activities taken in support of the development thereof; Rock Tech's potential financing arrangements; the expected economic performance of the Guben Converter and anticipated production of battery-grade lithium hydroxide and related processing methods employed; the estimated capital and operating costs of the Guben Converter; the anticipated timing and outcomes of a final investment decision including the demand for and pricing of battery-grade lithium hydroxide and the benefits therefrom Oil & Energy Mining The Guben converter is expected to produce 24,000 tons of battery-grade lithium hydroxide per year The European Union (EU) has designed Rock Tech Lithium‘s (CVE: RCK) (OTCMKTS: RCKTF) (FRA: RJIB) highly anticipated lithium converter in Guben Germany as a strategic project under the EU’s Critical Raw Materials Act the award shows the importance of Rock Tech Lithium’s converter to the European battery materials supply chain it boosts the company’s overall mission to provide Europe with sustainable This is enough to supply over 500,000 electric vehicles This construction-stage project has a post-tax net present value (8 per cent) of USD$1.24 billion with capital expenditures estimated at USD$762 million the Critical Raw Materials Act aims to strengthen the E.U.’s supply of 17 essential commodities for the energy transition it accomplishes this feat by improving domestic extraction “This milestone not only affirms the strategic value of our Guben project but also positions us as a key enabler of Europe’s green industrial future,” said Dirk Harbecke Rock Tech Lithium’s chairman and CEO The EU chose Rock Tech’s project from over 170 applications It may receive funding from the European Commission’s 2-billion-euro initiative to support strategic projects through financing and guarantees the company plans to build a second converter in Red Rock it will source material from its Georgia Lake spodumene project in the Thunder Bay mining District The district holds 7.33 million tons at 0.82 per cent Li2O Read more: Environment nonprofits go after Hell’s Kitchen Lithium Project in Salton Sea Read more: Lithium Americas pulls in $250M in third party funding for Thacker Pass in Nevada Rock Tech also closed a non-brokered private placement raising CAD$2.64 million by issuing 2.6 million units at $1 per unit Existing shareholders and European funds subscribed to the offering the company plans to use the proceeds to advance its integrated conversion strategy and for general corporate purposes Each unit includes one common share and one warrant each warrant allows the purchase of a share at CAD$1.30 for 36 months I want to thank our shareholders for their continued trust and support,” said Derek Sobel “Their commitment to our strategy and long-term vision drives us to deliver growth and value We remain focused on advancing our projects and adhering to disciplined financial management.” Rock Tech granted 2.38 million stock options to directors with 800,000 allocated to directors and officers Follow Mugglehead on X Like Mugglehead on Facebook Follow Joseph Morton on X joseph@mugglehead.com Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" The limited infrastructure puts the US at a disadvantage as global demand for lithium continues to grow could establish a sovereign wealth fund to invest in domestic miners focused on critical minerals extraction and processing The JV is expected to be finalized in the second half of 2025 The agency ended protections on federal land in Nevada and New Mexico partially to boost production of critical minerals The German-Canadian company Rock Tech Lithium has received final approval from Brandenburg's state government for its lithium hydroxide converter currently under construction in Guben There is no mention of whether subsidies from state funds will also be provided Rock Tech Lithium recently received a funding cancellation from the federal government The approval process for the plant has been officially completed with the handover of the approval notice from Brandenburg’s Environment Minister Axel Vogel and Economics Minister Jörg Steinbach Rock Tech CEO Dirk Harbecke and Guben’s mayor Fred Mahro received the decision on Friday The state government does not provide any information on subsidies in its announcement The question of state funding arose in particular after it became known in May that Rock Tech would unexpectedly not receive any money from the federal funding pot created in 2023 to establish a battery cell ecosystem in Germany The company then announced that it wanted to rely on other support to complete its lithium converter in Guben – in particular from the state of Brandenburg Rock Tech is therefore an upstream link in the battery cell supply chain it is actually the target group of the aforementioned federal subsidy programme At the presentation of the funding programme last year German Economics Minister Robert Habeck said that investments in the battery value chain would contribute to Europe’s strategic sovereignty “It is disappointing that we are now not receiving the funds from the TCTF programme,” CEO Harbecke was quoted as saying in the German newspaper Handelsblatt in May we are in very constructive dialogue with the Brandenburg state government We assume that the state of Brandenburg will be able to mobilise sufficient regional funding to realise the project.” The local community of Guben reportedly also has a “great interest” in the project being completed In the current communication on the approval It merely states that around 160 jobs are to be created in Guben and recapitulates the construction process Rock Tech Lithium announced the construction of its plant in Guben with advance authorisation at some risk: “Rock Tech has made use of the legal option of allowing an early start to the project This made it possible to prepare the construction site even before the final authorisation was granted The city council of Guben is closely monitoring the project,” the company explains The Brandenburg State Environmental Agency has now given the green light ‘in an efficient immission control procedure with public participation’ The authorisation procedure took a total of two years German Environment Minister Axel Vogel commented: “With the final approval for Rock Tech Brandenburg can expand its leading role in the production of batteries for the expansion of e-mobility and electricity storage (…) We are thus proving once again that Brandenburg is an attractive location for the transformation to a climate-neutral economy.” “This is an exciting day for Rock Tech,” added Rock Tech CEO Dirk Harbecke “Not only have we received the full permits to operate our Converter in Germany but also are we the first company in Europe to permit a full-scale Lithium Refinery – without any appeals to the project This is testament to the great work of our team I also would like to thank the Brandenburg authorities for their support and diligence.” rocktechlithium.com, mluk.brandenburg.de (in German) I agree with the Privacy policy electrive has been following the development of electric mobility with journalistic passion and expertise since 2013 we offer comprehensive coverage of the highest quality — as a central platform for the rapid development of this technology You are using an outdated browser. Please upgrade your browser or activate Google Chrome Frame to improve your experience Our membership benefits are designed to support you at every stage of your career You can find all our latest consultation responses and latest policy news Showcasing the latest advances in technology from those working in research and manufacturing Our flagship members' magazine covering all aspects of the materials cycle Recognising the importance of ongoing learning training and qualifications for professional development See our Frequently Asked Questions and links on how to contact us if you need help Rock Tech Lithium and Arcore AG will merge to establish a fully integrated lithium supply chain from mine to battery-grade products Rock Tech Lithium is aiming to produce lithium hydroxide for electric vehicles batteries in signing an agreement with Arcore The merger will form a European joint venture The core assets will include Rock Tech’s fully permitted lithium converter in Guben and Arcore’s lithium-boron-magnesium mining project in Lopare Rock Tech will contribute 75% of NewCo’s registered share capital and Arcore will hold shares representing 25% of the share capital Arcore’s mineral deposit has the potential to become one of the largest lithium mines in Europe with estimated 600,00t of lithium carbonate equivalent The Guben lithium converter is designed to produce battery-grade LHM for up to 500,000 electric vehicles per year It is envisioned that the Lopare project will deliver lithium sulphate feedstock (produced at site) to the Guben converter from 2030 onwards in addition to the already secured spodumene supply from contracted partners The centrepiece of Rock Tech’s European activities is its planned lithium-hydroxide monohydrate (LHM) converter in the Brandenburg battery cluster ‘Strong European supply chains are essential to secure the region's strategic autonomy promote industrial competitiveness and enable the transformation to a climate-neutral economy 'Europe is currently heavily dependent on imports of critical raw materials such as lithium This is an important step for Rock Tech to become the European leader in battery raw materials supply.’ The Critical Minerals Association’s annual conference focused on ‘Breaking new ground’ in supply The EU has a €1.5mln funding opportunity for scale-ups and small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in line with the EU Critical Raw Materials Act A review of the EU's Critical Raw Materials Act (CRMA) finds a disproportionately high focus on raw materials to produce rare-earth magnets Changes to the UK’s transport and energy storage sectors will need an additional 55GWh of batteries The latest mineral production statistics for 2019-23 show changes in mineral importance to the energy sector LOCTITE and Faction Bike Studio have embraced adhesive bonding over welding techniques for reported performance wins The VECTOR project invited 100 volunteers to understand the public’s raw materials knowledge at the Natural History Museum The UK's Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) ruled that consumers could be misled that Lavazza Eco Caps can be composted at home Issue 2 features a special editorial celebrating the history of Corrosion Engineering alongside a collection of cutting-edge new research articles Design & Development by Pixl8 Rock Tech Lithium (TSXV: RCK; OTCQX: RCKTF) is partnering with Schwenk – a leading German cement manufacturer – to use lithium production by-products from Rock Tech's Guben converter for use in Schwenk's cement manufacturing beginning with its proposed lithium-hydroxide converter in Guben The parties believe the partnership will have significant environmental and economic benefits by reducing carbon emissions and creating a new revenue stream "This partnership is a testament to our commitment to sustainability and formation of a circular economy we enhance our profitability and support the cement industry's decarbonization efforts." member of the management board for Schwenk Germany "Ensuring the future supply of sufficient quantities of high-quality cement grinding materials is of great strategic importance for Schwenk The leached spodumene concentrate produced during the operation of the planned converter in Guben represents an interesting and regionally available source of secondary raw materials.” The primary objective of the partnership is to develop industrial applications for residues generated from Rock Tech's lithium-hydroxide production The Institute of Technologies and Economics of Lithium (ITEL) conducted early studies and determined the leach residues had potential as supplementary cementitious materials (SCM) for use in cement manufacturing New Revenue Stream and Improved Economics: Rock Tech will sell its by-products to Schwenk thereby creating an additional income stream The parties have agreed on key commercial terms Lower Carbon Emissions: Using the leach residues as SCMs in cement production significantly reduces CO₂ emissions for Schwenk and reduces dependency on other SCMs from coal-based-energy production which will be less widely available in the future Cost Savings: Avoiding leach residue transportation and disposal lowers Rock Tech's annual operational expenditures by around 7% and reduces the Guben converter environmental impact Schwenk plans to invest into state-of-the-art facilities for drying and storing leach residues from lithium production The company will invest upon successful ramp-up of Rock Techs' Guben converter The agreement outlines that Schwenk eventually will offtake leach residues from Rock Tech's Guben converter company workers will prioritize flexibility including the option of temporarily utilizing residues in the high-temperature cement processes To facilitate the widespread adoption of this innovation both parties will jointly pursue critical certifications including REACH compliance and approvals from the German Institute for Construction Technology (DIBt) The certification process is expected to take up to 1.5 years both parties agree to exclusive cooperation for the duration of the agreement The second Converter is planned to be built in Red Rock Rock Tech Lithium plans to source raw material from its own Georgia Lake spodumene project in the Thunder Bay mining district Rock Tech's goal is to create a closed-loop lithium production system.  Schwenk Zement is one of Germany's leading cement manufacturers and a known force in the construction materials industry More information is posted on www.RockTechLithium.com. and website in this browser for the next time I comment Δdocument.getElementById("ak_js_1").setAttribute("value",(new Date()).getTime()); Canadian Mining Journal provides information on new Canadian mining and exploration trends corporate developments and industry events Lithium Hydroxide Market Analysis: Industry Market Size TORONTO, July 15, 2024 /PRNewswire/ - Rock Tech Lithium Inc. (TSXV: RCK) (OTCQX: RCKTF) (FWB: RJIB) (WKN: A1XF0V) ("Rock Tech" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has selected leading global professional services company Worley Limited ("Worley") as its preferred engineering and construction management (EPCM) partner for the construction of Europe's first lithium converter The partnership will pave the way for the rapid and efficient implementation of the project construction and implementation of complex industrial plants and has completed more than 1,000 projects in the chemical and resources industries across all continents These include projects in the major chemical clusters in eastern and south-western Germany The team is also one of few experts with experience in the implementation of lithium projects lithium converters have mainly been in operation in China and Australia With a capacity of 24,000 tons of lithium hydroxide per year is an important building block for a resilient European battery value chain 50% of the material used will come from recycled batteries The investment costs amount to around 800 million euros The state and federal governments have awarded funding of 100 million euros to ensure a level playing field in international competition comments: "We are excited to develop our relationship with Worley and we are confident that together we will achieve success for our Project Worley has a pedigree as a world class global project delivery partner They provide full services until commercial operation The international team will be supported by Worley's Germany office taking care of the specific needs at a German site." Rock Tech plans to start project execution of the converter this year once the financing has been completed The project received full permit approvals of the Brandenburg State Environmental Agency in May 2024 and has completed comprehensive basic engineering (FEL3 study) The technical specification for construction and commissioning has been completed and planning for ramp-up and operation of the future converter has started Worley was selected against several competitors Key criteria in the selection process included previous track record in complex projects technical expertise and experience in implementing projects in Germany Worley is a global professional services company of energy Worley partners with customers to deliver projects and create value over the life of their assets moving towards more sustainable energy sources Worley Limited is headquartered in Australia and listed on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX: WOR) including the anticipated timing of future activities taken in support of the development thereof; ; Rock Tech's potential financing arrangements; the expected economic performance of the Guben Converter and anticipated production of battery-grade lithium hydroxide and related processing methods employed; the estimated capital and operating costs of the Guben Converter; the anticipated timing and outcome of a final investment decision; unexpected results from the FEL3 study of the EPCM contract the final evaluation and selection process of Worley; the timing for completion and expected outcomes of the EPCM contract including theconstruction activities and commissioning of the Guben Converter; statements regarding the Company's sustainability and ESG related goals and strategy Mining Conclusion: Under the investigated dosing regimen, FQGBG was safe. The efficacy mechanism of FQGBG in treating nocturia caused by KYDS may be related to the improvement of the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis function and increased energy metabolism. Clinical Trial Registration:https://www.chictr.org.cn/showproj.html?proj=26934, identifier ChiCTR1800015840. Volume 15 - 2024 | https://doi.org/10.3389/fphar.2024.1351871 This article is part of the Research TopicQuality control for Efficacy and Safety of Herbal Medicinal Products: Volume IIView all 13 articles Introduction: Fuqi Guben Gao (FQGBG) is a botanical drug formulation composed of FuZi (FZ; Aconitum carmichaelii Debeaux [Ranunculaceae; Aconiti radix cocta]) and Cinnamon (Neolitsea cassia (L.) Kosterm It has been used to clinically treat nocturia caused by kidney-yang deficiency syndrome (KYDS) for over 30 years and warms kidney yang the pharmacological mechanism and the safety of FQGBG in humans require further exploration and evaluation Methods: We investigated the efficacy of FQGBG in reducing urination and improving immune organ damage in two kinds of KYDS model rats (hydrocortisone-induced model and natural aging model) and evaluated the safety of different oral FQGBG doses through pharmacokinetic (PK) parameters and occurrence of adverse reactions in healthy Chinese participants in a randomized Forty-two participants were allocated to six cohorts with FQGBG doses of 12.5 The PKs of FQGBG in plasma were determined using a fully validated LC-MS/MS method Results: FQGBG significantly and rapidly improved the symptoms of increased urination in both two KYDS model rats and significantly resisted the adrenal atrophy in hydrocortisone-induced KYDS model rats No apparent increase in adverse events was observed with dose escalation Major adverse drug reactions included toothache The PK results showed a higher exposure level of benzoylhypaconine (BHA) than benzoylmesaconine (BMA) and a shorter half-life of BMA than BHA and hypaconitine were below the lower quantitative limit Drug-induced metabolite markers primarily included lysophosphatidylcholines and arginine metabolites; no safety-related metabolite changes were observed Conclusion: Under the investigated dosing regimen The efficacy mechanism of FQGBG in treating nocturia caused by KYDS may be related to the improvement of the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis function and increased energy metabolism Clinical Trial Registration: https://www.chictr.org.cn/showproj.html?proj=26934 Preclinical pharmacological study results indicated that FQGBG substantially improved polyuria in four kinds of KYDS rat models the effect observed was faster than positive controls (Gui-fu-di-huang-wan and You-gui-wan) FQGBG can significantly counteract hydrocortisone-induced adrenal atrophy in rats with KYDS increase their adrenocorticotropic hormone response and significantly prolong the ice-water swimming time of mice with KYDS FQGBG was developed by the Yunnan Institute of Materia Medica and Yunnan Baiyao Group Co. and has been approved for clinical trials by the National Medical Products Administration (NMPA 2016L10230) as an investigational agent in Chinese medicine Chemical structural formulas of the major diterpene alkaloids in FQGBG we investigated the efficacy of FQGBG in improving the symptoms of kidney-yang deficiency in two types of KYDS model rats and evaluated the safety of different oral doses of FQGBG through PK parameters metabonomics and occurrence of adverse reactions in healthy Chinese participants This study attempts to implement an evaluation model that combines drug exposure and will provide evidence for the mechanism of exploration of the safety and efficacy of FQGBG in humans FQGBG comprises FuZi (FZ Aconitum carmichaelii Debeaux [Ranunculaceae; Aconiti radix cocta]), Wolfberry (Lycium barbarum L. [Solanaceae; Lycii fructus]), and Cinnamon (Neolitsea cassia (L.) Kosterm. [Lauraceae; Cinnamomi cortex]). The plants’ names were verified at http://mpns.kew.org/mpns-portal/ All pharmaceutical raw materials were processed and quality tested according to the Pharmacopoeia of China (2015) The processing method for FZ involves taking the daughter roots of the Ranunculaceae family plant Aconitum carmichaelii Debeaux immersing them in a bile salts aqueous solution for several days and then boiling them with the soaking solution until they are thoroughly penetrated and longitudinally sliced into pieces about 0.5 cm thick The slices are further soaked and rinsed with water and then a coloring liquid is applied to dye the slices a deep tea color they are steamed until an oily surface and luster appear Quality control tests for FZ include appearance thin-layer chromatography (TLC) identification The processing method for Wolfberry entails harvesting the red fruit of Lycium barbarum L The fruit is left to air until the skin wrinkles Quality control for Wolfberry includes assessment of shape Cinnamon is processed by peeling the bark of Neolitsea cassia (L.) Kosterm Quality control tests for Cinnamon include appearance Y180301) all met the quality standards of the Pharmacopoeia of China (2015) The preparation method for FQGBG is as follows: FZ were decocted twice with water first under a pressure of 0.10 MPa for 2 h and then at atmospheric pressure for 1 h The filtrates from both decoctions were combined and concentrated to a relative density of 1.1 at 60°C for use Cinnamon were ground and subjected to steam distillation for 4 h The distilled Cinnamon oil was then complexed with β-cyclodextrin at 40°C for 2 h and set aside The leftover Cinnamon residue and Wolfberry were extracted with hot water at 85°C twice This extract was also concentrated to a relative density of 1.1 at 60°C for later use the two concentrated extracts were blended with honey The relative density was adjusted to between 1.3 and 1.4 at 25°C to yield the final product which includes three types of identification fingerprinting (TLC as well as methods for quantification of six aconitine alkaloids (AC These quality control methods comply with the requirements of the Pharmacopoeia of China (2015) lot number: 12031565) and You-gui-wan (10 pills per box lot number: 2013110) were purchased from Beijing Tongren Tang Science and Technology Development Co. purity 98.01%) was provided by Yunnan Institute of Materia Medica purity 98.6%) were purchased from the National Institute for Food and Drug Control (Biomedicine Industry Base Norverapamil hydrochloride (lot 1331-063A1 IS) was purchased from TLC Pharmaceutical Standards (Newmarket United States) was used to prepare the standard curve and quality control samples The study protocol was approved by the Human Research Ethics Committees of Xiyuan Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences (2018XL003), and the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (A phase I clinical trial of Fuqi Gubengao, ChiCTR1800015840, registered 24 April 2018, https://www.chictr.org.cn/showprojEN.html?proj=26934) The clinical study was conducted at Xiyuan Hospital and all clinical procedures were performed in compliance with the International Conference on Harmonization - Good Clinical Practice and the Declaration of Helsinki Forty-two healthy Chinese volunteers aged between 18 and 50 years with body mass indices (BMI) between 19.0 and 25.0 kg/m2 and normal physical examinations, imagological electrocardiogram examinations, and clinical laboratory tests were enrolled in the trial. The exclusion criteria are provided in Supplementary Material S1 All participants provided written informed consent before the start of the study This phase I, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, single ascending dose clinical trial involved six cohorts with oral doses of 12.5 g (±1 g), 25 g (±1.5 g), 50 g (±2.5 g), 75 g (±3 g), 100 g (±4.5 g), and 125 g (±7 g) FQGBG. As shown in Figure 2 the participants (n = 42) were allocated to the cohorts (eight participants per group including six with FQGBG and two with placebo except for the first cohort (only two participants were treated with FQGBG) Participants were administered FQGBG or placebo at the respective dose levels with 240 mL water under fasting conditions (overnight fasting for ≥12 h) The procedures of administration were: 10 mL of water was poured into the FQGBG bottle The mixture was then poured into a paper cup after which the above operation was repeated twice The remaining water was poured into the paper cup and stirred evenly Sampling for PKs was designed based on PK results in our previous study and collected at different time points before and after the administration of FQGBG: at 0 The preliminary study results indicated that the blood concentration of the three monoester-type alkaloids was reduced to 1/10th of the maximum concentration (Cmax) at 60–120 h; thus 120 h after dosing was chosen as the last PK sampling time point blood samples were collected before and after 30 min and 24 h and urine specimens were collected before and after 24 and 48 h to compare the differences in endogenous metabolites Blood and urine samples were centrifuged at 1,500 ×g for 10 min at 4°C and the supernatant of the urine was added to preservatives All sample supernatants were collected and stored at −80°C Plasma (100 μL) samples spiked with 20 μL of IS were mixed evenly on a shaker 500 μL ACN containing 0.1% formic acid was added to the sample Protein precipitation was performed by vortexing the mixture for 10 min and then centrifuging at 4,000 rpm for 10 min at 4°C Supernatant (150 μL) was added to an equal volume of water containing 0.1% formic acid The mixture was analyzed using a UPLC-MS/MS method United States) coupled with an MS/MS system (Triple Quad™ 6500 United States) was applied for the determination of AC The data were collected and processed using Analyst software (version 1.6.3 United States) and Watson LIMS (version 7.4.2 and 7.6SP1) Chromatographic separation was achieved using a Phenomenex Luna Omega Polar C18 column (2.1 × 50 mm The mobile phase comprised water containing 5 mM ammonium acetate and 5% ACN (solvent A) and ACN containing 0.1% formic acid (solvent B) 68%–50% A; 2–2.2 min 50%–5% A; 2.2–2.4 min 5%–68% A; 2.41–2.5 min 80%–60% A; 2–2.2 min 60%–10% A; 2.2–2.4 min 10%–80% A; 2.41–2.5 min and the injection volume was 10 µL The mass spectrometer was operated in the positive ion electrospray ionization mode The analytes were detected using the multiple-reaction monitoring (MRM) mode with m/z transitions at 646.2→586.1 for AC The optimized instrumental conditions were gas source temperature The selectivity, calibration standard curve, matrix effect, extraction recovery, precision, accuracy, and stability of the developed method was validated according to the USA Food and Drug Administration (FDA) bio-analytical method validation guidance (U.S. Food and Drug Administration, 2018) (Supplementary Material S1) and BMA ranged from 0.05 to 50 ng/mL and BHA in human plasma produced the required biological quantitative standards this method could be used for the analysis of clinical samples area under the curve (AUC) from administration (t = 0 h) to the last measured concentration (t = 120 h) (AUC0-t) total AUC from administration to infinity (AUC0-∞) apparent volume of distribution adjusted for bioavailability (Vz/F) mean residence time (MRT) from administration (t = 0 h) to the last measured concentration (MRT0-t) and total MRT from administration to infinity (MRT0-∞) were calculated by non-compartmental methods using the WinNonlin software (version 8.1 United States) with the blood concentration data of different participants at different time points and infection screening were performed during the screening period Routine clinical laboratory tests (blood biochemistry urine N-acetyl-β-D-glucosaminidase (NAG) and N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-pro-BNP) were performed at baseline and 24 A 24 h Holter electrocardiogram (ECG) was performed on day 1 and body temperature) were recorded at baseline and each day after dosing Urine and blood pregnancy tests in women of childbearing age were performed at baseline and on the day of completion including abnormal laboratory test results and their clinical significance and relevance to the investigational product were recorded and evaluated by investigators Because of the known toxicity of Aconitum carmichaelii Debeaux and gastrointestinal symptoms were closely monitored All Sprague–Dawley rats (weighing 190 ± 20 g) were purchased from Guangdong Province Medical Experimental Animal Center (Guangdong All rats were housed at the Animal Experiment Center of the Yunnan Institute of Materia Medica with free access to food and drinking water (room temperature 20°C–26°C All animal protocols were approved by the Yunnan Institute of Materia Medica Ethics Committee in conformity to the guidelines for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals by the National Institutes of Health (Approval No Hydrocortisone-induced KYDS model: After 5 days of acclimatization feeding 72 male rats were randomly divided into the control group (CON) The control group was gavaged with physiological saline the model group was gavaged with hydrocortisone and the treatment groups were gavaged with hydrocortisone in the morning and therapeutic drugs in the afternoon The modeling and drug administration were performed simultaneously for 30 consecutive days The rat model was considered established by observing the appearance of kidney-yang deficiency symptoms in model rats Natural aging KYDS model: 75 male rats were randomly divided into the model group (MOD) and FQGB-H group (2.57 g/kg) after being raised to 18 months old whereas the other groups were gavaged with therapeutic drugs all once daily for three consecutive months To investigate the effects of hydrocortisone-induced KYDS rats on urine output rats were placed in metabolic cages for 8 h with free access to water and food at weeks 1 and 4 after the establishment of the model and drug administration Average urine output was compared with the model group and statistically analyzed urine samples were collected for 8 h at weeks 3 The average urine output was compared with the control group and was statistically analyzed the hydrocortisone-induced KYDS rats in each group were anesthetized by intraperitoneal injection of 3.5% hydrated chloral hydrate (10 mL/kg) The immune organs are wiped clean with absorbent paper to remove surface blood and then weighed after removing the surrounding connective tissue The index of the immune organs is calculated as the ratio of the weight of the immune organ to the weight of the experimental animal A descriptive analysis method was adopted to elucidate the demographic characteristics and safety indicators as number The PK parameters were expressed as the mean and standard deviation (SD) United States) was used for statistical analyses and plotting Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05 urine output in the hydrocortisone-induced KYDS model group increased at weeks 1 (8.4 ± 4.2 mL/8 h) 2 (7.8 ± 4.1 mL/8 h) and 3 (8.9 ± 3.7 mL/8 h) Urine output at week 4 (10.2 ± 3.4 mL/8 h) also increased The GF and YG groups served as positive control drugs The GF and YG group inhibited the increase in urine output of the model rats at weeks 2 (GF: 3.5 ± 2.6 mL/8 h YG: 3.6 ± 2.3 mL/8 h) 3 (GF: 2.2 ± 2.4 mL/8 h YG: 4.2 ± 2.3 mL/8 h) and 4 (GF: 7.4 ± 2.8 mL/8 h YG: 6.6 ± 3.1 mL/8 h) with significant differences compared to the model group The FQGB-L and FQGB-H groups significantly inhibited the increased urine output of the model rats from week 1 to week 4 the urine output of the FQGB-L group (4.9 ± 3.1 mL/8 h) and the FQGB-H group (5.8 ± 2.1 mL/8 h) was lower than the positive control group (GF: 6.5 ± 4.3 mL/8 h YG: 7.7 ± 3.0 mL/8 h) Effects of FQGBG on urine output in hydrocortisone-induced KYDS rats For the KYDS natural aging model rats (Table 2) the positive drugs GF and YG showed a reduction in rat urine production at weeks 10 and 12 The FQGB-L group significantly inhibited rat urine production at week 10 (4.6 ± 1.7 mL/8 h) and the FQGB-H group significantly inhibited rat urine production at weeks 3 (4.3 ± 1.9 mL/8 h) 8 (2.3 ± 1.7 mL/8 h) 10 (2.9 ± 1.3 mL/8 h) and 12 (2.1 ± 1.3 mL/8 h) This indicates that the high-dose FQGBG group has a faster onset of action than the positive control group Effects of FQGBG on urine output in natural aging KYDS rats the adrenal gland (0.088 ± 0.014 mg/g) the thymus (0.78 ± 0.14 mg/g) and the spleen (1.32 ± 0.15 mg/g) showed significant atrophy in hydrocortisone-induced KYDS rats and FQGBG all had antagonistic effects on adrenal atrophy but only the FQGB-H group (0.100 ± 0.010 mg/g) showed statistically significant efficacy and FQGB-H mildly antagonized hydrocortisone-induced thymus atrophy YG and FQGBG also mildly antagonized hydrocortisone-induced splenic atrophy Effects of FQGBG on the immune organ index in hydrocortisone-induced KYDS rats The results showed that BMA had linear PK characteristics in the dose range of 25–100 g and the exposure increase ratio of BHA from 25 to 100 g was lower than the dose increase ratio Average blood drug concentration-time of BMA (A) and BHA (B) Major PK parameters of BMA and BHA at doses of 25–100 g (Mean ± SD) with two or more characteristic fragment ions as the basis for identification and validation Metabonomic characteristics induced by the different dosages of FQGBG (A) PLS-DA scoring plot of plasma collected 24 h after treatment in positive and negative ion modes (ESI + scores: R2Y = 0.366 Q2 = 0.223; ESI- scores: R2Y = 0.341 (B) PLS-DA scoring plot of urine collected 48 h after treatment in both positive and negative ion modes (ESI + scores: R2Y = 0.655 Q2 = 0.093; ESI- scores: R2Y = 0.720 (C) Heat maps illustrate the time-dependent changes of abundance levels of metabolites (D) Metabolite pathway enrichment analysis of upregulated and downregulated biomarkers in plasma and urine (E) Commonly changed metabolites induced by the different dosages of FQGBG at different time points ***p < 0.001 Altered metabolite levels after FQGBG treatment The safety analysis of treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs) by system shows varying incidence rates across different dose groups and the placebo The most common TEAEs included gastrointestinal disorders with rates of 50% in the 12.5 g group Investigations of abnormal laboratory results were also notable especially elevated NAG enzyme levels (33.3%) and positive urine protein (33.3%) in the 75 g group were observed in the 12.5 g (50%) and 25 g (16.7%) groups General disorders such as heat sensation were frequent in the 125 g group (66.7%) the overall incidence of TEAEs and adverse drug reactions (ADRs) were 56.3% in the treatment groups compared to 50% in the placebo group with no statistical difference observed between the two groups FQGBG contains diterpenoid alkaloids, including diester, monoester, and lipid alkaloids that are both active and toxic. The diester alkaloids have the highest toxicity, and the literature indicates that cardiotoxicity and neurotoxicity are the major toxic reactions of diester diterpenoid alkaloids in Aconitum carmichaelii Debeaux (Yang et al., 2018) The AE related to cardiac damage was ventricular premature beat in the 12.5 and 25 g groups Considering that ventricular premature beats existed at baseline and there was no remarkable increase in the frequency of ventricular premature beats after dosing or an increased occurrence frequency with dose escalation the conclusion that the ventricular premature beat was caused by the medication could not be drawn Other AEs mainly manifested as abnormal laboratory results Elevated NAG enzyme levels and positive urine protein in the 75 g group suggest a possible link to FQGBG’s diterpenoid alkaloids These findings may indicate renal stress or damage the clinical timing of using “toxic” herbal pieces is particularly crucial Although the toxic plant metabolites present a risk of harming the body they can yield significant therapeutic effects when used appropriately the potential renal damage caused by FQGBG might be due to individual intolerance when the drug is applied to healthy subjects emphasizing the need for careful monitoring and appropriate clinical use Some AEs may be related to changes in the diet and lifestyle during hospitalization; therefore is uncertain and further research is needed FQGBG warms and invigorates the kidney yang; therefore were likely due to the injured body fluid by excessively tonifying the yang and deficient fire flare-ups whereas the blood concentrations of the three diester alkaloids in this study were all lower than the LLOQ the blood concentration of the monoester alkaloid which is 11.4 times the Cmax of BMA in this study The above evidence demonstrates the safety of FQGBG at the studied doses Vz/F of BMA gradually increased in the 25–75 g groups suggesting that higher doses increased the distribution of BMA in the peripheral compartment which may be related to the increase in T1/2 indicating that BHA’s metabolic pathways do not experience the same level of saturation within the studied dosage range significant interindividual variability was observed in the PK parameters of BMA and BHA in healthy participants Our analysis revealed that the CV for most PK parameters of both BMA and BHA exceeded 30% It is might partly be attributed to the relatively small sample size in our study A larger sample size would provide a more robust dataset potentially allowing for a more accurate assessment of the variability and its clinical implications and AUC0–∞ of BMA and BHA in the 100 g group were lower than those in the 75 g group One possible reason for this was that the monoester alkaloid content in the new batch (116 μg/g) was lower than that in the previous batch (241 μg/g) during the clinical trial similar results were not obtained in this study metabonomics results can supplement the elucidation of the good safety and tolerability of FQGBG which may be related to the improvement of polyuria symptoms by FQGBG in KYDS The PK and safety of single-dose oral administration of FQGBG were investigated for the first time for healthy Chinese volunteers The results indicated that the half-lives of FZ monoester alkaloids were prolonged and there were significant individual differences further evaluation of drug accumulation is needed in PK studies involving continuous administration The pharmacodynamics and metabonomics results suggest that FQGBG exerts its efficacy by improving the function of the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis effectively treating the increased urination caused by KYDS and alleviating the symptoms of cold fear in KYDS rats through enhancing energy metabolism The original contributions presented in the study are included in the article/Supplementary Material further inquiries can be directed to the corresponding authors The studies involving humans were approved by the Human Research Ethics Committees of Xiyuan Hospital The studies were conducted in accordance with the local legislation and institutional requirements The participants provided their written informed consent to participate in this study The animal study was approved by Ethics Committee The study was conducted in accordance with the local legislation and institutional requirements Written informed consent was obtained from the individual(s) for the publication of any potentially identifiable images or data included in this article The author(s) declare that financial support was received for the research The work was supported by the Science and Technology Innovation Project China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences (CI2021A04703) Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Public Welfare Research Institutes China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences (ZZ15-YQ-019) Science and Technology Talent and Platform plan of Yunnan Province (202205AD160044) and Science and Technology Planning Project of Yunnan Province (2014DC036) We thank all the volunteers who participated in the clinical trial the operation team of Xiyuan Hospital for conducting this trial and the drug development and production team of Yunnan Institute of Materia Medica and Yunnan Baiyao We thank the China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences and Yunnan Province of the People’s Republic of China for funding support Z-YZ were employed by Yunnan Baiyao Group Co. The remaining authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher The Supplementary Material for this article can be found online at: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphar.2024.1351871/full#supplementary-material Nocturia and associated mortality: observational data from the REDUCE trial PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar Effect of arginine on the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal Axis in individuals with and without vasopressin deficiency CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar Myocardial lipidomics profiling delineate the toxicity of traditional Chinese medicine Aconiti Lateralis radix praeparata PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar Study on the mechanism of mesaconitine-induced hepatotoxicity in rats based on metabonomics and toxicology network PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar Fecal metabonomics combined with 16S rRNA gene sequencing to analyze the changes of gut microbiota in rats with kidney-yang deficiency syndrome and the intervention effect of You-gui pill PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar Factors associated with elevated plasma phenylalanine in patients with heart failure PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar Pharmacokinetic comparisons of benzoylmesaconine in rats using ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry after administration of pure benzoylmesaconine and wutou decoction PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar Fuziline ameliorates glucose and lipid metabolism by activating beta adrenergic receptors to stimulate thermogenesis PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar Safety evaluations of the processed lateral root of Aconitum carmichaelii Debx PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar Cinnamaldehyde induces fat cell-autonomous thermogenesis and metabolic reprogramming PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar Comparative pharmacokinetics studies of benzoylhypaconine benzoylaconine and hypaconitine in rats by LC-MS method after administration of Radix Aconiti Lateralis Praeparata extract and Dahuang Fuzi Decoction PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar Electroacupuncture induces differential effects between yin and yang: a study using cutaneous blood flow and temperature recordings of the hand’s dorsum and palm PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar Metabonomic study on ‘Kidney-Yang Deficiency syndrome’ and intervention effects of Rhizoma Drynariae extracts in rats using ultra performance liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar Effects of different Chinese meteria medica pair on regulation of adrenal function in mice with hydrocortisone-induced syndrome Google Scholar Aconitum in Traditional Chinese Medicine—a valuable drug or an unpredictable risk PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar Clinical trial on 72 patients of kidney-yang deficiency treated with Fuqi Guben Gao doi:10.19288/j.cnki.issn.1000-2723.2017.03.011 CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar U.S. Food and Drug Administration (2018). Bioanalytical method validation guidance for industry. Available at: https://www.fda.gov/regulatory-information/search-fda-guidance-documents/bioanalytical-method-validation-guidance-industry Google Scholar PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar Acupuncture in the treatment of chronic fatigue syndrome based on “interaction of brain and kidney” in TCM: a randomized controlled trial PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar Pharmacokinetics of Chinese medicines: strategies and perspectives PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar Relationships between the toxicities of radix aconiti lateralis preparata (fuzi) and the toxicokinetics of its main diester-diterpenoid alkaloids PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar Biological activities and pharmacokinetics of aconitine and aconine after oral administration in rats PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar Metabolomics of clinical poisoning by Aconitum alkaloids using derivatization LC-MS PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar Group IIE secretory phospholipase A 2 regulates lipolysis in adipocytes PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar Anti-inflammatory mechanism of action of benzoylmesaconine in lipopolysaccharide-stimulated RAW264.7 cells CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar Cardiac efficacy and toxicity of aconitine: a new frontier for the ancient poison PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar and efficacy of Fuqi Guben Gao in the treatment of kidney-yang deficiency syndrome: a randomized Received: 07 December 2023; Accepted: 05 June 2024;Published: 25 June 2024 Copyright © 2024 Cao, Liu, Sun, Wang, Lu, Yang, Zhang, Zi, Zhang, Liu, Wang, Wu, Wu, Wu, Li, Zhu and Gao. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited in accordance with accepted academic practice distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms *Correspondence: Rui Li, Y3J5c3RhbDAwNUAxNjMuY29t; Zhao-Yun Zhu, enp5MTM3MEAxNjMuY29t; Rui Gao, eHl5eWdyQDEyNi5jb20= †ORCID: Rui Li, orcid.org/0000-0003-1361-483X, Rui Gao, orcid.org/0000-0003-2455-7615 ‡These authors have contributed equally to this work Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher 94% of researchers rate our articles as excellent or goodLearn more about the work of our research integrity team to safeguard the quality of each article we publish Rock Tech Lithium has been granted up to 100 million euros from Brandenburg state government for its German lithium refinery in Guben Rock Tech Lithium recently received a funding rejection from the German federal government At the beginning of this month, the German-Canadian company Rock Tech Lithium received final approval from Brandenburg’s state government for its lithium hydroxide converter under construction in Guben Now the state government has confirmed that Rock Tech Lithium can also expect up to 100 million euros in subsidies from the state government as well Rock Tech turned to the Brandenburg state government for support after it became clear in an unexpected decision that it would not receive funds from the federal funding pot created in 2023 to establish a battery cell ecosystem in Germany The company then announced that it wanted to rely on other support to complete its lithium converter in Guben and that the Brandenburg Ministry of Economic Affairs Labor and Energy has issued a binding letter of intent in which it pledges up to 90 million euros in funding for Rock Tech’s lithium converter in Guben the Federal Railway Authority has promised a grant of up to 10 million euros for the site following a detailed examination of Rock Tech’s application for rail infrastructure The federal government is also still on the hook The application process for federal guarantees of up to 400 million euros to support the external financing of the project is underway Rock-Tech CEO Dirk Harbecke remarked on the “major milestone” that the state government and railway authority grants represent for the company Although he acknowledged it was “a big step towards the realization of the Guben Converter,” there appear to be numerous steps to go before the finance necessary to put the plant into operation comes together “Together with the possible federal guarantees we are targeting governmental financial support of up to 500 million Euros In addition to these substantial subsidies we have signed a binding feedstock agreement with a leading lithium trading house for the procurement of raw material for our converters and received the full construction and operations permit approvals for Guben,” Harbecke explained remarking that he was feeling “very confident that we will finalize the remaining financing steps for Guben in the coming months.” Rock Tech Lithium is a German-Canadian company headquartered in Vancouver that extracts the raw material for the lithium hydroxide often used in electric vehicle batteries from its mine project in Georgia Lake in Ontario This material is to be refined into battery-ready products in Guben the company plans to produce around 24,000 tons of battery-grade lithium hydroxide per year in Guben from 2025 around 50 per cent of the raw materials are to be obtained from the recycling of old batteries Mercedes-Benz has already secured an average annual supply of 10,000 tons of lithium hydroxide from Guben Around 160 jobs are to be created in Guben Rock Tech Lithium began construction of its plant in Guben in spring 2023 with preliminary approval at some risk the Brandenburg State Environmental Agency gave the final green light for the plant following an immission control procedure with public participation The approval process took a total of two years rocktechlithium.com Rock Tech Lithium’s (TSX-V:RCK) Lithium Converter Project in Germany has been recognised as a ‘strategic project’ under the EU Critical Raw Materials Act The company says this designation underscores the importance of Rock Tech’s Guben Converter to the European battery materials supply chain and further accelerates its mission to provide Europe with sustainable Rock Tech’s Guben Converter is poised to produce 24,000 tonnes of battery-grade lithium hydroxide annually — enough to power more than 500,000 electric vehicles CEO Dirk Harbecke says the milestone not only affirms the strategic value of the Guben project but also positions Rock Tech as a key enabler of Europe’s green industrial future.  “We are honoured to be recognised as a strategic project by the European Commission and remain fully committed to advancing a secure and independent lithium supply for Europe,” says Harbecke the Critical Raw Materials Act is a cornerstone initiative aimed at securing a resilient and sustainable supply of 17 critical raw materials essential for Europe’s energy transition.  It enhances the EU’s capacity for extraction reduces reliance on imports from third countries while upholding the highest environmental and social standards With over 170 applications submitted to the European Commission Rock Tech is proud that the Guben Converter was selected in this highly competitive process The European Commission has announced that it will initially use 2bn EUR to support selected projects through loans Rock Tech’s vision is to supply the electric vehicle and battery industry with sustainable beginning with its proposed Lithium Hydroxide Converter in Guben The second converter is planned to be built in Red Rock Write to Adam Orlando at Mining.com.au ABC Refinery: Back to the future with Trump’s tariffs Donald Trump may have ‘borrowed’ the phrase “Make America Great Again” from.. Pacgold accelerates Alice River with new resource Lincoln receives loan to advance Minbrie Great Boulder plots more holes at Ironbark Lion’s legacy investments ‘demonstrating compelling value’ Mid West ‘ideal’ export hub for clean... Zeotech executes MoU with global trading house Hazer forms Kellogg Brown and Root alliance Flagship eyes potential to expand Pantanillo’s mineralisation ASX feeling a bit deflated, gold rebounds      Plug-in hybrid EV sales decline amid slowing... Stay Informed on up-to-the-minute mining news Get the best articles straight to your inbox ABC Refinery: Back to the future with Trump’s tariffs06 May Flagship eyes potential to expand Pantanillo’s mineralisation06 May Pacgold accelerates Alice River with new resource06 May Get the latest Mining news delivered straight to your inbox VANCOUVER, BC, Nov. 4, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - Rock Tech Lithium Inc. (TSX-V: RCK) (OTCQX: RCKTF) (FWB: RJIB) (WKN: A1XF0V) (the "Company" or "Rock Tech") is pleased to announce the completion of a bankable project study ("BPS") for the construction and operation of the Company's proposed battery grade merchant lithium hydroxide monohydrate converter and refinery facility (the "Converter" or "Project") in Guben The results of the BPS which was conducted in collaboration with Wave International Pty and the Company's Finnish engineering partner show a significant improvement in the Converter's economics compared to the previous engineering study ("Converter Engineering Study") released on November 29th 2021 and are expected to form the basis for the project financing discussions with potential lenders Rock Tech's planned merchant LHM Converter in Guben Germany is anticipated to be the first European lithium converter with capacity to produce 24,000 tonnes of battery grade lithium hydroxide per year a raw material urgently needed by the battery and automotive industries The importance of lithium hydroxide is supported by the European Union's recent agreement to effectively ban the sale of new combustion engine vehicles from 2035 Such ban will reshape the European mobility sector and further accelerate EV production leading to an increased demand for lithium hydroxide Rock Tech's plant will be located in Guben As announced in October 2021 the Company purchased a site within the existing Guben South industrial park The site which covers a total of 12 hectares offers excellent accessibility by road and rail key suppliers and customers reside in the region which is expected to become one of the leading battery and EV clusters in Europe Transparent federal legislation and comprehensive state subsidy schemes further add to the region's attractiveness The Converter is designed to process spodumene concentrates into battery grade LHM via the sulphation-causticisation (S-C) route The basic process flowsheet was selected in the previous phase of the Project and was subsequently optimised using data supplied by equipment vendors and metallurgical test work completed during the study "Our Guben Converter is an exceptional project as it will help address the increasing need for battery-grade lithium hydroxide it will strengthen regional supply chains by offering a processing route for spodumene concentrates in Europe." Dirk Harbecke The Company is very pleased that the technical and economic results of the BPS support the Company's strategy of building a converter in Germany Although the BPS uses more conservative costing assumptions than the Converter Engineering Study it estimates an increase in NPV and of project IRR The BPS estimates a pre-tax NPV (8%) of USD 1,219 million an increase of USD 789 million (or 183 per cent) compared to the Converter Engineering Study Recent inflationary pressures and global supply chain tightening have had a substantial impact on both the estimated capital expenditures and operating costs Cost impacts are partially offset by more favourable lithium pricing assumptions based on current market price forecasts "We remain conservative with our price forecasting," Mr if we were to assume the current spot market prices for spodumene and lithium hydroxide remain stable the pre-tax NPV of our Converter would increase substantially to USD 4,300 million and an IRR of 37.5 per cent" The results of the BPS demonstrate the potential of Rock Tech's zero waste and ESG strategy with approximately 96 per cent of the estimated 290,000 tonnes of by-product identified for potential utilization in other industries Significant efforts have been undertaken to develop use cases for alumino‑silicates In line with its conservative costing assumptions Rock Tech has not yet reflected such opportunities in its revenue estimates The city of Guben has commenced preparatory site activities such as grubbing and clearing Rock Tech is expecting approval of its first partial permit (TG1) in Q4'2022 and the second and last partial permit (TG2) in Q3'2023 As a result of increased lead times for delivery of major equipment from suppliers early construction works to the extent permitted under TG1 are anticipated to begin in Q1'2023 with start of commissioning planned to commence in Q2'2025 The BPS was a collaborative study with key contributions from Wave International Pty ("Wave") and the Company's Finnish engineering partner The BPS demonstrates a high-level engineering definition and cost certainty with AACE Class 3 estimates for capital and operating costs The BPS incorporates recent metallurgical test work including vendor test work conducted for key process packages using spodumene feedstocks from a range of prospective suppliers the BPS describes a path forward to realize value-add opportunities for the Converter residues which are envisioned as in-demand feedstocks for the domestic building and construction industries Rock Tech also recognizes the risks associated with supply chain disruptions due to the impacts of the ongoing war in Ukraine fluctuating currency exchange rates and energy prices In an effort to manage such risks and provide a robust financial outlook for the Converter; such risks were taken into account when preparing the BPS This resulted in an increase in capital expenditure and operating cost estimates for the Converter compared to the Converter Engineering Study the start of commissioning of the Project has been moved to Q2'2025 to account for such evolving social Rock Tech is currently embarking on a Front-End Loading Stage 3 (FEL3) study to finalize basic engineering to support a final investment decision Key economic results of the BPS are reported below: Life-of-Project C1 Operating Costs excluding spodumene costs Average spodumene concentrate price paid USD/t(5) 1.  See "Key Assumptions and Sensitivity Analysis" section below for further details 2.  Key metrics are calculated on nameplate annual production of 24,000 tonnes of LHM over 25-year life of project (as applicable) 6.  Based on market forecasts projected over 25-year life of project The BPS estimates total initial capital costs of approximately USD 683m for the Converter (determined to be within a nominal accuracy of +/-20%) including approximately USD 485m in direct capital costs USD 130m in indirect capital costs including USD 40m in owner's costs and a weighted contingency of 10% The initial capital cost estimate includes the capital requirements to engineer construct and commission the Converter and covers project implementation costs for the period from final investment decision to the end of commissioning of the Converter It also includes early procurement of long lead items and potential early site works Initial capital cost estimates were generated from vendor basic design vendor quotations and market data as of a base date of June 30 A breakdown of the estimated initial capital cost is presented in the following table: ESTIMATED CAPITAL COSTS (1) in USDm 1.  Assumes that the Converter is developed using an Engineering Procurement and Construction Management (EPCM) execution strategy 2.  Most direct cost estimates were derived from quotes tender submissions or statutory requirements 3.  Indirect and owner's cost estimates were derived from factors and experience deemed to be reflective of current estimate accuracy including the continued development of the Converter's engineering design have resulted in an increased initial capital cost estimate compared to the Converter Engineering Study Key price escalations have been assumed for plant costs relating to raw material prices resulted in an improved engineering definition of the Converter as well as an improved procurement package scoping The basic engineering design supports an AACE Class 3 capital cost estimate with an accuracy of +/-20% for overall plant and infrastructure including higher levels of accuracy at +/-10% for key process packages including the kiln and crystallisers The BPS considers increased labour and material costs because of global skilled labour and supply chain disruptions Rock Tech expects such disruptions to normalize throughout 2023 and has allowed for inflation in the capital cost estimate accordingly Rock Tech intends to continue to orient its procurement and contracting strategies toward reducing capital cost and execution risk during the FEL3 study The average annual operating costs of the Converter are estimated at USD 114m per year (determined to a nominal accuracy of +/- 20%) Prices used to develop operating cost estimates were market-based enquiries and analyst reports All activities relating to the procurement of materials and processing to produce an ex-works LHM product were included in the operating costs Spodumene procurement has been excluded in the summary below Reagent pricing was mostly received in US Dollars with other costs and pricing being received in Euros An exchange rate of USD 1: EUR 1.042 was assumed for the BPS A breakdown of the estimated average annual operating cost over the life of the Converter excluding the cost of Spodumene Concentrate is presented in the following table: 1.  Operating costs are calculated on nameplate annual production of 24,000 tonnes of LHM over 25-year life of project The operating cost estimate of the BPS is greater than the operating cost estimate of the Converter Engineering Study with such increase primarily driven by higher estimated maintenance costs The BPS assumes that the Converter will have a 25-year life span and a nameplate annual production of 24,000 tonnes of LMH from approximately 173,500 tonnes of spodumene concentrate which is intended to be sourced from third parties and via RTT (as defined below) The discount rate utilized for financial analysis is 8% A weighted average price of spodumene concentrate of USD 1,532 per tonne is assumed reducing from a peak price of USD 4,768 per tonne in 2023(1) The following exchange rates were considered: USD to EUR= 1.0417; CAD to USD= 0.7189 (current exchange rates: USD to EUR = 1.0037; USD to CAD = 0.7382) (2) a sensitivity analysis was conducted on the Converter's pre-tax NPV and pre-tax IRR to key variables including spodumene concentrate price and LHM price the key variables were changed between +/-30% at 10% intervals while holding other variables constant The Project is most sensitive to fluctuations in lithium hydroxide and spodumene concentrate prices as well as changes in USD-to-EUR exchange rates Spodumene concentrate price and LHM price sensitivities are presented in the tables below: SPODUMENE CONCENTRATE PRICE – SENSITIVITY ANALYSIS The Converter is expected to comprise a pyrometallurgical and hydrometallurgical chemical plant that uses various reagents to extract the lithium from spodumene concentrate to produce a purified LHM product The process flowsheet has been designed to incorporate process unit operations typical to lithium refineries using the sulphation route Proven technology within the lithium industry was used to minimise technical risk and time to market Additional process equipment beyond a traditional flowsheet has been included specifically to give the plant a large operating envelope and thus ability to process a wide range of feedstock Lithium recoveries based on analysis of a multi-phase test work program covering a broad variety of spodumene concentrates and as simulated in the mass and energy balance indicates a potential average leach extraction of 94.5% a projected lithium loss in other parts of 3.5% and therefore an overall lithium recovery to 91% Critically the metallurgical testwork included vendor testwork results for key process equipment supplied by FLSmidth & Co A/S (Kiln and Roasting circuit) and JordProxa Pty Ltd and GEA Group AG (Crystallizer Circuit) To allow for operational experience factors and the possible effect of spodumene reactivity the overall recovery has been discounted to 86% in the process design criteria and subsequently the cashflow model This conservative approach to recovery has the effect of defining the requirement for higher spodumene and reagent feed rates thereby creating sufficient processing capacity to achieve higher recoveries and process efficiencies once the process has been optimised The Project is expected to generate approximately 290,000 tonnes of by-products per year Studies conducted by Rock Tech show that as a result of their chemical composition the vast majority of these non-lithium products have the potential to be utilised in other industries including government accreditation following commencement of production In line with Rock Tech's commitment to highest ESG standards the BPS describes significant efforts which have been undertaken to develop a use case for the following materials representing 96% of the by-product production from the Converter: Despite the positive outlook for such by-product use cases the financial results of the BPS do not attribute additional revenue to these by-products in line with the conservative approach taken in the BPS The study assumes sodium sulphate anhydrous is a saleable product while all other by-products are assumed to be disposed of in waste management facilities at Rock Tech's expense Offtake offers and Letters of Intent for by-product disposal have been secured for 98% of the non-lithium products Rock Tech believes there is a significant opportunity to improve project cash flow by finalizing the by-product use cases and continues to develop and evaluate these cases consumables and spare parts must be transported is expected to be sourced from mines in Australia or Canada Rock Tech has recently announced to have entered into a definitive agreement to form a joint venture entity with Transamine Holdings and Investments Limited to form RTT Lithium SA ("RTT") (see the Company's press release dated October 24 RTT will manage the procurement of spodumene concentrate from global mining companies and spodumene producers and arrange related logistical and storage services Based on the Company's supplier discussions are expected to be sourced in Germany and transported to the Converter by train or truck Rock Tech has selected preferred logistics partners for the full supply chain from Spodumene shipping port receival and bonded warehousing in the port of Nordenham rail handing systems and rail transport to Guben The Company has also selected transport systems and preferred suppliers for all other materials handling requirements inbound and outbound from the Converter site in Guben The BPS provides an updated Project schedule compared to the Converter Engineering Study Site activities have commenced with grubbing and clearing expected to be completed before the end of 2022 Based on initial submissions to government authorities the permitting process must be completed in accordance with the Federal Immission Control Act of Germany Rock Tech has agreed that the permitting application will be submitted in two parts: As a result of increased lead times from major equipment suppliers early construction works to the extent permitted under TG1 are anticipated to begin in Q1'2023 with start of commissioning planned from Q2'2025 As the Company moves into the next phase of engineering the Company's Finnish engineering partner has been engaged to prepare the FEL3 study a level 3 resource-loaded execution phase schedule will be developed incorporating detailed supply and installation schedules obtained from vendors during the competitive tendering phase Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release The following cautionary statements are in addition to all other cautionary statements and disclaimers contained elsewhere in Certain information set forth in this press release constitutes "forward-looking information" (collectively "forward-looking information") within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws which information is based on Rock Tech's current expectations and assumptions in light of its experience and perception of historical trends All statements other than statements of historical facts may constitute forward-looking information forward-looking information can be identified by the use of words or phrases such as "estimate" "shall" and all other indications of future tense All forward-looking information set forth in this press release is expressly qualified in its entirety by the cautionary statements referred to in this section this press release contains forward-looking information pertaining to: expectations concerning the Converter including the design and features of the Converter including the anticipated timing of future activities taken in support of the development thereof; Rock Tech's expectations regarding the FEL3 study including the related activities findings and uses thereof; potential financing arrangements; the expected economic performance of the Converter and anticipated production of LHM and related processing methods employed; the estimated capital and operating costs of the Converter; the anticipated timing and outcomes of a final investment decision construction activities and commissioning of the Converter; statements regarding the Company's sustainability and ESG related goals and strategy including the benefits and achievement thereof and future actions taken by the Company in relation thereto; expected regulatory processes and outcomes including in relation to TG-1 and TG-2; expectations regarding non-lithium by-products and the production and uses thereof; expectations regarding the electric vehicle industry including the demand for and pricing of LMH and the benefits therefrom; Rock Tech's opinions The forward-looking information contained in this press release also includes financial outlooks and other forward-looking metrics relating the Company and the proposed Converter including references to financial and business prospects performance and cash follows (including estimated NPV and IRR) which may be considered future oriented financial information or financial outlooks within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws (collectively has been approved by management of the Company as of the date hereof Such FOFI is based on assumptions which management believes is reasonable as of the date hereof These projections are provided to describe the prospective performance of the Converter and readers are cautioned that such information may not be appropriate for other purposes such information is highly subjective and should not be relied on as necessarily indicative of future results and actual results may differ significantly from such projections FOFI constitutes forward-looking statements and is subject to the same assumptions risk factors and qualifications as set forth below including those discussed under the heading "Risk Factors" in Rock Tech's most recently filed Management Discussion and Analysis and Annual Information Form Such risks and uncertainties do not represent an exhaustive list of all risk factors that could cause actual events performance and/or achievements to vary materially from the forward-looking information performance and/or achievements will be consistent with the forward-looking information and management's assumptions may prove to be incorrect Forward-looking information reflects Rock Tech management's views as at the date the information is created Rock Tech undertakes no obligation and expressly disclaims any responsibility obligation or undertaking to update or to revise any forward-looking information to reflect any change in Rock Tech's expectations or any change in events conditions or circumstances on which any such information is based readers are cautioned not to rely on the forward-looking information set forth in this press release The BPS does not constitute a preliminary economic assessment preliminary feasibility study or feasibility study within the definitions adopted by the Canadian Institute of Mining as it relates to a standalone lithium hydroxide converter and does not concern a mineral project of Rock Tech disclosure standards prescribed by National Instrument 43-101 – Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects are not applicable to the scientific and technical information included in the BPS or this press release Utilities Alternative Energies Environmental Products & Services Sign in Join now, it's FREE! A leading lithium developer in northwestern Ontario has received official approval to press on with building Europe’s first lithium processing plant in Germany Rock Tech Lithium said it’s received construction and operational permits for a refinery in Guben Rock Tech is calling this a milestone moment both for the company and the German battery value chain The occasion was marked with a permit ceremony in Potsdam attended by Brandenburg state officials and various government dignitaries The start of construction has yet to be determined.  Rock Tech CEO Dirk Harbecke said the permits provide them with some validation and the impetus to chase down that last bit of project financing from lenders “The permits not only allow us to now move into the last stage of financing for the project but they are also proof that our concept works and the Guben converter will serve as the blueprint for our other refinery projects worldwide,” he said “We expect to finalize subsidy negotiations and equity term sheets with strategic partners soon The credit approval process with our banking partners will follow shortly after and we aim to take the final investment decision (FID) in Q3 this year." But the feed for the Guben refinery will not come from Rock Tech’s Georgia Lake lithium deposit near Lake Nipigon but through international brokers Rock Tech inked a feedstock agreement with C&D Logistics a major mover in the lithium space with connections to spodumene mines in Australia Rock Tech has already signed off-take agreements with major automakers.  There are separate plans to construct a second refinery in Red Rock to accept material from its Georgia Lake spodumene project a future mine situated 17 kilometres south of Beardmore and 145 kilometres northeast of Thunder Bay Last spring, Rock Tech signed a long-term lease with its development partners, BMI Group, to secure a site at a former paper mill in Red Rock The groundbreaking will take place sometime in 2025 The mined material will be transported from Georgia Lake The spodumene — a widely used and preferred rock because of its high lithium content — will be crushed into a concentrate and trucked to Red Rock the material will be converted into a a battery-grade material that’s in demand in the electric vehicle market Rock Tech is billing the Red Rock site as a regional hub processing site that would source lithium from other mines in the region and possibly raw material as a recycler of discarded batteries VANCOUVER, BC, May 14, 2023 /PRNewswire/ - Rock Tech Lithium Inc. (TSXV: RCK) (OTCQX: RCKTF) (FWB: RJIB) (WKN: A1XF0V) (the "Company" or "Rock Tech") is pleased to announce that it has reached a significant milestone in the preparation of construction of its lithium hydroxide converter and refinery plant in Guben with the completion of the Front-End Loading stage 3 study ("FEL3") The study includes detailed specifications for construction along with a purchase-ready major equipment cost estimates The study was finalized by the Company's German subsidiary Rock Tech Guben GmbH in collaboration with engineering partner AFRY AB paving the final way for the Project's construction phase The profitability has been estimated to have a post-tax NPV (8%) of EUR 1,194m (USD 1,246m) - an increase of 43 per cent compared to the previous Bankable Project Study2 Rock Tech has appointed Deutsche Bank AG as placement agent for the Company's Converter-related financing 1 Please note that all USD to EUR conversions in this document are based on an average exchange rate of USD to EUR = 0.9579 disclosed on 04 Nov 2022 within the release "Rock Tech Lithium completes Bankable Project Study for its Guben Converter Project" and the Project is prepared to move to construction phase including final procurement negotiations and detailed engineering design The FEL3 study estimates the project's profitability at a post-tax NPV (8%) of EUR1,194m (USD 1,246m) - an increase of 43 per cent compared to the Bankable Project Study the increased long-term price assumptions of analysts for lithium hydroxide caused by the continued forecast of very high demand lead to a higher basis for the margin calculations The FEL3 results in a much more accurate cost estimate with a variance of only +/-10% (AACE Class 2) and is based on existing definite offers of mainly European suppliers and service providers supporting purchase-ready major equipment cost estimates it can be clearly noted that the planning of capital expenditures remains stable and only increases by 4% Execution planning and basic engineering is now comprised for all plant areas Efforts involved significantly increased levels of basic engineering deliverables which was in progress at the time of the BPS publication has now been completed and was provided for expert review and interpretation by industry specialists Completion of these tasks has allowed for finalization of plant equipment selection and flowsheets Lithium recovery assumptions made in the BPS have proven to be accurate with no changes required to production assumptions A forward metallurgical testing work plan has been developed which will perform final optimizations with material from the selected spodumene concentrate supplier A competitive tendering process has been kicked off with the assistance of an independent expert Procurement and Construction Management (EPCM) partner for project execution Rock Tech is also pleased to announce that it has selected Deutsche Bank AG as a highly experienced placement agent with a proven track record in major equity financings "We are very pleased to have partnered with Deutsche Bank to lead our equity raising and partnership activities for the Converter financing The completion of our latest detailed engineering study further substantiates the profitability and attractiveness of our project and we are confident the next months will yield strong financing partnerships." Sonja Rossteuscher Rock Tech's lithium hydroxide converter and refinery plant in Guben Germany is planned for a production capacity of 24,000 tonnes of battery-grade lithium hydroxide monohydrate per year It is going to be able to process spodumene concentrates from various origins be it from the Company's own mineral project Georgia Lake Rock Tech has obtained the first partial permit ("TG1") issued by the Brandenburg State Office for Environment in March 2023 The permit allows start of construction for all non-process buildings and site infrastructure and approves the general plant layout and functions for the spodumene to lithium hydroxide conversion The Company submitted the second partial permit ("TG2") in November 2022 and expects approval by Q4 2023 Targeted start of commissioning remains on track for Q4' 2025 with first battery grade LHM being produced in Q1' 2026 Key economic results of the FEL3 are reported below: Average spodumene concentrate price (6% Li2O) paid           Key metrics are calculated on nameplate annual production of 24,000 tonnes of LHM over 25-year life of project (as applicable) For more details on exchange rates see footnote 1 Operating costs are calculated on nameplate annual production of 24,000 tonnes of LHM over 25-year life of project Based on market forecasts projected over 25-year life of project The FEL3 initial capital costs have increased by 4% in Euro terms compared with the BPS as the last published study phase3 Improvements to the capital expenditure (CAPEX) estimate include improved engineering completed during the FEL3 and a refined understanding of freight requirements; all of which served as the basis for the FEL3 estimate and support a Class 2 level of certainty to be done in close coordination with an EPCM contractor will provide opportunities to further de-risk the CAPEX estimate by highlighting key areas where further negotiation with preferred suppliers will yield improved results It is planned that the procurement team will work in conjunction with the selected financing groups to ensure a high level of confidence can be obtained from supplier pricing.  This will allow the Company to make the Final Investment Decision in the second half of 2023 3 Given that the project is being realized in Germany and is mainly European financed the increase in costs is given here in EUR An information of the increase in USD would be arithmetically higher and would amount to 11.6% 2.6% of this increase are attributable to higher material quantities and risen unit rates The remaining 9.0% of the increase is caused by devaluing foreign exchange rate changes of EUR and USD expectations regarding non-Lithium by-products and the production and uses thereof; expectations regarding the electric vehicle industry The FEL3 does not constitute a preliminary economic assessment as it relates to a standalone Lithium hydroxide Converter and does not concern a mineral project of Rock Tech disclosure standards prescribed by National Instrument 43-101 – Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects are not applicable to the scientific and technical information included in the FEL3 or this press release International ImmunopharmacologyCitation Excerpt :After lung damage the body responds to external toxins by releasing pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines which in turn trigger a series of lung-related inflammatory diseases [3] The pathological mechanisms of lung inflammation are extremely complex Studies have shown that intervention in the expression of inflammatory responses and cytokines is crucial for treating lung inflammation [5] Journal of EthnopharmacologyCitation Excerpt :Normally When exposed to oxidative stress and inflammatory stimuli Nrf2 is liberated from Kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1 (Keap1) a typical substrate-recognition subunit of the Cul-RING E3 ligase and translocated to the nucleus (Zeng et al. where it promotes transcription of downstream antioxidant genes and alleviates oxidative stress disorder and inflammation (Hong et al. activation of Nrf2 can alleviate acute and chronic toxin-mediated liver injury and Nrf2 knockdown can affect the structural and physiological changes in the liver resulting in more sensitivity to hepatotoxicity generated by drug (Taguchi and Kensler As the German publication Handelsblatt writes citing information from Rock-Tech CEO Dirk Harbecke the company received a surprise rejection notice from the Federal Ministry of Economics on Monday The company had been counting relatively firmly on federal funding from the pot called ‘Resilience and sustainability of the battery cell production ecosystem’ The funding guideline was launched by the Ministry of Economic Affairs last year as part of the ‘Temporary Crisis and Transition Framework’ (TCTF) created by the EU Commission it is actually the target group of the aforementioned funding programme Economics Minister Robert Habeck said that investments in the battery value chain would contribute to Europe’s strategic sovereignty “It is disappointing that we are now not receiving the funds from the TCTF programme,” CEO Harbecke is quoted as saying in Handelsblatt “We assume that the state of Brandenburg will be able to mobilise sufficient regional funding to realise the project” The local community of Guben also has a “great interest” in the project being completed Construction of the converter plant in Guben began at the end of March 2023 with the company stating at the time that the processing plant would go into operation in mid-2025 and produce battery-grade lithium hydroxide from 2026 It also stated that the planned total investment volume for the plant would be around 650 million euros Harbecke now spoke to Handelsblatt about a planned investment of 800 million euros with “up to 200 million euros” in federal subsidies expected to be received via the rejected application for funding Both at the ground-breaking ceremony and in view of the cancellation of production Rock Tech emphasises that its converter in Guben is in line with the EU’s new strategic goals of securing twelve times the demand for lithium by 2030 and at the same time processing 40 per cent of lithium regionally The company is referring to a new EU law on securing critical raw materials “Our plant in Guben is the most advanced converter project for lithium in Europe,” emphasised Harbecke at the start of construction just over a year ago Now he adds: “If the EU wants to achieve its goal of bringing 40 per cent of the processing of critical raw materials to Europe then Europe needs twelve lithium converters handelsblatt.com (in German) Canadian lithium development firm Rock Tech Lithium has begun construction on its first lithium hydroxide conversion plant in Guben According to the company, the project aligns with the European Union’s strategic goals to meet 12 times the demand for lithium by 2030 while processing 40 percent of it regionally The plant will process lithium-bearing hard rock into battery-grade lithium hydroxide for the cathode and battery industry, which will help accelerate the EV mobility transition and facilitate battery and cell production the shift towards electric mobility also means a change in our supply chains,” said Markus Schäfer Member of the Board of Management of Mercedes-Benz Group “Three goals are central to us: sustainability raw material security and localization of procurement.” “Today's groundbreaking in Guben is therefore another milestone for Mercedes-Benz towards the sustainable production of state-of-the-art batteries When it comes to our lithium supply here in Europe Rock Tech will play a key role for Mercedes-Benz in the future,” Schäfer added The Guben Converter is the first of five converters that Rock Tech plans to build in Europe and North America The project is expected to start operations in mid-2025 and produce qualified battery-grade lithium hydroxide from 2026 “Our Guben Converter is spearheading the lithium refining industry in Europe,” said Dirk Harbecke sustainable processing and strategic partnerships As a Canadian-German company we are building bridges and opportunities across the Atlantic and further to Australia the world largest global lithium spodumene producer.” Rock Tech is a cleantech company with operations in Canada and Germany It plans to build lithium converters at the door-step of its customers to guarantee supply-chain transparency and just-in-time delivery beginning with the company's facility in Guben The Chinese company Botree Cycling is planning to build a recycling plant for electric vehicle batteries and an education and training centre for battery recycling specialists in Guben Another industry player is also setting up shop in Guben With its decision for the Brandenburg location Botree Cycling is following in the footsteps of the German-Canadian company Rock Tech Lithium which is setting up a production plant for lithium hydroxide in Guben Botree Cycling’s battery recycling plant is scheduled to go into operation in 2025 on the Guben South industrial estate – the year in which Rock Tech also plans to start up its facilities both sides signed a letter of intent in the middle of the month to acquire two plots of land with an area of 3.8 hectares this is the company’s first location in Europe Botree Cycling’s planned investment volume in Guben is up to 100 million euros Around 100 people will be employed on site during ongoing operations the company is open to expansion at the location The city is very pleased with the settlement: it has “once again proven that it [the city] with its long industrial tradition and existing infrastructure offers the best conditions for becoming a central component of the battery value chain and thus part of the Brandenburg e-mobility cluster” The German portal Cleanthinking.de lists a few more key points about the company and its recycling technology Botree Cycling in China is called Suzhou Botree Cycling Sci & Tech Co Ltd and in October 2022 it “closed an unspecified Series A financing round” The workforce is said to consist of experts from the Chinese Academy of Sciences or KU Leuven electrive has been following the development of electric mobility with journalistic passion and expertise since 2013. As the industry's leading trade media, we offer comprehensive coverage of the highest quality — as a central platform for the rapid development of this technology. With news, background information, driving reports, interviews, videos and advertising messages. Volume 13 - 2022 | https://doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2022.983501 the control of age-related disease susceptibility and prognosis faces greater challenges There is an urgent need for a strategy to maintain the vitality of elderly people the effect of Renshen Guben (RSGB) oral liquid was investigated on an accelerated aging mice model of thyrotoxicosis by conventional detection methods combined with multiomics technology The results showed that RSGB increased the number of neutrophils and lymphocytes and increased the levels of complement and antimicrobial peptides which indicated that RSGB improved the immunity of thyrotoxicosis mice at the cellular and molecular levels RSGB corrected malnutrition in thyrotoxicosis mice by improving anemia RSGB significantly reduced the lipotoxicity by reducing the level of fatty acids thus increasing the level of docosapentaenoic acid (DPA) and bile acids which contributed to improve immunosenescence The intestinal defense ability of thyrotoxicosis mice was enhanced with the increase of bile acids and lactic acid bacteria by the RSGB treatment The plant metabolomics analysis showed that there were various active components in RSGB oral liquid and medicated serum RSGB protected the thyrotoxicosis mice against aging by improving immunosenescence It will be beneficial for improving the disease susceptibility and prognosis of the elderly bile acids interact with the intestinal flora and jointly affect intestinal health the levels of bile acids were found to be significantly decreased in thyrotoxicosis mice Because of the lack of bile acids to control the intestinal flora the intestinal defense ability may be declined in thyrotoxicosis mice It suggests that any strategy that can regulate bile acid homeostasis and the intestinal flora balance may have great potential for maintaining immunity and anti-aging the influence of RSGB on the intestinal flora was also detected and plant metabolomics were combined to clarify the action mechanism and material basis of RSGB The RSGB oral liquid was provided by Lunan Hope Pharmaceutical Co. It was prepared from 10 herbs: Panax ginseng (Ren Shen The preparation process was as follows: The volatile components from Cortex Moutan were extracted by distillation and the drug residue and liquor were retained for further use Panax ginseng and Cornus officinalis were prepared by refluxing 60% ethanol twice; the extracts were combined and filtered and the filtrate and the drug residue were retained for further use The above-mentioned two kinds of drug residues and the remaining seven herbs were decocted with water which was added for two times; the decoction was filtered Ethanol was added to 60% and then combined with the previous Panax ginseng and Cornus officinalis ethanol extraction solution and filtered Ethanol was removed by concentration; then The volatile components of Cortex Moutan and 100 g of syrup were added The oral solution was obtained after sterilizing The amount of original drug in each milliliter of oral liquid was 0 Four- to 6-week-old healthy female KM mice (SPF grade) with body weight of 16–18 g were purchased from Ji’nan Pengyue Laboratory Animal Breeding Co. The mice were housed in a clean room at a temperature of 23 ± 2°C and humidity of 50 ± 5% with a 12-h alternating light and dark cycle They were permitted free access to food and water All animal experiments were performed according to the National Institutes of Health Guidelines for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals and were approved by the Animal Care and Use Committee of Shandong Province China (approval number: AN-IACUC-2020-047) The thyroxine tablets were purchased from Shandong Renhe Pharmaceutical Co. PerCP-Cy™5.5 Hamster Anti-Mouse CD3e (catalog number 551163) FITC Rat Anti-Mouse CD4 (catalog number 553047) APC-H7 Rat anti-Mouse CD8a (catalog number 560182) PE Rat Anti-Mouse IFN-γ (catalog number 554412) All chemicals and solvents were of analytical or HPLC grade and N,O-bis (trimethylsilyl) trifluoroacetamide with 1% chlorosilane were purchased from CNW Technologies GmbH (Germany) while L-2 chlorophenylalanine was from Shanghai Hengchuang Biotechnology Co. The mice were randomly divided into five groups: control group (c) the RSGB oral liquid was administrated at intragastric doses of 5 The model group was administered with vehicle (purified water) thyroxine tablet suspension was given by an intragastric dose of 320 mg·kg-1 the animals were subjected to fasting on the night before dissection Blood was taken from the main abdominal vein after the administration of anesthesia with 60 mg·kg-1 pentobarbital sodium Blood was injected to EDTA-K2 vacuum tubes for routine blood test Blood and feces were collected for multi-technology detection Anticoagulant blood was used for routine blood test and flow cytometry Serum was taken for biochemistry detection and proteomics and metabolomics detection Feces were collected for metabolomics and microbiomics Plant metabolomics was used for Renshen Guben oral liquid and drug-containing serum In order to investigate the safety of the RSGB oral liquid and pathological indexes of mice were detected in mice treated with RSGB oral liquid alone The mice were randomly divided into two groups: control group (N) and RSGB group (W) the RSGB oral liquid was administrated by an intragastric dose of 20 ml·kg-1 at twice a day for 30 days the purified water was administrated by an intragastric dose of 20 ml·kg-1 at once a day for 30 days EDTAK2 anticoagulant whole blood was taken for routine blood test The routine blood tests were carried out by using Sysmex XN-1000v (B1) automated hematology analyzer (SYSMEX Co. The positive rates of CD4+ and CD8+ T lymphocyte subsets were analyzed by flow cytometry 3 ml of red blood cell lysis buffer was added to each sample to completely lyse red blood cells the samples were washed and re-suspended with DMEM to 1 × 106 cells·ml-1 The cells were transferred to 48-well plates with 100 μl volume of each well and 2 μl of cell activation cocktail (BD Biosciences) and 1 μl of BrefeldinA (BD Biosciences) were added to each sample and incubated at 37°C for 6 h After washing and re-suspension with phosphate-buffered saline the samples were incubated with specific fluorescent antibodies (BD Biosciences) of PerCP-Cy™5.5 Hamster Anti-Mouse CD3e (0.5 μl/sample) FITC Rat Anti-Mouse CD4 (0.2 μl/sample) and APC-H7 Rat anti-Mouse CD8a (0.5 μl/sample) for 30 min at room temperature in the dark according to the manufacturer’s guidelines The samples were analyzed by using the CytoFLEX flow cytometer (Beckman Coulter Life Sciences) and the data were analyzed by the CytExpert software (Beckman Coulter Life Sciences) To further determine the levels of CD4+IFN-γ+ T lymphocyte subsets the cells treated in the previous step were fixed with 500 μl of 4% FA for 20 min in the dark and ruptured with 1 ml of Permeabilization Wash Buffer (BD Biosciences) the cells were stained with PE Rat Anti-Mouse IFN-γ (1.25 μg/sample) for 30 min Serum biochemical analysis was detected by using the BS-800 automatic biochemistry analyzer (Shenzhen Mindray Bio-Medical Electronics Co. 40 ul serum was used for the proteomics analysis The protein concentration was determined by the BCA method 10 μg protein of each sample was separated by 12% SDS-PAGE The digested peptides were desalted by C18-Reverse-Phase SPE Column RP separation was performed on an 1100 HPLC System (Agilent) using an Agilent Zorbax Extend RP column (5 μm The separated peptides were lyophilized for mass spectrometry All analyses were performed by a Q-Exactive HF mass spectrometer (Thermo USA) equipped with a Nanospray Flex source (Thermo The machine signal is transformed into peptide and protein sequence information by matching the mass spectrum output with the theoretical spectrum generated by fasta library and then the spectrum Data-Dependent Acquisition library is established by combining the sequence information and fragment ion information so as to facilitate the subsequent Data Independent Acquisition (DIA) analysis The original LC–MS/MS files are imported into the Spectronaut Pulsar software to search and build the database The original data of DIA is processed by the Spectronaut Pulsar software Total genomic DNA was extracted using DNA Extraction Kit following the manufacturer’s instructions The quality and the quantity of DNA was verified with NanoDrop and agarose gel The extracted DNA was diluted to a concentration of 1 ng·μl-1 and was used as the template for the PCR amplification of bacterial 16S rRNA genes with the barcoded primers and Takara Ex Taq (Takara) The V3–V4 variable regions of 16S rRNA genes were amplified with universal primers 343 F and 798 R The amplicon quality was visualized using gel electrophoresis After having been purified with the AMPure XP beads again the final amplicon was quantified using Qubit dsDNA assay kit Equal amounts of purified amplicon were pooled for subsequent sequencing 400 ul RSGB oral liquid (R) was taken and was added to a 1.5-ml Eppendorf tube with internal standard The tube was rolled for 3 min and then centrifuged (10,000 g·min-1 The supernatant was filtered with a microporous filter membrane (0.22 m) and stored in a sample flask for the LC–MS/MS test The serum in the RSGB treatment group (L) was thawed on ice and then centrifuged at 10,000 g and 4°C for 5 min 50 ul of one sample was taken and homogenized with 1 ml mixture (including methanol 200 ul of water was added and whirled for 1 min and then the mixture was centrifuged at 10,000 g and 4°C for 10 min The supernatant was extracted and concentrated The powder was dissolved with 200 ul mobile phase B and then stored at -80°C the dissolving solution was put into the sample bottle for the LC–MS/MS analysis The sample extracts were analyzed using an UPLC-ESI-MS/MS system (UPLC, SHIMADZU Nexera X2, www.shimadzu.com.cn/; MS, Applied Biosystems 4500 Q TRAP, www.appliedbiosystems.com.cn/) The analytical conditions were as follows: UPLC: column The effluent was alternatively connected to an ESI-triple quadrupole-linear ion trap–MS LIT and triple quadrupole (QQQ) scans were acquired on a triple quadrupole-linear ion trap mass spectrometer (Q TRAP) equipped with an ESI Turbo Ion-Spray interface operated in positive and negative ion modes and controlled by Analyst 1.6.3 software (AB Sciex) Instrument tuning and mass calibration were performed with 10 and 100 μmol/L polypropylene glycol solutions in QQQ and LIT modes The QQQ scans were acquired as MRM experiments with collision gas (nitrogen) set to medium DP and CE for individual MRM transitions were done with further DP and CE optimization A specific set of MRM transitions was monitored for each period according to the metabolites eluted within this period All experimental data obtained from rats were expressed as mean ± SD A one-way repeated-measure analysis of variance and a log-rank test were used to determine the significance of the differences in differential blood count and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway classification differentially expressed metabolites (DEMs) were selected on the basis of the combination of a statistically significant threshold of variable influence on projection (VIP) values obtained from the (orthogonal) partial least-squares-discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) model and p-values from a two-tailed Student’s t-test on the normalized peak areas from different groups where metabolites with VIP values larger than 1.0 and p-values less than 0.05 were considered as differential metabolites the raw sequencing data were in FASTQ format Paired-end reads were then preprocessed using Trimmomatic software to detect and cut off ambiguous bases (N) It also cut off low-quality sequences with average quality score below 20 using the sliding window trimming approach the paired-end reads were assembled using FLASH software The parameters of the assembly were as follows: 10 bp of minimal overlapping Sequences were performed upon further denoising as follows: reads with ambiguous homologous sequences or below 200 bp were abandoned and reads with 75% of bases above Q20 were retained reads with chimera were detected and removed These two steps were achieved using QIIME software (version 1.8.0) Clean reads were subjected to primer sequence removal and clustering to generate operational taxonomic units (OTUs) using Vsearch software with 97% similarity cutoff The representative read of each OTU was selected using the QIIME package All representative reads were annotated and blasted against Silva database Version 123 (or Greengens) (16s rDNA) using RDP classifier (confidence threshold All representative reads were annotated and blasted against Unite database (ITSs rDNA) using blast The blood routine test results showed that the white blood cells (WBC), neutrophils (NEUT), and lymphocytes (LYMPH) were significantly decreased after a 10-day overdose of thyroxine. Only a high dose of RSGB (20 ml·kg-1) increased the WBC in in thyrotoxicosis mice, while all three doses of RSGB (5, 10, and 20 ml·kg-1 at once per day for 20 days) increased the NEUT in thyrotoxicosis mice (Figure 2A) which suggested that RSGB could reverse agranulocytosis in thyrotoxicosis mice LYMPH also showed an increasing trend in the RSGB treatment group so the following study prolonged the administration frequency and time Figure 2 Effect of Renshen Guben (RSGB) on differential blood count and biochemical index in thyrotoxicosis mice 20 days) significantly increased the neutrophils 30 days) significantly increased the white blood cells (C) The RSGB treatment recovered red blood cells (RBC) which indicated that RSGB could improve anemia in thyrotoxicosis mice (D) The RSGB treatment increased the count of platelets F) The reticulocyte count indicated that the RSGB treatment promoted RBC maturation and alleviated anemia in thyrotoxicosis mice (G) The RSGB treatment significantly increased the levels of total protein which indicated that the RSGB treatment improved the hypoproteinemia in thyrotoxicosis mice (H) The RSGB treatment increased the proportion of CD4+/CD8+ and percent CD3+CD4+ IFN-γ+ which indicated that RSGB improved the immunosenescence in thyrotoxicosis mice normal control mice; *p < 0.05 and **p <0.01 vs The biochemical test showed that the levels of total protein (TP), albumin, and globulin were significantly increased in the RSGB treatment group, which indicated that RSGB treatment improved hypoproteinemia and hypoalbuminemia in thyrotoxicosis mice (Figure 2G) The results of flow cytometry showed that the RSGB treatment significantly increased the ratio of CD4+/CD8+ and the percent CD3+CD4+ IFN-γ+ in thyrotoxicosis mice (Figure 2H) It indicated that RSGB improved the immunosenescence and recovered the function of lymphocytes Figure 3 Effect of Renshen Guben (RSGB) on serum proteome in thyrotoxicosis mice. (A) There were 36 differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) between the thyrotoxicosis mice (V) and the RSGB-treated mice (L): two were downregulated and 34 were upregulated. (B) A total of 34 upregulated proteins were analyzed by Metascape online analysis. (C) The STRING online analysis (https://string-db.org/) displayed the clusters of upregulated DEPs and blue is negative correlation; correlation significance: *p < 0.05 The STRING online analysis (https://string-db.org/) displayed the details of the upregulated DEPs (Figure 3C) The enrichment clusters were highlighted and marked with different colors vitamin digestion and absorption (dark yellow) high-density lipoprotein particle (dark purple) Staphylococcus aureus infection (light blue) and complement and coagulation cascades (light green) which suggested that defense ability was increased by the RSGB treatment The correlation analysis showed that the downregulated DEPs Apoc3 and Cycs were negatively correlative with most of the upregulated DEPs. The Alb was positively correlative with most of the upregulated DEPs (Figure 3D) The upregulation of Alb was in concordance with the result of biochemistry which indicated that RSGB treatment significantly improved the hypoalbuminemia in thyrotoxicosis mice The upregulation of Ighv3-6 was in line with the result of Glb in the biochemistry test which indicated that the immunoglobin or antibody was increased by the RSGB treatment The upregulation of DEPs that accounted for lipid transport and vitamin transport indicated that the usage of lipid and vitamins was improved in the RSGB-treated mice the results of serum proteomics showed that the RSGB treatment significantly improved the defense ability and malnutrition in thyrotoxicosis mice which indicated that the decomposition of protein in tissue was significantly inhibited The DEMs in the class of lipids and lipid-like molecules included several subclasses and most fatty acids which were downregulated and derivatives were upregulated; DPA was also upregulated Figure 4 Effect of Renshen Guben (RSGB) on the metabolome of serum and feces in thyrotoxicosis mice (A) The serum metabolomics analysis result showed that there were significant differences in the OPLS-DA score between the RSGB treatment group (L) and the vehicle treatment group (V) (B) The heat map shows that the serum differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) in amino acids and analog classes were downregulated in the RSGB treatment group sphingolipids and most of the fatty acids were downregulated and derivatives were upregulated and docosapentaenoic acid (DPA) was upregulated in the RSGB treatment group (C) The heat map shows the results of lipomics in serum: TG[12:0/17:1(9Z)/20:3(8Z,11Z,14Z)] 26,27-F6-1,25-dihydroxy-22,23-didehydrovitamin D3 26,27-F6-1,25-dihydroxy-23,24-didehydrovitamin D3 and 1alpha,23-dihydroxy-24,25,26,27-tetranorvitamin D3 were upregulated (D) The feces metabolomics analysis result showed that there were significant differences in the OPLS-DA score between the RSGB treatment group (L) and the vehicle treatment group (V) (E) Main differentially expressed metabolites in feces while the class of bile acids was significantly upregulated in the feces of RSGB-treated mice The RSGB oral liquid treatment increased the liver synthesis and the intestinal transformation of bile acids so the excretion of bile acids in feces increased The protein synthesis in the liver and the absorption in the intestine were increased while the loss of amino acids and peptides in feces was significantly reduced RSGB oral liquid treatment increased liver synthesis and intestinal transformation The loss of amino acids and peptides in feces was reduced; therefore LEfSe showed species with relatively high abundance in each group (Figure 5A) The score map showed the abundance of Firmicutes Dialister were high in the normal control group and Prevotella_9 were high in the vehicle treatment group and Candidatus_Arthromitus were high in the RSGB treatment group Figure 5 Effect of Renshen Guben (RSGB) on microbiome in feces in thyrotoxicosis mice and the correlation of microbiome with RSGB metabolites (A) LEfSe showed species with relatively high abundance in each group (B) Microbe abundance with significant differences at the phylum normal control mice; *p < 0.05 and **p < 0.01 vs (C) RSGB metabolites in the feces of the RSGB-treated mice (D) The correlation of microbiome with RSGB metabolites in feces in the RSGB treatment group Microbe abundance with significant differences at the phylum, class, order, family, genus, and species levels are shown in Figure 5B the abundance of Bacteroidetes was significantly increased while that of Firmicutes was decreased in the vehicle treatment group the abundance of Bacteroidia was significantly increased while those of Clostridia and Bacilli were significantly decreased while Clostridiales and Lactobacillales were significantly decreased Ruminococcaceae and Lactobacillaceae were significantly decreased and Lactobacillus were significantly decreased Lactobacillus_murinus and Lactobacillus_reuteri were significantly decreased all the above-cited microbe abundances were reversed in the RSGB treatment group A large number of RSGB metabolites were detected in the feces of the RSGB-treated group, including triterpenoids, terpene lactones, terpene glycosides, sterols, flavonoids, and cyclobutane lignans (Figure 5C). The correlation analysis showed that several RSGB metabolites were positively with gut microbe, especially ginseng metabolites and Lactobacillales (Figure 5D) Table 1 Blood routine and biochemical indicators These substances should be the material basis of the pharmacological action of RSGB oral liquid Figure 6 Constituents in Renshen Guben (RSGB) oral liquid and drug-containing serum A total of 121 plant components were identified in RSGB oral liquid (R) and drug-containing serum (L) by plant metabonomics (A) They were the material basis of the pharmacological action of RSGB oral liquid (n = 3) the total number of whole blood cells was decreased the TP and Alb were decreased in biochemistry the number and function of immune cells were decreased and the endogenous glucocorticoids were significantly upregulated on the endocrine side All these manifestations are associated with aging and aging-related diseases which were fully discussed in our previous report and some serum biomarkers of aging in the model were highlighted The candidates that can improve one or more of these events or biomarkers might have an anti-aging effect the anti-aging effect of a TCM prescription RSGB was confirmed on a thyrotoxicosis mice model and the anti-aging mechanism has been fully explored and it was upregulated in the RSGB treatment group which might be helpful to maintain the defense ability in thyrotoxicosis mice the RSGB treatment significantly increased the TP level in the serum of thyrotoxicosis mice by increasing synthesis It is of great significance for the elevation of the level of Alb and Ttr by orally administrating RSGB which will be helpful for improving the prognosis of hospitalized patients the transport and usage of micronutrient vitamins was also improved in the RSGB treatment group Afm) were upregulated in the RSGB treatment group which were beneficial for the usage of biotin It was helpful to maintain the normal physiological function of thyrotoxicosis mice The results of lipid metabolomics showed that 26,27-F6-1,25(OH)2D3 and 1alpha,23-dihydroxy-24,25,26,27-tetranorvitamin D3 were elevated in the RSGB treatment group They might work together with VDBP to contribute to the protective effect of RSGB on thyrotoxicosis mice the upregulation of ion transport proteins and Ttr indicated that malnutrition was significantly improved in the RSGB treatment group it was of great significance for RSGB to increase the level of DPA The correlation analysis showed that several RSGB metabolites positively interacted with the probiotics the mutual promotion between LAB and RSGB metabolites in this study contributed to maintaining intestinal health there are many components that can interact with the intestinal flora In addition to interacting with the intestinal flora the active components in RSGB also have direct effects Clarifying these components is very important so as to expand the cognition of TCM UPLC–MS/MS-based plant metabolomics methods were carried out to analyze the molecular composition in both RSGB oral liquid and the serum of RSGB-treated mice The results showed that there were many kinds of substances in the oral liquid and the serum of RSGB-treated mice These substances might be the active ingredients in the RSGB oral liquid RSGB also had higher levels of amino acids and organic acids; they were all nutrients for the body the ingredients in RSGB oral liquid and medicated serum had a variety of pharmacological activities which corresponded to the pharmacodynamic test results in this study They are the material basis for the anti-aging effects of RSGB on thyrotoxicosis mice The illustration of the RSGB action mechanism is displayed in Figure 7 The RSGB treatment significantly improved hypoproteinemia in thyrotoxicosis mice by the upregulation of Alb The recovery of the above-mentioned proteins not only indicated the improvement of malnutrition but also was beneficial for maintaining defense ability The RSGB treatment improved immunosenescence by reducing lipotoxity RSGB alleviated lipotoxity by decreasing the level of lipotoxic lipids and lipid-like molecules such as free fatty acids the numerous active ingredients with excellent antioxidant activity in RSGB have direct anti-lipotoxicity effects The increasing level of protective lipid-like molecules DPA and bile acids contributed to the improvement of defense ability RSGB also upregulated the lactic acid bacteria which was beneficial for maintaining intestinal defense ability Figure 7 Illustration of the effects and mechanism of Renshen Guben (RSGB) on thyrotoxicosis mice The RSGB treatment significantly improved hypoproteinemia by upregulating Alb The recovery of the above-mentioned proteins not only indicated the improvement of malnutrition but also was beneficial for maintaining immunity and defense ability The RSGB treatment improved immunosenescence by reducing lipotoxicity RSGB alleviated lipotoxity by downregulating the level of the lipotoxic lipid-like molecules triglyceride The RSGB itself also has a direct anti-lipotoxicity effect by its large number of antioxidant components and bile acids was beneficial for maintaining defense capacity as was the upregulation of lactic acid bacteria in the intestine RSGB improved the aging features of thyrotoxicosis mice from the following aspects: increasing the number and function of immune cells It suggested that RSGB could restore the resilience of elderly people protecting them from the risk of infection which is of great significance for personal health and social burden The safety study for 30 consecutive days showed that no toxicity was found This study verified the anti-aging effect of RSGB on thyrotoxicosis mice and clarified its mechanisms and material basis In addition to the anti-aging effect obtained by testing the blood indicators RSGB might also have the organ-protective effect because of its multiple protective effects and the next studies will examine organ-protective effects to more fully demonstrate the anti-aging effects of RSGB the multi-element and multi-effect systematic treatment strategies of TCM have played an important role in ensuring the health of the Chinese people It is believed that with the continuous research and understanding of TCM it will also play a greater role in ensuring global human health in the future The data presented in the study are deposited in the iProX repository, https://www.iprox.cn/page/PSV023.html;?url=16596818978029yrz, under Password: Vt0R. The 16s rDNA sequencing data are deposited in the GSA repository, https://bigd.big.ac.cn/gsa/browse/CRA007731 The animal study was reviewed and approved by the Animal Care and Use Committee of Shandong Province All authors contributed to the article and approved the submitted version We thank the Shanghai LuMing Biological Technology Co. China) for providing proteomics and metabonomics services and GZ are employed by Lunan Pharmaceutical Group Co. The remaining author declares that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest The Supplementary Material for this article can be found online at: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2022.983501/full#supplementary-material Measuring biological aging in humans: A quest Covid-19: death rate is 0.66% and increases with age PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar Age-specific mortality and immunity patterns of SARS-CoV-2 Impact of national interventions to promote responsible antibiotic use: A systematic review J Antimicrob Chemother (2020) 75:14–29 Strengthening the immune system and reducing inflammation and oxidative stress through diet and nutrition: Considerations during the COVID-19 crisis Eicosanoid signaling blockade protects middle-aged mice from severe COVID-19 Aging-induced fragility of the immune system PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar Mitochondrial protein phosphorylation: instigator or target of lipotoxicity Trends Endocrinol Metab (2009) 20:186–93 Linoleic acid inhibits in vitro function of human and murine dendritic cells CD4+T cells and retinal pigment epithelial cells Graefes Arch Clin Exp Ophthalmol (2021) 259:987–98 Regional specialization within the intestinal immune system PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar Effects of anti-aging interventions on intestinal microbiota Signaling from intestine to the host: How bile acids regulate intestinal and liver immunity Handb Exp Pharmacol (2019) 256:95–108 Pharmacopoeia of people’s republic of China China: Chemical Medical Science Press (2015) Google Scholar Ginseng: An nonnegligible natural remedy for healthy aging PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar Rehmannia glutinosa exhibits anti-aging effect through maintaining the quiescence and decreasing the senescence of hematopoietic stem cells Anim Model Exp Med (2018) 1:194–202 Historical and pharmacological studies on rehmannia root processing- trends in usage and comparison of the immunostimulatory effects of its products with or without steam processing and pretreatment with liquor Corni fructus: A review of chemical constituents and pharmacological activities Advanced studies on rhizoma dioscoreae collettii phytochemistry and pharmacology of an important traditional Chinese medicine Moutan cortex protects hepatocytes against oxidative injury through AMP-activated protein kinase pathway Chemical constituents and pharmacological properties of poria cocos PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar Aqueous root extract of asparagus cochinchinensis (Lour.) merr has antioxidant activity in d-galactose-induced aging mice Ophiopogon japonicus–a phytochemical J Ethnopharmacol (2016) 181:193–213 The aging features of thyrotoxicosis mice: Malnutrition The effect of poria cocos ethanol extract on the intestinal barrier function and intestinal microbiota in mice with breast cancer Complement: A key system for immune surveillance and homeostasis How does blood coagulation/neutrophils shape innate immunity and uncontrolled inflammation to autoimmune disease The best peptidomimetic strategies to undercover antibacterial peptides CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar Histidine-rich glycoprotein protects from systemic candida infection Histidine-rich glycoprotein promotes bacterial entrapment in clots and decreases mortality in a mouse model of sepsis Histidine-rich glycoprotein stimulates human neutrophil phagocytosis and prolongs survival through CLEC1A Respiratory ß-2-Microglobulin exerts pH dependent antimicrobial activity Proteolysis of human thrombin generates novel host defense peptides Expression of the DMT1 (NRAMP2/DCT1) iron transporter in mice with genetic iron overload disorders Anemia as a risk factor for tuberculosis: A systematic review and meta-analysis Low serum selenium is associated with anemia among older women living in the community: the women's health and aging studies I and II Biol Trace Elem Res (2006) 112:97–107 Association of serum selenium with anemia-related indicators and risk of anemia Production of selenoprotein p (Sepp1) by hepatocytes is central to selenium homeostasis Biochim Biophys Acta (2009) 1790:1441–7 PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar Mice lacking selenoprotein p and selenocysteine lyase exhibit severe neurological dysfunction Epidemiology of hypoalbuminemia in hospitalized patients: A clinical matter or an emerging public health problem doi: 10.7326/0003-4819-158-7-201304020-00003 Low preoperative prealbumin predicts the prevalence of complications following liver transplantation Decreased prealbumin level is associated with increased risk for mortality in elderly hospitalized patients with COVID-19 PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar Glycated albumin with loss of fatty acid binding capacity contributes to enhanced arachidonate oxygenation and platelet hyperactivity: relevance in patients with type 2 diabetes Polyunsaturated fatty acids decrease the apparent affinity of vitamin d metabolites for human vitamin d-binding protein J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol (1992) 42:855–61 Evidence showing lipotoxicity worsens outcomes in covid-19 patients and insights about the underlying mechanisms Oleic and linoleic acids induce the release of neutrophil extracellular traps via pannexin 1-dependent ATP release and P2X1 receptor activation The role of neutrophil NETosis in organ injury: Novel inflammatory cell death mechanisms Psychological stress and aging: Role of glucocorticoids (GCs) High-density lipoprotein ameliorates palmitic acid-induced lipotoxicity and oxidative dysfunction in H9c2 cardiomyoblast cells via ROS suppression Mitochondrial homeostasis and cellular senescence CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar Plasma phospholipid long-chain ω-3 fatty acids and total and cause-specific mortality in older adults: A cohort study The n-3 docosapentaenoic acid (DPA): A new player in the n-3 long chain polyunsaturated fatty acid family Bile acid-microbiota crosstalk in gastrointestinal inflammation and carcinogenesis Nat Rev Gastroenterol Hepatol (2018) 15:111–28 Role of lactobacillus reuteri in human health and diseases PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar Predominant gut lactobacillus murinus strain mediates anti-inflammaging effects in calorie-restricted mice Effect of native lactobacillus murinus LbP2 administration on total fecal IgA in healthy dogs PubMed Abstract | Google Scholar Probiotic gastrointestinal transit and colonization after oral administration: A long journey Front Cell Infect Microbiol (2021) 11:609722 Effect of lactic acid bacteria on the pharmacokinetics and metabolism of ginsenosides in mice Enzymatic synthesis and characterization of mono- and polyglucosylated conjugates of caffeic acid and Gallic acid J Agric Food Chem (2019) 67:13108–18 Advances in saponin diversity of panax ginseng CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar Gypenoside XVII protects against myocardial ischemia and reperfusion injury by inhibiting ER stress-induced mitochondrial injury 20(S)-ginsenoside Rg3 prevents endothelial cell apoptosis via inhibition of a mitochondrial caspase pathway Biochem Biophys Res Commun (2006) 349:987–94 Gypenoside XVII prevents atherosclerosis by attenuating endothelial apoptosis and oxidative stress: Insight into the ERα-mediated PI3K/Akt pathway Ginsenoside Rh4 alleviates antibiotic-induced intestinal inflammation by regulating the TLR4-MyD88-MAPK pathway and gut microbiota composition Ginsenoside Rd induces protective anti-candida albicans antibody through immunological adjuvant activity Int Immunopharmacol (2013) 17:651–7 Ginsenoside Rd elicits Th1 and Th2 immune responses to ovalbumin in mice Immunological-adjuvant saponins from the roots of panax notoginseng PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar Stereoisomer-specific ginsenoside 20(S)-Rg3 reverses replicative senescence of human diploid fibroblasts via akt-mTOR-Sirtuin signaling elegans via lipid metabolism and activating the stress response signaling pathway New progress in the pharmacology of protocatechuic acid: A compound ingested in daily foods and herbs frequently and heavily Caffeic acid and its derivatives: Antimicrobial drugs toward microbial pathogens J Agric Food Chem (2021) 69:2979–3004 Caffeic acid on metabolic syndrome: A review PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar Paeonol: pharmacological effects and mechanisms of action Int Immunopharmacol (2019) 72:413–21 PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr (1998) 38:421–64 A rapid densitometric method for simultaneous quantification of gallic acid and ellagic acid in herbal raw materials using HPTLC Ellagic acid: A logical lead for drug development doi: 10.2174/1381612823666171115094557 PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar Recent developments of gallic acid derivatives and their hybrids in medicinal chemistry: A review Protective effects of ethyl gallate on H2O2-induced mitochondrial dysfunction in PC12 cells Transglycosylation of gallic acid by using leuconostoc glucansucrase and its characterization as a functional cosmetic agent Circulating bile acids as a link between the gut microbiota and cardiovascular health: impact of prebiotics Neuroprotective actions of dietary choline CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar Cross-species metabolomic analysis identifies uridine as a potent regeneration promoting factor Adenosine-mediated cardioprotection in the aging myocardium PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar Anti-aging effects of guanosine in glial cells Purinergic Signal (2016) 12(4):697–706 Liu D and Zhang G (2022) The anti-aging effects of Renshen Guben on thyrotoxicosis mice: Improving immunosenescence Received: 01 July 2022; Accepted: 10 August 2022;Published: 25 October 2022 Copyright © 2022 Feng, Li, Xia, Dai, Zhou, Xu, Liu and Zhang. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY) *Correspondence: Deshan Liu, bGl1ZGVzaGFuQHNkdS5lZHUuY24=; Guimin Zhang, bHVuYW56aGFuZ2d1aW1pbkAxNjMuY29t †ORCID: Qin Feng, orcid.org/0000-0003-0808-7385Guimin Zhang, orcid.org/0000-0003-0030-2140 a supplier in the automotive industry commits to supply a minimum of 250,000 dry metric tonnes of spodumene concentrate feedstock for the Company's conversion facility Binding Feedstock Offer for Guben Lithium Plant Secured announces that it has received a binding feedstock supply offer from Castelburg Industrie GmbH a supplier in the automotive industry commits to supply a minimum of 250,000 dry metric tonnes of spodumene concentrate feedstock for the Company’s conversion facility in Guben Germany over an initial five-year term of the envisaged agreement starting in 2024 The execution of the binding supply agreement based on the terms of the Offer is subject to a positive result of ongoing due diligence Under the supply agreement Rock Tech will annually source up to 60,000 dry metric tonnes from Castelburg’s source in Salta The price of the spodumene concentrate is based on a discount to market prices and will be adjusted for the actual Li2O content The supply agreement further provides for a potential increase of volumes and extension of the initial term subject to mutual agreement by the contract parties Rock Tech’s Chairman and CEO comments “This is an important milestone for Rock Tech and the advancement of our Guben project as independent 3rd party feedstock is a key step to finalize the financing for our German converter Castelburg is another strong European industry partner backs us offering its relationships in South America to support our feedstock sourcing strategy.” The Guben converter will be Germany’s first spodumene concentrate to lithium hydroxide refinery with an annual name plate capacity of 24,000 tonnes battery-grade lithium hydroxide The receipt of the full permit to build and operate the plant is expected for early 2024 The current market outlook for Europe predicts that Lithium conversion capacity will be the major bottleneck in building a sustainable and resilient battery supply chain Rock Tech’s Guben converter will hence be vital for the European battery industry and supply lithium chemicals for approximately 500,000 electric vehicles including all logistics handling and financing will be facilitated by RTT Lithium SA a 50%/50% joint venture established by Rock Tech and Transamine SA the positive finalization of which is condition precedent for the execution of a supply agreement VANCOUVER, BC, May 24, 2023 /CNW/ - Rock Tech Lithium Inc. (TSXV: RCK) (OTCQX: RCKTF) (FWB: RJIB) (WKN: A1XF0V) (the "Company" or "Rock Tech") is pleased to share the findings of a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) for battery-grade lithium hydroxide monohydrate (LHM) from its planned conversion plant in Guben The study was carried out by the Fraunhofer Institute for Environmental and Energy Technology ("Fraunhofer UMSICHT") in accordance with ISO 14040 (2006) par the carbon footprint of battery-grade LHM from Guben is 10.5 kg per kilogram It also shows the ability to considerably reduce emissions to 5.4 kg When compared against an International Energy Agency (IEA) special report Rock Tech's base case footprint for LHM from hard rock is 30 percent lower "We want to contribute to zero-emissions and battery electric vehicles accepting the challenge to reduce the environmental impact of our lithium hydroxide The LCA shows that we and our partners in the market have the power to bring about this change through commercial decisions." The renowned German Fraunhofer UMSICHT has evaluated the "cradle-to-gate" environmental impact of battery-grade LHM to be produced at Rock Tech's Guben Converter The base case carbon footprint is projected to be 10.5 kg CO2-eq/kg LHM encompassing all upstream emissions and an assumed distance of transit from Australia to Germany The main sources of emissions per 1 kilogram of LHM in the LCA scenarios were attributed to energy supply for the Guben Converter with 4.3 kg CO2-eq (average grid mix electricity mining and concentration of spodumene with 3.8 kg CO2-eq and transportation and shipping of spodumene concentrate with 0.7 kg CO2-eq When compared against the International Energy Agency's (IEA) special study on "The Role of Critical Minerals in Clean Energy Transitions" (also see Table 1) Rock Tech's base carbon footprint is 30 percent lower through mainly careful choice of suppliers the Company has the ability to reduce emissions to 5.4 kg CO2-eq./kg LHM which could be compared to the estimated carbon footprint of LHM from brine in the IEA special report credits of -1.0 kg CO2-eq./kg LHM are given to one by-product by applying the avoided burden approach.1 The assessment also shows different scenarios that could cut the emissions in half by commercial choice of suppliers alone Changing from an average grid mix to exclusively renewable sources might reduce the footprint by more than 20% compared to the baseline scenario Spodumene mining also has a lot of potential for improvement Considering of supplies from Rock Tech's Georgia Lake Project in Ontario or reduced emissions claimed by some existing Australian mining companies The LCA did not take into account Rock Tech's ambitions2 towards a zero-waste scenario because the exact quantification of its influence could not yet be determined clearly the targeted use of by-products remains a strategic priority that could bring additional emission-saving potential beyond the scope of the present study The same holds true when substituting natural gas with hydrogen These measures will provide further considerable benefits in the future credits from by-product utilization are not accounted for in the net sum emissions of Rock Tech LCA although Rock Tech supports avoiding carbon emissions in an industry beyond the scope of the LCA 2 See also Rock Tech's press release "Implementing Zero-Waste: Rock Tech Lithium GP Papenburg and Schwenk Zement Collaborate for Closer Commercial Utilisation of Lithium By-Products" issued 30 January DATA AND CONFORMITY OF THE STUDY The LCA takes into account several impact categories and examines the possible environmental impact of products This method ensures that all of the essential factors are assessed for a sustainable decision-making process Secondary data is being used to calculate the carbon footprint of spodumene mining and concentration All LHM manufacturing processes rely on primary data The primary data originates from mass and energy flow sheets (activity data) from the Company's Bankable Project Study the LCA has been critically assessed by an independent third party (DEKRA) in accordance with ISO 14071 (2016) paragraph 4.3.3 and ISO 14044 (2006) paragraph 6.2 The Company created a comparison of Rock Tech's carbon footprint to the IEA special report (see table 1) which is not subject to the LCA done by Fraunhofer or third-party verification by DEKRA CAUTIONARY NOTE CONCERNING FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATIONCertain statements contained in this news release constitute "forward-looking information" under applicable securities laws and are referred to herein as "forward-looking statements" forward-looking statements contained in this news release include: statements and data from the LCA including the carbon footprint calculations therein; the further potential reduction of the Company's carbon footprint and emissions; and the Company's future plans and expectations as described in the section "About Rock Tech" There may also be other factors that cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements except to the extent required by applicable law.­ ATTACHMENTTable 1 | Rock Tech carbon footprint comparison against International Energy Agency (IEA) special report. André Mandel, phone: +49 (0) 2102 89 41 116; or email: [email protected] phone: +49 (0) 2102 89 41 116; or email: amandel@rocktechlithium.com This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page (TSX-V: RCK) (OTCQX: RCKTF) (FWB: RJIB) (WKN: A1XF0V) (the "Company" or "Rock Tech") is pleased to provide a project update on its mining and converter projects Rock Tech has made substantial progress in the engineering development and financing of its two assets the lithium hydroxide converter in Germany and the Georgia Lake mining project in Canada The Company has also started the planning and site selection process for its second converter Rock Tech broke ground on its lithium hydroxide monohydrate (LHM) converter in March 2023 Site access has been secured and basic engineering for the plant has been completed through a series of three thorough engineering studies including the recent Front-End Loading Stage 3 study (FEL3)1 Test piling and loading tests have been completed and geostatic modeling results are expected in the next weeks Final approval to build and operate the converter is expected in Q4 2023 and the Company plans to start construction once the final permit is granted Construction is projected to be completed by the beginning of 2025 First production output is planned for Q3 2025 After this initial ramp-up phase Rock Tech will begin to produce battery-grade lithium hydroxide starting in Q1 2026.  Utility contracts and procurement of major equipment parts including the pyrometallurgical package hydrometallurgical package and crystallizer have been prepared Instrumentation and Control (I&C) for the production plant are defined including operating strategy with regards to digitalization residues and chemicals have also been defined The selection of an EPCM contractor is in its final stage and selection will be finalized in the coming weeks. The city of Guben has finished a railway connection tender for the site. The supply of additional feedstock for the converter is in final stages as well 1 See the Company's press release titled "Rock Tech Lithium Inc completes Final Engineering Study before Construction of its Lithium Converter and Mandates Deutsche Bank as Placement Agent" May 14 German permitting allows for one single permit to build This permit requires extensive knowledge of emissions adherence to government regulations and fire protection among other related aspects The application for the second part of the permit that relates to all process infrastructure was submitted in 2022 and is expected to be granted by Q4 2023 Rock Tech is making rapid progress with subsidies The Company expects to receive approximately 450m EUR in debt from prominent European Banks the due diligence for the credit approval is already underway Deutsche Bank has been mandated as placement agent for the converter to secure 350m EUR in equity and subsidies from investors and the government Equity investments in Germany will be on the asset level to ensure minimal dilution of the holding company publicly listed in Canada  are attracting significant interest from global investors looking to acquire a direct stake negotiations are ongoing with major companies in the lithium battery production and automotive sectors to form strategic partnerships Negotiations are expected to be finalized in the upcoming weeks Rock Tech's goal is to be the world's first closed loop lithium company Starting with responsible mining in accordance with the strict Canadian and international regulations to the operation of its conversion plant designed to refine feedstock and recycle lithium products there are no other projects planned in Europe with the equipment and assets required to recycle lithium making Rock Tech uniquely positioned in this area A certified external assessment2 forecasts the conversion plant's CO2 emission levels for the production of one tonne of lithium hydroxide to be 30% lower than the industry average With current plant design and under use of only renewable energy sources carbon emissions could see a 60% reduction by 2026 the Company plans to utilize 95% of by-products and production residues Together with the German Lithium Institute ITEL Rock Tech is working on solutions for this with partners from the construction materials and waste management industries Upon the commencement of battery-grade production a leading provider of sustainable supply chain traceability will provide a full-scale solution for supply chain transparency Circulor's blockchain powered tracking will enable Rock Tech to comply with the European Battery Regulation's requirements and battery passport initiatives has significantly increased the attractiveness of the North American EV and battery market With engineering for the Guben converter nearing completion the Company is now starting planning for its next converter project Rock Tech is therefore pleased to inform that it is in the final process of identifying suitable locations in the northern United States and Ontario More details will be announced once the final site selection has been completed The raw materials mined at Georgia Lake are a key ingredient for Rock Tech's integrated strategy The Georgia Lake project contains over 40% of the published Mineral Resources in the Thunder Bay District and the newly added Boston Lake mining claims offer another opportunity to further expand the Georgia Lake project has advanced significantly The 2023 winter drilling program has been finalized with positive results and an extensive summer exploration program is focusing on prospecting mapping and trenching3 (see press release of Rock Tech dated 04 July 2023) The Company intends to extend the life of mine and the Mineral Resource considerably from 2023 to 2024 through a series of phased exploration programs and move the project into construction next year The Company maintains good relations and information exchange with all relevant stakeholders CIBC is serving as Rock Tech's strategic advisor that manages a structured process intended to identify partners for the development and further exploration of the mine project 2 See press release of the Company on 24 May 2023 titled "Rock Tech's Guben Converter Lithium Production Carbon Footprint is 30 Percent Lower than the International Energy Agency's Reported Average" Certain statements contained in this news release constitute "forward-looking information" under applicable securities laws and are referred to herein as "forward-looking statements" forward-looking statements contained in this news release include: estimations or predictions about the Mineral Resource or Reserve therein; the further potential of the Boston Lake Claims; and the Company's future plans and expectations as described in the section "About Rock Tech" The material factors or assumptions used to develop the forward-looking statements include: the Exploration Expenditures the existence of certain spodumene pegmatites the possible type of mining and concentration of lithium; the distance required for transportation of concentrate; the Company's ability to procure equipment necessary for its business; that all required regulatory approvals and permits can be obtained on the necessary terms in a timely manner; and that financing will be available to the Company on commercial terms 3 See the Company's press release "Lithium Assay Results Returned from Step-out Winter 2023 Drill Program as Rock Tech Initiates Summer Field Exploration at Georgia Lake" dated 04 July 2023 André Mandel, phone: +49 (0) 2102 89 41 116; or email: [email protected]  Rock Tech Lithium Inc.; 600-777 Hornby Street Receive our weekly Newsletterand set tailored daily news alerts The approved investments will be in the form of equipment that will affect all of the processes at the Guben site Interiors, Industrial, Medical/Hygiene Trevira’s owner Indorama Ventures has approved various large projects at the Guben site which will be “of enormous importance” for the entire company according to Trevira’s CEO Klaus Holz “These investments are an extremely important signal They are a reiteration of the long-term commitment of our parent company IVL to Trevira,” he said The approved investments will be in the form of equipment that will affect all of the processes (polycondensation and textile processing) at the Guben site where Trevira produces filament specialties for the textiles industry A total sum of around EUR 7.5 million is scheduled to be invested These investments will generate additional quantitative growth and optimise processes and procedures at Trevira’s site in Guben where flat and texturised filament yarns are produced for automotive interiors “We are very excited about the investments in the new equipment The Guben site and the Filament BU will be strengthened by these projects,” said Edo Lieven Trevira is a European manufacturer of high-value branded fibres and filament yarns for technical applications and hygiene products automotive interiors and functional apparel Two production sites and a Marketing and Sales office with a total of around 1,100 employees are located in Germany These are supported by an international marketing and sales organisation The head office of the company is located in Bobingen Trevira has a reputation for fibres and yarns for flame retardant polyester home textiles (Trevira CS) for its fibre specialties for hygiene products and technical applications as well as for low-pill fibres for functional apparel www.trevira.de Trevira proves sustainable in different ways A lithium factory is also being built in Guben which will be used to produce lithium hydroxide You can use our filter to find relevant topics Alternatively our search function or the overview of articles can help you out This could change once the first lithium factory in Europe has been built. Planned by Canada-based Rock Tech Lithium Inc., the construction project aims to set new sustainability standards. The company claims that it will be the first lithium hydroxide converter of its kind With operations in both Germany and Canada the company’s goal is to supply the automotive industry with lithium hydroxide in about two years This substance is required to manufacture EV batteries for which it is conditioned and finished in converters A fair share of the lithium needed is to be sourced from Georgia Lake in Canada Rock Tech envisages establishing five sites in Germany Company headquarters are located in Vancouver with two additional approvals to follow before the end of the year Rock Tech states that the construction project will draw a total investment of approximately 500 million euros An initial lifetime of 25 years and a workforce of 160 are projected annual production is expected to total 24,000 metric tons enough lithium hydroxide to power 500,000 EVs in Europe Brandenburg State Minister for Economic Affairs feels the construction of the converter is important for both Brandenburg and Europe: we are strengthening our position as a future EV hub in Europe Brandenburg will be home to the entire value-added chain from raw material processing and battery and cell production to EV manufacturing and battery recycling The Commission claims that it is thus all the more important for Europe to ensure security of supply as this would make the energy and mobility transition in the EU more autonomous But can the planned Guben facility do more than reduce dependence on imports by covering the entire value-added chain Rock Tech underscores that sustainability and environmental compatibility took centre stage from the word go The company intends to run the plant on renewable energy The company further states that, in addition, one of the main objectives is to establish a closed market cycle as lithium is becoming an increasingly scarce commodity This is why Rock Tech wants to integrate lithium recycling in the value-added chain The concept involves reconditioning the lithium once the batteries have reached the end of their service lives and then using the raw material all over again According to Rock Tech Inc Spokesperson Wolfgang Böhm this is the backdrop against which the facility will be constantly refined and upgraded Another goal is to use about 50 percent recycled raw materials by 2030 This would reduce the need to mine new lithium a paltry one percent of all lithium used worldwide is currently recycled Furthermore, the company announced in March 2022 that it will join forces with the Fraunhof Institute for Environmental, Safety and Energy Technology UMSICHT and Circulor Ltd Rock Tech expects these partners to be of assistance in optimising processes that are already in planning and in reducing energy consumption both lithium and carbon dioxide emissions at Rock Tech will be tracked for Rock Tech from the very beginning of the value chain Buyers of the lithium hydroxide will be able to access information on the source and environmental footprint of the commodity – in real time to boot what is precipitated in the chemical reaction as a by-product in addition to gypsum sodium sulphate and zero-liquid discharge (ZLD) is mostly aluminium oxide silicate (260,000 metric tons per year) This substance is especially well suited to construction a sector in which Rock Tech is already looking for potential buyers Until further notice, the raw material will continue to be imported from Canada and elsewhere. However, resorting to local resources is an option that cannot be ruled out. This is why the company is intent on reducing its environmental footprint as quickly as possible, says Böhm. After all, lithium mining is harmful to the environment. As reported in the en:former conventional lithium mining produces carbon dioxide emissions and consumes a lot of water The latter holds true not least for regions which are plagued by water shortage Wolfgang Böhm further states that the company is generally interested in drawing on local resources, above all given that several reserves have been discovered in Germany. For instance, as reported by the en:former the Ore Mountains in Saxony contain an estimated 125,000 metric tons of lithium metal enough to manufacture several million electric vehicles local mining would be permitted pursuant to European regulations and environmental standards This would result in improved environmental compatibility and increased sustainability We encounter energy everywhere – at home, on the street, in the office and on the workbench. But what exactly is energy? How and from what is it made? How is it stored, transported and converted? The questions abound, answers to which are provided by this blog – exciting, snappy and always up to date. Learn more Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker With the popularity of the now ubiquitous Body Worlds exhibits touring the world with their skinned and exploded figures in motion it is little wonder that the inventor of the technique that made those displays possible would start his very own scientific house of gore Located in the city of Guben, Germany after being run off from previously planned sites for their museum-lab the Plastinarium presents the process and results of a controversial embalming process developed by one Dr The process involves removing most of the water from a corpse's dead tissue and replacing it with synthetic polymers that preserve the bodies in perpetuity as medical models and items of curiosity This is usually done once the subject has had their skin taken away Von Hagens collects his specimens from body donors who sign a contract allowing him to plastinate their bodies after their deaths The Plastinarium allows visitors to walk through the steps of the gruesome but fascinating process as they tour the actual lab where the preservation is taking place provides ample room for both process and display and there is no shortage of pieces in the museum but there are also a number of humans who are said to have voluntarily donated their bodies to the procedure The center supplies the touring Body Worlds exhibits with new displays and provides upkeep for their existing ones but anyone wanting to see how the bodies get made can now come right to the source.  A professional special effects makeup artist’s collection of horror creatures and one-of-a-kind recreations on display in downtown Boulder City A novel collection of medical curiosities housed in an 18th-century surgeon training academy A curious collection of oddities including a lock of Alexander Hamilton's hair and Harry Houdini's ouija board What better way to honor a pioneering anatomist than by preserving his severed head like a specimen The largest funeral ever held was for one of Tamil's most influential politicians Browse an impressive collection of passenger and military aircraft dating back to World War II a former wartime bunker holds some surprising secrets An unexpected public exhibit showcases the diversity of Dutch street posts attends the 10th anniversary celebration of Gubener Plastinate GmbH invented the plastination technique of preserving cadavers which he has frequently applied to human specimens which feature plastinated humans and animals in dynamic poses have toured the world and earned considerable controversy the plastination institute he founded in Guben A general view during the 10th anniversary celebration of Gubener Plastinate GmbH the plastination institute Gunther von Hagens founded in Guben Employees work the plastination process on parts of human bodies during the 10th anniversary celebration of Gubener Plastinate GmbH Parts of plastinated human bodies stand on shelves during a plastination process by the 10th anniversary celebration of Gubener Plastinate GmbH Animals and Human bodies are displayed during the 10th anniversary celebration of Gubener Plastinate GmbH von HagensFrom a German border town on the banks of the river Neisse the anatomist Gunther von Hagens commands a fortress of death The former textile mill has glorious skylights and a facade of dark red brick A spray of Allied bullets left dents in the metalwork and grenade blasts […]Vincent FournierSave this storySaveSave this storySaveFrom a German border town on the banks of the river Neisse and grenade blasts have chipped the masonry The end of World War II split the town of Guben right down its gut like a miniature Berlin a wound from which it never quite recovered and von Hagens' palace seems to have suffered from its own more private reconfiguration: Dormant forklifts dot the courtyard next to bits of fencing and piled rebar; water drips from 20-foot ceilings in the dormitories; floral wallpaper sags off yellowed plaster - 74 Things Every Great Star Wars Movie Needs This wilted splendor gives way to the fundamental work of von Hagens' business—the extraction of body parts and sale of preserved remains he spent $50 million to turn this run-down site into a global headquarters for his Body Worlds exhibits fitted out with tanks of acetone (for defatting tissue) a refrigerated warehouse holds a band saw big enough to rip an elephant in half the carcass of a giraffe lies at the bottom of a swimming pool its spots turned pale in a solution of ethanol and water The animal's tail is tucked between its legs and its neck lies along the pool's diagonal—the only way it fits The giraffe is being kept pliable for dissection But it could just as soon have been frozen whole and sliced into millimeter-thick sheets these could end up in lecture halls or museum displays or added to an archive in the rooms upstairs where parts of animals and people are kept in bins marked brain and foot and scrotum The 68-year-old scientist who runs this factory of desiccation and dissection spends his days shuffling through its corridors with his lapdog They are often the only living things in sight and Bella's yaps echo among the carved-up corpses that line the halls in obscene and fabulous poses while his body has been exploded into parts that hang from a rack on fishing lines their flesh corroded to reveal clouds of blood vessels and yaks and pigs with their ribs spread out like wings Von Hagens calls the place his Plastinarium It's the first permanent display of specimens from his stupendously successful traveling exhibition of flesh preserved with plastic and scores of other cities since the 1990s; it has inspired copycats and lawsuits and sold more than 35 million tickets As a young lecturer at the University of Heidelberg in 1977 von Hagens developed a laboratory trick that at first seemed of interest only to a dwindling cadre of macroscopic anatomists: a way to impregnate slices of kidney tissue with plastic Soon he'd made the process work for whole dissected bodies He starts with regular embalming—the injection of formaldehyde into femoral arteries—and then submerges the body in acetone After that he drops the corpse into a basin filled with liquid polymer where the acetone bubbles off as plastic pushes in to take its place but eventually von Hagens figured out a way to turn his method into a morbid empire devoted to the processing of animal and human cadavers the complex in Guben employed 220 people and churned out specimens for exhibition along with those that could be sold to medical schools around the world—limbs and joints for orthopedics and $75,000 plastic-filled corpses for gross anatomy and entrepreneur stood at the center of his factory The business that he'd worked so hard to build was crumbling Revenue from Body Worlds had begun to taper off and sales of body parts to universities had always been propped up by the exhibits His plastination plant in China was nearly defunct and his would-be partnership in Siberia had ended in a scandal the operation had gotten to the verge of bankruptcy von Hagens said; two-thirds of his employees would be let go he'd been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease no way to prevent his brain from shrinking von Hagens' limbs will get more rigid and his face more like a mask After a career spent staving off rot and giving life to stiffened corpses Vincent FournierMany people expire without a warning; others learn they have just days or weeks to live Von Hagens' end has been forecast at least three times already Growing up the middle of five children in the midsize East German town he learned in grade school that he had a dangerous bleeding disorder ("I felt sorry for my parents," he recalls.) The bleeding put him in the hospital on more than one occasion but now he keeps it in check by eating peanuts it seems a major pitfall for a professional dissector who works with sharp tools and I can't help but worry when von Hagens emerges from his suite of rooms in Guben on the morning of my visit It's been nearly six months since he gave his good-bye speech and the Parkinson's has left his face both slack and stiff: He has a drooping jaw and arching eyebrows as if frozen in a moment of profound dismay von Hagens now has trouble finishing a sentence His illness comes in waves that start at his fingertips and work their way up to his throat until they churn his words in a quicksand of slurs and stutters "I hope for a successful therapy for Parkinson's!" he bellows at one point and then explains it's easiest for him to speak in sudden outbursts "Don't be afraid!" he shouts though it would seem more apropos to creep around the place at night like Scooby-Doo tiptoeing past the potted ficus trees—also plastic This time a doctor colleague gave the sentence: He had an unusual condition that could reduce the flow of blood through his aorta and kill him off before the age of 45 von Hagens knew that the heart is poorly engineered—the layout of the coronary arteries leaves it prone to blockage The timescale of this second diagnosis was long enough that he could ignore it (It turned out his colleague had been mistaken.) As we make our way through the anatomical museum von Hagens lists some other body parts that are not so well designed There are major problems with the penis—the prostate gland should not be wrapped so tight around the urethra—and he has a lot to say on the weakness of the knee But von Hagens doesn't stint on praise for human evolution; he admires many of our features for their complexity and cleverness mortal diagnosis—an illness of his mind this time not of his heart; one bound to mangle up that perfect blueprint until it deprives him of his ability to walk and talk and eat and think He knows his Parkinson's cannot be wished away or cured by eating peanuts "I am a doctor," he told his friend Stephan Rathgeb "I give myself seven more years." the doctor hopes to live as long as most people (He used to say he'd make it to 100.) And the illness hasn't sapped his drive to cut up corpses Though he tires easily and his hands have grown too shaky for a scalpel von Hagens still makes his rounds through the Plastinarium in his trademark zippered vest and black hat looking over assistants' shoulders and spitting out instructions he circles around a female corpse with dyed brown hair Though the skinless specimens on display can look like plastic toys this one—still somewhat fresh—looks like someone's aunt or sister an assistant mists the body with a water bottle so it won't dry out Two or three corpses arrive in Guben every week—all come from willing donors—and this is where they're arranged and posed while some are frozen solid at minus-94 degrees Fahrenheit for passing through the band saw There's a human leg on a rack with the genitals still attached as if a man's lower half had been split like a wishbone a set of hard-edged blocks that look like cubes of fatty cold cut or chunks of schweinebraten They're one of von Hagens' new inventions: a teaching tool for medical students—when stacked together on matching faces The obese woman will be cut in horizontal sections A red laser line shows von Hagens' assistants where to place the blade Watching him at work invites a simple question one so obvious and yet so personal that at first it's difficult to ask What will happen when the Parkinson's has run its course with metal pins stuck into his face and his feet propped up on blocks of foam Will someone do to him exactly what he's done to her Vincent FournierDead and dying bodies have "The natural processes of corruption and decay have become disgusting," wrote the aptly named British anthropologist Geoffrey Gorer in his 1955 essay "The Pornography of Death." In the 1800s children and adults alike were routinely confronted with mortality—dead relatives were washed and laid out at home novelists were preoccupied with deathbed scenes of melancholy Now such encounters are rare and our experience of death—our engagement with it as a fact and force of nature—has been replaced by a kind of prudery "If we dislike the modern pornography of death," Gorer wrote referring to the gangster movies and horror comics of his time "then we must give back to death—natural death—its parade and publicity." where dissected heads hang shameless from the walls Gorer's plea has finally been granted However else one might describe the Body Worlds exhibits—as science or as flimflam—they have done more than any other modern spectacle to bring the human corpse into view tens of millions of people in the developed world have had the chance to see cadavers on parade to view the lifeless bodies of their fellow beings without the intermediation of fear or shame von Hagens has refigured death for modern sensibilities To see one doesn't make you sad or sick; it doesn't fill you with anxiety The experience is something else instead—an encounter with a memento mori that's both dry and durable and can be split and peeled without disgust It's death denuded of its most gruesome elements When von Hagens shipped his first sturdy specimens to Tokyo in September 1995 he tapped into a form of entertainment that had been dormant for a century expositions of anatomy were commonplace in the red-light districts of Europe and America and casts of skin disease or venereal infection The popular display of body parts—real and fake—arrived in the US in the 1840s and had largely faded out by the 1920s was cleansed of its more salacious trappings and subsumed into the upright field of public health the German Hygiene Museum in Dresden displayed its Glass Man—a Bauhaus-inspired life-size figurine with plastic skin and painted wire for its veins and arteries the Glass Man was the iPod of anatomy: an elegant reproducible commodity that could be shipped around the world the original and its copies turned up in Buffalo it would later stand for Nazi racial pride By the time the Glass Men marched across the continents the public display of authentic bodies had all but disappeared would not be back until von Hagens' first show in Tokyo in 1995—half a million people came to see it Von Hagens' plastinates tapped into a latent fascination with corporeality feeding corpses to vultures—attest to our need to take control of death and represent it for the living Von Hagens rendered this ancient practice in a modern form Plastination brought death into the light and gave it an aesthetic perfect for our scientific age von Hagens seems less a doctor than a master plumber or mechanic each corpse a set of tubes that must be filled with fluids of the right viscosity when the plastination experiments grew too unwieldy for his lab in Heidelberg The cluttered workshop is his natural habitat: He's most at home among barrels of chemicals and boxes of stray parts Among his first tools was a deli meat slicer for cutting human kidneys into even slabs Later he stretched bits of panty hose to strain out blood clots and plopped brains into pudding molds so they wouldn't get malformed Von Hagens lives his life the way he works without regard for custom or pretense and with a tendency to view his own body in mechanistic To watch him eat is to see a man refuel a vehicle: He's made a habit of going for days on little more than a bowl of berries or a quart of milk and when dining out he likes to order whichever dish will come out quickest Each of his essential life functions has been assigned a place in the spartan four-room factory suite where he lives alone a small area with exercise equipment in the middle and then an office with a dine-in kitchen that's stocked with instant soup and crystallized coffee A large institutional clock hangs from the wall "The body is like a car or an engine," he says He tried to flee from East Germany while in his early twenties but was captured by the Stasi and imprisoned for two years he married a woman named Cornelia von Hagens and chose to appropriate her noble-sounding name (His given name is Liebchen.) They had three children but the marriage soured when von Hagens' experiments with plastination drove the family into debt and it fell apart when he started seeing someone else—a young woman in his dissection seminar named Andrea Whalley and von Hagen married Whalley three years later At times he was motivated by a simple need to outdo himself spending $4 million and 65,000 hours of employee time—and building a warehouse-sized freezer—just to plastinate an elephant That impulse hasn't faded with his health and business fortunes: Now he says he'd like to do the carcass of a blue whale and then he'll make the body of a dinosaur from parts of other animals those around him do the best they can to manage his expectations In May of 2012 his son Rurik began managing the company in Guben he's the one who shut down the facility in China and helped orchestrate the layoffs at the Plastinarium It also falls to him to tell his dad what can and can't be accomplished Though Rurik wears his hair slicked back and has a B-school tendency to wink while making a point he can sound like a kid who only just discovered that his father is not a superhero "For all his life he liked to have a certain degree of stress because that's what kept him running and gave him ideas," Rurik says von Hagens spent almost every waking hour in the lab and in spare moments he would study foreign languages on flash cards or take power naps while sitting at his desk "That really doesn't work anymore," Rurik says "But that is how he lived for decades." and then suddenly he is not efficient anymore Vincent FournierThere was a time when the prospect of von Hagens' own dehydration and defatting was among his favorite topics even many years ago," Angelina tells me while her husband takes a nap inside his modest suite She is often on the road but has come to Guben to cohost my visit "He's about 15 years older than I am and statistically women live longer than men and I would want you to plastinate me.'" He calmed me down: 'You wouldn't have to do it immediately—you could put me in the freezer but not more than one year because then I'd get those freezer burns.'" Angelina has taken on the role of company spokesperson since soon after her husband got sick and she prepares her thoughts behind pursed lips and eyelashes battered with mascara Angelina watches over her husband from a kind of lupine crouch bounding in when his voice begins to falter or when he starts to stray off message and she'll fill the silence with a sound bite one of many predigested phrases from his past: The more you think about death Or: Everyone dies a double death—a death of your soul and a death of your body Then he'll turn to me with resignation in his eyes—a sheepish doleful look—and nod: "My opinions are identical with hers." on the matter of his death and plastination He no longer comforts her with talk of the freezer and she's not at all resigned to carry out his final wishes The squabble reemerges when the three of us are touring through his private workshop—a brick-floored space that serves as a makeshift gallery for his latest work Here's where he keeps his silver-plated cow heart; a table made from giraffe legs wearing glitzy high-heeled shoes; and skinny slices of a bookshelf Von Hagens wants to be slivered into sections too That way his body can be displayed in different places at the same time he'd planned to plastinate his father and pose the corpse as a patient on a table then later have his corpse posed beside it tending to his garden and raising chickens.) Angelina would rather keep him as a plastinated whole Von Hagens answers first: "My opinion is .. "And I've postponed these thoughts," she says in turn Von Hagens peers at her from beneath his leather hat and tries to speak again At last he finds the strength to force out: "It's a strange subject!" Bella the dog scampers ahead and across the courtyard to a room where the ceiling is partially caved in and plants Then she circles back to von Hagens and sniffs around his ankles When she gets excited or upset—at the sight of a plastinated baby chick or a bucket full of bones—he scoops her up and murmurs into her ears you know," he says when we get back into his office and the dog has settled in his lap His voice grows weak—from disease or emotion He's been talking coolly about what it means to die and what might happen to his corpse but it's the topic of his dog that chokes him up "She can always sit beside me," he sputters and then pinches the bridge of his nose between his fingers and begins to weep We sit in silence while his shoulders shake grief and sorrow are no different from any other defect of the human body that should be amenable to fixing he blames them on his disease—a condition I later learn is called pseudobulbar affect or the involuntary and inappropriate expression of feeling before he started treatment: "I was very upset at my uncontrolled emotions I could not even go to the cinema." He takes off his hat and shows the lumps on his scalp where the leads from brain-stimulating electrodes have irritated the skin It's the only time I've seen his naked head He says that he's been better since the treatment "Just now is the first time for the last week that I cried von Hagens had revealed another of his works in progress a gruesome scene he calls "Headless Into Death." So far it consists of a smashed-up '80s-model Volkswagen with a dirty American flag spread across the seat the owner of the car committed suicide by driving headlong into a tree and now he plans to put a section of the driver's headless body in the front seat The dead wife has already been processed here in Guben waiting for her husband as a full-body plastinate in silicone it sounds as if he's playing out a fantasy with dolls a diorama of how he might like to die himself revving till the very end—not puttering with Parkinson's one thing is clear: They won't have a chance to argue Donors to the plastination program sign away their right to say how their bodies might be posed (The consent form does ask if they agree to be "exhibited in public" or "interpreted as anatomical works of art," but it also says their answers to these questions are "recommendations rather than binding terms.") Von Hagens can arrange his corpses in a mock coitus or cast a mold of them to make an ersatz Jesus Christ—both of these are on display in Guben—or he can carve them up and ship the parts for use in classrooms Many have been willing to supply their flesh The business staffs a body hotline and the deceased save the cost of interment or cremation Angelina says they've had to make a waiting list for would-be plastinates She also tells me that of the people who have enrolled just one in 10 gives ideas for how they'd like their bodies shown to leave their fate in von Hagens' hands Perhaps they feel the standard rituals of death are not for them They've chosen to be anointed with acetone and polymer and sliced for public view instead newfangled rite has been von Hagens' task for almost 30 years and he has lived his life the way he treats his bodies—as something manufactured that can be tinkered with to suit his needs This may be the doctor's final lesson: When he dies he will be plastinated—that much is certain—but the posing of his body will not be up to him he'll leave the mastery of life and death to someone else "Understanding how the world works is a gift for me," he says There's something more he wants to say a red light goes on," he mumbles at last Daniel Engber (@danengber) writes about science and culture and is a columnist for Slate. It is the essential source of information and ideas that make sense of a world in constant transformation The WIRED conversation illuminates how technology is changing every aspect of our lives—from culture to business The breakthroughs and innovations that we uncover lead to new ways of thinking