The Department of Energy's ARPA-E branch is seeking proposals for the topic "Plant HYperaccumulators TO MIne Nickel-Enriched Soils (PHYTOMINES)" as part of their Exploratory Topics SBIR/STTR program. This topic focuses on the development of plant hyperaccumulators that can extract nickel from soil. The technology aims to have applications in mining and environmental remediation by providing a more sustainable and cost-effective method for extracting nickel. The solicitation is open until May 7, 2024, and interested parties can find more information and submit proposals through the provided links.