Dr. Justin Mackey, formerly of the U.S. Department of Energy, joins REEgen as Vice President of Mining Technology.

ITHACA, NY (November 19, 2025) — REEgen, a U.S. biomining startup advancing clean processes for critical mineral recovery, has strengthened its leadership team with a strategic appointment. Dr. Justin Mackey, previously a Senior Geochemist at the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) has joined REEgen's executive team as Vice President of Mining Technology. He brings thirteen years of experience in mining technology research, development, and strategic project execution to the company. 

Dr. Mackey has extensive expertise in recovering critical minerals from secondary and unconventional feedstocks, such as oil and gas byproducts, coal refuse, and combustion residuals. His experience in mineralogy and geochemistry at the NETL, combined with his extensive connections in domestic and international critical minerals industries, makes him an ideal addition to REEgen's team as the company commercializes its BioREEcover technology. 

"I'm thrilled to join REEgen at such a pivotal moment for the company and the domestic critical minerals industry," said Dr. Mackey. "REEgen's BioREEcover process represents a genuine breakthrough in addressing the environmental and economic challenges for domestic REE and critical minerals supply chains. I'm excited to integrate quickly with this exceptional team and help execute on REEgen's strategy to establish a secure, circular rare earth supply chain."

“Justin brings exactly the expertise we've been seeking at precisely the right moment in our company's evolution," said Dr. Alexa Schmitz, Co-Founder and CEO of REEgen. “His proven track record in critical mineral recovery will be invaluable as we move from pilot-scale operations to commercial deployment.” 

Dr. Mackey's appointment overlaps with the transition of REEgen co-founder Dr. Sean Medin to the company's advisory team. Dr. Medin will continue to provide scientific and strategic guidance as REEgen scales its BioREEcover system toward full commercialization.

"Sean’s technical vision and dedication have played a tremendous role in getting REEgen to its current inflection point,” said Dr. Schmitz. “We are grateful he’ll continue to advise us as we continue to revitalize critical mineral recovery and enable widespread energy security.”

"I'm proud of the technical and business advancements we have achieved at REEgen in the last 2 years, and I am excited to continue advising the company,” said Dr. Medin. “I'm confident that, with Justin Mackey joining the team, REEgen will be in the best position possible to have a successful commercial launch."

About REEgen

REEgen Inc. is a U.S.-based biomining startup founded in 2022 to advance clean processes for critical mineral recovery and production. The company innovates by applying cutting-edge synthetic biology to solve conventional mining's environmental and economic challenges, engineering low-cost systems for sustainable production. REEgen recognizes the importance of critical minerals for energy and national security and is dedicated to promoting a circular economy. Headquartered in Ithaca, NY, REEgen was spun out of Cornell University and builds on research originally funded by ARPA-E. Learn more at reegen.tech and follow on LinkedIn.

Forward-Looking Statements

The Company is currently in the research and development phase and is pre-revenue. All statements regarding the Company’s business strategy, future operations, financial position, prospects, and objectives are forward-looking and should not be relied upon as guarantees of future performance. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated include, but are not limited to, uncertainties related to research and development outcomes, regulatory approvals, market acceptance, competition, and the availability of capital.

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