Scientists in China have developed an organic material to extract uranium from seawater, a process they said is vital for the advancement of nuclear energy.

The “exceptional” new material could be the answer in search for an efficient, economical source of endless nuclear energy, researchers said. It is said to be cost-effective, reyclable and has “exceptional uranium adsorption capability”.

Researchers from the Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology in northeastern China said they used sodium alginate and functional DNA strands to fabricate SA-DNA hydrogel microspheres for the adsorption of uranyl ions, the most stable form of uranium found in seawater.

The researchers said in a report published in Science Direct that the materials they used are readily accessible.