E-Mail IMAGE: First author Adrienn Maria Szucs with Professor Juan Diego Rodriguez-Blanco in Trinity's Museum Building view more Credit: Trinity College Dublin Researchers from Trinity College Dublin have shed new light on the formation mechanisms of a rare earth-bearing mineral that is in increasingly high demand across the globe for its use in the green energy and tech industries. Their discovery has important economic implications because there are no substitute alternatives to these rare earth elements (REEs), which are indispensable due to their ability to form small and very powerful magnets essential for smart devices and low-carbon energy generation (e.g., electronics, wind turbines, hybrid cars).