A type of bacteria from the bottom of the sea could help neutralize industrial carbon in our atmosphere.
The greenhouse gas carbon dioxide is believed to be a major contributor to climate change, but it can potentially be captured and neutralized in a process called sequestration, the University of Florida reported. Most atmospheric carbon dioxide comes from fossil fuel combustion imposed by humans. This new research suggests the deep-sea bacteria Thiomicrospira crunogena produces carbonic anhydrase, which is an enzyme that works to remove CO2 from organisms. Carbon neutralization requires a durable, heat-tolerant enzyme, and these bacteria could be the perfect source because they thrive near scorching hydrothermal vents.
"This little critter has evolved to deal with those extreme temperature and pressure problems. It has already adapted to some of the conditions it would face in an industrial setting," said Robert McKenna, a professor of biochemistry and molecular biology in the UF College of Medicine.
In the process of carbon sequestration, the carbonic anhydrase catalyzes a chemical reaction between the greenhouse gas and water. The CO2 interacts with the enzyme, causing it to be converted into bicarbonate that can be further processed into materials such as baking soda and chalk. To make this process viable on an industrial level the researchers found a way to produce the enzyme without needing to constantly harvest bacteria from the seafloor. They discovered the enzyme can be produced with a genetically engineered version of the common E. coli bacteria.
While the enzyme's heat stability makes it desirable for the process of carbon sequestration, the researchers noted that it is not particularly efficient. In the future, the researchers hope to produce a variant of the enzyme that maintains it heat stability but has a higher level of efficiency and is fast-acting enough to be used in an industrial setting.
The findings were published in a recent edition of the journals Acta Crystallographica D: Biological Crystallography and Chemical Engineering Science.
