Industrial carbon dioxide (CO2) can be actually neutralized by deep-sea bacteria, researchers say.
According to Science Daily on Oct. 22, Thursday, the major contributor to greenhouse gases is carbon dioxide, which can be captured and neutralized through a process that is known as sequestration. It is a process wherein it prevents greenhouse gas buildup in the planet's atmosphere by pumping CO2 into a reservoir underground or by simply planting trees to absorb CO2.
However, a new discovery is found to neutralize CO2, which is the use of deep-sea bacteria, Thiomicrospira crunogena. These can produce carbonic anhydrase, which is an enzyme that is durable and heat-tolerant and are present in them that can help remove carbon dioxide in organisms that need to get rid of the unwanted gas.
The University Herald adds that the group of researchers at the University of Florida carried out this study wherein the bacteria can convert CO2 into a non-harmful compound. Prof. Robert McKenna, a PhD and professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology in the College of Medicine and part of the UF Health, said that these critters evolved to become tolerant and deal with extreme pressure and temperature problems and that they can therefore adapt to the conditions in an industrial setting.
Therefore, the process is to make the bacteria work in sequestering the CO2 by immobilizing carbonic anhydrase with solvent that is inside a reactor vessel, which serves as a large purification tube. Then the gas would be passed through the said solvent with the carbonic anhydrase changing the CO2 into bicarbonate that can also be used for processing products such as chalk and baking soda.
The United Press International Inc. said that the bacteria Thiomicrospira crunogena live in the dark, cold, and deep sea floor where there are hydrothermal vents. However, researchers still have to study so that these bacteria can be used in industrial scale, and findings have been published in "Acta Crystallographica D: Biological Crystallography and Chemical Engineering Science" journal.
