Researchers at the University of Georgia’s Bioenergy Systems Research Institute have discovered a way to take CO2 from the atmosphere and transform it into useful industrial products, including, potentially, fuel, Gizmag reported.
The method took inspiration from photosynthesis. The researchers created a microorganism that imitates what plants do -- use sunlight to transform water and carbon dioxide into sugars they use for energy -- by manipulating the genetic material of Pyrococcus furiosus, pictured above (courtesy of the Missouri University of Science and Technology). Also known as "rushing fireball," this microorganism feeds on carbohydrates in the super-heated ocean waters near geothermal vents.
The team modified the organism so that is able to feed at lower temperatures, according to Gizmag, and then used hydrogen gas to create a chemical reaction in the microorganism that incorporates CO2 into 3-hydroxypropionic acid, a common industrial chemical that can be used to make acrylics and other products.
"What this discovery means is that we can remove plants as the middleman," said Michael Adams, lead researcher. "We can take carbon dioxide directly from the atmosphere and turn it into useful products without having to go through the inefficient process of growing plants and extracting sugars from biomass."
