New cyanobacteria strains can sequester carbon and be used in biomanufacturing
In collaboration, researchers from the Wyss Institute at Harvard University, United States and the University of Palermo, Italy, have discovered a novel strain of cyanobacteria, isolated from volcanic ocean vents, which has been observed to grow rapidly in the presence of carbon dioxide (CO2). This strain of cyanobacteria has been scientifically named Cyanobacterium aponinum and nicknamed ‘Chonkus.’ It is a prime candidate for biological carbon sequestration projects and bioproduction. This discovery has been published in the Applied and Environmental Microbiology journal.
This was first found off the coast of the island Vulcano in Sicily, Italy. Scientists hypothesized that life here would be rich in biotechnologically relevant cyanobacteria because the place provided an environment where marine CO2 and light are abundant due to shallow volcanic vents. Since CO2 is a limiting factor for photosynthesis, it was in the best interest that these organisms were investigated in places with the availability of plenty of CO2.
After the isolation process of the cyanobacteria was complete, researchers further discovered two strains – UTEX 3221 (Cyanobacterium aponinum var Vulcano 1) and UTEX 3222 (Cyanobacterium aponinum var Vulcano 2). The genomes of both these organisms were found to be in a unique marine environment with naturally elevated CO2 levels. Since UTEX 3222 is a unicellular organism, it is easier to compare it with the existing strains of cyanobacteria for further studies and, hence, has been focused on primarily. The samples of both these strains have been cryogenically preserved at -190°C and are available for research purposes to the public.
A researcher, Max Schubert, made a statement saying, “This naturally occurring strain of cyanobacteria has several traits that could be useful to humans, including highly dense growth and a natural tendency to sink in water, making Chonkus a particularly interesting organism for future work on decarbonization and biomanufacturing” – a scientist’s dream discovery indeed.
The discovery of Chonkus also hints that other shallow volcanic vents and deep oceanic vents may house a variety of rare and useful organisms that could potentially be used in the removal of marine carbon dioxide, further helping the carbon cycle and in bioproduction industries to produce various important commodities. When it comes to mitigating the adverse effects of climate change, such organisms may not be the heroes we deserve, but they shall be the heroes we desperately need.
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