Bacteria Upcycle Carbon Waste into Valuable Chemicals
Published:22 Feb.2022 Source:Northwestern University
Researchers engineered a strain of bacteria to break down carbon dioxide (CO2), converting it into commonly used, expensive industrial chemicals. The carbon-negative approach removes CO2 from the atmosphere and bypasses using fossil fuels to generate these chemicals.
Bacteria are known for breaking down lactose to make yogurt and sugar to make beer. Now researchers led by Northwestern University and LanzaTech have harnessed bacteria to break down waste carbon dioxide (CO2) to make valuable industrial chemicals. In a new pilot study, the researchers selected, engineered and optimized a bacteria strain and then successfully demonstrated its ability to convert CO2 into acetone and isopropanol (IPA).