Scientists have been exploring the depths of the ocean and space in search of microbes that can absorb carbon emissions to help slow the pace of climate change.
After extensive and ongoing efforts, researchers are now looking for these microscopic organisms in a new and unlikely place: inside your home.
According to CNN, a research group called the Two Frontiers Project (2FP), funded by the biotechnology company Seed Health, has asked people in the United States to search for specific types of microbial growth in their homes in an attempt to find a yet-undiscovered organism that can absorb carbon dioxide from the air — the greenhouse gas that is heating the planet — or use it to break down environmental pollutants.
Braden Tierney, executive director of 2FP, explained that extremophilic microbes thrive in harsh environments and develop unique properties that could be harnessed by the biotechnology industry for climate solutions.
Although microbes exist on every surface in the home, the group is particularly interested in those living in more extreme environments, including high-temperature areas such as dishwashers, air conditioners, microwave ovens, solar panels, water heaters, and showerheads. According to Tierney, these environments, despite being common, mimic the harsh conditions found in nature. They reflect the environmental changes that our planet may face in the future, including rising temperatures, increased radiation, and higher acidity in oceans and soils.
The team hopes to discover microbes inside homes that might have the same carbon-absorbing properties as some found in nature.
New Species
In 2022, off the coast of Italy's Volcano Island, where carbon dioxide bubbles rise from volcanic vents on the seafloor, the 2FP team discovered a new species of cyanobacteria — a water-dwelling organism capable of making its own food — which they say can absorb carbon dioxide more efficiently than any known microbe.
Tierney noted that "unusual colors, smells, textures, and other characteristics" could help scientists identify where the targeted microbes are growing. If the team wants to explore anything further, they will send a group to collect DNA samples from volunteers, which will then be sent back to them by mail. These results will be added to an open-source database of extremophilic microbes.
It’s worth noting that the World Economic Forum previously described microbial carbon capture as one of the best emerging technologies in the world in a report published in June. However, the technology is still in its infancy, with companies running pilot programs to test its commercial viability.
Carbon capture, which includes a range of technologies from large-scale vacuum-like facilities that can absorb climate pollution from the air to carbon-absorbing sponges, remains a controversial solution for addressing climate change. The United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has stated that: in addition to significantly reducing fossil fuel use, the world will also need to remove large amounts of carbon dioxide already in the atmosphere to avoid increasingly catastrophic climate change.
