Microbes are considered microscopic organisms, not visible to the naked eye, and they are also referred to as "microorganisms." There is an entire science dedicated to them called "Microbiology."

While microbes are notorious organisms, their name is associated with serious diseases, and perhaps even global pandemics; there are many types of them that are beneficial to the lives of humans and other living beings. In fact, their existence is crucial for the survival of life on Earth.

Scientists are discovering more about this hidden world day by day, which proves with each new discovery how amazing it is and how vast its capabilities are. It also seems to play a hidden role in absorbing toxic gases from the atmosphere, protecting us, and contributing to maintaining ecological balance.

This is what a research group from Australia revealed; they found that it is capable of absorbing huge amounts of carbon monoxide (CO), which contributes to reducing its levels in the atmosphere, thereby lowering the levels of carbon dioxide, another well-known greenhouse gas. The researchers published their study in the journal "Nature Chemical Biology" on January 29, 2025.

Carbon monoxide is considered one of the most dangerous lethal gases; it is a colorless, odorless, and tasteless gas that can cause poisoning and death at high concentrations in the air. Despite these dangers, over 2 billion tons of this gas are released into the atmosphere annually. However, researchers have found that microbes consume about 250 million tons of this gas annually.

A vast number of bacteria and archaea found in soil and water use an enzyme called CO dehydrogenase to convert carbon monoxide gas into carbon dioxide and then consume it. In doing so, they inadvertently help us by removing a toxic gas from the atmosphere.

There have always been questions about how that enzyme works in the oxidation process, and in the study, researchers explored it for the first time using "cryo-electron microscopy." They provided chemical clarifications on what happens during this reaction when electrons derived from carbon monoxide are transferred to the aerobic respiration chain.

There are many pivotal roles in life on the surface of the Earth led by microbes; however, they are the hidden soldiers that scientists explore day by day.