Researchers at The University of Manchester have shown that microbial communities from terrestrial hot springs could be harnessed to convert industrial CO2 emissions into useful products, offering new routes towards a circular, low-carbon economy.
Researchers at The University of Manchester have shown that microbial communities from terrestrial hot springs could be harnessed to convert industrial CO2 emissions into useful products, offering new routes towards a circular, low-carbon economy.
Industrial processes such as steel and cement production generate large volumes of CO2-rich waste gases. While these emissions are a major environmental challenge, the new study – published in Environmental Microbiome – suggests they could represent an untapped resource.
The team found that microbiomes inhabiting terrestrial hot springs are naturally adapted to conditions that closely resemble industrial waste streams: high temperatures, elevated concentrations of CO2, and chemically challenging environments.
Read more at: The University of Manchester
A hot spring in Iceland where University of Manchester researchers conducted some of the work in this study (Photo Credit: The University of Manchester)
