In the genetic material of resilient microorganisms that thrive in extreme environments, such as hot springs, saline lakes, and volcanic areas, lie proteins that could play a crucial role in capturing CO2 from industrial emissions, paving the way toward carbon neutrality.
Carbon dioxide (CO2) found in industrial flue gases significantly contribute to global warming, as its accumulation in the atmosphere leads to the greenhouse effect. Industrial decarbonization—removing or reducing carbon from industrial emissions—through carbon capture, utilization, and storage technologies represents one of the most viable strategies for mitigating climate change and thus protecting the environment.
The European Union has committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by approximately 40% by 2030 to mitigate the adverse effects of an increase in the planet’s average temperature above 1.5 °C. Therefore, the development and prompt implementation of CO2 capture technologies are crucial, as scientists predict that without action, global temperatures could rise by 2–3 °C by the end of the century.
Researchers led by Dr. Georgios Skretas at the Biomedical Sciences Research Center “Alexander Fleming” (BSRC Fleming) in Vari have successfully identified a super-stable enzyme of biotechnological interest from a sample collected at a hot spring in Japan’s Kirishima region. This breakthrough was achieved using high-throughput metagenomic analysis tools, which enable the study of an entire ecosystem’s genetic material without the need to culture the individual microorganisms.
In particular, by ‘scanning’ millions of genes from open-access metagenomic databases, the scientists discovered a highly stable carbonic anhydrase, CA-KR1. This robust enzyme specializes in enhancing the dissolution of CO2 in water and can withstand very high temperatures and very high pH.
These characteristics enable the novel enzyme to perform exceptionally well under conditions of Hot Potassium Carbonate capture (HPC) with temperatures exceeding 80 °C and pH levels above 11. It enhances CO2 capture productivity by 90% at 90 °C compared to standard non-enzymatic methods.” explains doctoral candidate Konstantinos Rigkos, who, along with Dr. Dimitra Zarafeta, played a key role in this study recently published in the scientific journal of ACS: Environmental Science & Technology.
To the best of our knowledge, the enzyme CA-KR1 may represent the most robust biocatalyst (carbonic anhydrase) reported to date for efficient CO2 capture under HPC conditions. The integration of biocatalysts like CA-KR1 in industrial settings holds great promise for accelerating the industrial implementation of biomimetic CO2 capture – a green sustainable technology, which is expected to be a ‘game changer’ in carbon sequestration, significantly contributing to the timely achievement of carbon neutrality,” states Dr. Zarafeta.
A patent application for the innovative enzyme CA-KR1 has already been submitted, and the anticipated transition from laboratory settings to industrial bioreactors will mark a significant milestone in industrial decarbonization, fostering innovation in the vital field of CO2 capture for the sustainability of our planet. concludes Dr. Skretas.
Boost4Bio would like to congratulate the scientists from the Skretas Lab at BSRC Fleming for their discovery of the enzyme CA-KR1. We look forward to witnessing the positive impact of their work on achieving carbon neutrality.
For more information, please read the full article in Greek here.