Discovered a new type of bacteria that has the ability to absorb carbon naturally

Research shows that this microorganism has the ability to photosynthesize and release carbon-rich substances that can "trap" other microorganisms before sinking to the sea floor.

A team of scientists from Australia's University of Technology Sydney (UTS) has discovered a new species of bacteria that has the ability to naturally absorb carbon.

They hope the bacteria will become an "ally" in the fight against climate change.

This newly discovered bacterium is capable of absorbing 0.02-0.15 gigatons of carbon annually globally.

Detection of single-celled marine microorganisms with scientific name Prorocentrum cf. balticum was published in a paper published in the journal Nature Communications March 14.

"This is a completely new species," said Martina Doblin, an author of the study. Research shows that this microorganism has the ability to photosynthesize and release carbon-rich substances that can "trap" other microorganisms before sinking to the sea floor.

The microorganism acts as a "biological carbon pump," which combines the process of absorbing carbon from the atmosphere through the cyclic cycle of organic matter, after sinking to the ocean floor, buried for thousands of years. thousand years.

"This process shows that there is likely to be more carbon sinking in the ocean than we thought, and perhaps even greater potential if we let the ocean capture more carbon naturally," said Ms Doblin.

Based on studies carried out off the coast of Sydney, the researchers estimate that the newly discovered bacteria are capable of absorbing 0.02-0.15 gigatons of carbon annually globally.

To meet future climate goals, scientists estimate the world needs to remove 10 gigatons of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere each year, by 2050.

Many other cyclic processes and bacteria are also involved in marine carbon sequestration, including phytoplankton, but Prorocentrum cf. balticum is also resistant to ocean acidification and warming.

The study's lead author, marine biologist Michaela Larsson, said the bacteria's tolerance to global warming would help natural carbon capture in the future, but would need to be done. much more research if directly using them.

'At this stage, there is little potential for using this process to meet climate goals, and we need to do some important research before we can take the project on scale,' she said. great".