Microbes Discovered That Rapidly Consume Carbon Dioxide

Scientists have discovered microbes that consume carbon dioxide at an astonishing rate in the warm waters of Vulcano, Italy. The microbes, called cyanobacteria, turn carbon dioxide into biomass faster than any other known bacteria. The researchers hope to use these microbes to absorb carbon dioxide as an efficient way of removing it from the atmosphere. The project was funded by biotechnology company Seed Health, which has also employed the lead researcher as a consultant. The researchers plan to publish their data on microbes as a database that pairs DNA sequences with banked samples of the bacteria.