What if a microbe could help curb the climate crisis? Meet UTEX-3222, aka ‘Chonkus,’ a cyanobacterium discovered living in the volcanic CO2 seeps off the coast of Vulcano, Sicily. Chonkus is like other photosynthetic cyanobacteria in that it consumes CO2 and incorporates it into its cells. However, what sets UTEX-3222 apart is its rapid, high-density growth, which allows it to consume CO? more efficiently than most other similar currently known cyanobacteria. It is also 5 to 10 times larger than the average microbial cell, allowing it to sink quickly after consuming CO2 so the carbon can be sequestered or captured for use in biomanufacturing.
