CO2 Capture with E. coli

Tyler Hamilton of Clean Break has an article in Technology Review about a Canadian company called CO2 Solution (CDNX: CST.V), who has developed a bioreactor for capturing CO2 from the exhaust from power plants and industrial facilities.

The bioreactor contains packing that has an enzyme, extracted from genetically engineered E. coli, attached to it, that can absorb CO2 and convert it into bicarbonate, which is an environmentally safe product. Water flows counter current to the CO2 rich gas, the bicarbonate-rich solution is then removed.

The bicarbonate ions can be extracted for making everything from baking powder (sodium bicarbonate) to calcium carbonate (limestone) or the CO2 can be taken out of the solution and sequestered.

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