Researchers have discovered a unique enzyme in rock-eating bacteria that converts carbon dioxide into bicarbonate without using ATP. This process relies on the electrical charge of the cell membrane, allowing these organisms to survive in low-energy environments like deep subsurface rocks. This discovery reveals a one-way chemical pump that traps carbon inside the cell. The mechanism could potentially be adapted by engineers to create more efficient carbon concentrators for industrial microbes or crops, reducing the energy required for carbon fixation.
