Researchers at the Sanford Underground Research Facility have discovered extremophile microbes that convert carbon dioxide into calcium carbonate. By engineering enzymes from these microbes, the team aims to scrub CO2 directly from coal-fired power plant emissions and turn the gas into a solid mineral for use in concrete. The startup Carb-N0 is developing mobile pilot units to test this enzyme-based scrubbing process on-site. The goal is to move from lab validation to industrial application by 2027, providing a way to sequester carbon without the need for deep-well injection piping.
