Yeast paired with electricity can convert CO₂ into a chemical used in biodegradable plastics

AI Summary

Researchers at the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research and BOKU University have demonstrated a process combining electricity and yeast-based microbial activity to convert CO₂ into itaconic acid. The bio-based chemical is used in biodegradable plastics, and the approach could potentially be adapted to produce other valuable chemicals.

To limit further climate change, researchers are exploring technologies that can convert atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO₂) into useful products. In collaboration with BOKU University in Vienna (Austria), researchers at the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ) have demonstrated that electrochemical and microbial processes can be combined to capture CO₂ and produce itaconic acid, a bio-based chemical used in industry. According to the researchers, this new process demonstrates how CO₂ emissions can be converted into sustainable bio-based products, with the potential to produce a wider range of valuable chemicals by using different microorganisms.