By Makenzie Nolt

In 2024, there were seemingly never-ending weather- and-climate related disasters (Figure 1). The increased frequency and severity of these devastating events is the consequence of climate change, driven by elevated emissions of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide (CO₂), methane (CH₄), and nitrous oxide (N₂O). As more gases are produced, they become trapped in the atmosphere, causing warmer temperatures and rising sea levels, which in turn intensify extreme weather patterns such as flooding, droughts, and wildfires^1,2. In 2018, a report released by the United Nations warned about the dangers of surpassing a global average temperature of 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. This threshold represents a scientific benchmark beyond which the risks and impacts of climate change become increasingly severe and harder to adapt to³. Unfortunately, the World Meteorology Organization recently reported that in 2024 the average global temperature surpassed this global warming limit, rising to 1.55°C above pre-industrial levels. Therefore, dramatic changes are needed to curb climate change and protect the planet. To this end, an international coalition of researchers recently discovered a potentially climate-saving cyanobacterium off the coast of Italy⁴.  

Cyanobacteria’s potential to fight climate change

Cyanobacteria, previously called blue-green algae, are microscopic organisms frequently found in freshwater ecosystems⁵.  They conduct oxygenic photosynthesis, or the conversion of sunlight, CO₂, and H₂O into oxygen and organic matter, which sustains life on Earth by providing oxygen and a carbon-rich food source⁶. Cyanobacteria are also one of few organisms that can fix, or convert, atmospheric nitrogen into ammonia and nitrate for plants and other organisms to use as essential building blocks for proteins⁷. Cyanobacteria’s native functions could be useful in the fight against climate change. Their photosynthetic and nitrogen-fixing capabilities can help reduce the buildup of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere⁸. Cyanobacteria also have low requirements for growth only needing sunlight, CO₂, and some nutrients, making them a sustainable option for biomanufacturing biomaterials^8,9.

Sustainable solutions through biomanufacturing

Biomanufacturing is the process of using renewable resources to produce carbon neutral or negative products like biofuels and bioplastics for commercial use^9,10. Instead of fossil fuels, biomanufacturing utilizes organisms such as plants, bacteria, yeast and algae¹¹. Compared to traditional manufacturing practices, biomanufacturing may reduce excess waste, carbon emissions, and overall help industries implement environmentally-conscience practices. Cyanobacteria have already been used to produce bioproducts such as bioconcrete and carbon-capture biocomposite material (Figure 2)¹⁰.Bioconcrete is a potential alternative to traditional concrete, which produces around 8% of total CO₂ emissions annually¹⁰.  Carbon-capture biocomposite serves as a substitute for composite materials, which are used widely in commercial products across the construction, automotive, and aerospace industries. Carbon-capture biocomposite could remove atmospheric CO₂ and transform it into biofuel, a sustainable and renewable alternative to fossil fuels¹⁰. However, biomanufacturing is still in the early stages of development, so new methods, technologies, and candidate organisms are necessary to make it an industry standard.

Discovering Chonkus

Hypothesizing that cyanobacteria could be the key to biomanufacturing, a group of researchers from the United States and Italy set out to identify new candidate species⁴. The team traveled to the Italian island of Vulcano, where underwater volcanic vents result in a high concentration of dissolved CO₂, making it an ideal environment for cyanobacterial growth. From seawater samples, the researchers identified two novel species of cyanobacteria, UTEX 3154 and UTEX 3222. Of the two, UTEX 3222, a mutated strain of the cyanobacteria species S. elongatus, demonstrated some uncommon- but potentially useful- characteristics. This cyanobacterium grew rapidly, absorbed large quantities of CO₂, and sank to the ocean floor. UTEX 3222 was abnormally large compared to other cyanobacteria, leading researchers to grant it the name Chonkus. Chonkus also exhibited a unicellular, or planktonic, growth pattern which allows for easier comparison between species, more efficient use of light, and contributes to the rapid sinking abilities. These unique features of Chonkus stood out to the researchers, as they could prove useful in bioproduction, combating climate change, and serving as an interesting new lab model for study. 

How Chonkus can revolutionize biomanufacturing

With Earth’s temperatures rapidly rising, it is increasingly urgent to find a solution to slow or stop the
progression of climate change. Luckily, Chonkus has several characteristics that can be utilized to help achieve this goal⁴. Due to the harsh environment of volcanic vents where it originated, Chonkus is resistant to most environmental stressors. In fact, the cyanobacterium’s ideal growing conditions are warm temperatures, plenty of light, and lots of CO₂, making Chonkus perfect for the changing climate on Earth. Chonkus also contains carbon storage granules which can sequester large quantities of carbon from the environment, providing a mechanism for CO₂ removal from the atmosphere and oceans (Figure 3)^4,12. Additionally, Chonkus’s rapid growth rate allows it to form dense colonies, that, along with it’s unique sinking capabilities, create a thick layer called a biofilm. Biofilm is much easier to collect during cultivation compared to a material that remains suspended in liquid and requires filtering, potentially leading to large-scale biomanufacturing (Figure 4). While the generation of biomaterials utilizing other cyanobacteria species is ongoing, using Chonkus, with its superior abilities to sequester CO₂ and form a biofilm, may give biomanufacturing the boost needed to bring it to a global scale.

The discovery of Chonkus is exciting, as the novel cyanobacterium may prove to be a valuable resource in combating climate change. However, further research is needed to fully understand Chonkus’ efficacy. For example, the study detailing the discovery of Chonkus noted that there can be significant variability in the analysis of cyanobacterium due to their sensitivity to environmental conditions⁴. Thus, repeating the experiments examining Chonkus’ unique capabilities and further analysis into Chonkus’ molecular composition will provide a deeper understanding of how it may perform in biomanufacturing. Nevertheless, continued efforts to develop new methods for combating climate change are essential for the protection of Earth and its future.

TL; DR

• A new cyanobacterium was discovered and dubbed Chonkus.
• Chonkus exhibits properties that could combat climate change.
• More research is required to determine its efficacy in biomanufacturing.

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Reference

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