“One microorganism in particular has captured scientists’ attention. UTEX 3222, nicknamed “Chonkus” for the way it guzzles carbon dioxide, is a previously unknown cyanobacterium found in volcanic ocean vents. Cyanobacteria like Chonkus, sometimes referred to by the misnomer blue-green algae, are aquatic organisms that, suck up light and carbon dioxide and turn it into food, photosynthesizing like plants.

Schubert said that out in the open ocean, cyanobacteria like Chonkus grow slowly and are thinly dispersed. “But if we wanted to use them to pull down carbon dioxide, we would want to grow them a lot faster,” he said, “and grow in concentrations that don’t exist in the open ocean.”

“CyanoCapture, a cyanobacteria carbon capture startup based in the United Kingdom, has developed a low-cost method of catching carbon dioxide that runs on biomass, housing algae and cyanobacteria in clear tubes where they can grow and filter CO2. Although Chonkus shows unique promise, David Kim, the company’s CEO and founder, said biotechnology companies need to have more control over its traits, like carbon storage, to use it successfully, and that requires finding a way to crack open its DNA.”

“Cultivarium has been working with CyanoCapture to help them study Chonkus but has yet to figure out how to tinker with its DNA and improve its carbon capturing attributes.”
“Kim noted that out of all the microbes out there, less than 0.01 percent have been studied. “They don’t represent the true arsenal of microbes that we could potentially work with to achieve humanity’s goals.”