Microscopic organisms called microbes are present in soil, water, and the air and are essential to preserving the ecosystem’s equilibrium. These microscopic organisms are essential to both human and environmental health, while frequently being linked to illnesses. Their capacity to detoxify contaminants, such as the extremely harmful chemical carbon monoxide (CO), is one of their lesser-known but crucial contributions.
Researchers from the University of Melbourne and Monash University did a ground-breaking study that revealed the chemical process by which bacteria absorb enormous amounts of CO from the atmosphere. In addition to preserving air quality, this procedure mitigates the negative consequences of both climate change and air pollution. The study, which was published in Nature Chemical Biology, offers important new information about how bacteria control the atmosphere and how they may react to changes in the environment in the future.
A Silent but Deadly Pollutant: Carbon Monoxide
The environment and human health are at risk of the odorless, colorless, and extremely poisonous gas known as carbon monoxide. Numerous sources emit it into the atmosphere, such as:
- Incomplete Combustion: CO is released when fossil fuels like coal, diesel, and gasoline are burned.
- Wildfires: Significant volumes of CO are released into the atmosphere by large-scale forest fires.
- Industrial Processes: Steel production and manufacturing facilities are two sources of CO emissions.
Geological and Biological Sources: CO is also produced by natural processes like volcanic eruptions and microbiological activity in specific settings.
Every year, more than two billion tonnes of CO escape into the atmosphere worldwide. At high concentrations, CO can kill people by suffocating them by preventing oxygen from binding to blood hemoglobin; even at lower levels, continuous exposure can result in headaches, lightheadedness, and long-term neurological impairment.
Microbial Consumption: The Detoxification Process in Nature
Microbes are essential for lowering CO levels in the atmosphere. The study found that bacteria drastically lower the amount of this dangerous gas by consuming about 250 million tons of CO per year.
These microorganisms convert a poisonous substance into a useful energy source for their existence by using a specific enzyme called CO dehydrogenase to absorb energy from CO. In addition to helping the microorganisms, this process directly affects air quality and climate regulation.
The Molecular Process: How Microorganisms Take Up CO
The atomic-level specifics of CO dehydrogenase’s activity in microbial cells have been made public for the first time. This enzyme allows microorganisms to:
- Extract from Atmosphere: The enzyme attaches itself to ambient CO molecules to extract CO from the atmosphere.
- Break Down CO: An enzyme-mediated process transforms CO into less toxic substances.
- Use CO to Produce Energy: Microbial growth and survival are fueled by the energy that is produced.
“This study shows how trillions of microbes in soil and water use CO as an energy source,” said Ms. Ashleigh Kropp, co-first author from the Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute (BDI) and the University of Melbourne’s Grinter Lab. These bacteria unintentionally aid in the air’s detoxification.
Using Microbial Ingenuity to Convert Toxicity
This event, according to co-first author and Greening Lab PhD researcher Dr. David Gillett, is an amazing illustration of microbial “ingenuity”—the ability of life to create systems to transform something detrimental into something beneficial.
The results of the study add credence to the increasing amount of research highlighting the critical functions of microorganisms in environmental sustainability. Microbes have created complex biochemical processes to control the Earth’s atmosphere, ranging from fixing nitrogen to consuming methane.
Implications for Reducing Air Pollution and Climate Change
There are major environmental advantages to microbial CO consumption:
- Air Pollution Reduction: CO is categorized as an indirect greenhouse gas, which helps to reduce air pollution. It combines with atmospheric hydroxyl radicals (OH), although it does not trap heat as effectively as carbon dioxide (CO₂). The breakdown of methane, another powerful greenhouse gas, depends on these radicals. Global warming is exacerbated when CO levels are high because there are fewer OH molecules available to neutralize methane.
- Climate Change Mitigation: Microbes indirectly slow down climate change by lowering atmospheric CO levels.
- Ecosystem Stability: By keeping air quality within acceptable bounds for people and other living things, these bacteria help to preserve atmospheric stability.
Is It Possible to Use This Finding to Reduce CO Emissions?
The study’s authors note that although the results are encouraging, it is doubtful that microbial CO consumption would be directly used to track or reduce industrial CO emissions. But by comprehending these natural processes, we can better grasp how the atmosphere is regulated and how human activity affects Earth’s systems.
The leader of BDI’s Global Change Program and co-senior author, Professor Chris Greening, highlights the several vital functions that bacteria play in preserving the health of both people and the planet. Unfortunately, their contributions are sometimes overlooked since they are minuscule.
Significance of Microbes for Human Survival
Microbes are essential to life as we know it. Many are helpful and carry out vital tasks, even if some are infamous for inflicting illnesses, like:
- Production of Oxygen: Almost half of the oxygen we breathe is produced by microbes.
- Soil Fertility: They aid in the breakdown of organic debris and the recycling of nutrients, which makes soil suitable for farming.
- Waste Decomposition: By breaking down waste products, microbes stop organic contaminants from building up.
- Pollution Detoxification: Some microorganisms eliminate dangerous compounds like heavy metals and petroleum pollutants in addition to CO.
Ms. Kropp claims that because bacteria detoxify different contaminants, they have played a crucial role in making the air on Earth habitable. Scientists can create novel strategies to prevent pollution and maintain air quality by better understanding these processes.
Future Studies: Examining Microbial Engineering’s Potential
The identification of microorganisms that consume CO creates intriguing opportunities for further study and possible biotechnology applications. Researchers are currently investigating:
- Microbial Engineering: Is it possible to utilize genetically altered microorganisms to hasten the breakdown of CO in contaminated environments?
- Biosensors for Monitoring Air Quality: Is it possible to employ microbial activity as a natural way to gauge the amount of pollution in the air?
- Applications of Synthetic Biology: Can microbial efficiency in absorbing CO and other pollutants be improved by synthetic biology?
These lines of inquiry may lead to creative responses to climate change and air pollution.
Conclusion
Despite being frequently disregarded, microbes are essential to the well-being of our world. A recent study by the University of Melbourne and Monash University has shed previously unheard-of light on how bacteria use a particular enzyme to help control atmospheric CO levels. This finding emphasizes the significance of microbial diversity in maintaining life on Earth and advances our knowledge of the planet’s self-regulating systems.
Understanding and preserving microbial ecosystems is becoming more and more crucial as we fight climate change and environmental deterioration. They serve as a reminder of the interdependence of all living things on Earth by detoxifying toxins, preserving air quality, and sustaining life.
