The so-called “greenhouse effect” plays a big role in the evolution of life on our planet. The greenhouse gases included in the composition of Earth’s atmosphere, almost not allow thermal radiation, thereby creating a number of problems that cause climate change. Excessive heating of the atmosphere due to anthropogenic human impact on the environment, causing global warming, which may gradually transform our planet into a place very similar to Venus. In order to prevent is not the most pleasant transformation, scientists have found a way to convert greenhouse gases into useful chemical compounds using the bacteria Escherichia coli.
E. coli can help to reduce carbon dioxide emissions into the Earth’s atmosphere
What are greenhouse gases?
The Earth’s atmosphere that protects our planet from harmful solar radiation and giving living creatures a chance to breathe, contains a huge variety of gases, among which a special place is occupied by methane, ozone, water vapor and carbon dioxide. The mixture of these gases keeps the sun’s heat, thereby maintaining a favorable climate for life of living beings on the planet’s surface. However, according to latest research by scientists, greenhouse gas concentrations are currently much higher than ever in the past 800,000 years. Greenhouse gases, in addition to climate change, affect the development of respiratory diseases due to rising levels of air pollution. In the future, the changing climate may lead to large-scale extinction of some animal species.
There are several types of greenhouse gases, significantly impacting the Earth’s atmosphere. Carbon dioxide or carbon dioxide — one of the greenhouse gases, which accounts for about 64% of environmental changes associated with global warming. The main source of carbon dioxide is production, refining and gas industry.
See also: greenhouse gas Emissions will be reduced by using satellites to search for their sources
E. coli can transform greenhouse gas into useful substances
A new procedure based on the use of human enzyme, which converts odnoplanovye compounds into more complex ones. Scientists modify the DNA structure of the rod-shaped bacteria Escherichia coli, using the modified enzyme. After all the modifications, E. coli is introduced into the feedstock, which are most commonly used methanol, formaldehyde, carbon dioxide and methane. In the end, the raw material begins to occur the metabolic process of bioconversion, in which molecules are converted into more complex compounds.
For oil producers, this finding may be tempting and cost-effective method for recycling carbon dioxide because of the complex compound formed during the process of bioconversion, can be used in the production of plastics, cosmetics and polymers. Scientists believe the result a breakthrough in the biological conversion of carbon dioxide, due to which you may be able to reduce the amount of greenhouse gases emitted during the extraction of crude oil.
The use of the method of bioconversion will help to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and overall dependence on oil
Introducing a new technology, the oil industry could significantly reduce the impact on the environment. Still, the vast majority of the oil industry uses the combustion of gas released during oil production. Many believe that this method is wasteful and inefficient, and also leads to emission of excess unburned methane and carbon dioxide formed in the combustion process.
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At the moment scientists are working on the implementation of the latest technology of bioconversion, not only in private sector but in the entire refining industry as a whole, which in consequence will have a significant impact on the environment and help reduce your impact on the Earth’s atmosphere.