LanzaTech has developed a process that converts carbon emitted by factories into ethanol using specialized bacteria. This ethanol is not only used to make vodka, but is transformed into polyester for t-shirts, fragrances for perfumes, and fuel for airplanes. The idea is simple: instead of releasing CO2 into the atmosphere, we feed it to these industrial microorganisms that work without complaint.
How a bacterium turns smoke into raw material 🧪
The process begins by capturing exhaust gases from steel mills or chemical plants. These gases, rich in carbon monoxide and dioxide, are introduced into bioreactors where the bacterium Clostridium autoethanogenum ferments the carbon. The result is industrial-grade ethanol. Then, through conventional chemical processes, that ethanol is dehydrated to obtain ethylene, the basic building block for making plastics like PET. The technology already operates at a commercial scale in several plants.
Your favorite perfume smells like factory fumes 🌸
So, if you use a perfume from a certain brand, you might be smelling recycled steel mill smoke. Don't worry, the bacteria process it so well that the final aroma is of roses, not coal. The next thing will be selling us an electric car that runs on fuel made by these critters while they dined on CO2. Good thing bacteria aren't paid royalties for their work.