University of Antwerp wants to remove carbon from the air with fungi and bacteria | Antwerp
AntwerpIn the context of a European study, by the University of Antwerp, the rapid removal of large amounts of carbon from the air with minerals, fungi, bacteria and worms is being investigated. That combination with the University itself is an “innovative cocktail”.
This cocktail should especially help us in the fight against global warming. It is being researched by a prestigious grant from the European Innovation Council.
“The vast majority of the Earth’s crust is made up of silicates, an important group of minerals,” the researchers explain. “Their slow, natural weathering process has a significant impact on CO2 concentrations.” That process will now go into space to take carbon out of the air and slow down the settlement of the Earth.
reactor
Project coordinator Sara Vicca has a team of biologists, geologists, soil scientists, engineers and specialists in artificial intelligence. They want to approach existing research on weathering from a completely new angle. “We are investigating whether we can accelerate the weathering process to unprecedented speeds in a reactor,” said Vicca.
For example, the team wants to develop a technique that can be applied directly at the source of the CO2 emissions. “Our goal is to smooth the way,” Viccan said.
Bacteria, worms and fungi play a permanent role in natural weathering. The new research will look at how men in a reactor can create an interplay of organisms, whereby mutually reinforcing processes ensure a natural high weathering rate.
Mini ecosystem
“That reactor is a challenge in many ways,” explains researcher Siegfried Vlaeminck. “We have to keep different organisms alive, and give them just enough food, CO2, water and oxygen to ensure maximum weathering. On top of that, we need the reactor for different organisms. So we are creating a mini ecosystem in the reactor.”
Finally, AI scientists will connect an intelligent computer system to the reactor, which will permanently monitor courtship speeds. For example, one wants to be able to control the reactions automatically, for example by changing the water flow or the acidity. This automatic control must lead to the conclusion of weathering.
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