Industrial processes such as steel and cement production generate large volumes of CO₂-rich waste gases. While these emissions are a major environmental challenge, the new study – published in – suggests they could represent an untapped resource.

The team found that microbiomes inhabiting terrestrial hot springs are naturally adapted to conditions that closely resemble industrial waste streams: high temperatures, elevated concentrations of CO₂, and chemically challenging environments.

Hot spring microorganisms are highly efficient at transforming inorganic carbon, including CO₂, into organic compounds such as biomass and other valuable products. The researchers suggest that these communities could form the foundation of new biotechnologies designed to operate under industrial conditions without the need for light or energy-intensive cooling processes.

Such approaches could enable the production of value-added compounds, including biopolymers and vitamins, directly from CO₂-rich waste streams, helping to reduce emissions while generating economic value. 

While geological carbon storage remains a critical component of Net Zero strategies, it can be energy-intensive and costly to implement at scale. The researchers suggest that biotechnological approaches could offer a complementary route by converting emissions into useful products rather than storing them underground.

The study is based on a global analysis of hot spring microbiomes spanning multiple continents, revealing consistent metabolic potential for carbon transformation across diverse environments.

Corresponding author, Professor Sophie Nixon, states:

“This study highlights that nature has already evolved solutions for converting CO₂ under extreme conditions, and that these natural solutions are there for us to harness.

Our work sits alongside geological storage within a broader portfolio of CO₂ management strategies. The key difference is that here, we’re going beyond just storing carbon, and transforming it into something useful.

This is a proof of concept, and we are now actively working with these communities in the laboratory to develop scalable, cost-effective systems that can contribute to Net Zero.”

This paper was published in the journal: Environmental Microbiome

Full title: Exploring the biotechnological potential of terrestrial hot spring microbiomes for CO₂ utilisation

DOI:  

A circular future for engineering plastics 

Manchester researchers will work alongside the University of Warwick and University College London as part of the new EPSRC Manufacturing Research Hub in Sustainable Engineering Plastics (SEP). The £13.6 million initiative will assess and improve the sustainability of greener materials and remanufacturing processes through reusing, repairing, and recycling high performance and durable plastics used in vehicles, electronics, and construction.

The Manchester team will be led by Professor Michael Shaver through the Sustainable Materials Innovation Hub and Sustainable Futures platform. The EPSRC SEP Hub will engage over 60 industry partners across supply chains including Siemens, Polestar, Biffa and Vita to accelerate the real-world adoption of sustainable plastic solutions.

Microbes turning waste into wealth 

In parallel, Manchester will join to the Carbon-Loop Sustainable Biomanufacturing Hub (C-Loop), a £14 million initiative led by the University of Edinburgh, alongside other spokes at Nottingham, University College London and Imperial College London, with more than 40 industry collaborator partnerships. Drawing on expertise at the Manchester Institute of Biotechnology (MIB), researchers will explore how engineered microbial systems can convert carbon-rich industrial waste into high-value products such as cosmetics, material precursors and solvents.

Professor Neil Dixon will lead the Manchester team, leveraging MIB’s global leadership in engineering biology platforms and sustainable biomanufacturing. As part of the C-Loop initiative, the UK’s first BioFactory will be established to analyse waste streams and scale up new, circular biomanufacturing processes.

Shaping a sustainable manufacturing future

These hubs are two of four new national centres funded through EPSRC’s Manufacturing Research Hubs for a Sustainable Future programme, designed to catalyse the UK’s transition to cleaner, more resilient manufacturing.

Professor Charlotte Deane, Executive Chair of EPSRC, commented

“These hubs will play a vital role in reshaping manufacturing to help the UK achieve green growth. By combining deep research expertise with real-world partnerships, they will develop the technologies, tools and systems we need for clean, competitive and resilient industries.”

The University of Manchester’s dual role across both hubs highlights its cross-disciplinary leadership in sustainability and its commitment to pioneering innovations that support green growth, circular economy practices, and industrial transformation across the UK.

Catalysing chemistry

S_NAr reactions are crucial in manufacturing many valuable products such as medicines and agrochemicals. However, conventional methods for carrying out these reactions come with major challenges. They often require harsh conditions like high temperatures and environmentally harmful solvents. Established methods of performing S_NAr chemistry often produce compounds as isomeric – two or more compounds that have the same chemical formula but different arrangements of the atoms – mixtures, necessitating the use of expensive and time-consuming purification steps. To overcome these hurdles, a team of researchers, led by and , have used directed evolution to develop a new enzyme capable of catalysing S_NAr processes. This new enzyme, named S_NAr1.3, performs a range of S_NAr reactions with high efficiency and selectivity under mild reaction conditions. Unlike traditional chemical methods, this enzyme operates in water-based solutions at moderate temperatures, reducing the environmental impact and energy required.

How It Works

As there is no known natural enzyme that could catalyse S_NAr reactions, the team initially discovered that an enzyme previously developed in their laboratory for a different chemical transformation could also perform S_NAr chemistry, albeit with modest efficiency and selectivity. By using automated directed evolution, the researchers were able to further engineer this enzyme to have the desired characteristics. The team evaluated over 4,000 clones before identifying an enzyme S_NAr1.3 that contains six mutations and is 160-fold more active than the parent enzyme. This enzyme efficiently promotes a wide variety of S_NAr processes and can generate target products in a single mirror-image form, which is crucial for applications in the pharmaceutical sector.

The Benefits of S_NAr1.3

S_NAr1.3 has a number of features that make it an attractive option for chemical production:

• Efficiency: the enzyme can perform over 4,000 reaction cycles without losing effectiveness, making it highly productive.
• Precision: it creates molecules in a single mirror-image form, which is critical for the safety and effectiveness of medicines.
• Versatility: S_NAr1.3 works with a wide range of chemical building blocks, enabling the creation of complex structures like quaternary carbon centres—a common feature in advanced drugs.
• Sustainability: operating under mild, water-based conditions, the enzyme reduces the need for harmful chemicals and energy-intensive processes, making it an environmentally friendly alternative.

The team’s work also sheds light on the enzyme’s inner workings. Using advanced analytic techniques, they uncovered how S_NAr1.3’s unique structure allows it to bind and position chemicals precisely, enabling its exceptional performance. These insights provide a blueprint for designing even more powerful enzymes in the future.

A Greener Future for Industry

The development of S_NAr1.3 highlights the potential of biocatalysis and provides a template for future development. As the world moves towards net zero, and industry is looking for ways to improve efficiency and reduce their environmental impact, biotechnology could be the answer to these pressing challenges.

“This is a landmark achievement in biocatalysis,” said Igor Larrosa, Professor and Chair in Organic Chemistry at The University of Manchester. “It demonstrates how we can harness and even improve on nature’s tools to address some of the toughest challenges in modern chemistry.”

What’s Next?

While S_NAr1.3 is already showing immense promise, the researchers believe this is just the beginning. With further refinement, the enzyme could be adapted for even more complex reactions, making it a valuable tool in drug development, agricultural chemicals, and materials science.

“The possibilities are just starting to emerge,” said Anthony. “By combining modern protein design with high-throughput testing, we’re optimistic about creating a new generation of enzymes that can revolutionise S_NAr chemistry.”

This groundbreaking research offers a glimpse into a future where manufacturing essential products is cleaner, cheaper, and more efficient. For industries looking to reduce their environmental impact while maintaining high standards of quality, S_NAr1.3 represents a promising solution.

The research, led by Dr Matthew Faulkner, working alongside Dr Fraser Andrews, and Professor Nigel Scrutton, focused on improving the production of citramalate, a compound that serves as a precursor for renewable plastics such as Perspex or Plexiglas. Using an innovative approach called “design of experiment,” the team achieved a remarkable 23-fold increase in citramalate production by optimising key process parameters.

Why Cyanobacteria?

Cyanobacteria are microscopic organisms capable of photosynthesis, converting sunlight and CO₂ into organic compounds. They are a promising candidate for industrial applications because they can transform CO₂—a major greenhouse gas—into valuable products without relying on traditional agricultural resources like sugar or corn. However, until now, the slow growth and limited efficiency of these organisms have posed challenges for large-scale industrial use.

“Our research addresses one of the key bottlenecks in using cyanobacteria for sustainable manufacturing,” explains Matthew. “By optimising how these organisms convert carbon into useful products, we’ve taken an important step toward making this technology commercially viable.”

The Science Behind the Breakthrough

The team’s research centred on Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803, a well-studied strain of cyanobacteria. Citramalate, the focus of their study, is produced in a single enzymatic step using two key metabolites: pyruvate and acetyl-CoA. By fine-tuning process parameters such as light intensity, CO₂ concentration, and nutrient availability, the researchers were able to significantly boost citramalate production.

Initial experiments yielded only small amounts of citramalate, but the design of experiment approach allowed the team to systematically explore the interplay between multiple factors. As a result, they increased citramalate production to 6.35 grams per litre (g/L) in 2-litre photobioreactors, with a productivity rate of 1.59 g/L/day.

While productivity slightly decreased when scaling up to 5-litre reactors due to light delivery challenges, the study demonstrates that such adjustments are manageable in biotechnology scale-up processes.

A Circular Bioeconomy Vision

The implications of this research extend beyond plastics. Pyruvate and acetyl-CoA, the key metabolites involved in citramalate production, are also precursors to many other biotechnologically significant compounds. The optimisation techniques demonstrated in this study could therefore be applied to produce a variety of materials, from biofuels to pharmaceuticals.

By enhancing the efficiency of carbon capture and utilisation, the research contributes to global efforts to mitigate climate change and reduce dependence on non-renewable resources.

“This work underscores the importance of a circular bioeconomy,” adds Matthew. “By turning CO₂ into something valuable, we’re not just reducing emissions—we’re creating a sustainable cycle where carbon becomes the building block for the products we use every day.”

What’s Next?

The team plans to further refine their methods and explore ways to scale up production while maintaining efficiency. They are also investigating how their approach can be adapted to optimise other metabolic pathways in cyanobacteria, with the aim of expanding the range of bio-based products that can be sustainably manufactured.

This research is the latest development from the (FBRH) and was completed in collaboration with the .

Led by , the team utilised the bacterium Pseudomonas putida, renowned for its resilience and adaptability, to process complex waste streams into bioplastics and even therapeutic proteins. This research offers a promising pathway toward achieving a circular economy, where waste is reused and repurposed rather than discarded.

Turning waste into wealth

Every year, over two billion tonnes of municipal solid waste (MSW) is generated worldwide. This figure is expected to rise to 3.4 billion tonnes by 2050. Conventional waste treatments like incineration and landfill contribute to environmental pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, but the Manchester team’s approach addresses these issues by creating a circular bioprocess whereby anthropogenic waste is turned into useful products.

Firstly, the team pre-treated representative waste types via enzymatic hydrolysis, a process that breaks down the waste into monomers. These monomers were then added to a bioreactor containing and engineered strain of Pseudomonas putida, which used them for metabolic activity and bioproduction.

Tackling environmental pollution

The process offers a way to mitigate the impact of anthropogenic waste on the environment. A life cycle assessment revealed that the proposed approach could reduce the carbon footprint of waste management by up to 62% compared to traditional methods like landfill or incineration. The study also found that this new process could be more cost-effective, with savings of up to 37% compared to current waste treatments.

Key to this success is the adaptability of Pseudomonas putida. Unlike most microorganisms, which struggle to process multiple types of waste simultaneously, the engineered bacteria can metabolise a mix of sugars, acids, and oils derived from various waste materials.

“This flexibility makes our system robust and reliable, regardless of the type of waste input,” says Dr Dixon.

Real-world applications

To demonstrate the potential of this technology, the team focused on two products:

1. Bioplastics: the bacteria produced polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs), a biodegradable alternative to petroleum-based plastics. These bioplastics are already used in applications ranging from food packaging to medical implants.
2. Therapeutic proteins: the engineered bacteria successfully produced human insulin analogues used for treating diabetes, human interferon-alpha2a, a protein used in treatments for viral infections and some cancers, and a synthetic HEL4 nanobody.

These dual outputs highlight the versatility of the system, which could cater to both high-volume products like bioplastics and high-value applications such as pharmaceuticals.

Towards a circular economy

This project aligns with global efforts to transition to a circular economy, where resources are reused and waste is minimised. By leveraging waste as a resource, the Manchester team’s method addresses both environmental and economic challenges.

“This work illustrates how science can tackle real-world problems,” notes Dr Dixon. “With further development, this technological concept could be integrated into municipal waste management systems, turning waste into a valuable resource.”

Looking ahead

While the study is still in its proof-of-concept stage, the potential applications are vast. Future work will focus on scaling up the process, refining enzyme systems for even greater efficiency, and exploring additional waste inputs such as rubber and nylon.

As cities and nations grapple with growing waste volumes, this research offers a sustainable, scalable solution that not only addresses waste management but also contributes to climate change mitigation.