ILLUSTRATION BY ARIA ZHU/THE HOYA | In a study published on Oct. 29, Harvard researchers unveiled the discovery of “Chonkus,” a cyanobacteria with unique characteristics that enable it to remove carbon from the atmosphere and oceans.
Harvard University researchers unveiled the discovery of “Chonkus,” a cyanobacteria that can remove carbon from the atmosphere and oceans, in a study published Oct. 29. Chonkus’ unique carbon-capturing capabilities has opened a broader discussion of how bacteria can be used to mitigate climate change.
This newly-discovered strain of cyanobacteria, a type of photosynthetic microbe, may help address climate change by removing carbon from the oceans and atmosphere in a process known as carbon sequestration. The bacteria was found off the coast of Italy’s Vulcano Island in shallow, gas-rich waters that are rife with photosynthesizing, carbon-consuming organisms. Scientists tested the samples of water and cultured the strain of bacteria in the laboratory, finding rare and useful properties that differentiate Chonkus from other cyanobacteria.
Tiffany Zarrella, a professor of bacteriology at Georgetown University who studies the interactions between bacterial and microbial behavior, said organisms like cyanobacteria can provide unique solutions to environmental issues.
“It’s really important to uncover the bacterial strains that live in unique habitats because they could showcase new tricks and tools that are useful for a variety of applications,” Zarrella wrote to The Hoya.
Chonkus (UTEX 3222) is a mutant strain of bacteria S. elongatus, a species that has been known to grow quickly and resist environmental stressors. Microbiologist Max Schubert from the Wyss Institute at Harvard found that the cultured lab samples of Chonkus had larger cells and were built in larger colonies than the typical cyanobacteria. As a result, they contained more carbon than usual, were very heavy and sank rapidly in bodies of water. Scientists believe that large granules, white spots in cells that store carbon, might explain why this particular strain of cyanobacteria grows so large in a carbon-rich environment and sinks so quickly.
Manus Patten, a teaching professor in the biology department, said that organisms like Chonkus that remove carbon from the atmosphere could be an integral part of fighting climate change. These organisms will complement efforts to reduce burning of fossil fuels.
“This is the sort of solution that is needed, for sure. Climate change won’t stop when we stop burning fossil fuels. We need to remove carbon from the atmosphere,” Patten wrote to The Hoya.
Gracie Dogramaci (CAS ’28), an environmental biology major who is passionate about emerging climate change research, said the discovery of Chonkus has enormous implications for net carbon reduction in the atmosphere.
“It is crucial to protect and conserve organisms who have the ability to sequester carbon as they exist as carbon sinks and can help decrease the concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere,” Dogramaci wrote to The Hoya.
Chonkus’ qualities could be uniquely efficient at carbon sequestration in the ocean because of its large size and weight, allowing it to absorb more carbon than average and sink with it. There is also potential for more organisms with the same capacities to be found in similar waters.
Patten said that scientists have already done their part in discovering Chonkus and providing solutions in the fight against climate change, highlighting that other stakeholders have an even larger role to play that has yet to be fulfilled.
“The science is in. We have a pretty good beat on how this stuff works and what would provide a technical solution. What’s left is engineering. And then politics, too,” Patten said.