High-throughput optimization of carbon mineralization by engineered cyanobacteria: towards carbon negative mineral materials?

Project partners: University of Oxford & CyanoCapture

Project focus area: Materials and chemicals

This project addressed the urgent need for Carbon Capture, Utilisation, and Storage (CCUS) by exploring carbon mineralization, the process of converting CO2 into stable carbonate minerals. We established a collaboration between the University of Oxford and CyanoCapture to evaluate whether fast-growing, CO2-fixing engineered cyanobacteria could be used to manufacture carbon-negative mineral materials that can be used in different industrial sectors like construction.

Using Oxford’s newly developed automated high-throughput experimental and analytical platform for the in-situ characterisation of biomineralization systems, we screened multiple cyanobacterial strains under varied geochemical conditions (including high CO2 atmosphere) to determine their mineralization efficiency and the properties of the resulting crystals. The project successfully identified specific strains and optimal environmental parameters, such as CO2 enrichment and specific calcium-to-magnesium ratios, that promote the formation of calcite particles. It also identified unique particle morphologies formed by the cyanobacteria, with potential applications like cements and coatings. However, the current biological precipitation rates were found to be significantly slower than existing abiotic alternatives.

This project provided a vital feasibility assessment, allowing Cyanocapture to strategically pivot away from this specific industrial pathway. By clarifying these technical boundaries, the partnership has ensured that future resources are directed toward more viable photosynthetic biomanufacturing applications.

For more information

For more information on this project, contact us, or view all Engineering Biology SPARK Award winners.

This project funding is part of the Engineering Biology Innovation Network, led by Innovate UK Business Connect in collaboration with Innovate UK and UKRI’s Technology Mission Fund. The network’s goal is to progress innovations, create a commercially focused community and foster new consortia to advance innovations towards commercial applications.