Enzymes feasting on C02 will combat global warming

A SIGNIFICANT advance that might have potential to reverse global warming has been developed, but yet to be commercialised on a large scale.

The technology provides a biochemical means to safely scrub CO2 from concentrated sources of the gas, like smokestacks of numerous types. The advance was enabled by isolation of the enzyme in animals that removes Carbon Dioxide from blood to permit exhaling CO2 gas. Application of a spot of gene cloning can make this technology fix commercially practical.

The advance has been achieved in partnership with a research team at the University of Laval in Quebec City. A recent tech startup called CO-2 Solution is planning to clone production of the enzyme for possible commercial scale application to addressing smoke stack CO2 greenhouse gas abatement. The firm is listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange. And has a web site here.

This mind-boggling technical feat - focused innovation that might defeat the massive accumulation of greenhouse gases, presages a potential avenue for a viable concerted attack on the root cause of global warming - large scale CO2 emissions. The byproducts of the enzymatically assisted scrubbing of CO2 are harmless Carbonate and Hydrogen gas. Simple and elegant, might even yield a viable source of Hydrogen fuel if done on a very large scale.

One can envision that when the stark reality of global warming breaks through the thick skull of some powerful politician's head we might see the implementation of a greenhouse gas abatement tax - or broad adoption of technology based on this enzyme capture of CO2 to remediate many industrial processes, that generate profuse CO2 emissions.

Kyoto redux but with positive substantive results. Forget speculative greenhouse gas fixes and economic scale backs - this CO2 abatement technology maye be applied universally and cost effectively.

The firm CO2 Solution is yet to attract substantial commercialfunding, but if this technology can solve a common universal problem by a truly novel and practical means, that shouldn't be long in following. All respect goes out to the innovative research team at CO2 Solution. µ

L'INQS
Faïçal Larachi, University of Laval in Quebec City
Normand Voyer, University of Laval in Quebec City
The KEY US patent

Issued US and EU patents of CO2 Solutions
(unlisted are more CDN and other patent applications in progress)

6946288 Ventilation system for an enclosure in which people live and a method thereof
6908507 Process and a plant for the production of Portland cement clinker
EP1521629 TRIPHASIC BIOREACTOR AND PROCESS FOR GAS EFFLUENT TREATMENT
6846584 Process for generating electricity with a hydrogen fuel cell
EP1377531 A PROCESS AND A PLANT FOR THE PRODUCTION OF PORTLAND CEMENT CLINKER
6524843 Process and apparatus for the treatment of carbon dioxide with carbonic anhydrase
6475382 Treatment unit for treating a fluid and method thereof

Here is a pdf by the firm on the technology and prospects

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