Cluster of Excellence 3048 - Microbes-for-Climate (M4C): Mechanisms, Consequences and Chances of Microbial Conversions of Greenhouse Gases (EXC 3048)

Basic data for this project

Description

Learning from microbes to overcome the limitations of natural CO2-conversions. The greenhouse gas carbon dioxide (CO2) plays a crucial role in the global carbon cycle. Microorganisms are responsible for about 50% of the annual CO2-transformations on Earth, which makes them key players in the cycling of carbon. Yet, this fact is frequently overlooked. Some of the microbial CO2-fixing processes are more efficient than photosynthesis, and some of them convert CO2 into methane (CH4), an even more powerful greenhouse gas. However, the fundamental mechanisms of these various CO2-capturing strategies, and especially the molecular machines that drive these greenhouse gas transformations, remain underexplored. In Microbes-for-Climate (M4C), we will develop an integrated, microbe-centered view on the history, the presence, and potential futures of the carbon cycle. We will focus on CO2-converting microbes and their molecular machines that transform ~120-200 Gt CO2 every year. Combining molecular evolutionary and biochemical approaches, we will generate an integrative, comprehensive understanding of these processes: How microbial CO2-conversions initiated and shaped the biological carbon cycle (which we define as “carbon cycle 1.0”), and how they react (i.e., adjust and evolve) to the challenges presented by the present “carbon cycle 2.0” of our Anthropocene. Recognizing the limitations of naturally evolved CO2-converting processes, we will leverage the methods of Synthetic Biology to break new ground. We will develop “new-to-nature” solutions that open radically novel, more efficient biological paths for CO2-conversions that nature has not explored thus far. The mission of M4C is to gain a fundamental understanding of the three roles of CO2-converting microorganisms in climate change: as drivers, as responders and as providers for potential solutions. Through our research, we will become able to understand, predict and engineer the evolution and output of CO2-converting microbes. This will allow us to develop more powerful alternatives to the central operating system(s) of the biological carbon cycle. Ultimately, our research will pave the way towards a “microbial neo-carbonocene” as integral part of a future “carbon cycle 3.0”, in which microbe-based CO2-converting technologies can provide crucial contributions to balance human activities. To reach its goals, M4C will integrate two existing centers (Microcosm Earth Center & Center for Synthetic Microbiology) and transform them into a leading research hub for microbial CO2-conversions. M4C will attract current and future leaders in the field, and develop talented individuals across all career stages and educational backgrounds. To reach global and societal impact, M4C will collaborate with renowned institutional partners across four continents, foster innovation transfer, and engage in a dialogue with society, focusing on the young generation that will be most affected by climate change in the future.