Sequestration of Carbon Dioxide by
Microorganism and Production of Value
Added Product
11
Randhir K. Bharti, Shaili Srivastava, and I. S. Thakur
Abstract
The rising carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) emission leading to global climate change is one
of the greatest environmental challenges that the world faces today. The link
between the anthropogenic CO 2 emissions and its increased atmospheric concentration resulting in global average temperature rise and consequent sea level rise is
well established. The CO 2 mitigation can be achieved by three means: first by
improving energy efficiency, second by CO 2 capture and sequestration, and the
third option is use of alternative clean fuels (biohydrocarbon, biodiesel, etc.). The
most important global carbon sinks are green plants, algae, and some photosynthetic and chemolithotrophic bacteria. Some microbes fix CO 2 with the help of
special enzymes such as carbonic anhydrase, Rubisco, and other carboxylases.
These include the Calvin cycle, reductive tricarboxylic acid cycle,
Hydroxypropionate–hydroxybutyrate cycle, Dicarboxylate–hydroxybutyrate
cycle, and 3-hydroxypropionate pathway. Calvin cycle is the most prominent
cycle found in the autotrophic organism and Rubisco is the key enzyme for CO 2
fixation. In this scheme, the sugar bisphosphate ribulose-1, 5-bisphosphate
(RuBP) serves as the acceptor molecule for CO 2 , with the enzyme Rubisco
catalyzing the actual primary CO 2 fixation reaction. Carbonic anhydrase
(CA) is a zinc-containing enzyme that catalyzes the reversible dehydration of
HCO 3
À to CO 2 . Here the CA functions to convert an accumulated cytosolic pool
of HCO 3
À into CO 2 within the carboxysome. It can assist in elevating CO 2
concentrations around Rubisco. Some microbes synthesize valuable products
such as different types of alkanes/alkenes/Lipids/TAG which can be utilized for
R. K. Bharti (*) · I. S. Thakur
School of Environmental Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India
S. Srivastava
Amity School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Amity University Haryana, Gurugram, India
# Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2021
A. Singh et al. (eds.), Environmental Microbiology and Biotechnology,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-7493-1_11
235
Microorganism and Production of Value
Added Product
11
Randhir K. Bharti, Shaili Srivastava, and I. S. Thakur
Abstract
The rising carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) emission leading to global climate change is one
of the greatest environmental challenges that the world faces today. The link
between the anthropogenic CO 2 emissions and its increased atmospheric concentration resulting in global average temperature rise and consequent sea level rise is
well established. The CO 2 mitigation can be achieved by three means: first by
improving energy efficiency, second by CO 2 capture and sequestration, and the
third option is use of alternative clean fuels (biohydrocarbon, biodiesel, etc.). The
most important global carbon sinks are green plants, algae, and some photosynthetic and chemolithotrophic bacteria. Some microbes fix CO 2 with the help of
special enzymes such as carbonic anhydrase, Rubisco, and other carboxylases.
These include the Calvin cycle, reductive tricarboxylic acid cycle,
Hydroxypropionate–hydroxybutyrate cycle, Dicarboxylate–hydroxybutyrate
cycle, and 3-hydroxypropionate pathway. Calvin cycle is the most prominent
cycle found in the autotrophic organism and Rubisco is the key enzyme for CO 2
fixation. In this scheme, the sugar bisphosphate ribulose-1, 5-bisphosphate
(RuBP) serves as the acceptor molecule for CO 2 , with the enzyme Rubisco
catalyzing the actual primary CO 2 fixation reaction. Carbonic anhydrase
(CA) is a zinc-containing enzyme that catalyzes the reversible dehydration of
HCO 3
À to CO 2 . Here the CA functions to convert an accumulated cytosolic pool
of HCO 3
À into CO 2 within the carboxysome. It can assist in elevating CO 2
concentrations around Rubisco. Some microbes synthesize valuable products
such as different types of alkanes/alkenes/Lipids/TAG which can be utilized for
R. K. Bharti (*) · I. S. Thakur
School of Environmental Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India
S. Srivastava
Amity School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Amity University Haryana, Gurugram, India
# Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2021
A. Singh et al. (eds.), Environmental Microbiology and Biotechnology,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-7493-1_11
235