MIT Researchers Explore Ancient Enzymes for Climate Solutions and Alternative Fuels

MIT, USA - Associate Professor Daniel Suess is delving into Earth's ancient past to address the climate crisis. His research focuses on how early life forms utilized enzymes with metal atom clusters to perform reactions like electron transfer, essential for building carbon and nitrogen compounds. By understanding these enzymes, Suess aims to develop new chemical reactions for carbon capture and alternative fuel creation. Suess's work also explores reactions like nitrogen gas conversion to ammonia, vital for synthetic fertilizer production. He studies metalloproteins, particularly iron-sulfur proteins, using synthetic protein versions and isotope substitution for spectroscopic analysis. This allows detailed examination of enzyme bonding and reaction intermediates. The goal is to mimic these natural processes to efficiently remove atmospheric carbon dioxide and improve the energy-intensive Haber-Bosch process for fertilizer synthesis. "We have to find some way of rewiring society so that we are not just relying on vast reserves of reduced carbon, fossil fuels, and burning them using oxygen," Suess stated, emphasizing the need for carbon-neutral alternatives.