A group of Chinese scientists has devised a technology to capture carbon dioxide that they hope can be used to convert the gas into lycopene, a powerful antioxidant.The compound naturally gives foods such as tomatoes, watermelons and peppers their pink or red colour. It is thought to be good for bone health and may help protect against heart disease, certain types of cancer and high blood sugar.
- Lycopene
A powerful antioxidant that can help protect against heart disease and cancer. Chinese scientists have developed technology to capture carbon dioxide and convert it into lycopene. Lycopene is also found naturally in foods like tomatoes, watermelons, and peppers. Lycopene is widely used in the pharmaceutical, cosmetics and food industries but the existing production methods have various drawbacks. For example, extracting it from natural plants is time consuming, uses many raw materials and the resulting product has impurities. Meanwhile chemical synthesis is a laborious and demanding process.
- Carotenoids
An antioxidant that can help with anti-ageing. A research team at the Korea Institute of Energy Research (KIER) has developed a technology to convert carbon dioxide into carotenoids. Their technology can produce carotenoids with higher carbon numbers and is more productive than existing technologies.
Eunice Foote was a climate science pioneer who conducted research on carbon dioxide and climate warming
The conversion was facilitated with the help of a new bacteria-based technology, which harnesses the power of microorganisms.
The researchers genetically engineered a bacterium called Rhodopseudomonas palustris to capture carbon dioxide and convert it into lycopene through a process mimicking natural carbon fixation in plants.
This method offers a sustainable and efficient alternative to traditional lycopene production methods, which are often resource-intensive and yield impure products. Lycopene, a natural pigment found in tomatoes and other red fruits and vegetables, is a potent antioxidant with potential applications in various industries, including pharmaceuticals and cosmetics.
It is also believed to offer protection against various diseases such as heart disease, cancer, and diabetes, and may even support bone health. This breakthrough technology not only provides a sustainable way to produce lycopene but also contributes to combating climate change by capturing and utilizing carbon dioxide, a major greenhouse gas. This method could revolutionize the chemical industry by providing sustainable and environmentally friendly alternatives to traditional production methods that often rely on fossil fuels and generate harmful byproducts. Imagine harnessing the power of these microscopic factories to create biofuels, pharmaceuticals, and even biodegradable plastics, all while simultaneously combating climate change.
