The global drive towards sustainability is at a critical juncture, particularly in industries traditionally known for their high environmental impact, such as chemical manufacturing and mining. These sectors are vital to the global economy, but they are also major contributors to carbon emissions and environmental degradation. But innovative approaches are starting to change the way these industries operate, making sustainability not just an option, but a driver of innovation. In today’s show, SenbitaTara and her brother Moj use their unique backgrounds, Moj in petroleum engineering and her in biochemistry, to tackle the challenge of converting CO2 into new chemicals, materials and food feedstocks. They are using synthetic biology to turn greenhouse gases into useful resources. Cemvita’s breakthrough is just one of many CO2 capture and conversion strategies that could significantly reduce the carbon footprint of an industry that is often criticized for its environmental impact.
Cemvita applies biomimicry, the science that studies how nature works to create the various materials we need to sustain life. The idea emerged in the early 1980s, and now, 40 years later, we see occasional biomimetic innovations as well as potentially industry-changing changes in strategy and environmental impact. As Tara explains, there is still a long way to go before we reach a carbon-neutral yet thriving economy. Cemvita’s approach combines organic and inorganic chemistry with the insight to find biomimetic alternatives to heat-hungry chemical refineries, for example by using depleted oil wells as natural bioreactors to produce hydrogen and replacing leach ponds filled with toxic chemicals with sealed, non-toxic treatment columns, showing two paths out of an industrial model that is destroying the planet. For more information about Cemvita, please visit: https://www.cemvita.com.
