Title:
An improved bio-inorganic system to couple solar energy to microbial carbon dioxide fixation
Agreement Value:
$25,000.00
Agreement Date:
Mar 20, 2020 - Mar 31, 2022
Description:
Atmospheric CO2 levels are at a record high. Further increases are predicted to produce large and uncontrollable impacts on the world climate and ocean acidity levels. Meanwhile, the global energy demand is expected to boom by 2040, with a growth of more than 25%. To meet this demand, while addressing our CO2 challenge, a solution (photosynthetic biohybrid systems (PBSs)) that can efficiently capture and store CO2 and solar energy in a CO2-negative or CO2-neutral manner is being explored. PBSs are still in their infancy, with less than a handful of microbes incorporated as their biocatalysts. The technical breakthrough of PBSs relies on enhancement of bacterial attachment, biofilm development, and electron-transfer rates at the microbe-electrode interfaces, all of which will benefit immensely from a deeper understanding of the ecological strategies and environmental drivers of the solar absorber compatible CO2 fixing microbes in their natural habitats. Fe- and Mn-mineral coated mining sites with ample solar exposure will be the ideal ecosystem to find these microbes. This project will thus fill the knowledge gap of CO2 fixing photoelectrotroph communities associated with Fe- and Mn-mineral coatings on Earth’s surface.
Organization:
National Research Council Canada
Expected Results:
In the short term, anticipated outcomes will be strengthened collaborations across industry, academia, and government to support research excellence. In the medium term, anticipated outcomes will be the development of new and potentially disruptive technologies with collaborators.
Location:
Montreal, Quebec, CA H3A 0G4
Reference Number:
172-2020-2021-Q4-947064
Report Type:
Grants and Contributions
Recipient Business Number:
119128981
Additional Information:
This agreement has been amended 1 time(s). The end date of this agreements has been modified by 365 days.
Amendment Date
Jan 26, 2021
Recipient's Legal Name:
The Royal Institution for the Advancement of Learning/McGill University
Federal Riding Name:
Ville-Marie–Le Sud-Ouest–Île-des-Sœurs
Federal Riding Number:
24077
Program:
Collaborative Science, Technology and Innovation Program – Ideation Fund
Program Purpose:
The Ideation Fund is intended to encourage, test and validate transformative research ideas generated by teams of NRC scientific personnel and external collaborators with complementary capabilities, acting as a demonstration phase for a continually-evolving suite of research and development (R&D) deliverables at the NRC. The fund supports exploratory research through two mechanisms: the New Beginnings Initiative and the Small Teams Initiative.
NAICS Code:
541710 - R&D in the physical, engineering and life sciences