CARBON CYCLING AND PARAMETERS THAT WILL INFLUENCE METABOLIC TURNOVER

Global warming causing climate change is mostly due to the high levels of CO₂ in the atmosphere. This is mainly because of natural gases being burnt, coal in power plants, large industrial facilities, and gasoline in cars. Therefore, to solve or limit CO₂ accumulation on earth, carbon resources have to be managed more effectively. This issue is very important in countries that primarily make use of coal-based energy, such as South Africa, China, India, and the USA. Carbon sequestration could be a very efficient process to capture, transport, and store CO₂ emissions, which can contribute towards climate change.

Therefore, the aim of this project is to understand the terrestrial CO₂ sequestration impact on subsurface biomes. We aim to simulate CO₂ injection conditions with a control culture by varying CO₂ concentration and pressure and studying the metabolic interaction with the cultures.

GEOLOGICAL CARBON SEQUESTRATION AND ITS INFLUENCE ON SUBSURFACE MICROBIAL BIODIVERSITY AND METABOLIC CARBON CYCLING

This research project focuses on studying the impact of Carbon Sequestration in South Africa as well as the reactivity of the deep subsurface biome towards carbon capture and storage (CCS). What this means is that, similar to concerns about what fracking for gas in the Karoo will do to humans and nature, this research will ensure that if carbon is stored underground, natural processes are not disturbed or related risks created. Furthermore, this research will give greater insight in what happens to the CO₂ deep underground (± 700 m). It might seem odd, but bacteria live in these environments and will interact with the stored CO₂. These organisms have fantastic properties and could just hold the key to controlling the process or even helping us to limit environmental impacts.