Is bacteria the answer to fighting climate change? Methane-eating microbes that thrive in soil could be used to convert the greenhouse gas to oxygen

  • A bacteria that eats methane gas could prove useful in curbing climate change
  • This is the first time researchers have been able to isolate this type of microbe
  • As researchers mull the pros of harnessing the organism, humans are killing it 
  • Farming practices kill the microbe and likely affect soil's methane storage 

By James Pero For Dailymail.com

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New discoveries about bacteria could prove to be the key to mitigating methane-induced climate change in Earth's atmosphere - that is if humans don't destroy the specimen first. 

For the first time scientists have isolated and analyzed the properties of a methane oxidizing bacteria (MOB)  capable of converting methane into oxygen.

The bacteria, Methylocapsa Gorgona, not only intrigues scientists searching for creative solutions to combat climate change, but confirms a prior theory from experts who have noted areas with increased amounts of soil also exhibit lower methane levels. 

But, researcher warn the bacteria itself is fragile and susceptible to human activity. 

Methane gas is a fuel source burned by everything from home ovens to rockets and is also created organically through the decomposition of food, animal cultivation, and more. File photo

Methane gas is a fuel source burned by everything from home ovens to rockets and is also created organically through the decomposition of food, animal cultivation, and more. File photo

Scientists say the microbe — and possibly others like it — lives inside the soil and acts as a 'sink,' trapping methane gas before it's able to disperse into the air where it's proven to do damage to Earth's Ozone Layer. 

If harnessed, researchers say the microbe could be deployed strategically to combat the adverse effects of methane gases produced by animals and humans, considered to be the second most detrimental greenhouse gas, next to Co2.  

The only problem is no such feat has ever been attempted, let alone accomplished. 

Researchers detailed their findings in a new paper published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States.

One major hurdle to arriving at that goal will be finding a way to 'convince' the bacteria to increase the amount of methane its willing to take on. 

Since the bacteria currently only needs trace amount of methane to survive — not nearly enough to put a dent in the amount of gas produced by humans and animals — scientists have proposed genetically modifying the organism to better suit the job.

As researchers work to harness the methane-hungry microbe, however, it is also being destroyed unwittingly by other human practices simultaneously. 

In addition to being practical for humans, the organism is also very fragile, say researchers. 

Flatulent cows have been proven to exacerbate methane levels in the Earth's atmosphere. File photo

Flatulent cows have been proven to exacerbate methane levels in the Earth's atmosphere. File photo

Among the human actions that are contributing to reducing the amount of M. Gorgona are agricultural practices like tilling and other farming techniques that disrupt the soil. 

With that knowledge, researchers say humans may have to reckon with the effects of widespread farming practices and its relation to how bacteria's efficacy in trapping methane. 

As climate science has advances, humans' capability to trap and control methane has become increasingly important with levels of the gas ballooning through its use as a fuel source and the cultivation of animals — cows in particular have been showed to exacerbate levels of the gas by releasing it through their own flatulence.

Scientists have also called attention to a glut of methane gas trapped deep within the permafrost located in Earth's iciest regions. 

As the long-dormant frost starts to melt as a result of rising global temperatures, researchers fear that the gas will be unleashed into the atmosphere. 

THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT OF FARMING COWS

The livestock animals are notorious for creating large amounts of methane, which is a major contributor to global warming.

Each of the farm animals produces the equivalent of three tonnes of carbon dioxide per year and the amount of the animals is increasing with the growing need to feed a booming population.

Methane is one of the most potent greenhouse gases, trapping 30 times more heat than the same amount of carbon dioxide. 

Scientists are investigating how feeding them various diets can make cattle more climate-friendly.

They believe feeding seaweed to dairy cows may help and are also using a herb-rich foodstuff called the Lindhof sample.  

Researchers found a cow's methane emissions were reduced by more than 30 per cent when they ate ocean algae.

In research conducted by the University of California, in August, small amounts of it were mixed into the animals' feed and sweetened with molasses to disguise the salty taste.

As a result, methane emissions dropped by almost a third. 

'I was extremely surprised when I saw the results,' said Professor Ermias Kebreab, the animal scientist who led the study.

'I wasn't expecting it to be that dramatic with a small amount of seaweed.'

The team now plans to conduct a further six-month study of a seaweed-infused diet in beef cattle, starting this month.

Climate Change & Global Warming

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