Microbes are biological catalysts that enable the activation of CO₂ in a large range of processes. CO₂ is used in microbial metabolism as a carbon source for building biomass, but also as an electron acceptor in anaerobic respiration, and for some organisms it can serve as a combination. Microbes therefore offer an outstanding opportunity to act in carbon capture processes under what must be considered mild conditions (20-80 degrees °C and atmospheric pressure) compared to parallel chemical catalytical processes. This makes microbes attractive for technical applications in general, and for CO₂ capture and conversion technologies in particular.

In the Microbial Conversion Tech group, we identify and characterize promising microbial candidates for CO₂ utilizing processes and establish an understanding of their particular needs for high-rate operations. This includes mapping of microbial kinetics, inhibitions mechanisms, and growth requirements. Our starting point is naturally occurring microorganisms from selected promising environments where CO₂ utilizing processes occurs under natural conditions. Based on this knowledge, we engineer technical solutions which promotes the natural selection of the most suitable and highest performing organisms for the desired process. This includes the microbial conversion of CO₂ and H₂ into methane or acetate. A central part of our research also includes the integration of biotechnological unit operations into other technologies in carbon capture technology chains.

Michael has here developed platforms for biological methanation of CO₂-containing gasses from biological processes and combustion. This includes development of technology concepts for in situ and ex situ biomethanation of biogas-CO₂. Michael has together with his team of researchers furthermore formulated and demonstrated the concept of Bio-integrated Carbon Capture and Utilization (BICCU), which enables energy efficient capture and conversion of CO₂ from dilute sources to synthetic natural gas or acetic acid.