In a discovery that sounds like science fiction, researchers have found a tiny soil bacterium called Bacillus megaterium that can literally eat carbon dioxide and transform it into solid limestone rock. Under laboratory conditions, this remarkable microbe achieved 94 percent efficiency in converting CO2 directly into calcium carbonate, completely outperforming most engineered carbon capture systems. What makes this even more impressive is that the bacteria can work directly at industrial sites like cement plants and steel mills, turning pollution into valuable building materials right at the source.
The process creates limestone that matches the quality of natural geological formations, and early tests show that concrete blocks reinforced with bacteria-grown limestone lose less than two percent of their strength even after 300 freeze-thaw cycles. This discovery is particularly exciting because cement production currently accounts for roughly eight percent of global CO2 emissions, so replacing even a portion with bacteria-made limestone could slash millions of tons from our carbon footprint. Companies are already planning pilot projects that could capture several pounds of CO2 per cubic foot of material treated, with economic models suggesting costs could drop below $50 per metric ton. The most amazing part is that this process doesn’t just reduce pollution, it locks carbon away in stone form for geological timescales, meaning the CO2 stays trapped for centuries.