Establishment of a new research platform for a “C1 Chem-Bio Economy”

Project Gist

C1 Chem-Bio Economy based on a new perspective of global carbon cycle

Keywords

methane cycle, biomass, carbon cycle, C1-carbon fixation, C1 microorganisms

Background and Purpose

This study aimed to establish a research foundation and framework for the C1 Chem-Bio Economy discipline through an interdisciplinary approach. The C1 Chem-Bio Economy is a new concept that seeks to achieve economic growth and global environmental measures simultaneously by reimagining the global carbon cycle. Specifically, the concept proposes conjugating the carbon cycle between biomass and CO₂ with the methane cycle between methane and CO₂. This approach was first introduced by our research group. During the grant period, we conducted basic research and technological development of C1 microorganisms, while also evaluating the cyclical use of carbon resources from the perspective of multiple research fields.

Project Achievements

Cross-disciplinary research activities were carried out among the Kyoto University participants in this project. These members specialize in applied microbiology, molecular cell biology, green chemistry, data science, network science, water environmental engineering, energy engineering and economics. Additionally, an international symposium was organized, inviting domestic and foreign researchers with different specializations, where the future cyclical use of carbon resources was discussed from multiple perspectives. Through these activities, we established a research base that strongly promotes C1 Chem-Bio Economy research from various fields of specialization and built a foundation for developing interdisciplinary joint research. We also succeeded in developing our research into interdisciplinary and international collaboration with researchers from overseas.

Future Prospects

Moving forward, we will further consolidate the research base of the “C1 Chem-Bio Economy” discipline through the established human network and interdisciplinary research activities. We consider that the promotion of this new discipline as a fundamental concept is key for discussions on science and technology strategies and policy dialogues toward the realization of a carbon-neutral and decarbonized society.

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Principal Investigator