Directed evolution of an ultrastable carbonic anhydrase for highly efficient carbon capture from flue gas

It is clear that to address climate change, the amount of CO₂ released into the atmosphere by industrial processes has to be reduced. Carbonic anhydrase regulates CO₂ in nearly every single living organism and is one of the most efficient enzymes in nature. To leverage that efficiency, a β-class carbonic anhydrase was engineered using directed evolution to withstand some of the harshest conditions associated with an industrial carbon capture process. The approach laid out can be generally applied in the development of natural enzymes for their use in industrial applications.