University of Aveiro

A new study concludes that an extinct volcano off the shore of Portugal could store as much as 1.2-8.6 gigatons of carbon dioxide, the equivalent of ~24-125 years of the country's industrial emissions. For context, in 2022 a total of 42.6 megatons (0.0426 gigatons) of carbon dioxide was removed from the atmosphere by international carbon capture and storage efforts, according to the Global CCS Institute. The new study suggests that carbon capture and storage in offshore underwater volcanoes could be a promising new direction for removal and storage of much larger volumes of the greenhouse gas from the atmosphere. A new study published in Geology concludes that an extinct volcano off the shore of Portugal could store as much as 1.2-8.6 gigatons of carbon dioxide, the equivalent of ~24-125 years of the country's industrial emissions. For context, in 2022 a total of 42.6 megatons (0.0426 gigatons) of carbon dioxide was removed from the atmosphere by international carbon capture and storage efforts, according to the Global CCS Institute. The new study suggests that carbon capture and storage in offshore underwater volcanoes could be a promising new direction for removal and storage of much larger volumes of the greenhouse gas from the atmosphere. "We know that most countries, including Portugal, are making efforts to decarbonize the economy and our human activities, this is a message that this may be one of the instruments to solve the problem" says Ricardo Pereira, a geologist at the NOVA School of Science and Technology, and co-author of the study. Storing carbon dioxide in an extinct volcano would rely on a process known as 'in situ mineral carbonation.' In this process, carbon dioxide reacts with elements in certain types of rocks to produce new minerals that safely and permanently store the carbon dioxide. Elements like calcium, magnesium, and iron combine with carbon dioxide to form the minerals calcite, dolomite, and magnesite, respectively. Rocks that contain large amounts of calcium, iron, and magnesium are ideal candidates for this process -- such as the volcanic basalts that make up most of the sea floor. Knowing this, the researchers targeted an offshore volcano for a few reasons -- the structure of the volcano could provide an ideal architecture for carbon injection and storage, the rocks are the right type for the reactions involved, and the location Is not too close to large populations, but also not too far. Most carbon capture projects have relied on injection of carbon dioxide into porous sedimentary basins that are sealed to prevent migration of the gas out of reservoirs. In these cases, the carbon will eventually start to form minerals, but only over longer periods of time -- decades to centuries. In 2016, researchers published findings that 95% of carbon dioxide injected into underground basalts in Iceland had mineralized within just two years. The much shorter mineralization time makes the process safer and more effective -- once carbon is stored in minerals, issues like potential leaks are no longer a concern. Davide Gamboa, a geologist at the University of Aveiro and co-author of the study, explains, "What makes mineral carbonation really interesting is the time. The faster it gets into a mineral, the safer it becomes, and once it's a mineral, it is permanent." The researchers studied the storage potential at the ancient Fontanelas volcano, which is partially buried ~100 kilometers offshore from Lisbon, with a peak ~1500 meters below sea-level. To estimate the potential volume of carbon dioxide that could be stored at this site, the authors used 2D and 3D seismic studies of the undersea volcano that had been produced during offshore oil exploration, as well as data from samples that had been dredged from the area in 2008. The dredged samples contained naturally formed carbonate minerals, indicating that the chemical reactions required to store carbon were already happening, and that intentional efforts to mineralize carbon in these rocks should be successful. The samples also had up to 40% pore space -- meaning there are spaces within the rocks where carbon dioxide could be injected and mineralized. The researchers also indicate that low-permeability layers imaged around the flanks of the volcano could help with containing the carbon dioxide before it is mineralized. While this study demonstrated a large potential carbon storage capacity at the Fontanelas volcano, the authors highlight that many other places around the world may have similar offshore volcanoes that could be candidates for carbon capture and storage.

DNA can help to stimulate bone healing in a localized and targeted manner, for example after a complicated fracture or after severe tissue loss following surgery. Scientists have developed a new process in which they coat implant materials with a gene-activated biomaterial that induces stem cells to produce bone tissue. DNA can help to stimulate bone healing in a localised and targeted manner, for example after a complicated fracture or after severe tissue loss following surgery. This has been demonstrated by researchers at Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (MLU), the University of Leipzig, the University of Aveiro (Portugal) and the Fraunhofer Institute for Microstructure of Materials and Systems IMWS in Halle. They have developed a new process in which they coat implant materials with a gene-activated biomaterial that induces stem cells to produce bone tissue. Their findings were published in the journal Advanced Healthcare Materials. Bones are a fascinating example of the body's ability to regenerate. They are able to regain full functionality -- even after a fracture -- thanks to their ability to form new, resilient tissue at the fracture site. "However, when it comes to complicated fractures or major tissue loss, even a bone's self-healing power is insufficient," explains Professor Thomas Groth, head of the Biomedical Materials research group at MLU's Institute of Pharmacy. "In such cases, implants are needed to stabilize the bone, replace parts of joints, or bridge larger defects with degradable materials." The success of such implants depends largely on how well they are incorporated into the bone. Increased efforts have been made in recent years to support this process by coating implants with bioactive materials to activate bone cells and mesenchymal stem cells. Mesenchymal stem cells are capable of generating different types of tissue, however activating them to specifically regenerate bone can be particularly challenging. In such cases, an extracellular matrix plays a crucial role. "The tissue between the bone cells is made up of collagens and chondroitin sulphate, among other things," explains Groth. "It can be artificially replicated and applied to the surface of implants to make them bioactive." This ensures that implants are incorporated better and are less likely to be rejected by the body. Drugs and activators can also be added to the artificial extracellular matrix to stimulate bone growth. One such activator is the protein BMP-2, which is already being used in spinal fusions or to treat complicated, non-healing fractures. However, studies have shown that the high dose of BMP-2 needed can lead to uncontrolled bone tissue formation in the surrounding muscle as well as to other undesirable side effects. The researchers from Halle, Leipzig and Aveiro are therefore proposing a procedure that stimulates stem cells in a more targeted way and causes significantly fewer side effects. One thing they are focusing on is enhancing the design of the extracellular matrix. They use a special layer-by-layer technology to apply the biomaterial to the implant. This enables them to control its composition, structure and properties at the nano level. "It is a sophisticated process which we have perfected at MLU in collaboration with Fraunhofer IMWS," explains Thomas Groth. This design at the nano level is needed to functionalise the biomaterial; here they are leaning on the expertise of colleague Dr Christian Wölk from Leipzig. Instead of incorporating large amounts of BMP-2 directly into the biofilm and risking an uncontrolled release, he packages DNA fragments into lipid nanoparticles that act as transport containers. Only after the implant has been inserted does the DNA migrate into the cells of the bone tissue and stimulate them to produce BMP-2. This, in turn, activates the bone-forming stem cells. "Mimicking the extracellular matrix as a thin-film surface coating and functionalising it with nanoparticles is a milestone in pharmaceutical materials research," explains Thomas Groth. "DNA can be released in a targeted manner and limits the stimulation of tissue growth with respect to time and location, without causing undesirable side effects." According to Groth, the method is also fundamentally suited for transporting mRNA and thus expands the possibilities of regenerative medicine -- not only in the field of bone formation, but also for other therapeutic applications.