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CC BY 4.0 · Sustainability & Circularity NOW 2026; 03: a27973446
DOI: 10.1055/a-2797-3446
Original Article

Biological Carbon Capture Using Spinach Carbonic Anhydrase Immobilized on Magnetite Nanoparticles

Authors

  • Harish Raj Arumugam‡

    1   Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technology, Institute of Chemical Technology, Mumbai, India (Ringgold ID: RIN80493)

  • Abhik Chattopadhyay‡

    1   Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technology, Institute of Chemical Technology, Mumbai, India (Ringgold ID: RIN80493)

  • Dilkhush Zaroliwalla

    2   Department of Physics, Institute of Chemical Technology, Mumbai, India (Ringgold ID: RIN80493)

  • Devansh Sanghavi

    3   Department of Chemical Engineering, Institute of Chemical Technology, Mumbai, India (Ringgold ID: RIN80493)

  • Eshira Gupta

    1   Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technology, Institute of Chemical Technology, Mumbai, India (Ringgold ID: RIN80493)

  • Neetu Jha

    2   Department of Physics, Institute of Chemical Technology, Mumbai, India (Ringgold ID: RIN80493)

  • Shamlan Reshamwala 

    4   Department of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Institute of Chemical Technology, Mumbai, India (Ringgold ID: RIN80493)
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Graphical Abstract

Abstract

Bio-based carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) presents a promising alternative to conventional CCU methods, primarily due to its inherent potential for valorization. In the present study, carbonic anhydrase extracted from spinach leaves (Spinacia oleracea) was immobilized onto citric acid-functionalized magnetite nanoparticles (Fe3O4@CA NPs). This bio-nano hybrid functions as an efficient catalyst for enhancing CO2 solubility by accelerating its conversion to bicarbonate (HCO3 −), thereby overcoming the low aqueous solubility of gaseous CO2, a known limiting factor in photosynthetic autotrophs. Growth experiments using Escherichia coli cultures supplemented with these NPs demonstrated a ~62% increase in biomass production compared to the control group when the culture was sparged with atmospheric air, demonstrating that carbonic anhydrase-immobilized NPs effectively facilitated the uptake of atmospheric CO2 and redirected it into cellular biomass. Considering that 1 g E. coli dry cell weight can capture ~86 mg CO2, this approach can be used for carbon capture and production of fermentation-derived value-added products. Moreover, such systems hold significant potential for applications in algal biofuel production and the cultivation of slow-growing organisms, such as cyanobacteria, where efficient carbon assimilation is crucial for their growth.

Keywords

Carbon capture, utilization, and storage - Carbonic anhydrase - Magnetite nanoparticles - Enzyme immobilization


Publication History

Received: 10 October 2025

Accepted after revision: 26 January 2026

Accepted Manuscript online:
26 January 2026

Article published online:
11 February 2026

© 2026. The Author(s). This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, permitting unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction so long as the original work is properly cited. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).

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Bibliographical Record
Harish Raj Arumugam, Abhik Chattopadhyay, Dilkhush Zaroliwalla, Devansh Sanghavi, Eshira Gupta, Neetu Jha, Shamlan Reshamwala. Biological Carbon Capture Using Spinach Carbonic Anhydrase Immobilized on Magnetite Nanoparticles. Sustainability & Circularity NOW 2026; 03: a27973446.
DOI: 10.1055/a-2797-3446