Victoria, Jan. 29 -- Melbourne researchers have uncovered important new information on how microbes absorb huge amounts of carbon monoxide (CO) and assist in reducing levels of this deadly gas.

Over two billion tonnes of carbon monoxide are released into the atmosphere globally each year. Microbes consume about 250 million tonnes of this, reducing CO to safer levels.

The Monash University-led Study, published in Nature Chemical Biology, reveals at an atomic level how microbes consume CO present in the atmosphere. They use a special enzyme, called CO dehydrogenase, to extract energy from this universally present but highly toxic gas.

Co-first author Ashleigh Kropp, from the Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute's (BDI) Greening lab and...