With a Synergy Grant, the ERC distinguishes especially ambitious research projects which involve the overlap of various disciplines and thus require a research team of two to four promising researchers to carry them out collaboratively.
Funding period
2024–2030
Abstract
The Earth’s early atmosphere, steeped in CO2 during the Archean Eon, sparked the evolution of microbial life through autotrophic carbon fixation. However, modern environments with lower CO2 levels obscure the ancient metabolic pathways vital for early life. With this in mind, the ERC-funded Archean Park project embarks on a quest to explore subsurface ecosystems rich in CO2. By studying these relics in CO2-abundant settings, researchers anticipate unlocking innovative biochemistry insights with profound implications. This initiative promises to reshape biotechnological and geotechnical landscapes, offering solutions from advanced biomass production to carbon storage. Archean Park not only illuminates the past but also guides the future of microbial evolution and Earth’s carbon cycle.