Meet Chonkus: the CO2-chomping alga that could help tackle the climate crisis

Synechococcus elongatusis soaks up carbon dioxide for its photosynthesis and stores more than other strains

Chonkus may sound like a champion Sumo wrestler but it is the nickname for a superpower strain of microbe that absorbs lots of CO₂ relative to its size and stores it in its large cells.

Chonkus's real name is Synechococcus elongatus, and it is a large and heavy strain of blue-green alga that soaks up CO₂ for its photosynthesis, grows fast in dense colonies and stores more carbon than other strains of this microbe.