Exploring the biotechnological potential of terrestrial hot spring microbiomes for CO2 utilisation

Industrial CO₂ waste streams pose both an environmental challenge and an unutilised resource. Harnessing microbial consortia to valorise CO₂, through a circular bioeconomy, remains underexplored and could offer an alternative to energy-intensive chemical methods. By reanalysing predominantly publicly available metagenomic data, we demonstrate how hot spring microbiomes can be mined for traits pre-adapted to CO₂-rich, high-temperature, and chemically extreme conditions. In doing so, we provide proof-of-concept for their future biotechnological application and establish a blueprint for other microbiome-scale bioprospecting surveys.