Carbon dioxide sequestration into biomineral armor by ants - Preprint

[Geoengineering News]

https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.01.21.700952v1

Authors: Hongjie Li, Yihang Fang, Weiqiang Li, Jing Liu, Chang-Yu Sun, Xue Kang, Gaspar Bruner-Montero, Joseph Sardina, Xiaochang Mo, Jia-Long Hao, Jianchu Mo, Lei Cheng, Zhaoming Liu, Ted R. Schultz, Richard E. Johnston, Cameron R. Currie

https://doi.org/10.64898/2026.01.21.700952

Abstract

Over geologic time, Earth’s climate has been shaped by the capture and conversion of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) into stable carbonate minerals, including dolomite [CaMg(CO3)2]. Accelerating natural carbon mineralization offers significant potential for mitigating anthropogenic climate change. Using stable carbon isotope tracking, nano-scale secondary ion mass spectroscopy, and 13C SSNMR, we show that, paralleling global biosphere-level processes, Sericomyrmex amabilis fungus-farming ants rapidly convert CO2 in their nest chambers into a biomineral layer covering their exoskeletons. We further reveal that biogenic carbon mineralization by these ants produces partially ordered dolomite. This rapid sequestration of CO2 into defensive armor in ants provides a fascinating natural example of mediation of potentially toxic accumulation of atmospheric CO2 that could inform human efforts to mitigate climate change.

Source: bioRxiv