It's no secret, most of us would like to stay in our own home as we age. Yet, sometimes our loved ones just need a little extra help to remain comfortable at home. That's where Always Best Care can help....we are dedicated to exceeding expectations....always
They say that your golden years are the best years of your life. For most older Americans, that's how it should be - a time to relax, reflect, and live life in a familiar place. After all, senior citizens in the U.S. have worked tirelessly to build a better economy, serve their communities, and raise families.
However, as seniors grow older, completing daily tasks like showering and enjoying activities such as visiting the historic Morrow Plots gets harder without someone by their side. Unfortunately, many older Americans aren't able to rely on their adult children for help. The reality in today's world is that family members do not have the skills or time to dedicate to caring for their parents. That's where Always Best Care Senior Services comes in.
Our in-home care services are for people who prefer to stay at home as they grow older but need ongoing care that family or friends cannot provide. More and more older adults prefer to live far away from long-term, institutionalized facilities and closer to the place where they feel most comfortable - their home. Home care in Carbon, IN is a safe, effective way to give your loved ones the care they need when they need it the most.
Home Care Services
Service AreasSince 1996, Always Best Care has provided non-medical in-home care for seniors to help them maintain a healthy lifestyle as they get older. We are proud to have helped more than 25,000 seniors maintain higher levels of dignity and respect. We focus on providing seniors with the highest level of in-home care available so that they may live happily and independently.
Unlike some senior care companies, we genuinely want to be included in our clients' lives. We believe that personalized care is always the better option over a "one size fits all" approach. To make sure our senior clients receive the best care possible, we pair them with compassionate caregivers who understand their unique needs. That way, they may provide care accordingly without compromising their wellbeing.
The Always Best Care difference lies in life's little moments - where compassionate care and trustworthy experience come together to help seniors live a fruitful, healthy life. Whether you are an aging adult that can't quite keep up with life's daily tasks or the child of a senior who needs regular in-home services, Always Best Care is here to help.
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“Working for Always Best Care has been very rewarding for me to help others in”
“Very compassionate caregivers!”
“Great staff. Well trained and kind people.”
“The Beache’s Family are great people and I would trust my mom’s well-”
“Natalia has experience taking care of people with Alzheimer and I would be very ”
“They offer a wide range of services with professional, organized individuals willing to help care”
“Exceptional staff and very caring. I know my loved ones are taken care of which”
“Mr. and Mrs. Beach are the owners of this location, and they are some of”
“best people at there”
“Great staff!! Caring people!”
“I think it’s one of the best companies there’s always someone ready and willing to go help people with great attitudes! Anyone that wants to live at home but needs a little extra help should definitely get someone from this company at your home to help out!”
“Working for Always Best Care has been very rewarding for me to help others in need. Whatever my questions may be or any help I need as a health care provider for my client they have always came through with help.”
“Very compassionate caregivers!”
“Great staff. Well trained and kind people.”
“The Beache’s Family are great people and I would trust my mom’s well- bean in their hands”
“Natalia has experience taking care of people with Alzheimer and I would be very trust my dad’s safety if they taking care of him.”
“They offer a wide range of services with professional, organized individuals willing to help care for members of your family.”
“Exceptional staff and very caring. I know my loved ones are taken care of which gives me a peace of mind. Definitely recommend!”
“Mr. and Mrs. Beach are the owners of this location, and they are some of the most caring and dedicated people I have ever met. They truly want to help people get the best care for their loved ones. My grandmother would have loved to have care like this.”
Home is where the heart is. While that saying can sound a tad cliche, it is especially true for many seniors living in America. When given a choice, older adults most often prefer to grow older at home. An AARP study found that three out of four adults over the age of 50 want to stay in their homes and communities as they age.
When you begin to think about why, it makes sense. Home offers a sense of security, comfort, and familiarity.
The truth is, as we age, we begin to rely on others for help. When a family is too busy or lives too far away to fulfill this role, in-home senior care is often the best solution. Home care services allow seniors to enjoy personal independence while also receiving trustworthy assistance from a trained caregiver.
At Always Best Care, we offer a comprehensive range of home care services to help seniors stay healthy while they get the help they need to remain independent. As your senior loved one gets older, giving them the gift of senior care is one of the best ways to show your love, even if you live far away.
To give our senior clients the best care possible, we offer a full spectrum of in-home care services:
If your senior loved one has specific care needs, our personal care services are a great choice to consider. Personal care includes the standard caregiving duties associated with companion care and includes help with tasks such as dressing and grooming. Personal care can also help individuals with chronic conditions like diabetes.
Common personal care services include assistance with:
Sometimes, seniors need helpful reminders to maintain a high quality of life at home. If you or your senior has trouble with everyday tasks like cooking, our home helper services will be very beneficial.
Common home helper care services include assistance with:
Using this kind of care is a fantastic way to make life easier for you or your senior loved one. At Always Best Care, our talented caregivers often fill the role of a companion for seniors. That way, older adults can enjoy their favorite local activities, such as visiting Carbon Park with friends while also receiving the care they need daily or weekly.
Common companionship services include:
According to AARP, more than 53 million adults living in the U.S. provide care to someone over 50 years old. Unfortunately, these caregivers experience stress, exhaustion, and even depression. Our respite care services help family caregivers address urgent obligations, spend time with their children, and enjoy nearby activities. Perhaps more importantly, respite care gives family members time to recharge and regroup. Taking personal time to de-stress reduces the risk of caregiver burnout. So, if you've always wanted to eat at the local The Cabin At Judy Creek, don't feel bad. Doing so is great for both you and your loved one.
At the end of the day, our goal is to become a valuable part of your senior's daily routine. That way, we may help give them the highest quality of life possible. We know that staying at home is important for your loved one, and we are here to help make sure that is possible.
If you have been on the fence about non-medical home care, there has never been a better time than now to give your senior the care, assistance, and companionship they deserve.
Always Best Care in-home services are for older adults who prefer to stay at home but need ongoing care that friends and family cannot provide. In-home care is a safe, effective way for seniors to age gracefully in a familiar place and live independent, non-institutionalized lives. The benefits of non-medical home care are numerous. Here are just a few reasons to consider senior care services from Always Best Care:
According to AARP, 9 out of 10 seniors prefer to age in place within the comfort of their own home. With in-home care, seniors have a way to stay at home, receive the care they need, and maintain a sense of independence, improving overall wellness.
If you or a member of your family have assumed the role of caregiver for your senior loved one, you know how stressful the job can be. Between caregiver burnout and constant worry, being a family caregiver is hard. In-home care relieves your burden and gives you peace of mind knowing that your older family member is in expert hands.
Unlike nursing homes, where the staff and residents rotate frequently, seniors can foster new friendships and build bonds with their caregiver. Seniors who socialize on a regular basis are often happier, which fosters positivity and leads to increased wellbeing.
No two seniors need the same kind of in-home care assistance. That is why each of our Care Plans is tailored to meet our client's individual needs. We offer plans that cover everything from light housekeeping to more involved duties like transportation to doctor's appointments. Our Care Coordinators will work closely with you to develop a personalized plan to ensure your senior's needs are exceeded.
Always Best Care offers a full array of care options for patients at all levels of health. With our trusted elderly care services, your loved one will receive the level of care necessary for them to enjoy the highest possible quality of life.
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While it's true that some seniors have complicated medical needs that prevent them from staying at home, aging in place is often the best arrangement for seniors and their families. With a trusted caregiver, seniors have the opportunity to live with a sense of dignity and do so as they see fit - something that is unavailable to many older people today.
In-home care makes it possible for millions of seniors to age in place every year. Rather than moving to a strange nursing home, seniors have the chance to stay at home where they feel the happiest and most comfortable.
How much does a senior's home truly mean to them?
A study published by the American Society on Aging found that more than half of seniors say their home's emotional value means more than how much their home is worth in monetary value. It stands to reason, then, that a senior's home is where they want to grow old.
With the help of elderly care in Carbon, IN, seniors don't have to age in a sterilized care facility. Instead, they can age gracefully in the place they want to be most: their home. In contrast, seniors who move to a long-term care facility must adapt to new environments, new people, and new systems that the facility implements. At this stage in life, this kind of drastic change can be more harmful than helpful.
Institutional care facilities like nursing homes often put large groups of people together to live in one location. On any given day, dozens of staff members and caregivers run in and out of these facilities. Being around so many new people in a relatively small living environment can be dangerous for a seniors' health and wellbeing. When you consider that thousands of seniors passed away in nursing homes during the COVID-19 pandemic, opting for in-home care is often a safer, healthier choice for seniors.
Aging in place has been shown to improve seniors' quality of life, which helps boost physical health and also helps insulate them from viral and bacterial risks found in elderly living facilities.
For many seniors, the ability to live independently with assistance from a caregiver is a priceless option. With in-home care, seniors experience a higher level of independence and freedom - much more so than in other settings like a nursing home. When a senior has the chance to age in place, they get to live life on their own terms, inside the house that they helped make into a home. More independence means more control over their personal lives, too, which leads to increased levels of fulfillment, happiness, and personal gratification. Over time, these positive feelings can manifest into a healthier, longer life.
More independence, a healthier life, and increased comfort are only a few benefits of aging in place. You have to take into consideration the role of cost and convenience. Simply put, it's usually easier and more affordable to help seniors age in place than it is to move them into an institutional care facility. According to the US Department of Housing and Urban Development, seniors who age in the comfort of their homes can save thousands of dollars per month.
In-home care services from Always Best Care, for instance, are often less expensive than long-term solutions, which can cost upwards of six figures per year. To make matters worse, many residential care facilities are reluctant to accept long-term care insurance and other types of payment assistance.
With Always Best Care's home care services, seniors and their families have a greater level of control over their care plans. In-home care gives seniors the chance to form a bond with a trusted caregiver and also receive unmatched care that is catered to their needs. In long-term care facilities, seniors and their loved ones have much less control over their care plan and have less of a say in who provides their care.
In-home care is a valuable resource that empowers seniors to age in place on their own terms. However, a big concern for many families and their loved ones is how much in-home care costs. If you're worried that in-home care is too expensive, you may be pleasantly surprised to learn that it is one of the most affordable senior care arrangements available.
Typically, hiring an Always Best Care in-home caregiver for a few hours a week is more affordable than sending your loved one to a long-term care facility. This is true even for seniors with more complex care needs.
At Always Best Care, we will work closely with you and your family to develop a Care Plan that not only meets your care needs, but your budget requirements, too. Once we discover the level of care that you or your senior need, we develop an in-home care plan that you can afford.
In addition to our flexible care options, families should also consider the following resources to help offset potential home care costs:
When you or your senior loved one needs assistance managing daily tasks at home, finding a qualified caregiver can be challenging. It takes a special kind of person to provide reliable care for your senior loved one. However, a caregiver's role involves more than meal preparation and medication reminders. Many seniors rely on their caregivers for companionship, too.
Our companion care services give seniors the chance to socialize in a safe environment and engage in activities at home. These important efforts boost morale and provide much-needed relief from repetitive daily routines. A one-on-one, engaging conversation can sharpen seniors' minds and give them something in which to be excited.
At Always Best Care, we only hire care providers that we would trust to care for our own loved ones. Our senior caregivers in Carbon, IN understand how important it is to listen and communicate with their seniors. A seemingly small interaction, like a short hug goodbye, can make a major difference in a senior's day. Instead of battling against feelings of isolation, seniors begin to look forward to seeing their caregiver each week.
Understanding the nuances of senior care is just one of the reasons why our care providers are so great at their job.
Unlike some senior care companies, our caregivers must undergo extensive training before they work for Always Best Care. In addition, our caregivers receive ongoing training throughout the year. This training ensures that their standard of care matches up to the high standards we've come to expect. During this training, they will brush up on their communication skills, safety awareness, and symptom spotting. That way, your loved one receives the highest level of non-medical home care from day one.
While it's true that many seniors prefer to age at home, sometimes in-home care isn't the best fit. For those seniors and their families, choosing an assisted living facility makes more sense. Unfortunately, finding the optimal care facility is easier said than done in today's day and age. That's when Always Best Care's assisted living referral services begin to make a lot of sense.
Assisted living is a form of housing intended for seniors who require varying degrees of medical and personal attention. Accommodations may include single rooms, apartments, or shared living arrangements. Assisted living communities are typically designed to resemble a home-like environment and are physically constructed to encourage the independence of residents.
At assisted living communities, seniors receive help with daily activities such as bathing, dressing, and eating. They may also benefit from coordination of services with outside healthcare providers, and monitoring of resident activities to ensure their health, safety, and well-being. Caregivers who work at assisted living communities can also provide medication administration and personal care services for older adults.
Other services offered within assisted living communities can include some or all of the following:
At Always Best Care, our representatives can match your senior's emotional, physical, and financial needs with viable assisted living communities nearby. Results are based on comparative data, so you can select the best choice for you or your loved one.
Always Best Care works closely with local senior living communities to gain valuable knowledge that we then use to help seniors and their loved ones make informed decisions. This information can include basic care and rent, resident availability, and services provided. Because Always Best Care is compensated by these communities, we provide senior living referral services at no extra cost to you.
Some of the most popular assisted living communities to consider in our area include the following:
For many seniors, moving into a senior living community revolves around how and when they want to make a transition to more involved care. Some seniors are more proactive about transitioning to independent living. Others choose to remain home until their care needs or other requirements are satisfied. Remember - our staff is here to help. Contact our office today to learn more about assisted living communities and how we can find a facility that exceeds your expectations.
The first step in getting quality in-home care starts with a personal consultation with an experienced Always Best Care Care Coordinator. This initial consultation is crucial for our team to learn more about you or your elderly loved one to discover the level of care required. Topics of this consultation typically include:
A discussion of your needs and how our trained caregivers can offer assistance in the most effective way
A draft of your care plan, which includes highly detailed notes and a framework for the care that you or your senior will receive
Discuss payment options and help coordinate billing with your insurance provider
Our caregivers are trained to spot changes that clients exhibit, like mental and physical decline. As your trusted senior care company, we will constantly assess and update your Care Plan to meet any new emotional, intellectual, physical, and emotional needs.
If you have never considered in-home care before, we understand that you and your family may have concerns about your Care Plan and its Care Coordinator. To help give you peace of mind, know that every team member and caregiver must undergo comprehensive training before being assigned to a Care Plan.
At the end of the day, we only hire the best of the best at Always Best Care. Whether you need home care in Carbon, IN 24-hours a day or only need a respite for a couple of hours, we are here to serve you.
When you're ready, we encourage you to contact your local Always Best Care representative to set up a Care Consultation. Our Care Coordinators would be happy to meet with you in person to get to know you better, discuss your needs, and help put together a personalized Care Plan specific to your needs.
The city council is offering a new online tool, face-to-face drop-in advice sessions and detailed home surveys to support people with saving energy and reducing their bills.It’s all part of the new Climate Ready Leicester Plan which aims to move towards net zero in a way that is affordable and practical for people.Launched today (20 November), a new Homewise digital advice tool, developed by Energy Saving Trust, will hel...
The city council is offering a new online tool, face-to-face drop-in advice sessions and detailed home surveys to support people with saving energy and reducing their bills.
It’s all part of the new Climate Ready Leicester Plan which aims to move towards net zero in a way that is affordable and practical for people.
Launched today (20 November), a new Homewise digital advice tool, developed by Energy Saving Trust, will help people identify the energy efficiency improvements they can make to their homes. By completing a simple online survey, people can get a personalised action plan tailored to their needs and budget. They’ll also get a breakdown of the cost for any improvements and potential savings.
Free, in-person home energy advice is also now available at weekly clinics running at some local libraries and community centres. These sessions will provide advice on how people can make their homes more energy efficient and about any grants they may be eligible for.
Appointments are available to be booked online, while some sessions are free to drop-in.
These are currently running at the following venues:
A detailed warm home survey can also be carried out with a pre-arranged home visit. These will provide a detailed report on the best ways to upgrade your home to reduce energy bills, lower carbon emissions, and enhance home comfort and warmth. The warm home survey is free to some households, but will otherwise be £100 for a home visit and report.
Cllr Geoff Whittle, assistant city mayor for environment and transport, said: “The climate emergency affects us all and everyone can play a part to make Leicester Climate Ready. We aim to make Leicester Climate Ready in ways that are affordable and practical for people – and which improve their quality of life.
"We are making expert advice available to help people heat and power their homes. The free advice will be easy to get. It will also help reduce our carbon footprint and save money.
“We want to put people first in our efforts to support the journey towards net zero. Every single action we take is a step in the right direction.”
Laura Atkinson, business development manager at Energy Saving Trust said: “Leicester City Council are leading the way in empowering its residents to identify home energy improvements that will benefit them.
“We know the value of personalised advice in helping people to make informed choices on how to make their home cheaper to heat and lower carbon emissions - our expert tool Homewise was created with this aim.
“The Climate Ready Leicester Plan is a significant step towards a sustainable future for the city and we look forward to seeing it benefit as many people as possible.”
To find out more about the advice and support on offer as part of the Climate Ready Leicester Plan visit www.leicester.gov.uk/ClimateEmergency
A new action guide that includes more than 50 actions that people can take to help reduce their carbon impact at home and in their daily lives is also available to download.
The new Climate Ready Leicester Plan sets out more than 90 actions intended to help the city further reduce its carbon emissions and adapt to a changing climate over the next five years. It represents the next phase in Leicester’s bid to become a net zero and climate adapted city.
The new plan for warm homes, lower bills, solar energy, new skills and jobs, clean air and a greener, resilient city will build on substantial previous investment and schemes to reduce local carbon emissions and adapt the city in response to the climate emergency.
As part of the new national Platform to Decarbonize the Construction Sector at Scale led by the Construction Research Centre, the National Research Council of Canada (NRC) has developed the Low Carbon Built Environment Challenge program. This program aims to accelerat...
As part of the new national Platform to Decarbonize the Construction Sector at Scale led by the Construction Research Centre, the National Research Council of Canada (NRC) has developed the Low Carbon Built Environment Challenge program. This program aims to accelerate decarbonization across the entire Canadian construction industry.
Working with industry, academia, governments and other stakeholders, the NRC setup this program to support the development and use of low carbon materials and systems and improved approaches to operations and maintenance. The program will also support the development of carbon accounting and decision support methodologies that will minimize, and ultimately eliminate, the life-cycle carbon emissions of buildings and infrastructure. The results of the program will make it possible to design, procure, build, retrofit and operate built structures that contribute to achieving the Government of Canada's goals of 40% lower carbon emissions by 2030 and net-zero emissions by 2050 in the built environment.
Through the Low Carbon Built Environment Challenge program, the NRC will harness its R&D capacity and networks as well as its strengths in innovation to address the need for knowledge and data to identify and develop low carbon materials products, services, tools and practices in Canada's construction sector. The program includes:
A newly developed Centre of Excellence in Construction Life Cycle Assessment (CECLA) at the NRC's Construction Research Centre will help guide this research, development and demonstration (RD&D) support for low carbon innovation in the construction industry.
Working with Canadian and international partners from academia, industry and government as well as other interested stakeholders, the program focuses on 4 key areas in the construction sector:
Collaborative projects will be defined under each key area as they are developed further.
If you're a professional from the academic, public, not-for-profit or private sector or from an Indigenous government or organization, we invite you to express your interest in working with us. We are seeking collaborators with RD&D expertise in building and infrastructure materials, technologies, products, systems and tools to accelerate uptake at scale through de?risking, validation and valorization simulation as well as laboratory, field demonstration and knowledge mobilization activities.
There are a number of ways to collaborate, including:
Chris Pezoulas Director of Business Development, Construction Research Centre Email: [email protected]
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Our stories explore an emerging trend of dedicating Northwest forests to storing carbon and then selling the credits for revenueBy: Alex Baumhardt - October 29, 2024 5:45 am Editor’s note: In a four part series, the Capital Chronicle explores an emerging trend in the Northwest to dedicate forests to storing carbon while letting them earn credits to sell to polluters to offset their emissions. Reporter Alex Baumhar...
By: Alex Baumhardt - October 29, 2024 5:45 am
Editor’s note: In a four part series, the Capital Chronicle explores an emerging trend in the Northwest to dedicate forests to storing carbon while letting them earn credits to sell to polluters to offset their emissions. Reporter Alex Baumhardt spent months reporting on these stories. She visited forests in Oregon and Washington, and talked with dozens of landowners, forest managers, scientists and others while scouring the research to offer a rare comprehensive look at this issue.
Part 1: Banking on Oregon forests: In fight against climate change, financial markets see green in Oregon
No man-made machine on Earth can better capture planet-warming carbon dioxide from our atmosphere than a healthy forest.
And the most effective carbon-storing forests in the world are the wet, dense, giant conifer forests of the Northwest. The forests in Oregon’s Coast Range absorb and store more carbon per acre than almost any other forests in the world – including the Amazon Rainforest.
For more than a century, these forests have been heavily logged, supporting a vast timber industry worth billions of dollars. But, companies behind a new and growing market force are hoping to bank on the money-making potential of Oregon forests that are left intact, doing what they’ve always done: absorb and store carbon in their bark, tissue, leaves and needles and in the soil beneath them. In doing so, they help combat the growing threat of climate change.
Part 2: Banking on Oregon forests: Despite challenges, carbon markets see big potential in small landowners
Just a few years before Julie and John Christensen bought their 70-acre forest in Corbett, it had been clear-cut for logging and for animal grazing. So, they planted thousands of trees, making it a sanctuary to the bears, cougars and deer navigating a broader landscape taxed by growing logging and development.
Hoping to preserve their reforestation efforts, they signed a contract in 2023 with the company Forest Carbon Works that binds the future of their forest to a voluntary carbon crediting market.
If even 20% of existing family-owned, private forest acreage in the U.S. like that owned by the Christensens – about 50 million acres – was enrolled in carbon markets that necessitate better management and lighter logging, family forests could trap up to 1 billion additional tons of planet-warming carbon dioxide in the next 30 years, according to an analysis from the nonprofits American Forests Forever and The Nature Conservancy. That’s about equal to taking all cars off of U.S. roads for one year.
Part 3: Banking on Oregon forests: In spite of flaws, carbon markets put a price on climate pollution
The extraordinary costs of climate change hit home for Cody Desautel during the 2015 wildfire season. Now executive director of the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Indian Reservation, he watched hundreds of thousands of acres of forests burn – forests that were about to be entered into California’s carbon offset market, where tribal-owned forests have become the workhorses of the state-regulated emissions reduction program.
For Desautel and other tribal leaders, carbon markets are a way for corporations responsible for environmental degradation to reward and protect Indigenous forest management practices that have historically been less extractive. Desautel saw it as a way for his tribe, in one of the poorest corners of Washington, to generate revenue on the back of a promise that few industrial forest owners today are willing to make: ensure that above all other interests, especially logging, forests keep providing the air-cleaning, water-filtering, habitat-supporting work they’ve done for free, forever.
Part 4: Banking on Oregon Forests: Carbon markets could offer middle road in divide over forest management
When the Astoria City Council got the results of a forest inventory in the Bear Creek Watershed about a decade ago, councilors learned the city was in possession of far more valuable trees, and timber, than they had realized.
Some council members wanted to reap the extra dollars by logging it but others were concerned that it had been over-logged in the past and wanted to preserve it. They decided to call a carbon project developer, to see whether there was a way to make some money off their newfound tree inventory without increasing harvests. It’s a decision that a small but growing number of public landowners and managers in the state are making: scale back logging, and attempt to offset some of the lost timber revenue with revenue from the sale of carbon credits earned by keeping the forest intact.
Reporting for this project was supported by the MIT Environmental Solutions Journalism Fellowship.
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It was supposed to be a straightforward expedition: a team of international researchers donning wetsuits, clambering off the Italian coast near an island called Vulcano, and gathering water samples from a bubbling patch of ocean. What they got instead was something entirely unexpected: a new strain of cyanobacteria so round and heavy they nicknamed it “Chonkus.” As discoveries go, this one wasn’t glamorous. It was dense, slimy, and—true to its name—absurdly “chonk.”But Chonkus, as algae go, ha...
It was supposed to be a straightforward expedition: a team of international researchers donning wetsuits, clambering off the Italian coast near an island called Vulcano, and gathering water samples from a bubbling patch of ocean. What they got instead was something entirely unexpected: a new strain of cyanobacteria so round and heavy they nicknamed it “Chonkus.” As discoveries go, this one wasn’t glamorous. It was dense, slimy, and—true to its name—absurdly “chonk.”
But Chonkus, as algae go, has a bit of star power. Unlike most algae that float aimlessly around the ocean, minding their own business, Chonkus has two killer moves: it grows like crazy when there’s plenty of CO?, and it naturally sinks to the ocean floor. For researchers hunting for ways to capture and bury excess carbon, that makes Chonkus a prime candidate. Just think of it as a heavyweight champion in the ring against climate change. The team that stumbled upon it has detailed the whole adventure in Applied Environmental Microbiology.
You may be wondering, “How does one stumble upon a miracle algae?” Well, Max Schubert, Ph.D., was asking himself a similar question. Schubert, who worked at Harvard’s Wyss Institute and is now at Align to Innovate, wanted to explore what happens when you give photosynthetic organisms — like algae — a little extra carbon. His reasoning was simple: if oceanic algae struggle to grow because carbon is relatively scarce, then there must be some critters out there thriving in carbon-rich waters, perhaps getting real chunky in the process.
And where better to look than the island of Vulcano, where shallow volcanic vents bubble up loads of CO?, creating a natural buffet for any algae with an appetite? Schubert and his colleague, Braden Tierney, Ph.D., both Harvard alumni who got to know each other while sharing lab benches at Harvard Medical School, set up an expedition. Tierney secured funding from SeedLabs, assembled a coalition from all corners of science (including universities and labs in the U.S. and Italy), and brought everyone to the CO?-loaded shores of Vulcano.
There, in a strange microcosm of sunlight and volcanic gas, they found Chonkus. And as if its size wasn’t impressive enough, the bacteria did a neat little trick: it sank. Yes, you read that right. While most algae flit around in the water like harmless sea confetti, Chonkus sank like a miniature green rock to the bottom of its test tube. Schubert likened its behavior to “green peanut butter.” Forget bioengineering; this thing was basically built for industrial-scale decarbonization right out of the box.
Once they had Chonkus back in the lab, Schubert and Tierney’s team didn’t waste time. They replicated conditions Chonkus would love — warm temperatures, loads of light, and an all-you-can-eat carbon dioxide buffet. Two strains emerged from their culturing efforts, but UTEX 3222 stole the spotlight. Its individual cells were larger than anything Schubert had seen before, earning it the affectionate moniker “Chonkus.” It didn’t just look chunky; it grew chunky, creating densely packed colonies that would make any lab technician swoon with pride.
But beyond its girth, Chonkus had more intriguing traits: it produced large carbon-storage granules in its cells, and it carried a higher carbon content than its skinny relatives. And, of course, it had that sinking quality, which makes it an industrial gem. See, when you’re producing algae for industrial uses, the goal is to concentrate and dry the stuff — a process that can make up 30% of production costs. With Chonkus, gravity does half the work for you.
“Many of the traits we observed in Chonkus aren’t inherently useful in their natural environment, but they’re very useful to humans,” Tierney pointed out. In other words, while ocean algae typically grow at modest densities, Chonkus can reach high-density levels, and at higher temperatures, which are perfect for biomanufacturing. It’s as if nature handed humanity a pre-adapted, no-frills, algae-based solution to carbon sequestration — the Chonk, nature’s carbon capture vessel.
The more they studied Chonkus, the more they realized the possibilities: carbon sequestration, sustainable bioproduction of omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants, algae-based supplements — all in one single, chubby package. Cyanobacteria, like Chonkus, have the nifty trait of gobbling up carbon from their environment, meaning they can combine the process of carbon capture and biomanufacturing, which is essentially a scientist’s dream combo.
As for Chonkus’s long-term prospects, Schubert and Tierney were anything but idle dreamers. They made samples of UTEX 3222 available through the University of Texas’s Culture Collection of Algae, sharing the bounty with scientists everywhere. Meanwhile, Tierney co-founded The Two Frontiers Project, a non-profit that funds expeditions to discover more microbial oddities in extreme environments — from hot springs in Colorado to coral reefs in the Red Sea. The organization hopes to find more of these natural misfits with traits suited for carbon capture, CO? upcycling, and coral ecosystem restoration.
Co-author George Church, an eminent professor at both Harvard and MIT, underscores the responsible approach to deploying such superbugs. “The traits inherent in naturally evolved strains like Chonkus can be game-changing,” he said, “but it’s critical to ‘build the seatbelts before you build the car.’” That means Church’s team is also working on bio-containment strategies, because you don’t want Chonkus sneaking out of a bioreactor and having a party in the local pond.
RECENT INDUSTRY NEWS
Partners will scale up sorbent manufacturing using proven techniques to support Noya’s upcoming pilot and commercial facilities Download full release Johnson Matthey and Noya have established a partnership to manufacture Noya’s proprietary sorbent, the filter at the heart of its cutting-edge direct air capture...
Partners will scale up sorbent manufacturing using proven techniques to support Noya’s upcoming pilot and commercial facilities
Johnson Matthey and Noya have established a partnership to manufacture Noya’s proprietary sorbent, the filter at the heart of its cutting-edge direct air capture approach.
The Noya system provides clean water and grid services alongside high-quality carbon removal credits, which enable industry leaders like Shopify to meet their ambitious sustainability goals – related to both carbon and water.
Direct air capture is a promising form of carbon dioxide removal in which CO2 is captured directly from the atmosphere and permanently stored, usually underground, or utilised as a feedstock for decarbonised products. Unlike point source carbon capture, which is performed at the source of emissions, such as a steel plant, direct air capture can be performed in a variety of locations around the world.
Johnson Matthey will leverage more than 200 years’ experience in innovation and R&D to produce the sorbent with a facility, equipment, and techniques that have been used to produce tens of millions of parts for the automotive industry. As a leader in advanced metals chemistry and clean air technology, having pioneered the catalytic converter 50 years ago to remove pollutants in road vehicles, Johnson Matthey is uniquely positioned to support the ambitious scale up of Noya facilities over the next decade.
The Oakland, California-based start-up was founded in 2020 by Josh Santos and Daniel Cavero to accelerate the world’s transition to carbon negativity. Four years later, the company is entering its next phase of growth, bringing its pilot facility online in the San Francisco Bay Area and, in parallel, selecting the sites for its first commercial facilities.
Anish Taneja, Johnson Matthey, Clean Air Chief Executive, said:
“We are only at the foothills of what is possible in decarbonising through direct air capture projects. It’s an industry with a big future and our partnership with Noya can begin to shift the dial on this young industry.
“Capturing CO2 from the air is an immense challenge and one we are committed to making a success of it with Noya. With their start-up outlook and our many years of expertise, I believe we can accelerate this market and reduce costs for this new technology.”
Josh Santos, Noya Co-Founder and CEO, said:
“We are delighted to be working with Johnson Matthey to scale our sorbent manufacturing. From my own experience at Tesla and Harley-Davidson, I know how critical the right partner can be during the early phases of scaling up a manufacturing process.
“We are at a critical inflection point – as a company, as an industry, and as a society – how we execute over the next 5 years will have a huge impact on future generations. Our team is committed to building long-term relationships – like the one we have with Johnson Matthey – in order to affect the positive change we want to see in the world.
“This is exactly why Daniel and I started Noya – to have positive impact, at scale.”
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