(CleanTechnica) - The newly opened Jess S. Jackson Sustainable Winery Building at the University of California, Davis includes a full lineup of futuristic green tech bells and whistles, and the one that has us most intrigued is a system for sequestering carbon dioxide from all the fermentation that is going to take place within its walls. The system will be installed within the next few years and once completed, it will convert carbon dioxide into calcium carbonate, more commonly known as chalk. Hey, don’t you need a sea urchin for that?

Converting Carbon Dioxide Into Chalk

If that sea urchin/calcium carbonate thing rings a bell, you may recall that earlier this year a research team at Newcastle University uncovered the secret behind the sea urchin’s ability to absorb carbon dioxide into its exoskeleton, which could lead to an inexpensive method for carbon sequestration from factory emissions or, for that matter, from wineries.

In the course of a detailed study of the carbonic acid reaction (the reaction of carbon dioxide with water), the team took a look at the exoskeletens of sea urchin larvae and discovered high levels of nickel. When the team added a nickel catalyst to their carbonic acid test the result was “complete removal” of carbon dioxide.

The discovery is significant because previous attempts at calcium carbonate conversion have involved an enzyme that is very finicky and delicate, resulting in a very expensive process.