Maillard reaction helps store carbon on the seafloor

The Maillard reaction – the chemical process that gives browned food its flavour – may play a role in storing sedimentary organic carbon on the seafloor. The researchers behind the discovery say it could lead to a better understanding of the underlying chemical processes involved in climate and the creation of complex lifeforms on Earth.

It has previously been suggested that the Maillard reaction might occur in marine sediments, transforming sugars and amino acids into complex structures that can’t be broken down by microbes. However, it was thought that at the temperature of the seabed – around 10°C – the reaction would be too slow to play a significant role in the preservation of organic carbon.