31 Jan 2008
E. coli advocated as future source of hydrogen
E. coli could, in the future, be used as a source of energy, it has been revealed.
A professor in Texas A&M University's chemical engineering department has "tweaked" a strain of E. coli so that it can produce substantial amounts of hydrogen.
An article in Microbial Biotechnology suggests that Professor Thomas Wood has been able to alter the bacteria so that it produces 140 times more hydrogen than normal, and while Professor Wood admits that it will be a long time before his research can be translated into anything which can be made available for commercial use, he believes the breakthrough is a significant stepping stone on the path to a hydrogen economy.
E. coli produce hydrogen through a fermentative process, and significantly the product is easily attainable.
"One of the most difficult things about chemical engineering is how you get the product," Professor Wood explained.
"In this case, it's very easy because the hydrogen is a gas, and it just bubbles out of the solution. You just catch the gas as it comes out of the glass. Thats it. You have pure hydrogen."
E. coli is also used in the production of human insulin and in the development of vaccines.
http://www.azonano.com/news.asp?newsID=5776.
http://www.fuelcellsworks.com/Supppage8370.html
© Adfero Ltd
A professor in Texas A&M University's chemical engineering department has "tweaked" a strain of E. coli so that it can produce substantial amounts of hydrogen.
An article in Microbial Biotechnology suggests that Professor Thomas Wood has been able to alter the bacteria so that it produces 140 times more hydrogen than normal, and while Professor Wood admits that it will be a long time before his research can be translated into anything which can be made available for commercial use, he believes the breakthrough is a significant stepping stone on the path to a hydrogen economy.
E. coli produce hydrogen through a fermentative process, and significantly the product is easily attainable.
"One of the most difficult things about chemical engineering is how you get the product," Professor Wood explained.
"In this case, it's very easy because the hydrogen is a gas, and it just bubbles out of the solution. You just catch the gas as it comes out of the glass. Thats it. You have pure hydrogen."
E. coli is also used in the production of human insulin and in the development of vaccines.
http://www.azonano.com/news.asp?newsID=5776.
http://www.fuelcellsworks.com/Supppage8370.html
© Adfero LtdSource: Adfero