Going Green

Friday, October 26, 2007

Microbes for Hydrogen Production?

Microbes have long been the focus of ethanol production. If they can be utilized to produce hydrogen it will eliminate the use of costly (and pollutant) chemicals as well as aid in creating a non-polluting fuel.

Microbes Plus Sugars Equals Hydrogen Fuel?

By Jan Suszkiw
October 25, 2007

Wanted: Bacterium that can eat sugar or sludge; must be team player or electrochemically active; ability to survive without oxygen, a plus. Thus might read the bacterial "job description" posted by Agricultural Research Service (
ARS) and Washington University (WU) scientists, who are collaborating on ways to make microbial fuel cells more efficient and practical.

According to Mike Cotta, who leads the ARS Fermentation Biotechnology Research Unit, Peoria, Ill., the project with WU arose from a mutual interest in developing...(complete article here).

I would much rather see research focused on hydrogen fuel than on ethanol.

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