Novel Approach to Microbial Hydrogen Production

The use of fossil fuels as the primary source of energy has been one of the predominant causes of global climate change. Consequently, the need to explore and develop alternate energy sources that are both non-polluting and renewable is becoming increasingly critical. Hydrogen (H2) offers significant potential as a clean energy source to replace non-renewable and polluting fossil fuels. This project will develop a microbial system that utilizes renewable resources, such as agriculture-derived biomass, for H2 production. In Phase I, a microbial system will be engineered to demonstrate increased H2 productivity, and a high-throughput screening system for H2 detection in micro-scale fermentations will be constructed. Commercial Applications And Other Benefits as described by the Applicant: The technology should lead to a commercially viable microbial platform for the production of both H2, a clean fuel, and value added chemicals from renewable feedstocks. The benefits of a bio-based H2 production platform include the reduced dependence on fossil fuel feedstocks and imported fuels, the stabilization of CO2 emmisions resulting from fossil fuel consumption, the utilization of renewable feedstocks (agriculture-derived biomass) or organic waste matter for fuel production, and the creation of ¿greener¿ processes that utilize biomass and biocatalysts for energy generation.