Researchers had found a way to create twice as much hydrogen from bacteria as was previously possible, breaking down organic products such as forestry or household waste. The bacteria is called Caldicellulosiruptor saccharolyticus, and it was first discovered in 1987 in a hot spring in New Zealand.
New Zealand bacteria Caldicellulosiruptor saccharolyticus. Photo: A Pereira & M. Verhaart, Wageningen University, Netherlands
This bacteria is adapted to a low energy environment, so it can do much more work (in terms of breaking down plants and transporting carbohydrates) than most bacteria. It can also cope with higher growth temperatures than most bacteria - this is useful because it enables the work to be done at higher temperatures - and the higher the temperature, the more hydrogen will be formed. It can also produce hydrogen in difficult conditions, for example in high partial hydrogen pressure, Karin Willquist says. The bacteria does not work well in high concentrations of salt or hydrogen gas - this affects the bacteria's metabolism.
Source: The Hydrogen Journal
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