For the past several years many brilliant genetic researchers have been
after the Holy Grail of tomorrow's energy -- hydrogen. This would not only
be a non-polluting fuel directly or indirectly (to generate electricity)
but also the precursor of many other important organic compounds, including
nitrogenous fertilizer and drugs, presently made from fossil fuels. (For
automobile use it would require a much larger fuel tank than for petrol but
is still practicable for all that.) Two principal routes have been followed
hitherto. One is to make a bacterium that has been stripped down to only
its basic regenerative ability, and then add hydrogen-producing genes. The
other is to hybridize an energy-producing bacterium with a
hydrogen-producing bacterium. However, Louis Sherman and Himadri Pakrasi of
Purdue University have recently discovered a natural oceanic bacterium,
Cyanothece 51142, which releases oxygen in daylight and hydrogen at night.
Furthermore, Sherman and Pakrasi's team think that the bacterium can be
tricked into producing more hydrogen. They are shortly moving to Washington
University -- having more facilities and funding. For those interested, see:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/12/101214141932.htm
Keith
Keith Hudson, Saltford, England
<http://allisstatus.wordpress.com/2010/12/>http://allisstatus.wordpress.com/2010/12/
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