Microbes Could Clean Up Wastes, Produce Energy

[Linnea]

...from Environmental Network Services

Some good news - for a change!

Microbes Could Clean Up Wastes, Produce Energy

SAN ANTONIO, Texas, September 3, 2002 (ENS) - Microbes could someday be used to capture carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from electricity generating plants, clean up hazardous wastes, and produce hydrogen for fuel cells.
These are some of the potential benefits of microbe research identified by a recent "Science & Government Report" from Technical Insights, a business unit of Frost & Sullivan.

Methanococcus jannaschii (M. jannaschii), discovered in the third genome sequenced by the Institute for Genomics Research, could have potential as a biological scrubber. Though the microbe produces methane, also a potent greenhouse gas, researchers at the nonprofit Institute for Biological Energy Alternatives (IBEA) say the methane could be turned into useful products like fertilizer or commercial chemicals.

The IBEA, established by scientist J. Craig Venter, plans to research the potential for the microbes to produce clean energy and reduce global warming.

Some scientists believe that hydrogen fuel cells could be the ultimate clean energy source, and efforts are underway to engineer a single organism that can both capture CO2 and produce hydrogen. M. Jannaschii can do both to some extent, and researchers are now trying to optimize the microbe's metabolic pathways for producing hydrogen.

Another possible source of hydrogen could be organisms that use their metabolic energy to split water into its component atoms. This process usually requires the use of electrical energy and is very expensive. The use of microbes is expected to make it more economical.

The Department of Energy's (DOE) Biological and Environmental Research (BER) unit has announced the award of five microbial genome research grants that could lead to clean energy and carbon sequestration, as well as to improvements in hazardous waste remediation. Totaling $103 million over five years, the grants are the first under BER's "Genomes to Life" program.

Former nuclear weapons production sites pose the greatest challenge to the DOE, which is also making efforts to promote new sources of energy. Recent BER projects explore the potential for microbes to sequester, or remove carbon from the atmosphere, helping to reduce global warming.

Commercial applications of these research results may not be far behind. One $8.9 million project focuses on a particular microbe family's trait of shedding electrons as it metabolizes organic matter. These electrons can then be transferred to an electrode.

While the electrical current cannot be scaled up for household current, it could be harnessed for so called trickle applications such as recharging batteries. This type of microbe may also be able to convert uranium in polluted soils to an inert form, preventing it from contaminating groundwater.

www.ens-news.com


[This message has been edited by Linnea (edited 04 September 2002).]

[Cherry Kelly]

Interesting, but wouldn't it hurt the growing plants who need CO2??? Maybe the article meant CO (as in carbon Monoxide).. Carbon Dioxide is necessary for plant growth.

Now I like the idea of it being used to clear up some things...hazardous waste products...

[daboodaddy]

It would be good if they did marine/ocean clean-up research as well.

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Question EVERYTHING, even your OWN thoughts.
A "Daboodaddyism"

[eliza_nightvoice]

Using bacteria to "eat" Stuff in waste streams is an old technology. At least since the early 70's, "bugs" were used to eat oil in wastewater before it was discharged. The also ate some sulfur compounds, but in low concentration. Too much and you had a "bug kill", poor things.