Harvard chemist Daniel Nocera made an interesting statement during his speech at the Energy Policy Institute in Chicago. Together with his colleagues, he created a new type of bacteria that can inhale carbon dioxide and hydrogen, and then release several types of alcohol-containing fuels, as well as biomass, which can also be burned to generate energy. The chemist said the research results will soon be published in the journal Science.
Daniel Nocera rose to prominence a few years ago when he and his team announced the creation of an "artificial leaf" that produces hydrogen suitable for use as a fuel. The idea never got widespread, but the scientist did not give up and continued his research in the development of alternative energy sources. So the genetically engineered bacterium Ralston Eutropha was born, absorbing carbon dioxide and hydrogen, and then converting it into adenosine triphosphate - a universal source of energy for all biochemical processes occurring in living systems.
The chemists did not stop there and taught the bacteria to convert adenosine triphosphate into several types of alcohol: isopentanol, isobutanol, isopropanol. Alcohols come out of bacteria "naturally", which makes them completely unique in their own way. The efficiency of this process is quite high: in the case of alcohol - 6%, and in the case of biomass - 10.6%. In comparison, plants are capable of converting sunlight and carbon dioxide into biomass with an efficiency of only 1%.
From the point of view of scientists, a large number of such bacteria can gradually draw carbon dioxide from the earth's atmosphere and slow down the process of global warming. In parallel, they will be able to produce various types of fuel. However, burning this fuel will return carbon dioxide back into the atmosphere, so that the circle will close. At the moment, researchers are looking for investors in order to implement this technology for the production of fuel in India, where the population so badly needs it.
SERGEY GRAY
