[SCAN] Can sulfate reducing bacteria be used for biological hydrogen production?

Scan Seminar

Title: Can sulfate reducing bacteria be used for biological hydrogen production?

Speaker: Mónica Martins

From: Bacterial Energy Metabolism Laboratory, ITQB

Abstract:

Sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) are generally viewed as hydrogen-consuming organisms, so their potential as H2-producers has been poorly investigated. However, SRB display an extremely high hydrogenase activity, and in natural habitats where sulfate is limited they produce hydrogen fermentatively and grow syntrophically with other organisms. Given the high number of hydrogenases present in SRB genomes we explored the potential of the model strain Desulfovibrio vulgaris Hildenborough for H2 production from sub-products of dark-fermentation (lactate, ethanol, formate). Our studies reveal that SRB can be an interesting alternative to conventional organisms for hydrogen production in the 2nd step of two-stage dark fermentations.