DIY
Algae/Hydrogen Kit was a first time collaboration
between Amy Franceschini and Jonathan Meuser. Currently
scientists are testing and generating strains of algae
to determine which one most efficiently produces hydrogen
in a process called "biophotolysis". This
is an exciting sector of research, but most of the activity
takes place under highly controlled environments in
laboratories within universities. Amy was interested
in creating a "backyard/DIY" model which would
allow people (not only scientists)
to produce hydrogen. The notion of people producing
their own power is exciting. Researcher, Jonathan Meuser
used this opportunity to exhibit a model of
"biophotolysis"
to test a system in his
backyard. His test was a success, in that it produced
hydrogen and could demonstrate the process using off
the shelf and found supplies.
photos:
left: backyard model in gallery. rt: Algae test labaoratory,
UC Berkeley
Amy and Jonathan were intereted in bringing this laboratory
process out into the public eye, as an educational and
research model. [see photos]
"Green
algae can produce hydrogen gas, H2, in a process called
"biophotolysis" or "photobiological hydrogen
production." This process is carried out by photosynthetic
enzymes, which split water to obtain electrons, excite
these electrons with photons, and eventually use these
electrons to reduce 2H+ to H2. The scientific challenge
associated with this approach to hydrogen production
is that the enzyme that actually releases the hydrogen,
called a "reversible hydrogenase", is sensitive
to oxygen. The process of photosynthesis, of course,
produces oxygen and this normally stops hydrogen production
very quickly in green algae. So, to overcome this problem,
we are generating O2-tolerant, H2-producing mutants
of the green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii by various
genetic approaches. The ultimate goal of this work is
to develop a water-splitting process that will result
in a commercial H2-producing system that is cost effective,
scalable to large production, non-polluting, and self-sustaining."-Maria
Ghirardi
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