At the U.S. Department of Energy’s Argonne National Laboratory, scientists are trying to chemically manipulate algae to produce hydrogen gas.
Certain varieties of algae have an enzyme called hydrogenase which can make small amounts of hydrogen gas.
What scientists are trying to do is first take that hydrogenase enzyme out of the algae and put it into a photosynthesis process.
Sunlight + Algae = Hydrogen fuel
If successful, the amount of hydrogen fuel created with the enzymes by photosynthesis could be as much oxygen that is created.
An advantage of algae over another alternative fuel, ethanol, is algae can be grown in any closed system from rooftops to deserts.
Algae just need water to grow so it won’t cause any environmental damages like crops which needs a lot of soil and time to harvest.
Algae has no sulfur, is non toxic and biodegradable.
In this article, UC Berkeley found out in 2000 that hydrogen fuel would be a very attractive alternative to fossil fuels because it is renewable and environmentally friendly.
"Hydrogen is so clean-burning that what comes out of the exhaust pipe is pure water. You can drink it,"said Tasios Melis, a UC Berkeley professor.
To read the full article, go here at the Environmental News Network.
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