 |
| Energy |
|
THE LIGHT PARTY ALGAE HYDROGEN HARNESSED Washington-Microscopic green algae may soon be pumping out clean and efficient hydrogen gas to fuel the world's cars and power plants. Scientists at the Oak Ridge National Labs. in Tenn. are turning to nature, which long ago figured out how to make energy from water and sunlight. In this case algae, Chlamydomonas reinhardtil, have a special trick that allows them to make hydrogen- an enzyme called hydrogenase that splits water into its component parts of hydrogen and oxygen. The algae need sulfur to grow and photosynthesize.However scientists found that when they starved the algae of sulfur, they switched into hydrogenase mode. In this cycle,they release hydrogen, not oxygen.
|
| Back
to Top Back to Energy Directory Home |
