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Microbes make 'clean' methane
Date:7/26/2012

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- Microbes that convert electricity into methane gas could become an important source of renewable energy, according to scientists from Stanford and Penn State universities.

Researchers at both universities are raising colonies of microorganisms -- methanogens -- with the remarkable ability to turn electrical energy into pure methane, the key ingredient in natural gas. The goal is to create large microbial factories to transform clean electricity from solar, wind or nuclear power into renewable methane fuel and other valuable chemical compounds for industry.

"Most of today's methane is derived from natural gas, a fossil fuel," said Alfred Spormann, professor of chemical engineering and civil and environmental engineering at Stanford. "And many important organic molecules used in industry are made from petroleum. Our microbial approach would eliminate the need for using these fossil resources."

He added that all of the carbon dioxide released during combustion is derived from the atmosphere, and all of the electrical energy comes from renewables or nuclear power, which are also carbon dioxide free.

Methane-producing microbes could help solve the problem of what to do with surplus electricity generated by photovoltaic power stations and wind farms.

"While conceptually simple, there are significant hurdles to overcome before electricity-to-methane technology can be deployed at a large scale," said Bruce Logan, Evan Pugh Professor and Kappe Professor of Environmental Engineering, Penn State. "That's because the underlying science of how these organisms convert electrons into chemical energy is poorly understood."

Burning natural gas accelerates global warming by releasing carbon dioxide that's been trapped underground for millennia. The researchers wanted to take a "greener" approach to methane production. They envision large bioreactors filled with methanogens single-cell organisms that produce methane.

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Contact: A'ndrea Elyse Messer
aem1@psu.edu
814-865-9481
Penn State
Source:Eurekalert

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