In Germany, in the field of microbial electrosynthesis, microbes utilize CO2 and electricity to generate substances like alcohol. The precise biological mechanisms underpinning this process have, until recently, been largely theoretical. Now, scientists at the Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology (Leibniz-HKI) have managed to experimentally verify for the first time that these bacteria utilize electrons derived from hydrogen, and are capable of producing a broader spectrum of chemical compounds than initially thought.
The researchers were able to show that bacteria do not directly absorb the electrons supplied by electric current, but instead use hydrogen to transfer the electrons. This had long been suspected as a possibility, but until now no one had provided experimental proof. They also found that the method could produce even more useful chemicals than previously thought and optimized the process for the highest possible yields.
