BIOL446: Investigating the Potential Use of Hydrogenivirga caldilitoris for Sustainable Energy Production
By: Dulguun Amgalan
Department: Biology
Faculty Advisor: Dr. José R. De La Torre
The utilization of microorganisms for clean energy production has gained increasing attention in recent years due to their potential as a renewable energy source. Hydrogenivirga caldilitoris, a thermophilic and anaerobic bacterium, has been found to produce hydrogen gas as a byproduct of its fermentation process, making it an attractive candidate for bioenergy production.The purpose of this study proposal is to examine the viability of using H. caldilitoris as a clean energy source for the production of electricity. The proposed study will concentrate on characterizing the bacterium's metabolic pathways and improving the growing environment to optimize hydrogen gas generation. We will employ molecular and biochemical methods to study the metabolic pathways involved in hydrogen generation as well as the genes and enzymes responsible for this process. Also, we will investigate how several environmental elements, including temperature, pH, and substrate concentration, affect the development and metabolism of H. caldilitoris. The utilization of microorganisms as a clean energy source has a lot of potential for reducing the harmful environmental effects of conventional fossil fuels. The planned study on H. caldilitoris would advance knowledge of the potential of microorganisms as a clean energy source and aid in the creation of new sustainable energy production systems. The findings of this study may also have significant ramifications for the design of bioreactors and other systems used to produce hydrogen gas on a big scale as a clean and renewable energy source.