Microbes that convert electricity into methane gas could become an important source of renewable energy, according to scientists from Stanford and Pennsylvania State universities.
Researchers at both campuses are raising colonies of microorganisms, called methanogens, which have the remarkable ability to turn electrical energy into pure methane — the key ingredient in natural gas. The scientists’ goal is to create large microbial factories that will 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, a professor of chemical engineering and of 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.”
While methane itself is a formidable greenhouse gas, 20 times more potent than CO2, the microbial methane would be safely captured and stored, thus minimizing leakage into the atmosphere, Spormann said.
“The whole microbial process is carbon neutral,” he explained. “All of the CO2 released during combustion is derived from the atmosphere, and all of the electrical energy comes from renewables or nuclear power, which are also CO2-free.” Via Scientists use microbes to make ‘clean’ methane.
Now that’s what I call green energy. Wouldn’t it be more useful to get them to turn methane into electricity? As the cows contentedly chewed the cud and belched up methane they could be wired up to the national grid.
CORRECTION: PFCs are not flame retardants used in foams in funhgsrinis or polystyrene insulations. Those are hexabromocyclododecane (HBCDs). The PFCs are used for stain repellancy, thus their use on carpets and funhgsrinis. Some PFCs (such as Perfluorinated carboxylic acids (PFCAs) [such as perfluorooctanoate (PFOA)] and perfluorinated sulfonates (PFSAs) [such as perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS)]) have been used for over 50 years in the production of consumer products including carpet and upholstery stain-protectants, food-contact paper coatings, nonstick cookware, waterproofing sprays, and windshield wash. Source: Fraser et al, 2011, Polyfluorinated Compounds in Serum Linked to Indoor Air in Office Environments, Environmental Science and Technology 46:1209−1215. This is the journal article on which the SmallPlanet post was based. (dx.doi.org/10.1021/es2038257).