Scientists from the University of California, Berkeley, have used inorganic semiconductors to help non-photosynthetic bacteria synthesise chemicals from carbon dioxide. The team has found that a single molecule of carbon dioxide can be converted into two molecules of hydrogen and one molecule of oxygen. Researchers have now taught naturally-occurring bacterium Moorella thermoacetica to work with the semiconductors to more efficiently produce acetic acid. Acetic acid is a versatile chemical that can be readily upgraded to a number of fuels, polymers, pharmaceuticals and commodity chemicals through complementary, genetically engineered bacteria. The acetic acid can then be upgraded for use in polymers, pharmaceuticals and some fuels, through genetically-engineered bacteria.
Scientists from the University of California, Berkeley, have used inorganic semiconductors to help non-photosynthetic bacteria synthesise chemicals from carbon dioxide. The team has found that a single molecule of carbon dioxide can be converted into two molecules of hydrogen and one molecule of oxygen. Researchers have now taught naturally-occurring bacterium Moorella thermoacetica to work with the semiconductors to more efficiently produce acetic acid. The acetic acid can then be upgraded for use in polymers, pharmaceuticals and some fuels, through genetically-engineered bacteria.