Humans continuously emits greenhouse gases, worsening global warming. For example, carbon dioxide (CO2) accumulates dramatically over the years and is chemically very stable. Yet, some microbes capture CO2 using highly efficient enzymes. Scientists from the Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology in Bremen together with the Universities of Geneva and Radboud isolated one of these enzymes.
The Max Planck-scientists undertook the challenging task to isolate the microbial enzyme."Since we knew that such enzymes are sensitive to oxygen, we had to work inside an anaerobic tent devoid of ambient air to separate it from the other proteins—quite complicated, but we succeeded," says Olivier Lemaire. Once isolated, the scientists characterized the enzyme's properties.but performs the reverse reaction at very slow rates and poor yield.
Selmihan Sahin and Ross Milton from the University of Geneva are specialists in electrochemistry. They use electrodes connected to electric current to perform chemical reactions. The electrode-based formate generation from CO, and that is why they tried to replace these metals with the enzyme extracted in the group of Tristan Wagner at the MPIMM.
The procedure of enzyme binding on an electrode is not always as efficient as expected, but the enzyme from Wagner's research group has specific characteristics that could facilitate the process. The scientists from Switzerland managed to fix the enzyme on a graphite electrode, where it performed the gas conversion.
The measured rates were comparable to those obtained with classic formate dehydrogenases."The strength of this biological system coupled to the electrode lies in its efficiency in transferring the electrons from the electricity towards COSahin and Milton also confirmed that the system performs the reverse reaction poorly, as previously observed in the reaction tube.
South Africa Latest News, South Africa Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Play your part in Big Game Coverage by sharing your photos on KSAT ConnectFans are in the stands and on the sidelines this fall perfectly capturing touchdowns and scores.
Read more »
Japanese Company Testing Drug to Regrow Teeth in HumansA Japanese company says it has developed a new antibody drug that stops proteins in the mouth responsible for suppressing tooth growth.
Read more »
Volcanic supercontinent will likely wipe out humans in 250 million years, study saysRising temperatures, little rain and high concentrations of carbon dioxide could make the supercontinent inhabitable for mammals, the study suggests.
Read more »
Council Post: AI Is The Future Of Hiring, But Humans Play The Most Important RoleData privacy and security will always be a factor with any technological solution. As AI grows, so will the need to ensure that information is kept secure.
Read more »
New 'supercontinent' could wipe out humans and cause Earth uninhabitable, study suggestsScientists conclude that a new 'supercontinent' could wipe out humans and all other mammals still alive in 250 million years due to 'a triple whammy,' based on a new study.
Read more »
Ancient humans were able to compete with giant hyenas for carcasses: StudyThe extinct giant hyena was the largest member of the hyena family ever to exist, weighing 200 pounds or more and standing more than 3 feet tall.
Read more »