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Photometabolic production of hydrogen from organic substrates by free and immobilized mixed cultures of Rhodospirillum rubrum and Klebsiella pneumoniae *
Author(s) -
Weetall Howard H.,
Sharma Bhavender P.,
Detar Clarence C.
Publication year - 1981
Publication title -
biotechnology and bioengineering
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.136
H-Index - 189
eISSN - 1097-0290
pISSN - 0006-3592
DOI - 10.1002/bit.260230310
Subject(s) - rhodospirillum rubrum , sawdust , klebsiella pneumoniae , chemistry , cellulose , substrate (aquarium) , hydrogen production , food science , agar , hydrolysis , microbiology and biotechnology , hydrogen , biochemistry , chromatography , bacteria , biology , organic chemistry , enzyme , ecology , genetics , escherichia coli , gene
Abstract A culture of R. rubrum cells apparently contaminated with K. pneumoniae were immobilized by entrapment in agar. This system was used as model for hydrogen production by photometabolic means. Observed results indicated that the contaminant exerted a major influence on the observed results. This preparation, when immobilized and used in a specifically designed reactor with glucose substrate, showed operational half‐lives of approximately 1000 hr. The feasibility of using this “mixed” culture for producing hydrogen from acid hydrolyzed cellulose and wood sawdust was also examined.