Tuesday, July 8, 2025
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact
  • Terms & Conditions
Environmental Magazine
Advertisement
  • Home
  • News
  • Climate Change
  • Energy
  • Recycling
  • Air
  • Fossil Fuels
  • Water
No Result
View All Result
Environmental Magazine
  • Home
  • News
  • Climate Change
  • Energy
  • Recycling
  • Air
  • Fossil Fuels
  • Water
No Result
View All Result
Environmental Magazine
No Result
View All Result
Home Energy

Methane-eating bacteria can produce low emission fuel from from toxic gas

March 26, 2022
in Energy
A A

After years of research, a team of experts in the US believe they have discovered a process that turns one of the most harmful greenhouse gases into a clean-burning fuel. 

Scientists have conducted a series of experiments to try and crack a decade-spanning mystery – how to  harness the potential of methanotropic bacteria. 

The organism consumes around 30m metric tons of methane each year, and has a natural ability to convert this into a usable fuel, methanol, which is considered a clean-burning, sustainable fuel source, producing far lower emissions and greater efficiency from combustion engines than current options. 

In order to activate the reaction, the bacteria relies on an enzyme, particulate methane monooxygenase (pMMO), but how this works exactly has baffled scientists for years. While it has been possible to study the enzyme itself, traditional approaches involve harsh detergent solutions that stop the enzyme working, leaving teams with very little to work with. 

Now, experts at Northwestern University, US, have published ground-breaking research in the journal ‘Science’, which they believe could lead to the development of human-made biological catalysts, which create the same reaction and as a result produce methanol, potentially at scale. Work involved using lipids from the bacteria to form a membrane within a protective particle, the nanodisc, and embedding the enzyme there.  

“By recreating the enzyme’s native environment within the nanodisc, we were able to restore activity to the enzyme,” said first author and PhD candidate Christopher Koo, who worked on the project under Amy Rosenzweig, the Weinberg Family Distinguished Professor of Live Sciences at Northwestern’s Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences. 

In related news, researchers at the University of Cambridge, UK, have created a high-efficiency solar power source using ‘nano skyscrapers’ as a habitat for cyanobacteria. 

Image credit: Northwestern University

 

 

 

ShareTweetSharePinSendShare

Related Articles

Energy

Trump’s Legislation Will Constrict the Growth of Texas’ Clean Energy Industry and its Power Grid

July 3, 2025
Energy

On Senate Floor, Tillis Offered Inside Look Into the Lobbying Against Clean Energy

July 2, 2025
Energy

In Budget Crunch, New Jersey Strips Clean Energy Fund in Near-Record ‘Raid’

July 2, 2025
Energy

Latest GOP Provisions in Budget Bill Seek to Crush Renewable Energy

June 30, 2025
Energy

Texas’ Risk of Summer Blackouts Reduced Thanks to Solar and Batteries

June 28, 2025
Energy

The Revised ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ Still Contains a Poison Pill. A Tax Expert Explains

June 26, 2025

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recommended

Utilities should prepare ahead of mandatory monitoring

April 2, 2024

How Do Neighbors of Solar Farms Really Feel? A New Survey Has Answers

April 16, 2024

Don't miss it

News

Nature-positive AI projects hailed successes following £2 million investment

July 8, 2025
Fossil Fuels

Climate Change Helped Fuel Heavy Rains That Led to Devastating Texas Flood

July 8, 2025
Water

Yorkshire schools SuDS partnership boosts flood resilience

July 8, 2025
Water

Open-source AI models support water quality monitoring

July 8, 2025
Water

Puraffinity and US Army Corps of Engineers partner to advance PFAS remediation technologies

July 8, 2025
Fossil Fuels

As California’s Emissions Rules Faces Court Battles, States Scramble To Save Their Climate Goals

July 7, 2025
Environmental Magazine

Environmental Magazine, Latest News, Opinions, Analysis Environmental Magazine. Follow us for more news about Enviroment and climate change from all around the world.

Learn more

Sections

  • Activism
  • Air
  • Climate Change
  • Energy
  • Fossil Fuels
  • News
  • Uncategorized
  • Water

Topics

Activism Air Climate Change Energy Fossil Fuels News Uncategorized Water

Recent News

Nature-positive AI projects hailed successes following £2 million investment

July 8, 2025

Climate Change Helped Fuel Heavy Rains That Led to Devastating Texas Flood

July 8, 2025

© 2023 Environmental Magazine. All rights reserved.

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
  • Climate Change
  • Energy
  • Recycling
  • Air
  • Fossil Fuels
  • Water

© 2023 Environmental Magazine. All rights reserved.

This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Visit our Privacy and Cookie Policy.