Purple bacteria produce hydrogen from waste water

Domestic and industrial wastewater contains organic substrates and nutrients that could be used to produce biofuels, such as hydrogen, as well as to recover carbon if the right extraction method were found. A team of researchers in Spain has now put forward one such method that makes use of purple phototrophic bacteria, which can store energy from infrared light when an electric current is applied.
These microorganisms can recover nearly 100% of carbon from any type of organic waste while generating hydrogen gas for electricity production, explains co-team leader Daniel Puyol of King Juan Carlos University (URJC) in Madrid.

Full article: www.physicsworld.com