11th World Hydrogen Energy Conference (11 WHEC), Stuttgart, Germany, 23 - 28 June 1996, pp.2595-2600
A photobioreactor containing enzyme systems from E.coli and Halobacterium halobium for hydrogen gas production was constructed. Bacteriorhodopsin is a retinal protein present in the purple membrane fragment of photosynthetic bacteria H. halobium which behaves as a light driven proton pump upon illumination. The H+ ion gradient produced between interior and exterior of the cell membrane utilized by the bacterial cell for synthesis of ATP as an energy source for its growth and survival. Under anaerobic growth conditions, the salt resistant E.coli DS 1576 induces the over expression of hydrogenase isoenzymes which catalyzes the reduction H+ ion to H-2 gas.