Novel 'Nano-Reactor' Produces Hydrogen Biofuel

By inserting a modified enzyme inside a virus, researchers, led by Trevor Douglas from Indiana University, have created a new biomaterial capable of catalyzing the production of hydrogen. The bacteriophage P22, a bacterial virus, could lead to more efficient and profitable biofuel production processes.

Researchers created the modified enzyme by extracting two genes, hyaA and hyaB, from Escherichia coli which encode subunits of the hydrogenase enzyme. Once inside the capsid, the protective protein shell of a virus, the bacteriophage P22 is born. Inside the capsid, the hydrogen-producing enzyme is 150 times more efficient than an unaltered enzyme.

Researchers have previously tried to use the enzyme to produce biofuels, but in its unaltered form it is overly sensitive to heat and outside chemicals. The enzyme becomes resilient once inside the virus shell.