Growth and Hydrogen Production of Rubrivivax gelatinosus CBS

Introduction • Hydrogen (H2) has the capacity to be a future biofuel because it is a clean fuel source and renewable. • Rubrivivax gelatinosus CBS is a purple non-sulfur bacteria that was isolated from the Denver, Colorado area, that has been found to produce substantial amounts of H2 in presence of carbon monoxide (CO). • It is unknown which carbon sources CBS has the capability to use. • CBS has the capability to use CO and convert it into H2 in the following reaction(s): CO +H2O a 2 e+ 2H+ CO2 2 e+ 2H+ a H2 CO + H2O a CO2 + H2 • The pathway of converting CO to H2 is presumed to be under the control of the RcoM protein. Results