SBIR Phase I: Development of microalgae for commercial hydrogen biofuels

这个小型企业创新研究(SBIR)第一阶段项目将采用一种创新的方法来代谢工程藻类，并实现中到大规模的低成本、无碳氢气生产。实现高产氢的一种方法是使用绿藻，绿藻通过利用阳光分解水来产生氢气。绿藻的产氢是基于高活性的产氢酶--氢酶的存在。因此，在藻类中产生氢气的过程利用了防止氧产生的机制，氧的产生会使氢酶失活。然而，这些基于光下厌氧缺硫的过程导致了低产量。这里的研究将评估应用一种新的策略来引导代谢流在硫磺存在的情况下产生氢气的可行性。在第一阶段，编码氢酶和成熟蛋白的嵌合基因将被引入藻类基因组。工程菌株将被评估氢酶活性，并将确定在典型的缺硫和含硫条件下的产氢水平。我们预计，这一创新战略将使氢酶以一种活跃的形式大量积累，从而改变对电子供体的竞争，有利于氢酶持续高速率地生产氢气。该项目更广泛的影响/商业潜力是对我国减少使用外国石油和创造许多新工作岗位的能力的影响。这个项目将扩大我们对氢酶的功能和藻类中光能产氢的基本了解。这项创新将使商业生产具有成本效益、可再生和环境清洁的氢气成为可能。商业氢气生产目前主要依赖电力和二氧化碳排放。拟议中的方法如果成功，将为氢气生产提供一种商业流程，这将产生电力并隔离二氧化碳。低成本、可再生氢气的丰富应该会扩大氢气市场，以发电和为汽车提供燃料。仅20万公顷使用改良菌株的藻类池塘就可以取代20%的进口原油。因此，该项目将通过加强国家能源安全产生巨大的商业影响。此外，这项技术将通过发展藻类养殖促进美国农业生产的多样化和可持续性，而藻类养殖不需要耕地。潜在地，这项技术将生产出理论上最环保的生物燃料。因此，该项目可以通过减少碳足迹和促进农村地区的经济多样化产生巨大的社会影响。

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project will employ an innovative approach to metabolically engineer algae and enable low-cost, carbon-free hydrogen production at medium to large scale. One approach to achieving high hydrogen production involves the use of green algae, which produce hydrogen by using sunlight to split water. Hydrogen production in green algae is based on the existence of highly active hydrogen-forming enzymes, hydrogenases. Accordingly, the processes for hydrogen production in algae have utilized mechanisms to prevent the generation of oxygen, which inactivates hydrogenase. However, these processes, based on anaerobic sulfur-deprivation in light have resulted in low yields. The investigation herein will assess the feasibility of applying a novel strategy to direct metabolic flux toward hydrogen production in the presence of sulfur. During Phase I, chimeric genes encoding a hydrogenase and maturation proteins will be introduced into the algae genome. Engineered strains will be evaluated for hydrogenase activity, and hydrogen production levels under typical sulfur-deprivation and sulfur-containing conditions will be determined. We anticipate that this innovative strategy will enable abundant accumulation of hydrogenase in an active form that shifts competition for an electron donor in favor of hydrogenase to continuously generate hydrogen at high rates.The broader impact/commercial potential of this project is the impact on our nation's ability to reduce its use of foreign oil and create many new jobs. This project will expand our fundamental understanding of the function of hydrogenase and light-powered generation of hydrogen in algae. The innovation will enable commercial generation of cost-effective, renewable, and environmentally clean hydrogen. The commercial hydrogen production currently is burdened by major dependence on electricity and carbon dioxide emission. The proposed approach, if successful, provides a commercial process for hydrogen production, which will generate electricity and sequester carbon dioxide. The abundance of low-cost, renewable hydrogen should expand hydrogen markets to generate electricity and fuel vehicles. Just 200,000 ha of algal ponds using improved strains could displace 20% of imported crude oil. Thus, the project will have great commercial impact by enhancing national energy security. Moreover, this technology will promote diversification and sustainability of agricultural production in the U.S. through development of algae farming, which will not require arable land. Potentially, this technology will produce the most ecologically clean biofuel theoretically available. Therefore, this project could have great social impact by decreasing carbon footprint and promoting economic diversification in rural areas.