In a new scientific article, researchers at Uppsala University describe how, using a completely new method, they have synthesised an artificial enzyme that functions in the metabolism of living cells. These enzymes can utilize the cell’s own energy, and thereby enable hydrogen gas to be produced from solar energy.
Hydrogen gas has long been noted as a promising energy carrier, but its production is still dependent on fossil raw materials. Renewable hydrogen gas can be extracted from water, but as yet the systems for doing so have limitations.
In the new article, published in the journal Energy and Environmental Science, an interdisciplinary European research group led by Uppsala University scientists describe how artificial enzymes convert solar energy into hydrogen gas. This entirely new method has been developed at the University in the past few years. The technique is based on photosynthetic microorganisms with genetically inserted enzymes that are combined with synthetic compounds produced in the laboratory. Synthetic biology has been combined with synthetic chemistry to design and create custom artificial enzymes inside living organisms.
“We’ve now been able to use the method we developed to produce enzymes that use the cell’s own energy to produce hydrogen gas,” says Adam Wegelius, a PhD student at the Department of Chemistry – Ångström Laboratory, Uppsala University.
Senior Lecturer Gustav Berggren and Professor Peter Lindblad of the same department have been jointly leading the research.
“Evolution has already developed and refined a tool for capturing sunlight through photosynthesis. And by introducing our artificial enzyme into photosynthetic cyanobacteria we can directly benefit from this efficient process, thus producing hydrogen gas from solar energy. We’ve developed a completely new method, which allows us to go beyond the solutions offered by evolution and nature, in our development of artificial enzymes” Berggren says.
Learn more: Artificial enzymes convert solar energy into hydrogen gas
The Latest on: Artificial enzymes
[google_news title=”” keyword=”artificial enzymes” num_posts=”10″ blurb_length=”0″ show_thumb=”left”]
via Google News
The Latest on: Artificial enzymes
- Google DeepMind Unveils Next-Gen AI Drug Discovery Modelon May 9, 2024 at 6:08 am
The third version of the "AlphaFold" AI model will help scientists target diseases and design new medications.
- Chemists produce new-to-nature enzyme containing boronon May 8, 2024 at 5:00 pm
The study was presented in the journal Nature ("Boron catalysis in a designer enzyme"). University of Groningen chemists introduced an artificial amino acid containing boron in an enzyme.
- Google DeepMind debuts AlphaFold 3 model for predicting the structure of biomoleculeson May 8, 2024 at 3:43 pm
Google’s AlphaFold family of artificial intelligence models can significantly speed up the task by automating manual work for scientists. The first iteration of the model that the company debuted in ...
- Google Unveils AI-Powered Molecular Structure Predictor With Unprecedented Accuracyon May 8, 2024 at 3:06 pm
Google's new artificial intelligence model ... have used earlier iterations to uncover information about cancer treatments, malaria vaccines, and enzyme architecture. (Photo by NELSON ALMEIDA/AFP via ...
- Emerging Legal Terrain: IP Risks from AI's Role In Drug Discoveryon May 8, 2024 at 12:52 pm
This article explores the benefits and risks of AI-driven drug discovery from the legal perspective. Since the law governing IP rights in AI-driven drug discovery is still in its infant state, any ...
- TU Graz Bundles Its Strengths in Biotechnology and Artificial Intelligenceon May 8, 2024 at 12:20 am
In a multidisciplinary research project, researchers from the biosciences, process engineering and computer science want to massively increase ...
- University of Groningen chemists produce new-to-nature enzyme containing boronon May 7, 2024 at 5:00 pm
University of Groningen chemists created an enzyme with boronic acid at its reactive centre. This approach can produce more selective reactions with boron, and allows the use of directed evolution to ...
- CRISPR Enzyme Found in Metagenomic Study Is Tiny, Yet Active and Preciseon May 6, 2024 at 6:30 pm
Metagenomic study uncovers previously uncharacterized Cas9 nucleases, including CoCas9, which is compact, but still active and precise.
- Allozymes harnesses its turbocharged enzymes for a data and AI venture, securing a big $15 million investmenton May 5, 2024 at 8:39 pm
Allozymes, a biotech startup, has made waves in the bio-based chemical industry with its innovative method of rapidly testing millions of enzyme variants for ...
via Bing News