초록
<P><B>Abstract</B></P> <P> <I>Desulfurococcus amylolyticus</I> DSM 16532 is a hyperthermophilic archaeon that can grow on cellulose. Due to the relevance of cellulose as a second generation biofuel production substrate this carbon compound was selected for molecular hydrogen (H<SUB>2</SUB>) production studies.</P> <P> <I>D. amylolyticus</I> has several genes that are necessary for H<SUB>2</SUB> production, such as pyruvate ferredoxin oxidoreductase, formate dehydrogenase, glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate ferredoxin oxidoreductase and two membrane-bound hydrogenases. Moreover, <I>D. amylolyticus</I> comprises many physiological features that could promote H<SUB>2</SUB> production. Here, the biohydrogen production potential of <I>D. amylolyticus</I> was analysed in batch cultivation mode in bioreactors on cellulose and fructose. Analysing the cell specific biohydrogen production rates revealed that the organism possesses an intriguing physiological potential to produce H<SUB>2</SUB>, at rates higher or equal to other known biohydrogen producing strains. However, with respect to the volumetric H<SUB>2</SUB> production rate the limiting factor could be related to low cell densities.</P> <P>Given the physiological capacity of <I>D. amylolyticus</I> the organism could still be envisioned to be optimized as a second generation H<SUB>2</SUB> cell factory.</P> <P><B>Highlights</B></P> <P> <UL> <LI> Biohydrogen production of <I>D. amylolyticus</I> was achieved in batch mode. </LI> <LI> A specific growth rate of 0.06 h<SUP>−1</SUP> could be obtained when grown on cellulose. </LI> <LI> High cell specific H<SUB>2</SUB> production rates could be obtained. </LI> <LI> Y<SUB>(H2/CO2)</SUB> of <I>D. amylolyticus</I> was analysed. </LI> </UL> </P>