title: Hydrogen production in anaerobic and microaerobic Thermotoga neapolitana.
abstract: We have tested the hypothesis (Van Ooteghem et al. Appl Biochem Biotechnol 2002 98-100: 177-189) that microaerobic metabolism may increase the yield of H(2) from the thermophilic bacterium Thermotoga neapolitana. In anaerobic conditions, T. neapolitana converted glucose into acetic acid and lactic acid and yielded 2.4 +/- 0.3 mol H(2) mol(-1) glucose. The bacterium tolerated low O(2) partial pressures but the H(2) yield was not improved under microaerobic conditions. Our results indicate that T. neapolitana only produces H(2) by anaerobic metabolism, and that the yield of H(2) can be maximised by minimising the production of lactic acid.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biotechnology, Chemistry and Environmental Engineering, Aalborg University, Sohngaardsholmsvej 49, Aalborg 9000, Denmark. nte@bio.aau.dk
authors.forename: Niels T
authors.initials: NT
authors.lastname: Eriksen
authors.forename: Thomas M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Nielsen
authors.forename: Niels
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Iversen
mesh_terms: D001420:Bacteria, Aerobic / Q000378:metabolism*; D001421:Bacteria, Anaerobic / Q000378:metabolism*; D019149:Bioreactors / Q000382:microbiology*; D018929:Cell Culture Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D006859:Hydrogen / Q000378:metabolism*; D019344:Lactic Acid / Q000378:metabolism; D010100:Oxygen / Q000378:metabolism*; D013045:Species Specificity; D046949:Thermotoga neapolitana / Q000145:classification / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D019344:Lactic Acid; D006859:Hydrogen; D010100:Oxygen