By way of a light-driven bacterium, Utah State University (USU) biochemists are a step closer to cleanly converting harmful carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from fossil fuel combustion into usable fuels. Using the phototropic bacterium Rhodopseudomonas palustris as a biocatalyst, the scientists generated methane from carbon dioxide in one enzymatic step. "It's a baby step, but it's also a big step," said USU professor Lance Seefeldt. "Imagine the far-reaching benefits of large-scale capture of environmentally damaging byproducts from burning fossils fuels and converting them to alternative fuels using light, which is abundant and clean."
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