Thermococcus Mutant for Hydrogen Production from Formate

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional methods for producing hydrogen, such as electrolysis and thermal-cracking of natural gas, require high-temperature and high-pressure conditions and generate carbon monoxide byproducts, while biological methods using photosynthetic bacteria face limitations in high-concentration culture and substrate inhibition, and the role of F420-reducing hydrogenase in hydrogen production from formic acid has not been fully explored.

Innovation Solution

A mutant strain of Thermococcus onnurineus with overexpressed F420-reducing hydrogenase is developed, allowing for increased hydrogen production by culturing the microorganism in a medium containing formate, using techniques such as gene overexpression and promoter systems to enhance enzyme production.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If conventional methods (electrolysis, thermal-cracking) are used for hydrogen production, then hydrogen can be produced, but high-temperature and high-pressure conditions are required and carbon monoxide byproducts are generated

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvehydrogen productionVSAvoidcarbon monoxide byproducts and high-temperature high-pressure conditions

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces mechanical/thermal systems (electrolysis, thermal-cracking) with a biological system (Thermococcus microorganism) that produces hydrogen through enzymatic action. The F420-reducing hydrogenase enzyme catalyzes formate conversion to hydrogen under mild conditions, eliminating the need for high-temperature and high-pressure equipment while avoiding carbon monoxide byproducts.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the operational parameters from extreme conditions (high-temperature, high-pressure) to mild conditions (room temperature, atmospheric pressure) by utilizing the biological catalyst F420-reducing hydrogenase. This parameter change is achieved through genetic modification to overexpress the enzyme, enabling efficient hydrogen production under environmentally friendly conditions.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Object-affected harmful factors

If photosynthetic bacteria are used for hydrogen production, then hydrogen can be produced without high-temperature and high-pressure conditions, but high-concentration culture is difficult and substrate inhibition occurs

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveavoidance of high-temperature and high-pressure conditionsVSAvoidhydrogen production efficiency

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent uses a non-photosynthetic thermophile microorganism (Thermococcus) that replicates the beneficial enzymatic hydrogen production capability without the limitations of photosynthetic bacteria. By copying the essential F420-reducing hydrogenase enzyme system in a different biological platform, the invention achieves high-concentration culture capability and avoids substrate inhibition while maintaining mild production conditions.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

3Productivity

If F420-reducing hydrogenase expression is increased in Thermococcus sp. strain, then hydrogen production from formate is enhanced, but genetic modification complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvehydrogen production rateVSAvoidgenetic modification system

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts and overexpresses only the specific F420-reducing hydrogenase gene (frh) from the Thermococcus genome, rather than modifying the entire organism. This targeted approach focuses genetic modification efforts on the single most important enzyme for formate-to-hydrogen conversion, simplifying the overall genetic engineering process while achieving significant productivity improvements.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The mutant strain exhibits enhanced hydrogen production rates and growth rates, producing high-purity hydrogen efficiently under room temperature and atmospheric pressure without harmful byproducts, outperforming conventional methods in terms of efficiency and byproduct generation.

Implementation Method 1

F420-reducing hydrogenase (frh) is present immediately before the fdh2-mfh2-mnh2 cluster that produces hydrogen from formic acid

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectEnzyme catalysis: Enzyme

Implementation Method 2

biological methods of producing hydrogen using microorganisms have advantages in that it is not required to form the conditions of high-temperature and high-pressure

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectFermentation: Fermentation

Data Source

PatentUS8993291B2<i>Thermococcus </i>mutant having improved hydrogen production from formate and methods of hydrogen production by using thereof

Publication Date: 2015.03.31 KOREA INSTITUTE OF OCEAN SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

AI summary

The present invention relates to a Thermococcus onnurineus NA1 mutant having an increased ability to produce hydrogen from formate and a method of producing hydrogen the same. The Thermococcus onnurineus NA1 mutant according to the invention has an increased ability to produce hydrogen in a formate-containing medium compared to wild-type Thermococcus onnurineus NA1 and shows an increase in growth rate compared to the wild-type. The use of the mutant strain according to the invention can produce hydrogen with high efficiency from formate.