Cyanobacteria genes make hydrogen and ethanol

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Scientists searching for the best hydrogen-producing bacteria to become a new energy source have sequenced the genome of one particularly promising type of blue-green algae. This organism performs two operations at once – it produces both hydrogen and ethanol, and one particular chromosome identified in it could turn out to be extremely important for producing biofuels. But to harness its hydrogen and ethanol-producing capabilities requires knowing lots more about this organism’s biology.

This particular type of cyanobacteria has two cycles – during the day the cells perform photosynthesis, and during the night they switch gears to process nitrogen. They’ve found one key component, a linear chromosome, that the researchers believe is critical to the algae’s ability to perform this complicated switching maneuver. Linear chromosomes are extremely rare in bacteria, because usually they are almost exclusively found in more complex creatures, like plants and animals.

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