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Some organisms need only air to survive. As a Swiss research team has demonstrated, certain bacteria can obtain energy directly from the air. This means they do not depend on sunlight or other energy sources.
A team led by biochemist Christoph von Ballmoos from the University of Bern has successfully replicated the theoretical process of extracting energy from hydrogen in the air in the laboratory, as announced by the Swiss university on Monday. The results, which have just been published in the journal “PNAS,” provide proof that the process takes place.
Reaction similar to that in oxyhydrogen experiments
Many people are familiar with the chemical reaction behind this from oxyhydrogen experiments in chemistry class. In these experiments, hydrogen and oxygen are allowed to react with each other. This reaction releases energy, resulting in an explosion.
In bacteria, however, this reaction does not occur explosively but in a controlled manner. Enzymes regulate the process, allowing energy to be gradually converted into ATP. ATP is like a small battery that the cell needs for many tasks. The team at the University of Bern has replicated this process in the laboratory. It used three enzymes that were incorporated into an artificial membrane.
Only very little hydrogen in the air
Although hydrogen is present in the air in only negligible amounts, the three enzymes in the experiment managed to conserve the energy from the reaction and convert it into ATP.
“This is all the more impressive given that oxygen is 400,000 times more abundant in the air than hydrogen, which is far from the ideal conditions for the oxyhydrogen reaction. Although the process is slow, it is sufficient to keep an organism going in bad times, as we have calculated,” says von Ballmoos.
It could also apply to other trace gases
The process also explains “why life is possible in the dry Antarctic desert, even though there are no organic molecules present, and why organisms can survive for long periods without an energy source,” says Sarah Soom, first author of the study and former master’s student at the Department of Chemistry, Biochemistry, and Pharmacy at the University of Bern.
“It is believed that other trace gases in the air, such as carbon monoxide or methane, enable similar processes. But this has now been demonstrated experimentally for the first time with hydrogen. The idea that you can live on air is fascinating,” adds von Ballmoos.
Many questions remain unanswered. However, the new study marks a milestone in terms of feasibility and serves as a starting point for further exciting applications.
- source: science.ORF.at/agencies/picture:
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