OUTLOOKS AND CHALLENGES OF HYDROGEN PRODUCTION BY CYANOBACTERIAL ANABAENA SPECIES

Abstract

Uncontrolled use of conventional energy sources in the 21st century has increased the temperature of the Earth's surface by 2ºС in the last 1 century. Due to the increasing negative aspects of traditional energy sources, the production of hydrogen from microorganisms has quickly become an object of intense research. However, due to their low concentration of biomass, commercial production of hydrogen (H2) from microorganisms has not yet been realized. In this context, it is important to identify strains of hydrogen producers – cyanobacteria, which are actively used in biotechnology, and to carry out work on increasing the possibilities of hydrogen separation. This review examines the importance of the cyanobacterium Anabaena in hydrogen production and their hydrogen release mechanisms, and shows the main factors affecting H2 release. Also, recent technologies of hydrogen separation are included, as well as works on increasing the amount of hydrogen under the influence of chemical and physical factors. Due to the low ability of Anabaena strains to catalyze hydrogen molecules at present, future research will be limited to genetic engineering technologies. It is only possible to solve the problems arising in the current biohydrogen industry by conducting genetic, technical and metabolic research in parallel. &nbsp