Portuguese researchers announced Tuesday the creation of a new biological system capable of producing hydrogen from bacteria and synthetic materials, irradiated with light, Xinhua news agency reported.
Combining bacteria that are efficient in producing hydrogen without performing photosynthesis and cadmium nanoparticles, Ines Cardoso Pereira and Monica Martins, researchers at Nova University Lisbon, have created a "bio-hybrid system."
The process has the advantage of using biological waste to produce hydrogen, making it a more natural system that can be used to reduce carbon dioxide, Pereira told local media.
"This innovative bio-hybrid system is a strong candidate for the development of a prototype of bioreactors that produce green hydrogen", said Martins in a statement released by the university.
According to the statement, the combination of microorganisms with materials that allow the capture of light "is a very promising approach to generate sustainable and low-cost fuels, without resorting to expensive and rare and metal catalyst, the production of which has serious consequences."
