Advanced BioFuels USA

(National Renewable Energy Laboratory)  In the Push To Settle the Red Planet, One Startup Company Thinks NREL’s Ethylene-Emitting Cyanobacteria Offer Otherworldly Potential  — Do not expect to breathe freely in the oxygen-lean Martian air. At about 95% carbon dioxide (CO₂) by volume, Mars’ atmosphere would quickly lead to asphyxiation, at least without supplemental oxygen.

Not so for cyanobacteria, photosynthetic microbes that thrive in CO₂-rich environments—be it the cold, distant atmosphere of Mars or on Earth in a tank pumped with off-gas from a biofuel refinery. Scientists are working on harnessing this quality to convert growing concentrations of CO₂ in Earth’s atmosphere into the same chemicals currently made from petroleum and natural gas—a step toward decarbonizing the chemical industry.

So, if earthlings can use cyanobacteria to make chemicals on planet Earth—how much more might they offer astronauts with access to Mars’ abundant CO₂?

That is a question National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) scientists and partner Nzyme2HC are actively pursuing after signing an agreement to explore whether astronauts can use NREL’s patented ethylene-emitting cyanobacteria in closed systems to manufacture building materials on Mars.

“The red planet has what we need to make ethylene, and that ethylene can be used to make all sorts of materials,” said Eric Payne, a senior licensing executive for NREL technologies. “When future astronauts successfully land on Mars, could they use NREL’s cyanobacteria to make what they need to build a colony? NREL and Nzyme2HC are working to find that out.”

For Earthlings: Safe Drinking Water, Reduced Emissions

Award-Winning Innovation—NREL scientist Jianping Yu received an R&D 100 Award for his research on microbial production of bioethylene. Photo by Dennis Schroeder, NREL

Ethylene is the most widely produced petrochemical globally and is the main ingredient for a wide range of plastics and commodities. For every ton of ethylene produced during that process, as much as three tons of CO₂ is released into the atmosphere.

But an exciting alternative route for making ethylene emerged in 2012 after NREL biologist Jianping Yu discovered how to insert an extra enzyme into a certain strain of cyanobacteria. It allowed the organisms to emit ethylene gas while metabolizing sunlight, water, and CO₂.

“The chemical industry emits a lot of CO₂,” Yu said. “The goal with our bioethylene technology was to produce liquid transportation fuels from CO₂ using ethylene as an intermediate. The technology can potentially help the chemical industry reduce carbon emissions, even sequestering it in long-lasting materials such as PVC pipes to replace lead pipes and provide safe drinking water.”

The breakthrough, supported by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Bioenergy Technologies Office, earned Yu and his team a prestigious R&D 100 Award, a so-called “Oscar of innovation.” It also captured the attention of startup company Nzyme2HC, which saw potential in the patented biotechnology while working with NREL as part of a DOE small business research agreement.  READ MORE