Hydrogen-fueled CO2 reduction using oxygen-tolerant oxidoreductases

Hydrogen gas obtained from cheap or sustainable sources has been investigated as an alternative to fossil fuels. By using hydrogenase (H(2)ase) and formate dehydrogenase (FDH), H-2 and CO2 gases can be converted to formate, which can be conveniently stored and transported. However, developing an enzymatic process that converts H-2 and CO2 obtained from cheap sources into formate is challenging because even a very small amount of O-2 included in the cheap sources damages most H(2)ases and FDHs. In order to overcome this limitation, we investigated a pair of oxygen-tolerant H(2)ase and FDH. We achieved the cascade reaction between H(2)ase from Ralstonia eutropha H16 (ReSH) and FDH from Rhodobacter capsulatus (RcFDH) to convert H-2 and CO2 to formate using in situ regeneration of NAD(+)/NADH in the presence of O-2.

Automated summary

Researchers have discovered a pair of oxygen-tolerant enzymes that can convert hydrogen and carbon dioxide gases into formate, overcoming the issue of enzyme damage caused by the presence of oxygen in the cheap sources.