Project R-12835

Sustainable hydrogen production in space by radiation hard cyanobacterial biofilms in a photoelectrochemical (PEC) system using boron-doped diamond (BDD) electrodes (Research)

Space is a hostile environment for all living organisms, with ionizing radiation being the most detrimental environmental factor by causing direct and indirect damage to critical cellular components. Because long term sustained integrity is crucial for any bio-based system when deployed in space, our idea is to aim for hydrogen production in a radiation hard setup, making use of ionizing radiation resistant cyanobacteria and radiation durable materials. Cyanobacteria produce hydrogen via enzymatic H+ combination, deploying hydrogenases or nitrogenases depending on growth conditions and pathway utilization. These organisms can also be grown as biofilms to photoelectrochemically produce hydrogen on the cathode directly from water. Prime candidates are strains of Croococcidiopsis, Limnospira, and Anabaena known to be highly resistant to radiation. The goals of the project are: (a) Design of photo-electrochemical (PEC) cells fitted with boron-doped diamond electrodes and cyanobacterial biofilms; (b) Find routes to enhance hydrogen production by ionizing radiation resistant cyanobacteria in culture; (c) Screening of selected hydrogen producing cyanobacteria for ionizing radiation tolerance; (d) Validation of selected PEC cell configurations for robustness in space in irradiation facilities at SCK CEN. The project is executed in collaboration with Empa in Switzerland and SCK CEN in Mol.

01 September 2022 - 31 August 2026