Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 25, 2026

A Toolkit to Enable Hydrocarbon Conversion in Aqueous Environments
Published on: October 2, 2012
Native H2 pathways enable biocompatible hydrogenation of metabolic alkenes in bacteria
Mirren F M White1, Connor L Trotter1, John F C Steele1
1Institute of Quantitative Biology, Biochemistry and Biotechnology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.
Abstract:
Hydrogen gas is naturally produced by microorganisms from renewable feedstocks, yet industrial hydrogenation relies almost entirely on fossil fuel-derived H2. Despite advances in engineering biology and increasing demand for greener manufacturing, microbial H2 has seen limited application in chemical synthesis. Here we demonstrate that genetically unmodified microorganisms can generate H2 in situ to drive biocompatible alkene hydrogenation at the cell membrane using membrane-bound Pd catalysts. When combined with de novo alkene biosynthesis in engineered Escherichia coli, this system enables the simultaneous in vivo production of both substrate (alkene) and reagent (H2), followed by membrane-associated biohydrogenation to yield new metabolic end products. Quantitative life cycle assessment reveals that hybrid chemo-microbial systems utilizing waste feedstocks can outperform electrolytic hydrogenation and achieve carbon-negative outcomes. Together, this work demonstrates how microbial metabolites can be generated, intercepted and metabolically multiplexed to support biocompatible transition metal catalysis and sustainable chemical synthesis in living cells.
More Related Videos
12:08Catalytic Reactions at Amine-Stabilized and Ligand-Free Platinum Nanoparticles Supported on Titania During Hydrogenation of Alkenes and Aldehydes
Published on: June 24, 2022
10:03Isolation, Propagation, and Identification of Bacterial Species with Hydrocarbon Metabolizing Properties from Aquatic Habitats
Published on: December 7, 2021
Related Concept Videos
Reduction of Alkenes: Catalytic Hydrogenation
Metals like palladium, platinum, and nickel are commonly used in their solid forms — fine powder on an inert surface. As these catalysts remain insoluble in the reaction mixture, they are referred to as heterogeneous catalysts.
The hydrogenation process takes place on the...
Reduction of Alkenes: Asymmetric Catalytic Hydrogenation
The metal catalyst used can be either heterogeneous or homogeneous. When hydrogenation of an alkene generates a chiral center, a pair of enantiomeric products is expected to form. However, an enantiomeric excess of one of the products can be facilitated using an enantioselective reaction or an...
Reduction of Alkynes to cis-Alkenes: Catalytic Hydrogenation
Like alkenes, alkynes can be reduced to alkanes in the presence of transition metal catalysts such as Pt, Pd, or Ni. The reaction involves two sequential syn additions of hydrogen via a cis-alkene intermediate.
Reduction of Benzene to Cyclohexane: Catalytic Hydrogenation
Lipid Catabolism
Biosynthesis in Bacteria