THE AIM OF THIS PROJECT IS TO OPTIMIZE THE CONDITIONS FOR THE MAXIMUM AND CONTINUOUS PRODUCTION OF ENERGY-RICH PRODUCTS SUCH AS NH3, H2 AND NADPH2 BY CYANOBACTERIA IMMOBILIZED IN POLYMER FOAM MATRICES. ALSO PHOTOSYNTHETIC MEMBRANE PARTICLES (PSI AND PSII) ISOLATED FROM CYANOBACTERIA WILL BE USED FOR THE PHOTOPRODUCTION OF H2, H2O2 AND NADPH2 AFTER IMMOBILIZATION.

ANABAENA AZOLLAE, CYANOSPIRA RIPPKAE AND MASTIGOCLADUS LAMINOSUS WERE IMMOBILIZED IN POLYVINYL FOAM PIECES AND USED FOR AMMONIA PRODUCTION IN A CONTINUOUS FLOW PACKED BED PHOTOREACTOR OPERATING UNDER LIGHT-DARK CYCLES AND USING A NUTRIENT MEDIUM OCCASIONALLY SUPPLEMENTED WITH L-METHIONINE-D-L-SULFOXIMINE (MSX). AMMONIA EXCRETION WAS OBSERVED FOR A NUMBER OF WEEKS INDICATING THAT IMMOBILIZATION STABILIZED THE NITROGENASE ENZYME OF THE CELLS. IMMOBILIZATION ALSO RESULTED IN THE EXTENSION OF THE PHOTOSYNTHETIC ELECTRON TRANSPORT AND HYDROGENASE ACTIVITIES. LIGHT-INDUCED H2 EVOLUTION WAS DEMONSTRATED WITH PSI-ENRICHED PHORMIDIUM LAMINOSUM MEMBRANES COUPLED TO BACTERIAL HYDROGENASE VIA METHYL VIOLOGEN.