Scientists Engineer Blood Protein to Split Water Into Hydrogen and Oxygen
I like keeping up with scientific breakthroughs. The Imperial College of London has reported that scientists were able to replace the iron atom inside of a protein found in blood (albumin) with a zinc atom, and that when combined with an oxgen-carrying molecule called porphyrin it forms a new molecule that captures light energy and splits water into hydrogen and oxygen. The article is available at http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/newsandeventspggrp/imperialcollege/newssummary/news_1-12-2006-11-4-23?newsid=3016.
Imagine what could be done if these proteins could be mass-produced. You could build large hydrogen plants with clear glass or plastic tanks powered by sunlight. You could create underwater habitats powered by hydrogen that also obtained fresh oxygen from the surrounding seawater. Maybe diving gear could use the proteins to replenish the oxygen supply in the diver`s tank. It`s an exciting idea.
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