Anastasios Melis
Encyclopedia
Anastasios Melis is a biologist
at the University of California, Berkeley
who is researching the possibility of creating hydrogen from algae. Hydrogen
power is considered one of the key ways of producing electricity
without continuing to use up fossil fuels. The added bonus of using algae
in this way is that they could consume carbon dioxide
in the atmosphere
.
1997 Professor Anastasios Melis discovered, after following Hans Gaffron
's work, that the deprivation of sulfur
will cause algae
to switch from producing oxygen
to producing hydrogen. The enzyme, hydrogenase
, he found was responsible for the reaction.
Biologist
A biologist is a scientist devoted to and producing results in biology through the study of life. Typically biologists study organisms and their relationship to their environment. Biologists involved in basic research attempt to discover underlying mechanisms that govern how organisms work...
at the University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
who is researching the possibility of creating hydrogen from algae. Hydrogen
Hydrogen
Hydrogen is the chemical element with atomic number 1. It is represented by the symbol H. With an average atomic weight of , hydrogen is the lightest and most abundant chemical element, constituting roughly 75% of the Universe's chemical elemental mass. Stars in the main sequence are mainly...
power is considered one of the key ways of producing electricity
Electricity
Electricity is a general term encompassing a variety of phenomena resulting from the presence and flow of electric charge. These include many easily recognizable phenomena, such as lightning, static electricity, and the flow of electrical current in an electrical wire...
without continuing to use up fossil fuels. The added bonus of using algae
Algae
Algae are a large and diverse group of simple, typically autotrophic organisms, ranging from unicellular to multicellular forms, such as the giant kelps that grow to 65 meters in length. They are photosynthetic like plants, and "simple" because their tissues are not organized into the many...
in this way is that they could consume carbon dioxide
Carbon dioxide
Carbon dioxide is a naturally occurring chemical compound composed of two oxygen atoms covalently bonded to a single carbon atom...
in the atmosphere
Atmosphere
An atmosphere is a layer of gases that may surround a material body of sufficient mass, and that is held in place by the gravity of the body. An atmosphere may be retained for a longer duration, if the gravity is high and the atmosphere's temperature is low...
.
1997 Professor Anastasios Melis discovered, after following Hans Gaffron
Hans Gaffron
Dr. Hans Gaffron is born in Lima, Peru, on May 17, 1902, as the son of the German physician Eduard Gaffron and his wife Hedwig von Gevekot....
's work, that the deprivation of sulfur
Sulfur
Sulfur or sulphur is the chemical element with atomic number 16. In the periodic table it is represented by the symbol S. It is an abundant, multivalent non-metal. Under normal conditions, sulfur atoms form cyclic octatomic molecules with chemical formula S8. Elemental sulfur is a bright yellow...
will cause algae
Algae
Algae are a large and diverse group of simple, typically autotrophic organisms, ranging from unicellular to multicellular forms, such as the giant kelps that grow to 65 meters in length. They are photosynthetic like plants, and "simple" because their tissues are not organized into the many...
to switch from producing oxygen
Oxygen
Oxygen is the element with atomic number 8 and represented by the symbol O. Its name derives from the Greek roots ὀξύς and -γενής , because at the time of naming, it was mistakenly thought that all acids required oxygen in their composition...
to producing hydrogen. The enzyme, hydrogenase
Hydrogenase
A hydrogenase is an enzyme that catalyses the reversible oxidation of molecular hydrogen . Hydrogenases play a vital role in anaerobic metabolism....
, he found was responsible for the reaction.