IIT Guwahati develops technology to convert methane, carbon dioxide into biofuel

Researchers from the Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati (IIT Guwahati) developed an advanced biological method to convert methane and carbon dioxide into cleaner biofuels using methanotrophic bacteria.

The research, co-authored by Prof Debasish Das and Dr Krishna Kalyani Sahoo, Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, IIT Guwahati, has been published in Fuel, a journal by Elsevier.

Methane, a greenhouse gas that is 27-30 times more potent than carbon dioxide, is a significant contributor to global warming. While turning methane and carbon dioxide into liquid fuels can reduce emissions and provide renewable energy, existing chemical methods are energy-intensive, expensive, and produce toxic by-products, limiting their scalability.

The research team developed a fully biological process that uses Methylosinus trichosporium, a type of methanotrophic bacteria, to convert methane and carbon dioxide into bio-methanol under mild operating conditions. Unlike traditional chemical methods, this process eliminates the need for expensive catalysts, avoids toxic by-products, and operates in a more energy-efficient manner, mentioned the institute.

The innovative two-stage process involves:

• Capturing methane to generate bacteria-based biomass
• Utilising the biomass to convert carbon dioxide into methanol

The team further optimised the process using advanced engineering techniques to improve gas solubility, significantly enhancing methanol yields.

The research addresses two pressing global challenges: the harmful environmental impact of greenhouse gases and the depletion of fossil fuel reserves.