Production of hydrogenases as biocatalysts

Abstract

Hydrogen is emerging as one of the most promising energy carriers for the future. Most of the methodologies used for hydrogen production employ use of hydrogenases, known to play a critical role in biological hydrogen production as well as its utilization. These hydrogenases display fascinating redox-chemical properties with tremendous efficiency as a biocatalyst for hydrogen fuel. However, Due to the complex structure and maturation process of hydrogenases, their heterologous production has been a challenging task. This results in the limitation of the viable application of this metalloprotein for hydrogen fuel. This review briefly discusses various hydrogenase expression systems and their perspectives.