Photoproduction of hydrogen, nitrogenase and hydrogenase activities of free and immobilized whole cells ofRhodobacter sphaeroidesO.U. 001

Photoproduction of hydrogen, nitrogenase activity (acetylene reduction) and hydrogenase activity (methylene blue dye reduction) were studied in free and alginate immobilized whole cells of a purple non-sulfur photosynthetic bacterium Rhodobacter sphaeroides O.U. 001. Four-fold increase in hydrogen production, two-fold increase in nitrogenase activity and 1.2-fold increase in the hydrogenase activity were observed in immobilized cells compared to free cells. Effect of various inhibitors (CO and C2H2) and electron donor (H2) on the above three functions by free and immobilized cells has also been studied.