Integrated physiological and genetic characterization of purple sulfur bacteria for enhanced photobiological hydrogen production - ON-1216

Genre de projet: Innovation
Discipline(s) souhaitée(s): Biochimie / biologie moléculaire, Sciences de la vie, Microbiologie / immunologie
Entreprise: Purple Hydrogen Inc.
Durée du projet: 4 à 6 mois
Date souhaitée de début: Dès que possible
Langue exigée: Anglais
Emplacement(s): Toronto, ON, Canada
Nombre de postes: 1
Niveau de scolarité désiré: MaîtriseDoctoratRecherche postdoctorale
Ouvert aux candidatures de personnes inscrites à un établissement à l’extérieur du Canada: No

Au sujet de l’entreprise: 

Purple Hydrogen Inc. is a Canadian deep-tech clean energy company developing a biological solution to two of the energy sector's most pressing challenges: hydrogen sulfide waste management and clean hydrogen production.

Our technology uses Purple Sulfur Bacteria, naturally occurring anaerobic microorganisms, in a proprietary photobioreactor system that converts hydrogen sulfide, a toxic and costly byproduct of natural gas processing and agricultural waste streams, directly into clean hydrogen gas. Where conventional H2S management relies on energy-intensive chemical scrubbing that generates secondary waste and recovers nothing, our process is biological, modular, and produces a valuable fuel as its output.

At the core of our process is induced anaerobic photosynthesis. Under controlled light and oxygen-free conditions, Purple Sulfur Bacteria oxidize hydrogen sulfide using light energy, releasing hydrogen gas as a direct byproduct. The result is a continuous, low-carbon hydrogen stream that can be captured, purified, and used as a clean fuel or industrial feedstock.

We recently completed a proof-of-concept study at CREMCo Labs in Mississauga, Ontario, validating hydrogen production across three bacterial strains in a custom Stirred Tank Photobioreactor and are currently building a modular, IoT-enabled photobioreactor designed for direct deployment into industrial and agricultural facilities.

Veuillez décrire le projet.: 

This research project focuses on the physiological and process optimization of continuous cultures of Thiocapsa roseopersicina and Allochromatium vinosum for photobiological hydrogen production from industrial hydrogen sulfide (H₂S) waste streams. The overarching goal is to develop a stable, continuously operating microbial system capable of converting dissolved sulfide into hydrogen gas under anaerobic, light-driven conditions while producing elemental sulfur as a byproduct.

The project is structured around six integrated experimental components. First, a continuous culture system with automated CO₂-based pH control will be developed to establish long-term culture stability and consistent H₂S conversion over a four-week period. Second, the growth medium will be optimized by replacing analytical-grade reagents with industrial-grade equivalents and quantifying nutrient depletion, sulfur accumulation, and pH drift under continuous operation, using real industrial acid gas composition as validation input.

Third, the physiological operating envelope will be mapped by characterizing bacterial performance across a wide range of dissolved sulfide concentrations and linking gas-phase H₂S inputs to biological response. Fourth, the effect of 850 nm light intensity and illumination mode on hydrogen production will be quantified to identify saturation and inhibition thresholds. Fifth, biofilm formation on candidate reactor materials will be evaluated to determine adhesion, stability, and productivity under flow conditions relevant to pilot-scale operation. Finally, a genetic engineering framework will be developed, including transformation protocol optimization and evaluation of uptake hydrogenase deletion to improve hydrogen yield.

Together, these experiments will generate a complete biological and operational dataset required for scaling a photobioreactor system, including validated culture conditions, medium formulation, performance limits, surface material selection, and a genetic engineering roadmap for future strain optimization.

Expertise ou compétences exigées: 

This project requires expertise in microbial physiology, anaerobic cultivation, and environmental microbiology, particularly with phototrophic or sulfur-oxidizing bacteria. Strong hands-on experience with sterile technique, continuous culture systems (chemostats or bioreactors), and microbial growth monitoring is essential.

Molecular biology skills are required for the genetic engineering component, including DNA extraction, PCR, strain verification, electroporation, plasmid handling, and bacterial mutant screening. Familiarity with microbial genome databases and basic bioinformatics tools is an asset.

Additional desirable skills include experimental design for kinetic/physiological studies, data analysis in Python or R, and experience with lab automation or sensor-based monitoring systems.

Previous experience working with anaerobic or microaerophilic systems, sulfur cycle bacteria, or wastewater microbiology is a strong asset. Familiarity with bioprocess engineering concepts such as mass transfer, reactor scaling, and nutrient limitation dynamics will also be beneficial.