Carbon Cycling: Methanogenesis and Its Applications

This lecture focuses on carbon cycling, specifically methanogenesis and methanotrophy. The instructor begins by discussing anaerobic digestion, explaining how it processes organic waste to produce biogas, primarily methane and carbon dioxide. The lecture highlights the importance of maintaining optimal conditions in anaerobic digesters to maximize methane production while minimizing carbon dioxide emissions. The instructor introduces the concept of subsurface methane production, which involves storing hydrogen underground and converting it into methane using microbial processes. This method addresses the challenge of renewable energy storage by utilizing existing gas networks. The lecture then delves into the biochemical processes of methanogenesis, emphasizing the role of archaea in methane production and the various substrates involved, including carbon dioxide and acetate. The instructor explains the complex enzymatic pathways and coenzymes necessary for methanogenesis, detailing the steps from substrate to methane production. The lecture concludes with a discussion on the significance of metals in these biochemical processes, setting the stage for further exploration of fermentation in subsequent lectures.