Chlorobium limicola forma thiosulfatophilum: Biocatalyst in the Production of Sulfur and Organic Carbon from a Gas Stream Containing H(2)S and CO(2)

Chlorobium limicola forma thiosulfatophilum (ATCC 17092) was grown in a 1-liter continuously stirred tank reactor (800-ml liquid volume) at pH 6.8, 30 degrees C, saturated light intensity, and a gas flow rate of 23.6 ml/min from a gas cylinder blend consisting of 3.9 mol% H(2)S, 9.2 mol% CO(2), 86.4 mol% N(2), and 0.5 mol% H(2). This is the first demonstration of photoautotrophic growth of a Chlorobium sp. on a continuous inorganic gas feed. A significant potential exists for applying this photoautotrophic process to desulfurization and CO(2) fixation of gases containing acidic components (H(2)S and CO(2)).