Researchers Identify the Key to Bacteria Converting Methane to Methanol

Methanotrophic bacteria have been of great interest to scientists as to how this organism can remove methane from the environment and convert it to methanol, which can be used as fuel. Researchers at Northwestern University have found the key to the enzyme a common bacterium uses for this conversion – a single copper ion. This can be valuable in producing manufactured catalysts to convert methane, a greenhouse gas when released in the atmosphere, to methanol, a liquid fuel that can be used for transport or as a feedstock for manufacturing other chemicals and materials.

"The identity and structure of the metal ions responsible for catalysis have remained elusive for decades," said Northwestern's Amy C. Rosenzweig, co-senior author of the study. "Our study provides a major leap forward in understanding how bacteria perform methane-to-methanol conversion."

While there are large-footprint industrial processes that convert methane to methanol, they require tremendous pressure and high temperatures. Methanotrophic bacteria can make the conversion at normal temperatures, thus more economically. Engineers can use this technology to create portable methane-to-methanol units to use at oil and gas production sites where flaring occurs to limit exposure of methane to the atmosphere.

The study, "Particulate methane monooxygenase contains only mononuclear copper centers," was supported by the National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation and can be found in the May 10, 2019 Science Journal.