CLP Faculty Chalk Talk | 'How Bacteria Eat Methane' with Amy Rosenzweig, PhD, | 5/10/23

Under the mounting threat of climate change, increasing atmospheric methane concentrations are a constant source of concern and debate. Conversion of methane to desirable fuels and chemicals could simultaneously mitigate global warming and meet increasing energy demands. Industrial catalysts that can selectively activate the 105 kcal mol-1 C-H bond in methane require high temperatures and pressures, along with significant capital expenses. The use of biocatalysts produced by methane-consuming bacteria provides an environmentally friendly alternative. In this talk, I will discuss my lab's efforts to understand how these biocatalysts, called methane monooxygenase enzymes, work.