Advances in Whole-cell Photobiological Hydrogen Production

Solar energy is the largest energy source on Earth. In contrast to the limited andgreenhouse gases-emitting fossil fuels, solar energy is inexhaustible, carbonneutral, and nonpolluting. The conversion of this most abundant but highlydiffused source into hydrogen is increasingly attractive. In nature, photosyntheticmicroorganisms exploit solar energy to produce hydrogen via photosynthesis,which is also known as photobiological hydrogen production. More recently,various types of artificial materials have been developed to hybrid microorgan-isms for converting solar energy into hydrogen, namely, semiartificial photo-synthesis hydrogen production. Herein, the strategies for converting solar energyinto hydrogen with whole-cell biocatalyst are summarized and their potentials forfuture social sustainable development are discussed.