introduction to climate change and the global warming theme. A focus is given to
the society transformation required towards carbon neutrality, which demands
innovation and new technologies, and promotion of new clean processes. The three
following chapters discuss carbon dioxide utilisation. Luisa B. Maia, Isabel Moura,
and José J. G. Moura explore the conversion into formate, focusing on formate
dehydrogenase enzymes (Chapter “Carbon Dioxide Utilisation—The Formate
Route”). After a detailed discussion of the enzyme structure and mechanistic
strategies, selected proof-of-concepts of formate dehydrogenase utilisation are
discussed. Cristina M. Cordas, José J. G. Moura, Adrián Escapa, and Raúl Mateos
explore the topic in an electrochemical perspective, with emphasis in the advantages of selecting reaction products through the applied conditions (Chapter
“Carbon Dioxide Utilization—Bioelectrochemical Approaches”). A critical review
is made on the economically viability, when compared with traditional industrial
methods. The development of metabolically engineered acetogens as biocatalysts
for the production of added-value compounds is addressed by Dennis Litty and
Volker Müller (Chapter “Acetogenic Bacteria for Biotechnological Applications”),
highlighting the recent made progresses towards the utilisation of these organisms
as industrial biocatalysts.
Nitrogen biogeochemical cycle and nitrous oxide mitigation encompass the
second part of this book. The nitrogen biogeochemical cycle plays a critical role in
life on earth, providing nitrogen in available forms to be assimilated by living
organism. Yet, the need to produce enough food and to meet the desired economic
return is posing a serious environmental problem. In a climate change scenario,
Claudia M. d. S. Cordovil, Joana Marinheiro, João Serra, Soraia Cruz, Eve Palmer,
Kevin Hicks, and Jan-Willem Erisman discuss the nitrogen footprint and how soil
microbial populations are affected, influencing enzyme production and activity,
altering organic matter turnover and nutrient cycling (Chapter “Nitrogen Footprints
and the Role of Soil Enzymes”). The assembly and function of nitrogenase, the key
enzyme responsible for the atmospheric dinitrogen fixation into bioavailable
ammonium, are comprehensively described by Chi-Chung Lee, Martin Tillmann
Stiebritz, Yilin Hu, and Markus Walter Ribbe (Chapter “Assembly and Function of
Nitrogenase”). Nitrous oxide is a greenhouse gas effect and ozone-depleting
molecule, and its emission contributes significantly to the climate crises. Jörg
Simon discusses nitrous oxide origin beyond denitrification and strategies to mitigate its emissions, including novel strategies for efficient nitrous oxide-respiring
micro-organisms (Chapter “Mitigation of Laughing Gas Emissions by Nitrous
Oxide Respiring Microorganisms”).
The demand for energy in a longed-for fossil-fuel-free, “greener” planet requires
the development of alternative energy sources, and bio-energy and dihydrogen
production are the following topics in this book. Among the next generation of
energy sources, microbial fuel cells have emerged as a promising technology using
electroactive micro-organisms as catalysts and specific electron transfer chains
(namely multihemecytochromes). Bacterial power, as an alternative energy source,
is presented by Bruno M. Fonseca, Ricardo M. Soares, Catarina M. Paquete, and
Ricardo O. Louro (Chapter “Bacterial Power: An Alternative Energy Source”).
vi
Preface
the society transformation required towards carbon neutrality, which demands
innovation and new technologies, and promotion of new clean processes. The three
following chapters discuss carbon dioxide utilisation. Luisa B. Maia, Isabel Moura,
and José J. G. Moura explore the conversion into formate, focusing on formate
dehydrogenase enzymes (Chapter “Carbon Dioxide Utilisation—The Formate
Route”). After a detailed discussion of the enzyme structure and mechanistic
strategies, selected proof-of-concepts of formate dehydrogenase utilisation are
discussed. Cristina M. Cordas, José J. G. Moura, Adrián Escapa, and Raúl Mateos
explore the topic in an electrochemical perspective, with emphasis in the advantages of selecting reaction products through the applied conditions (Chapter
“Carbon Dioxide Utilization—Bioelectrochemical Approaches”). A critical review
is made on the economically viability, when compared with traditional industrial
methods. The development of metabolically engineered acetogens as biocatalysts
for the production of added-value compounds is addressed by Dennis Litty and
Volker Müller (Chapter “Acetogenic Bacteria for Biotechnological Applications”),
highlighting the recent made progresses towards the utilisation of these organisms
as industrial biocatalysts.
Nitrogen biogeochemical cycle and nitrous oxide mitigation encompass the
second part of this book. The nitrogen biogeochemical cycle plays a critical role in
life on earth, providing nitrogen in available forms to be assimilated by living
organism. Yet, the need to produce enough food and to meet the desired economic
return is posing a serious environmental problem. In a climate change scenario,
Claudia M. d. S. Cordovil, Joana Marinheiro, João Serra, Soraia Cruz, Eve Palmer,
Kevin Hicks, and Jan-Willem Erisman discuss the nitrogen footprint and how soil
microbial populations are affected, influencing enzyme production and activity,
altering organic matter turnover and nutrient cycling (Chapter “Nitrogen Footprints
and the Role of Soil Enzymes”). The assembly and function of nitrogenase, the key
enzyme responsible for the atmospheric dinitrogen fixation into bioavailable
ammonium, are comprehensively described by Chi-Chung Lee, Martin Tillmann
Stiebritz, Yilin Hu, and Markus Walter Ribbe (Chapter “Assembly and Function of
Nitrogenase”). Nitrous oxide is a greenhouse gas effect and ozone-depleting
molecule, and its emission contributes significantly to the climate crises. Jörg
Simon discusses nitrous oxide origin beyond denitrification and strategies to mitigate its emissions, including novel strategies for efficient nitrous oxide-respiring
micro-organisms (Chapter “Mitigation of Laughing Gas Emissions by Nitrous
Oxide Respiring Microorganisms”).
The demand for energy in a longed-for fossil-fuel-free, “greener” planet requires
the development of alternative energy sources, and bio-energy and dihydrogen
production are the following topics in this book. Among the next generation of
energy sources, microbial fuel cells have emerged as a promising technology using
electroactive micro-organisms as catalysts and specific electron transfer chains
(namely multihemecytochromes). Bacterial power, as an alternative energy source,
is presented by Bruno M. Fonseca, Ricardo M. Soares, Catarina M. Paquete, and
Ricardo O. Louro (Chapter “Bacterial Power: An Alternative Energy Source”).
vi
Preface