There is a growing global demand on bio-hydrogen production (BHP) using costless and
wastes material. Herein we demonstrate the possibility to produce high yield of hydrogen
using a new bacterial strain grown on acidic hydrolyzed cyanobacterial biomass as a
costless carbon feedstock under various iron concentrations. We used E. coli DH701 mutant
and new strain Brevibacillus invocatus SAR isolated from Assiut city soil samples. The
mentioned new strain was identified morphologically, biochemically and by molecular
analysis using 16S rDNA sequence. Limitation of iron induced BHP in tested cyanobacteria.
Iron concentration (0.045 mM) enhanced hydrogenase activity and cumulative hydrogen
evolution in the investigated cultures. B. invocatus yielded 3.3 mol H2/mole glucose and
3.8 mol H2/mole reducing sugar (algal biomass), while the mutant strain yielded 1.78 mol
H2/mole glucose and 3.4 mol H2/mole reducing sugar (algal biomass). Thus, the use of algal
biomass induced higher potency of BHP especially at 0.045 mM iron.