Solid Substrate Fermentation of paddy straw for production of biohydrogen using Trichodermareesei

There is a growing concern arising out of the projection of fossil fuel shortfall towards the mid of 21st century. Under this perspective, biological hydrogen production assumes paramount importance as an alternative and renewable energy resource. Biohydrogen is considered as an important key to a sustainable world power supply and is currently being seen as the versatile fuel of the future, with the potential to replace fossil fuels. It has the key prospective to become the ideal means among the range of renewable H2 production technologies presently existing. Paddy straw is rich of lignocellulolytic materials which can serve as good substrate in solid state fermentation (SSF) to produce the hydrogen. The aim of this study was to explore the possibility of utilizing paddy straw effectively to convert them into fermentable sugars by the production of in situ enzyme in SSF, where paddy straw can be used as substrates for the Trichodermareesei (MTCC*164) fermentation in the production of commercially viable products. In the present study, hydrogen is being produced using SSF of paddy straw and the presence of hydrogen is checked using Gas Chromatography. The maximum yield obtained was 9.9 ml of hydrogen/g of paddy straw. The maximum purity of Hydrogen obtained was 84.5%.