Rhodobacter sphaeroides represents one of the best studied members of the group of purple non-sulfur photosynthetic bacteria and serves as an excellent model for the study of the complex and versatile metabolic capabilities of this group of organisms. The ability of R. sphaeroides to produce large amounts of hydrogen gas (H2), polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) and fatty acids photoheterotrophically, as well as its ability to utilize atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) as a carbon source during photoautotrophic growth, make it an excellent candidate of potential use in a wide variety of biotechnological...