NOVELTY - A cathodophilic, hydrogen-producing microbial culture (8) is obtained by providing a bioelectrode (5, 7) comprising an electrochemically active microbial culture on an electric conductor, where the microbial culture is capable of hydrogen oxidation; placing the bioelectrode in a medium for supporting the physiology of the organisms in the microbial culture; and applying a potential to the bioelectrode which is lower than the equilibrium potential of the hydrogen (H+)/H2 redox couple in the culture medium.    USE - Method for obtaining a cathodophilic, hydrogen-producing microbial culture useful as electrochemical catalyst for producing hydrogen (claimed) .    ADVANTAGE - The method can provide an electrochemically active microbial culture which is capable of hydrogen oxidation and can produce hydrogen electrochemically at a potential lower than the equilibrium potential of the H+/H2 redox couple in the culture medium in which they are present.    DETAILED DESCRIPTION - An INDEPENDENT CLAIM is included for a device comprising compartments, (2, 3) with an anode and a cathode placed at a mutual distance in each of the compartments, with a catalyst on the anode for the electrochemical oxidation of an oxidizable substrate, and a cathodophilic, hydrogen-producing microbial culture (8) on the cathode. Between the anode and cathode, an ion-conducting separation (4) is further present which divides the compartments into a cathode sub-compartment on the side of the cathode and an anode sub-compartment on the side of the anode, with a culture medium in the cathode sub-compartment for supporting the physiology of the cathodophilic, hydrogen-producing microbial culture. The device further comprises a mechanism for supplying to the anode sub-compartments a substrate medium comprising the oxidizable substrate and a mechanism for discharging hydrogen from the cathode sub-compartments. An electrical connection is provided between the anodes and cathodes.    DESCRIPTION OF DRAWING(S) - The drawings show an overview of a method for obtaining the cathodophilic, hydrogen-producing microbial culture.    Electrochemical cell (1)    Compartments (2, 3)    Ion-conducting separation (4)    Bioelectrodes (5, 7)    Power source (6)    Cathodophilic microbial culture (8)