DEC 10

A man-made strain of the common bacteria E.coli has been created by researchers at the University of California in Los Angeles that could lead to a new generation of biofuels. Researchers report in the current issue of the Journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences that they've synthesized bacteria that can produce fuel-worthy alcohols.

E. coli is found in animals and humans; a more virulent form can cause food poisoning, but most strains of the bacteria are innocuous. Because its genome is so well documented, it’s easy to work with. Essentially, the bacteria can be thought of as a factory that can be commandeered to produce compounds of interest. Up till now, scientists had managed to coax E. coli to produce ethanol, but the researchers at UCLA wanted a bigger molecule – ethanol is a two carbon molecule that contains less energy than alcohols with longer carbon backbones.

By engineering a new metabolic pathway, the scientists were able to get the bacteria to produce longer alcohols (5 to 8 carbons) which contains higher energy densities and also do not corrode engine interiors. Scientists believe the bacteria could also produce compounds compatible with jet or diesel fuels.

Via: PhysOrg

Comments (4)

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Yes but...
written by olfac, December 10, 2008

..what will it smell like when burned ;D

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Danger Ahead -- Unintended Consequences
written by Bucky, December 10, 2008

While I appreciate the effort and ingenuity to creat some alternate forms of fuels, using E. Coli seems a remarkably bad way to go about it. I understand that the genome is well documented, but I also understand that the bacteria is well adapted and well suited for living in the human body. Making bugs that are adapted to our intestines that produce diesel fuel just seems like a problem waiting to happen. We seem to have a bad history of usually problematic unintended consequences from our modern scientific experiments.

Food poisoning from some bad E. Coli is one thing. Hi-octane super unleaded gasoline poisoning is entirely another.

And the notion that once in high-yeild industrial production this new variant of E. Coli won't get out into the environment is naive at best.

I'd rather we worked to alter our behavior regarding energy consumption and less at altering all of nature so we can keep driving our Hummers.

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...
written by Vernard Stokes Jr, January 05, 2009

hmmmm.. im going to look more into this but im doing a project on this and would like to know more if anyone knows.

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Bio-Diesel from Poop!
written by Uncle B, February 19, 2009

The city of Oslo, Norway, ferments its sewage for bio-gas, and runs its buses on the gas. The remaining sludge, cleaned up, is used for top-soil, you know, the stuff Americans pave over with glee and great gusto! Many large American cities produce huge amounts of sewage, and destroy lakes, rivers and seashores disposing of it. Just may be an E coli could turn all that Yankee poo, freely available I am certain, into a good grade fuel and some excellent farmland builder, saving the lakes, rivers and seashores, and reducing foreign oil imports all in the same smart process. Sounds like a win, win, win, win for everyone, now let's reveal our secret to Obama and company and get started! America used to be the land of gutsy venture capitalists, but they seem to have gone to China, or into shystering and shylocking in the banks, inviting the government to invest in socialist fashion, which they object to of course! Tough, they brought it upon themselves ans have missed at least the "green" boat, haven't they!

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