New bug ferments green fuel cheaply
September 15, 2008
A study undertaken by a scientist at Dartmouth College, in New Hampshire, has revealed that genetically-engineered bacteria could be used to reduce the cost of manufacturing cellulose-based ethanol.
Ethanol derived from cellulose, a type of glucose found in the cell walls of most plants (in this instance corn stalks and sawdust), is being promoted as an environmentally-friendly fuel. The reason for this is that there are virtually no net greenhouse gas emissions associated with cellulosic ethanol, because the carbon dioxide captured in producing the feedstock roughly equates to the emissions generated through running an engine on the end product.
An additional virtue of cellulosic ethanol, and one which addresses one of the main concerns surrounding the production of biofuels, is that it does not rely on the use of food crops, but instead makes use of the waste products of forestry and farming.
The research undertaken by Dartmouth College has demonstrated that the genetically-engineered bacteria have the ability to ferment cellulose in order to produce this type of ethanol more cheaply than current methods.
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