Genetic engineering produces biofuel

Research could pave the way for the next generation of biofuels

Scientists and engineers have developed a strain of Escherichia coli bacterium to produce a biodiesel that has the same chemical structure as diesel found at the pumps. 

The work, funded by Shell Research and the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, could pave the way for the next generation of biofuels.

To produce the new fuel, Professor John Love and colleagues at the University of Exeter used synthetic biology techniques to incorporate nine different genes from four species into the bacterium. The species included two types of soil bacteria, a type of cyanobacterium and the camphor tree. The nine genes instruct the E. coli cells to process free fatty acids produced naturally by the bacterium, and generate an alkane biofuel.

Biofuels that are currently available, such as ethanol and vegetable-oil derivatives, must be processed and blended with petrol or diesel respectively. Love explained: “They can only be blended to a maximum of about 10% right now without seriously impairing engine function.” The new biofuel would require less processing and could be used pure, said Love.

The researchers have secured funding from industry to work on scaling-up the process, which is currently confined to the laboratory. This could allow the technology to be used on an industrial scale. 

Love said: “What we need to do now is some hardcore chemistry and metabolic modelling to understand the bottlenecks within the bacterium in the transfer from fat to alkane.”

He is also keen to adapt the bacterium to feed on waste products rather than sugar. This could make the process cost-effective and allow it to compete against other fuels on an open market without needing subsidy. 

Rob Lee, of Shell Products and Technology, said: “While the technology still faces several hurdles to commercialisation, by exploring this new method of creating biofuel, along with other intelligent technologies, we hope they could help us to meet the challenges of limiting the rise in CO₂ emissions while responding to the growing requirement for fuel.”