Novel Intel: E. coli to the Rescue, Converting Cellulosic Biomass to Biodiesel on the Cheap

Novel Intel: E. coli Makes Biodiesel

Posted by Mackinnon Lawrence on 2/01/10 • Categorized as Novel Intel

e coli Amidst the boom and bust of ethanol, Houdini-like biodiesel tax credits, and the hype-fueled algae rush, one thing has remained the same: alternative fuels have stayed just out of reach.

Cost has been a main driver of persistent frustration. Most of the processes for converting biomass material — whether complex sugars, agricultural waste, or MSW — are complex and expensive, making them difficult to scale-up and commercialize. With attention shifting to even more difficult-to-get-to cellulosic sugars, the emergence of an alternative fueled future seems to slip further away.

Enter E. coli. Long the scourge of human civilization for its role in causing nasty food poisonings and forcing product recalls, E. coli is a bacteria, which in many strains, provides many useful functions in the human body.

Popular Science reports that, most recently, a collaboration between the Department of Energy (DOE) and San Francisco-based LS9 has found a way to coax an E. coli strain to produce cheap biodiesel from biomass without further chemical processes. The breakthrough could significantly reduce the cost of biodiesel and lead to more abundant biofuels. But the real kicker is that the cellulosic biomass doesn’t have to come from plants that are consumed by humans or used in animal feedstocks, so the process doesn’t add undue pressure to global food prices.