Better than Shinola.
Entered By: grantb on August 18, 2008
No Observations
Dailytech.com is smiling (or is it just gas?) over the latest trick we’ve gotten E. coli to perform. Geneticists have altered the food-poisoning germ so that it excretes diesel fuel:
After much research and genetic modification, LS9 says it has used a variety of common sugar metabolic pathways to force E. Coli to convert virtually any sugar-containing substance in part to carbon chains virtually indistinguishable with diesel.
The bacteria “poop” out this black gold, while using part of the sugar to fuel their growth and reproduction as well. The net result is that any carbon source can be turned into synthetic fuel by the economic bacteria.
This is a private venture firm, so the E. coli excretum will come with a price attached. But still.
