Engineered Cyanobacteria: New Source for Biofuels
Filed in archive Energy, Environment and Ecology , Microbiology by ruth on April 24, 2008

Nobles made the new cyanobacteria (also known as blue-green algae) by giving them a set of cellulose-making genes from a non-photosynthetic "vinegar" bacterium, Acetobacter xylinum, well known as a prolific cellulose producer.
The new cyanobacteria produce a relatively pure, gel-like form of cellulose that can be broken down easily into glucose.
Considering that the bacteria can be grown in production facilities on non-agricultural lands using salty water unsuitable for human consumption or crops, and that the sugars produced are more readily convertible to ethanol, the authors suggest that the bacteria may be a feasible alternative to using plant crops for biofuel production.
Permalink: Engineered Cyanobacteria: New Source for Biofuels
Tags:
biofuels
microbial+biotechnology
microbiology
alternative+energy
2007
engineered+cyanobacteria
sour
Trackback: http://www.creative-weblogging.com/cgi-bin/mt-tb.pl/121201


Mr Wong
