Modified Bacteria Produce Pure Diesel

In the UK, a team of researchers at the University of Exeter have engineered the bacterium Escherichia coli to produce pure diesel fuel which is nearly identical to the conventional form used in current supplies.

With the knowledge that E. coli bacteria can turn the sugars supplied to them into fats to build their cell membranes, the researchers used advanced biotechnology to modify the bacterium so that it can use its oil to manufacture diesel. The new biodiesel is considered pure and apparently does not need to be blended with petroleum products as typically done in other biodiesels. Being compatible with current fuel infrastructure would make this new diesel attractive to oil companies.

The new biodiesel is currently produced in small quantities in the laboratory, but more work is expected to be conducted to prove the commercial viability of this technology.

This research was supported by a grant from Shell Research Ltd and a Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) Industry Interchange Partnership Grant.