Scientists Modify Bacteria to Boost Ethanol Production

llinois Institute of Technology researchers have received a patent for a method to develop genetically engineered bacteria and yeast to increase bioethanol production from cellulosic material.

Ben Stark, professor of biology, developed a method to engineer ethanol producers Escherichia coli and Zymomonas mobilis to express Vitreoscilla hemoglobin (VHb). Engineering microorganisms with VHb enhances the production of many useful bioproducts as well as improve microbial degradation of certain toxic chemicals.

Cellulosic and hemicellulosic-based bioethanols are the least common right now. However, bioethanol from these feedstocks has the promise of being much more cost effective and sustainable, producing less greenhouse gas, and having a less direct impact on the food supply than using corn starch as a source of sugar.