Two Microbes Join Forces to Produce Biodiesel from Carbon Waste

Using microbes growing in two diverse climatic conditions, A team of researchers from Delhi's Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) have found a way to convert carbon-rich waste materials into biofuel.

Researchers discovered two distinctly different species of bacteria from Aravalli marble mines in India and found that they can, in combination, produce biodiesel from carbon-containing waste materials. The first bacterium, Serratia sp. ISTD04, is capable of harvesting carbon dioxide into organic compounds. Meanwhile, lipase from the bacterium Pseudomonas sp. ISTPL3, can convert these lipids into biodiesel.

The Serratia sp. microbe sequesters carbon dioxide linked to climate change and converts it into lipids. Moreover, 60% of its body weight is made up of lipids that can be converted into biodiesel via transesterification. The scientists were amazed to see the lipase having a very high conversion efficiency. They have also demonstrated that the lipase from Pseudomonas sp. could be recycled several times.