Have you ever thought about what would happen if you had to go to school or other places by walking or driving bicycle ? We become fearful even by thinking about this situation which happens when we run out of fossil fuels . Clearly, we are all dependent on fossil fuels to live comfortably.
However, it takes many years to produce enough fossil fuels by the decomposing plants.Furthermore, emissions through the combustion of fossil fuels contain harmful substances such as carbon dioxide which lead to global climate change.
Therefore,creating a new renewable energy source without unfavourable emissions is a serious issue to consider. One of the amazing solutions for this problem is achieved by using microbes to make advanced biofuels.
Microbes can produce biofuels.
(adapted from :http://web.mit.edu/press/2012/genetically-modified-organism-can-turn-carbon-dioxide-into-fuel.html)
Scientists in MIT university are trying to use a microbe called Ralstonia eutrophato to make fuel from carbon dioxide. Nitrate and phosphate are important nutrients for this bacterium , but when they are limited, it stores food by forming polymers out of the available carbon. The properties of these polymers are very similar to those of plastics made up of petroleum. By making a few changes to the bacterium’s genetic structure such as adding a new gene, removing a few genes and altering the expression of the other genes, scientists can produce fuel instead of plastic.More interestingly, they are trying to modify the microbe to use any waste product that is a source of carbon to make fuel.
Another advantage of using this microbe is that it automatically releases the isobutanol (a substitution for gasoline) which makes the process easier for the researchers.Fortunately, unlike some of the other biofuels , isobutanol can be used in car engines without any changes.
Up to this point, these scientists have been successful in making genetic changes that result in the production of isobutanol.
According to another study, animal fats and vegetable oils ,such as soybean oils, are commonly used as the raw material to produce biofuels. However, the increasing demand for biofuel production requires us to think of other biofuel sources which are suitable for human consumption. Microbial oils , such as the one discussed above, are better feedstocks for biofuel production rather than vegetable and animal oils due to different reasons : having shorter life cycle, requiring less work and increasing their amounts more easily.
Obviously, teaching microbes to make biofuels is a major breakthrough that is very beneficial and essential for all of the people around the world.
Below you can see a video that shortly explains about producing biofuels with the aid of microbes:
video posted by “bloomberg”
Maryam Goharian
sources:
“MIT Media Relations”.
http://web.mit.edu/press/2012/genetically-modified-organism-can-turn-carbon-dioxide-into-fuel.html
“Biofuel definition “
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biofuel
“Global Climate Change” .http://www.cotf.edu/ete/modules/climate/GCclimate1.html
http://apps.webofknowledge.com.ezproxy.library.ubc.ca/full_record.do?page=1&qid=6&log_event=no&viewType=fullRecord&SID=2FnGmdEIaFKiJ3Mn25A&product=UA&doc=1&search_mode=GeneralSearch
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zBfjKYM9fLM
Picture from:
https://blogs.ubc.ca/communicatingscience2012w109/files/2012/09/biol200-image.jpg
