New source for biofuels

A newly created microbe produces cellulose that can be turned into ethanol and other biofuels, according to scientists from The University of Texas at Austin who say the microbe could provide a significant portion of transportation fuel if production can be scaled up.

Along with cellulose, the cyanobacteria developed by Prof R. Malcolm Brown Jr and Dr David Nobles Jr secrete glucose and sucrose. These simple sugars are the major sources used to produce ethanol.

'The cyanobacterium is potentially a very inexpensive source for sugars to use for ethanol and designer fuels,' said Nobles, a research associate in mcrobiology and molecular genetics.

Brown and Nobles say their cyanobacteria can be grown in production facilities on non-agricultural lands using salty water unsuitable for human consumption or crops.

The new cyanobacteria use sunlight as an energy source to produce and excrete sugars and cellulose. What is more, glucose, cellulose and sucrose can be continually harvested without harming or destroying the cyanobacteria (harvesting cellulose and sugars from true algae or crops, like corn and sugarcane, requires killing the organisms and using enzymes and mechanical methods to extract the sugars). Also, the cyanobacteria that can fix atmospheric nitrogen can be grown without the need for petroleum-based fertiliser.