Berkeley uses E. Coli to develop biofuel

Researchers at the US Department of Energy’s Joint BioEnergy Institute (JBEI) have engineered E. Coli bacteria to generate significant amounts of methyl ketone compounds from glucose. These compounds yielded high cetane numbers, making them strong candidates for the production of advanced biofuels -- a cleaner, green and renewable fuel replacement for truck and auto drivers. This means more flexibility and options for the biofuels industry. Harry Beller, the JBEI microbiologist who led the study and his colleagues will focus on increasing production and optimizing fuel properties of the methyl ketones by modulating their composition. This research was supported by JBEI through the DOE Office of Science.