A strain of E. coli that doesn’t endanger human health grows in a flask full of nutrients (the yellow broth). In a study, scientists genetically engineered such E. coli to convert glucose into a class of fatty acids, which the team then transformed into a hydrocarbon called an olefin.
Credit: Douglas Levere / University at Buffalo
It sounds like modern-day alchemy: Transforming sugar into hydrocarbons found in gasoline.
But that’s exactly what scientists have done.
In a study in Nature Chemistry, researchers report harnessing the wonders of biology and chemistry to turn glucose (a type of sugar) into olefins (a type of hydrocarbon, and one of several types of molecules that make up gasoline).
The project was led by biochemists Zhen Q. Wang at the University at Buffalo and Michelle C. Y. Chang at the University of California, Berkeley.
The paper, published on Nov. 22, marks an advance in efforts to create sustainable biofuels.
Olefins comprise a small percentage of the molecules in gasoline as it’s currently produced, but the process the team developed could likely be adjusted in the future to generate other types of hydrocarbons as well, including some of the other components of gasoline, Wang says. She also notes that olefins have non-fuel applications, as they are used in industrial lubricants and as precursors for making plastics.
A two-step process using sugar-eating microbes and a catalyst
To complete the study, the researchers began by feeding glucose to strains of E. coli that don’t pose a danger to human health.
“These microbes are sugar junkies, even worse than our kids,” Wang jokes.
The E. coli in the experiments were genetically engineered to produce a suite of four enzymes that convert glucose into compounds called 3-hydroxy fatty acids. As the bacteria consumed the glucose, they also started to make the fatty acids.
To complete the transformation, the team used a catalyst called niobium pentoxide (Nb2O5) to chop off unwanted parts of the fatty acids in a chemical process, generating the final product: the olefins.
The scientists identified the enzymes and catalyst through trial and error, testing different molecules with properties that lent themselves to the tasks at hand.
“We combined what biology can do the best with what chemistry can do the best, and we put them together to create this two-step process,” says Wang, PhD, an assistant professor of biological sciences in the UB College of Arts and Sciences. “Using this method, we were able to make olefins directly from glucose.”
Glucose comes from photosynthesis, which pulls CO2 out of the air
“Making biofuels from renewable resources like glucose has great potential to advance green energy technology,” Wang says.
“Glucose is produced by plants through photosynthesis, which turns carbon dioxide (CO2) and water into oxygen and sugar. So the carbon in the glucose — and later the olefins — is actually from carbon dioxide that has been pulled out of the atmosphere,” Wang explains.
More research is needed, however, to understand the benefits of the new method and whether it can be scaled up efficiently for making biofuels or for other purposes. One of the first questions that will need to be answered is how much energy the process of producing the olefins consumes; if the energy cost is too high, the technology would need to be optimized to be practical on an industrial scale.
Original Article: How sugar-loving microbes could help power future cars
More from: University at Buffalo | University of California Berkeley
The Latest Updates from Bing News & Google News
Go deeper with Bing News on:
Glucose into olefins
- What You Should Know About Managing Glucose Levels
Keep reading to learn more about checking and managing your glucose levels. When you eat foods containing carbohydrates, digestion turns them into sugars that are released into your blood and move ...
- Insulin: How Does It Work?
Your pancreas makes insulin and releases it into your bloodstream. Insulin helps your body use blood sugar, also called blood glucose, for the energy it needs. It also tells your liver to store ...
- Why people without diabetes use glucose monitors to track their health
A short trial of a glucose monitor is low risk – the monitors aren’t inserted directly into your bloodstream, but rather into the subcutaneous tissue beneath our skin. Rarely, people ...
- Do I Need an Oral Glucose Tolerance Test?
Then it should go back to normal, as insulin moves glucose into your cells. If your blood sugar takes a long time to go back to normal, you could have diabetes. You might see a measurement from ...
- Will a glucose monitor help you be healthier?
The trend for continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) at home is growing as people tap into the personalised diet movement seen on social media. But can they help you to be healthier? We ask the ...
Go deeper with Google Headlines on:
Glucose into olefins
[google_news title=”” keyword=”glucose into olefins” num_posts=”5″ blurb_length=”0″ show_thumb=”left”]
Go deeper with Bing News on:
Sustainable biofuels
- Mubadala Capital to invest $13.5b in Brazil’s biofuel sector
Mubadala Capital, the investment arm of Abu Dhabi’s sovereign wealth fund, has committed to invest $13.5 billion on a major biofuels project in Brazil ... scheme to produce renewable diesel and ...
- Single Cell Oils Market to Soar to USD 914.52 Billion by 2033, Driven by Sustainable Solutions
Single Cell Oil Market The single cell oil market is poised for extraordinary growth, with a projected valuation of US$ 914.52 billion by 2033, experiencing a monumental CAGR of 25.65% from 2023.
- Southwest Airlines invests in sustainable aviation fuel
Boilermaker Anthony Gregory recently attended the High Performance Low Carbon Liquid Fuels Summit. Gregory, who works as renewable ventures chief operating officer at Southwest Airlines, discussed ...
- A Sustainable Future for Fresno: Rethinking Our Hydrogen Strategy
Michael Maher highlights concerns about Fresno's hydrogen fuel contract and envisions Fresno as the first self-sustaining city in the U.S.
- European Union attempting to ban crop-based biofuels as SAF feedstock
The European Union is attempting to ban crop-based biofuels as a feedstock for sustainable aviation fuel. Renewable Fuels Association CEO Geoff Cooper tells Brownfield the EU recently adopted a ...
Go deeper with Google Headlines on:
Sustainable biofuels
[google_news title=”” keyword=”sustainable biofuels” num_posts=”5″ blurb_length=”0″ show_thumb=”left”]