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View Full Version : dont write off the gas guzzlers yet



BIGS
11-01-09, 11:31 AM
interesting, do a search if you want to know more

http://www.autoblog.com/2008/06/18/s...k-produce-oil/ (http://www.autoblog.com/2008/06/18/scientists-create-bacteria-that-eat-junk-produce-oil/)

Scientists create bacteria that eat junk, produce oil (http://www.autoblog.com/2008/06/18/scientists-create-bacteria-that-eat-junk-produce-oil/)

by Jonathon Ramsey (http://www.autoblog.com/bloggers/jonathon-ramsey/) on Jun 18th 2008 at 9:31AM
http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2008/06/ls9_oil.jpg (http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/environment/article4133668.ece)A company called LS9 is creating nearly pump-ready oil using single-celled bacteria. They start with industrial yeast organisms or "non-pathogenic strains of E. coli," and redesign their DNA so that they produce a different kind of waste. Crude oil is not far removed, molecularly, from the fatty acids expelled by yeast or E. coli during fermentation, so a little bit of DNA alteration bypasses the fatty acids and produces "Oil 2.0."

The "bugs" can be fed a variety of feedstock, from politically sensitive corn to Brazilian sugar cane to California wheat straw to Southern wood chips. The result is the same: crude oil that is almost ready to pour into your car. What's more: the enterprise is carbon negative, putting out less CO2 than the operation requires. At the moment it takes a 1,000-liter fermentation machine one week to make a 40-gallon drum of crude.

It will be a moment before they have a seamless industrial-sized operation. And there is that little concern of hundreds of billions of genetically-altered critters getting free and wreaking havoc on kids and puppies. But the promise of a steady supply of safely created $40 oil -- because even the Volt will need oil -- is not a bad thing to consider.

Jack
11-01-09, 07:53 PM
Using algae/bacteria to break down waste and create oil-based substances is nothing new tbh.

Biobutanol is probably the best of the bunch - it has the same energy content as regular petrol (more than bioethanol and biomethanol), and most importantly it can be used in most petrol engines with no modifications and no detrimental effects. Also and gives similar efficiency to petrol (so better than LPG then).


[edit] Or is this just making the news because its the Americans that have started investigating it, not realising everyone else has been doing it for years and trying to steal the limelight by pretending its something amazing they've invented? lol

mowgli
11-01-09, 07:57 PM
/\/\ it will never be capable to produce oil on a great enough scale to keep up with demand.....

DaveyLC
11-01-09, 10:49 PM
While its interesting; playing with stuff like that is some what scary! Imagine if they accidently created some terrible virus.

mowgli
11-01-09, 11:25 PM
While its interesting; playing with stuff like that is some what scary! Imagine if they accidently created some terrible virus.

what, like when they made a cure for polio during the 50's & during the early stages in west africa used tissue from apes & accidentally created AIDS??????

Jack
12-01-09, 07:28 AM
Its Ok, if something goes wrong, Dustin Hoffman will chase a monkey.