By using genetic engineering, a strain of Escherichia coli (Escherichia coli), scientists forced the bacterium to turn sugar into fuel, which in its composition is much like ordinary diesel fuel. If such a process is put on stream, then like synthetic fuel can be a good alternative fossil fuels. Study whose results were published in PNAS magazine, conducted by synthetic biologist John Love (John Love) from the University of Exeter. 
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“We want car manufacturers, sellers fuels and drivers did not even notice the difference between regular gasoline and our new invention, “says Love. According to the plans European Union, greenhouse gas emissions need to be reduced by 2050 by 80%. As a result, by 2020 at least 10% of the total The fuel used should be biofuel. However on today, most biodiesel and bioethanol are incompatible with modern engines.
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For the engine to function properly, a “cocktail” of 5-10% biofuels and 90-95% gasoline. Lava team created genetically modified E. coli, which, unlike other synthetic analogues, produces biofuels that can pour into a gas tank without mixing with any other type of fuel. The advantage of this approach to the creation of biofuels is also that fuel suppliers will not need to change existing infrastructure (delivery and distribution). Generally E. coli absorb sugar and produce fats to form cellular membranes. According to a press release, instead of fats microorganisms produced synthetic fuel molecules, scientists created a special strain of E. coli. Technology went into action synthetic medicine. True, despite its obvious competitive advantage, the new strain may not be have great success with the makers of fuel substitutes. The efficiency of the new production is still extremely low: a hundred liters a solution of bacteria and sugar is able to give out just one teaspoon a spoonful of new biofuel. “Before we move on to industrial production, we will need to increase work efficiency bacteria. We have three to five years left to deliver necessary experiments and understand whether the game is worth the candle, “- Love tells. His team is also trying to figure out if E. coli for efficient production consume instead sugar animals or human waste. Project funded Shell and a major producer of gasoline and motor oils British Council of Biology and Biotechnology Researchers (BBSRC). We add that biofuels are considered environmentally friendly, because it produces just that amount of carbon dioxide, which plants can process. But there are also alternative opinions: environmental researcher Rob Bailey (Rob Bailey) believes that biofuels even affect the Earth’s climate greater damage than fossil fuels, including gas is included (more in this PDF). Production biofuel cannot be considered a panacea for modern economics, politics and ecology. Keep in mind that bacteria, like E. coli, are also a natural material and, accordingly, they may be in short supply. Researchers more a lot of issues related to fuel production from E. coli before starting a discussion of practical testing and further commercialization of the project.
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