Echeria Coli Co-Opted To Make Gasoline 331
Flask_Man writes "Technology Review has an article about a small biotech company in the Silicon Valley that has successfully produced renewable gasoline from genetically modified bacteria, including the nefarious E.Coli bacteria. A pilot plant is slated to be constructed in California in 2008, and it is claimed that hundreds of different hydrocarbon molecules are capable of being produced. The modified bacteria make and excrete hydrocarbon molecules that are the length and molecular structure the company desires. From the article: 'To do this, the company is employing tools from the field of synthetic biology to modify the genetic pathways that bacteria, plants, and animals use to make fatty acids, one of the main ways that organisms store energy. Fatty acids are chains of carbon and hydrogen atoms strung together in a particular arrangement, with a carboxylic acid group made of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen attached at one end. Take away the acid, and you're left with a hydrocarbon that can be made into fuel.'" We discussed something similar to this earlier this year.
So this is what (Score:3, Funny)
Symptoms of infection include: (Score:5, Funny)
1) High fever
2) General listlessness.
3) Urinating gasoline.
Dupe! (Score:5, Funny)
Re:So this is what (Score:4, Funny)
You do what you have to for your survival, and I'll do what I have to to maintain my pathetic dependence on petrol!
Re:So this is what (Score:5, Funny)
and "nefarious"? (Score:5, Funny)
Re:"nefarious E.Coli" (Score:2, Funny)
Re:Symptoms of infection include: (Score:4, Funny)
(Somewhat) obscure Vonnegut reference (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Curious... (Score:3, Funny)
So how do they get past the fact that e.Coli dies in gasoline? how did they change the bug to have a higher tolerance to their new unnatural excretions?
Science.
Re:Symptoms of infection include: (Score:2, Funny)
Doctors advice:
1. take asprin
2. don't drive
3. avoid the electric fence
Re:Questions of feedstock (Score:4, Funny)
Humans are Mother Nature's way of getting her carbon out of the ground and back into circulation.
/kidding
//sort of
Great... (Score:3, Funny)
So soon I'll be able to contract a flesh-eating, anti-biotic resistant, EXPLOSIVE infection.
Just great. While you're at it how about a pill that turns body fat into C4?
--
I for one, welcome our explosive bacterial overlords.
Re:like any gasoline replacement (Score:5, Funny)
Is that a comparison of the different intensities that your wife has to nag you to do something before you actually get up and do it?
Re:Renewable Bio-petrol... (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Rivers of petrol... (Score:4, Funny)
Re:"Echeria Coli"? What the hell is that? (Score:4, Funny)
You must be new here.