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Researchers have discovered that E. coli can transform glycerol, a biofuel byproduct, into ethanol.
Ethanol is produced by using bacteria to ferment glycerol. Although widely used in the biotechnology industry, researchers had previously thought that the bacterium E. coli was unable to ferment glycerol, because the bacterium did not produce a vital chemical, 1,3-propanediol, (1,3-PDO) required during the process. However, this research has identified mechanisms which overcome this barrier and enable E. coli to convert glycerol into ethanol. Yields of ethanol produced in this way are greater than yields produced by the standard means of ethanol production, which converts plant sugars from crops such as corn into fuel. Furthermore, production costs are lower using this method.
Here at Energy For Us All, we try to keep up to date with developments in the energy fields, with a special emphasis on understanding all the different energy disciplines, and especially on renewable energy sources.
