Genetics and Biofuels
How will genetics lead to new fuels?
One of the most exciting uses of genetics today is in the development of new fuels to provide much needed energy. Scientists are exploring many new sources of energy, but there are many roadblocks in the way. Genetics is helping get past some of these roadblocks.
How will genetics lead to new fuels?
One of the main sources of biofuels being explored are wood and the parts of food plants that are not edible. Scientists are using yeast and bacteria to digest these raw materials into biofuels. The main problem with this approach is that the final product (the fuel) is toxic to the living organisms so it is hard to make a lot before the yeast and bacteria die.
How will genetics lead to new fuels?
Scientists are trying to use genetics to develop bacteria and yeast that have very high tolerance for the fuels they are producing. The scientists use many techniques, such as taking genes from biofuel tolerant organisms and putting them in their strain used to make biofuel. Another approach is to rely on evolution. Here scientists grow their bacteria or yeast in a low concentration of the toxic biofuel. This doesn't kill the organisms, but selects for mutant yeast and bacteria strains that are more tolerant. See the "Evolution" section for more information on selection.
How will genetics lead to new fuels?
Scientists are also trying to make better fuel sources through genetics. Algae are simple organisms that use photosynthesis to create energy from sunlight. Much effort is focused on genetically manipulating algae to create more energy-rich strains of algae. This means they make more of the useful energy molecules for biofuels with the same amount of sunlight.
How will genetics lead to new fuels?
Biofuels unfortunately, still have many hurdles and other problems. It is not yet clear whether biofuels will be any cleaner that today's fossil fuels. Another problem with many biofuels is that they use the food we eat and the land used to grow food crops to make fuel. This reduces the amount of food we can produce, which then causes food prices to rise. Rising food prices can lead to food shortages, mainly in the poorer parts of the world.
How will genetics lead to new fuels?
Hopefully genetics can be used to develop sustainable and clean biofuels. However, that goal is currently a long way off.
About the site:
I developed geneticsalive.com as a companion website to cellsalive.com.
Everything a cell does is a direct result of the genetics of that cell,
whether it is a single-cell organism or part of a much larger organism.
Thus, understanding the cells requires an understanding of the basis of
all of their behaviors.
About the author:
I am a microbiologist studying microbial pathogenesis and the host
immune response. My studies have included work in many pathogens
including Rabies and Influenza viruses, Mycobacterium tuberculosis,
Francisella tularensis, and Salmonella enterica. I currently live just
outside of Philadelphia, PA, where I work as a postdoctoral fellow
researching antigen processing and presentation during rabies
infection.
My email is always open for suggestions, corrections, or any other
comments. Please feel free to contact me: geneticsalive@gmail.com
