Making diesel with bacteria

[TexasDevilDog]

http://www.cnbc.com/id/41810005/

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. - A Massachusetts biotechnology company says it can produce the fuel that runs Jaguars and jet engines using the same ingredients that make grass grow.

Joule Unlimited has invented a genetically-engineered organism that it says simply secretes diesel fuel or ethanol wherever it finds sunlight, water and carbon dioxide.
...
Joule claims, for instance, that its cyanobacterium can produce 15,000 gallons of diesel full per acre annually, over four times more than the most efficient algal process for making fuel. And they say they can do it at $30 a barrel.

If that last part is true, it would be a game changer. I would only need .05 acre for my fuel needs. So, I set one up in my back yard. If everyone did it in the world. the oil companies are out of business.

[YALE]

They found a species of fungus that naturally made it a few years ago, and were working on isolating the relevant genes with the intentions of introducing them into an algae. Sounds like they got it worked out.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=90014997

[Strychnine]

Well, one thing going for them is that its a sulfur-free fuel when made that way.

[YALE]

Well, one thing going for them is that its a sulfur-free fuel when made that way.

It's also advantageous (if it behaves like other algae), because, unlike the coliform from the NPR article, it shouldn't require sugar. You could conceivably feed it sewage, even phosphate heavy sewage, and it will do well. Also, if you built a bioreactor to make lots of it, you could harvest the diesel, burn it in a generator, and scrub the exhaust back through the algae tanks, so you'd remove any carbon dioxide. This could rock on several levels.

[8mpg]

http://www.cnbc.com/id/41810005/


If that last part is true, it would be a game changer. I would only need .05 acre for my fuel needs. So, I set one up in my back yard. If everyone did it in the world. the oil companies are out of business.

They have been working on algae/bacteria based diesel fuel for a while. Still hasnt taken off. I remember reading about it 5-6 years ago. Saw it on TV a couple years ago. With abundant sunlight and how fast bacteria and/or algae can grow, I dont know why this technology hasnt boomed.

I would love to see this explode. We need a cheap/easy and renewable source. Fuck all this solar power

[TexasDevilDog]

I just realized the number one group that this would hurt would be the global warming nuts. With this technology, CO2 usage and emissions would become a closed loop. Even better if it is true that this could be done at $30/bbl, that would be the cheapest CO2 capture venture out there. That would put AL Gore out of business.

Oops it would put sun and wind generation out of business too.

[Snatch Napkin]

I just realized the number one group that this would hurt would be the global warming nuts. With this technology, CO2 usage and emissions would become a closed loop. Even better if it is true that this could be done at $30/bbl, that would be the cheapest CO2 capture venture out there. That would put AL Gore out of business.

Oops it would put sun and wind generation out of business too.

I don't think it would put them out of business. Especially wind. I've always thought solar was more for the enthusiast rather than the common consumer.

However, wind would be very beneficial for companies to use as an alternate energy source. The newer windmills that don't have to rotate in order to capture the wind are awesome.

I'm hoping to put a couple here at my business in the next 10 years.

[8mpg]

I don't think it would put them out of business. Especially wind. I've always thought solar was more for the enthusiast rather than the common consumer.

However, wind would be very beneficial for companies to use as an alternate energy source. The newer windmills that don't have to rotate in order to capture the wind are awesome.

I'm hoping to put a couple here at my business in the next 10 years.

No rotation? That should shut the hippies up about dead birds. I have seen some windmill style generators going on the tops of buildings in the city that spin more like a top...but still spin non the less. The are more of a vertical fan than a traditional windmill style.

[jw33]

That is really awesome. FWIW it kind of is a version of "solar power" since it does use the sun. Just like growing corn for ethanol uses the sun. You might think of it like the plant is a type of battery storing all the energy until until someone comes along to extract it for use.

[stevo]

I just realized the number one group that this would hurt would be the global warming nuts. With this technology, CO2 usage and emissions would become a closed loop. Even better if it is true that this could be done at $30/bbl, that would be the cheapest CO2 capture venture out there. That would put AL Gore out of business.

Oops it would put sun and wind generation out of business too.

Naw, they would just start saying that all the sunlight being soaked up by the bacteria would be causing reduced temperatures and more climate change.

Stevo

[Snatch Napkin]

No rotation? That should shut the hippies up about dead birds. I have seen some windmill style generators going on the tops of buildings in the city that spin more like a top...but still spin non the less. The are more of a vertical fan than a traditional windmill style.

That's what I was talking about.

I could have worded that a little better.

[YALE]

Now they can make isobutanol directly from cellulose. This is what we want, people, switch-grass gas!

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/41954876/ns/technology_and_science-tech_and_gadgets/