With global warming fears on the rise, the latest trend in science is to quickly find an alternative to carbon-polluting fossil fuels.  Thus far, wind, solar, and biofuel options seem to be society’s best bet for breaking the coal and oil habit.  However, now there is a new contender for #1 alternative fuel – bacteria.

Scientists recently announced that they have modified the common bacteria E. coli and made it produce special types of energy alcohols.  These alcohol compounds are similar to the hydrocarbons that make up traditional gasoline.  E. coli was already being studied for its ability to convert organic material into usable fuel.  Unfortunately, these fuels were relatively weak and less efficient than petroleum-based gasoline. 

Now, though, researchers at the University of California Los Angeles have found a way to boost E. coli’s production power.  By modifying some of the bacteria’s DNA, they have coerced the E. coli into making high-energy compounds.  Put simply, the E. coli breaks down organic materials from food or waste to create alcohol.  These alcohols contain 8 carbons in their chain of atoms, which is the average contained in most gasoline fuels.  In essence, the newly formed alcohols could function just as efficiently as the gas we pump into our cars now. 

Imagine the implications of this discovery.  If the newly modified E. coli can mass-produce alcohol fuel comparable to gasoline, we could essentially eliminate the need for petroleum fuel.  This means no drilling, no environmental destruction, and significantly less toxic emissions.  Right now, though, all this is a distant dream.  The team at UCLA still has a lot of work to do before they can make their new E. coli commercially viable. 

Want more information about the potential E. coli fuel boom?  Check out this article from Science Daily.