New bacteria could make cheaper ethanol

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Genetically engineered bacteria could make cellulosic ethanol cheaper to manufacture, researchers reported on Monday, in a finding that may unlock more energy from the waste products of farming and forestry.

Ethanol from cellulose, the kind of sugar in the likes of cornstalks and sawdust, is being promoted as an environmentally friendly alternative to fossil fuels, with the advantage that it does not use food crops such as corn as raw materials.

The genetically engineered bacteria ferment cellulose to produce ethanol more efficiently, the scientists wrote in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science.

Naturally occurring bacteria can also ferment cellulose but they do it at lower temperatures that require the use of an expensive enzyme called cellulase, said Lee Lynd of Dartmouth College, an author of the study.

Reuters