UCLA Researchers Develop Genetically Modified E. coli Bacteria For More Efficient Ethanol Production

Researchers at UCLA have developed a new process for producing next-generation biofuels through genetic modification of E. coli bacteria to be efficient biofuel synthesizers, which could be the step needed for mass production.

This discovery might create a big divide between those working for alternative fuels and those opposed to GMOs. While I am personally opposed to genetic modification, I am also a proponent of new, more efficient biofuels. But nobody’s asking me…

The university has already licensed the technology through an exclusive license to Gevo Inc., a Pasadena, Calif.-based company dedicated to producing biofuels.

“This discovery leads to new opportunities for advanced biofuel development. As the exclusive licensee of this technology, we can further our national interests in developing advanced renewable resource-based fuels that will help address the issues of climate change and future energy needs while creating a significant competitive advantage.” -Patrick Gruber, CEO of Gevo

One issue with biofuels is efficiency. Ethanol is not as efficient a fuel as gasoline and has to be mixed with gas for used for transportation. It also absorbs water, making it corrosive and preventing it from being stored or distributed efficiently. The higher-chain alcohols with energy densities close to gasoline do not absorb water and are not as volatile or corrosive as ethanol, making these fuels more desirable to produce.

“These alcohols are typically trace byproducts in fermentation. To modify an organism to produce these compounds usually results in toxicity in the cell. We bypassed this difficulty by leveraging the native metabolic networks in E. coli but altered its intracellular chemistry using genetic engineering to produce these alcohols.” – James Liao, UCLA professor of chemical and biological engineering.

The researchers modified E. coli to produce several higher-chain alcohols from glucose, such as isobutanol, 1-butanol, 2-methyl-1-butanol, 3-methyl-1-butanol and 2-phenylethanol. In particular, they achieved high-yield production of isobutanol from glucose.

So what do you think? Does the need for next-generation biofuels and clean energy outweigh our resistance to genetic modification?

Image: Crystl at Flickr under Creative Commons

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