Who needs gasoline?

Scientists from Tulane University have recently discovered a new bacterial strain called “TU-103.” This strain can turn ordinary paper into butanol, which can in turn be used as gasoline for our cars.  TU-103 is believed to be the first natural bacterial strain that produces butanol directly from cellulose.  This is crucial because butanol is superior to ethanol in many ways.  In short, butanol contains far more energy, is less corrosive and is a more efficient way to fuel your vehicle than ethanol is.  In addition, TU-103 is the sole butanol producing strain that can grow in the presence of oxygen. In many cases, growing clostridial strains that require oxygen is very expensive. The fact that TU-103 thrives without oxygen could severely cut the cost of fueling up your car and even garner environmental benefits. In the United States alone, it is estimated that up to 323 million tons of cellulose materials, such as an ordinary newspaper, that can be used to produce butanol are thrown away each year.  So next time you feel like throwing away the Sunday paper, think twice, it could save you a couple of bucks on gasoline.


http://www.chemistrytimes.com/research/Cars_could_run_on_recycled_newspaper_Tulane_scientists_say.asp


Posted by Max Morimoto