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Biology Could Be Used To Turn Sugar Into Diesel

Posted by samzenpus on from the goodbye-mr.-fusion dept.

ABCTech has an interesting article about an Emeryville-based tech startup, Amyris Biotechnologies, that is planning to use microbes to turn sugar into diesel. Ethanol is made by adding sugar to yeast, but Amyris believes that it can reprogram the microbes to make something closer to gasoline. The company was initially given a $43 million grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to attempt to research the applications of Synthetic Biology for making a cost-effective malaria drug. Jack Newman, the Vice-President of Amyris said, "Why are we making ethanol if we're trying to make a fuel? We should be making something that looks a lot more like gasoline. We should be making something that looks a lot more like diesel. And if you wanted to design, you name it, a jet fuel? We can make that too."

17 of 355 comments (clear)

  1. I can't wait... by CRCulver · · Score: 5, Funny

    I'm sure this will be on the market just in time for me to fill up my flying car.

  2. the magical fruit by macadamia_harold · · Score: 5, Funny

    Ethanol is made by adding sugar to yeast, but Amyris believes that it can reprogram the microbes to make something closer to gasoline.

    They should add suger to beans. They're great for making gas.

    --
    Push Button, Receive Bacon
    1. Re:the magical fruit by PopeRatzo · · Score: 4, Funny

      And on top of it, they've just found massive sugar fields beneath the arctic wilderness. Man, those caribou can NOT catch a break.

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      You are welcome on my lawn.
    2. Re:the magical fruit by Sku-Lad · · Score: 2, Funny

      but relatively small tropical areas to grow sugar.

      A decade or two of Global Warming should cure that.

  3. Isn't this a little late? by Eddi3 · · Score: 2, Funny

    By the time this is a viable way to get your gasoline, I'd really hope we'd be onto higher technologies then this. You know, like that Eleck Trick stuff, Or that Hydro Jen whatchamacallits.

    -E

  4. Note from Africa by Propaganda13 · · Score: 4, Funny

    We're still dying from Malaria, but thanks for the cheap fuel.

    1. Re:Note from Africa by TapeCutter · · Score: 4, Funny

      "thanks for the cheap fuel"

      Quiet, if you tell the whole world you have cheap fuel, someone is likely to liberate you and/or the fuel.

      --
      And did you exchange a walk on part in the war for a lead role in a cage? - Pink Floyd.
  5. This is GREAT! by kmhebert · · Score: 5, Funny

    I'm going to go pour sugar into my gas tank! Wait here!

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    Regular Meta Moderators are not more likely to get mod points.
  6. Re:Diesel tree, hydrogen, ethanol etc. by s4m7 · · Score: 4, Funny
    Yeah man, and the government, it's the government that's keeping us down, man: who do you think killed the perpetual motion machine, man? The government that's who, and they won't tell us about aliens or the mind control chemicals and rays and oh, I'm sure there's at least one more I can work in here.

    The trees. Man, the trees hate us too.

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    This comment is fully compliant with RFC 527.
  7. Re:Diesel tree, hydrogen, ethanol etc. by OldManAndTheC++ · · Score: 4, Funny

    -1 Troll
    +2 Concept for next Mel Gibson Movie
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    +1 Net points

    Please mod accordingly.

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    Soylent Green is peoplicious!
  8. Re:Next they'll work on snakeoil by uvajed_ekil · · Score: 5, Funny
    No, really, they'll use snakes to make oil. Get it? Got it? Good.

    Which means instead of dino juice fueling air travel, we may have snakes on a plane. I'm not sure of the source now but something I saw recently makes me think this may not be such a great idea, to have snakes on a plane. (Maybe it's just me, as I don't trust reptiles in any form, since that one pretty good book, anyway.)

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    This is a hacked account, for which the owner can not be held responsible.
  9. had to be said by edwardpickman · · Score: 2, Funny

    Ah, the sweet smell of diesel!

  10. Cheney got a gun... by Tumbleweed · · Score: 3, Funny

    Isn't that a song from Aerosmith?

    1. Re:Cheney got a gun... by TapeCutter · · Score: 3, Funny

      Yep!

      Considering his current popularity the line "Run away, run-run-awayeyeyey, from the vice, pressss-ident" turned out to be quite prophetic :)

      --
      And did you exchange a walk on part in the war for a lead role in a cage? - Pink Floyd.
  11. Re:Next they'll work on snakeoil by Jesus_666 · · Score: 2, Funny

    Well, if you put motherfucking snakes on a motherfucking plan you get a much higher amount of motherfucking emissions. While motherfucking is not as bad, greenhouse-wise, as CO2, it's still pretty motherfucking bad.

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    USE HOT GRITS WITH STATUE OF NATALIE PORTMAN (NAKED AND PETRIFIED)
  12. Re:Diesel tree, hydrogen, ethanol etc. by proxy318 · · Score: 2, Funny

    Fuel? Hell man, I hear they got a car that runs on water.

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    Saying your "phone ran out of batteries" is like saying your "car ran out of gas tanks".
  13. Re:Diesel tree, hydrogen, ethanol etc. by MrNiceguy_KS · · Score: 4, Funny

    What, you mean like a boat?

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    Redundancy is good And also good.