E.coli bacteria are also helpful

Some strains of E.coli bacteria can convert sugar in plants into fatty acid derivatives, which are often used to produce fuel.

Biofuels are considered a solution to reduce dependence on fossil fuels. But currently biofuels are only produced on a small scale and at a very high cost.

Recently, scientists from Stanford University (USA) have found a solution to reduce costs by producing directly from plants with the participation of E. coli bacteria.

Picture 1 of E.coli bacteria are also helpful

In recent experiments, scientists have found that some strains of E.coli bacteria - many in the intestines of mammals including humans - can convert sugars in plants into Fatty acid derivatives. This type of chemical is similar to soap and can be used to produce fuel.

"The good news is that the production of fatty acids in the E. coli bacteria is extremely powerful," said Dr. Chaitan Khosla, head of research, on the Daily Mail . "They can convert sugar in plants into fatty acid derivatives at extraordinary speeds."

However, this metabolism is still completely controlled by bacteria and is only available in the laboratory. It seems that E. coli inhibits production to protect them from the harmful effects of fatty acids.

However, scientists are studying how to control E. coli to produce fatty acids on a large scale. If successful, this will be a breakthrough in the field of biofuel production.