US Researchers Get Go Ahead to Genetically Engineer Bacteria to Boost Bioethanol Production
(Biofuels International) lllinois Institute of Technology researchers have received a patent for a method to genetically engineer bacteria and yeast to increase bioethanol production, especially from cellulosic material in biomass like twigs, branches, plant stalks and husks, and woodchips.
According to news channel Phys.org, Ben Stark, professor of biology, and former Ph.D. student Tony Sanny, now a partner with Swanson & Bratschun, developed a method to genetically engineer Escherichia coli and Zymomonas mobilis, two bacterial ethanol producers, and yeast, a eukaryotic ethanol producer, to express Vitreoscilla hemoglobin (VHb).
Engineering of microorganisms with VHb has been shown to enhance the production of many useful bioproducts as well as improve microbial degradation of certain toxic chemicals, according to the lllinois Institute. READ MORE