Sep 7 2010
Desmond Lun, a Doctorate from MIT and an Associate Professor at Rutgers University, Camden, has announced the use of E-coli, a malicious bacteria in the production of biodiesel.
Currently he is researching in changing the hereditary structure of E-coli for the production of biodiesel deduced from fatty acids. According to him changes in the genetics of E-coli will induce it to produce excessive fatty acids which are used in the production of biodiesel.
E. coli
According to him fatty acid molecules do not differ much from other type of fuel molecules currently in use. He added that E-coli has been used as a lab- life form for a number of years and most of the studies about it have been completed thus allowing the researchers with a volume of information to influence its genetics. He concluded saying that still it requires a lot of involvement to make the required radical changes. For further research Lun, has built computational models of the E-coli life forms to establish the results of the changes which includes taking out of enzymes to improve the level of fatty acid production.
While calling his process as synthetic biology, he said that he follows a method where instead of forming minimal changes with a specific gene; he modifies large sections of its basic genome. He further explained that instead of making changes with its existing traits, he is trying to introduce new traits to the gene. He concludes saying that the computational modeling helps him to speed up the process in a better way.