Could bisabolane replace diesel?

In California, Lawrence Berkeley National Lab researchers have identified a new terpene that could replace standard fuel for diesel – bisabolane.  Using synthetic biology, a JBEI research team engineered strains of two microbes, a bacteria and a yeast, to produce a precursor to bisabolane, a member of the terpene class of chemical compounds that are found in plants and used in fragrances and flavorings.

Preliminary tests by the team showed that bisabolane’s properties make it a promising biosynthetic alternative to Number 2 (D2) diesel fuel.