Berkeley Lab researchers develop “one-pot” method for advanced biofuels

May 12, 2016 |

In California, researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) have engineered a strain of bacteria that enables a “one-pot” method for producing advanced biofuels from a slurry of pre-treated plant material.

The Escherichia coli (E. coli) is able to tolerate the liquid salt used to break apart plant biomass into sugary polymers. Because the salt solvent, known as ionic liquids, interferes with later stages in biofuels production, it needs to be removed before proceeding, a process that takes time and money. Developing ionic-liquid-tolerant bacteria eliminates the need to wash away the residual ionic liquid. The achievement, described in a study published Tuesday, May 10, in the journal Green Chemistry, is critical to making biofuels a viable competitor to fossil fuels because it helps streamline the production process.

Category: Research

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