Critter fuel: JBEI pioneers jet fuel, diesel and gasoline from e.coli

In California, researchers with the Joint BioEnergy Institute have engineered the first strains of Escherichia coli bacteria that can digest switchgrass biomass and synthesize its sugars into gasoline, diesel and jet fuel. What’s more, the microbes are able to do this without any help from enzyme additives.

The E. coli were further engineered with three metabolic pathways that enabled the E. coli to produce fuel substitute or precursor molecules suitable for gasoline, diesel and jet engines.  This is the first demonstration of E. coli producing all three forms of transportation fuels.