Karlsruhe researchers discover how cyanobacteria can be modified to produce fuels

In Germany, a group of researchers at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) has discovered that the multicellular species Phormidium lacuna can be genetically modified by natural transformation and could thus produce substances such as ethanol or hydrogen.

The technique established by the researchers to modify multicellular cyanobacteria by introducing genetic information opens up a wide range of possibilities for basic research and possible applications.

A possible future-oriented application would be to synthesize ethanol, hydrogen or lactate as well as other bioproducts in the cells and thus contribute to the bio-economy and to the change from an oil-based economy to a market economy based on sustainable resources.