The Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (Arpa-e) announced this week new funding into the further development of renewable fuels. Past funding has gone to photosynthetic means, such as algae and bacteria, and this latest round funds non-photosynthetic process development.
Of particular interest involves extremophiles, microorganisms that live in extreme environments such as hot or high acidity waters. Extremophiles live in dark environs and, hence, don't use light as an energy source and they don't burn sugars for fuel. And, most importantly, they use inorganic molecules, such as carbon dioxide, for making the proteins required to run their metabolic processes.
The manipulation of the extremophiles genetic code has allowed scientists to rejigger the organism to convert the carbon dioxide into other organic molecules that can, in turn, be converted into fuels.
One such organism is called Metallosphaera sedula, says Robert Kelly, director of the North Carolina State biotechnology program. It's often found in mines. "It oxidizes the metal sulfide, and that's how it gets energy and electrons for cellular processes," he says. These organisms produce organic molecules that have been used to make butanol and other liquid fuels.
The hope is that these extremophiles will prove more efficient than the photosynthetic fuel generating processes. Scientists also believe the non-synthetic process can be developed to directly yield easily implemented diesel fuels.
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