Synthetic biology to make jet fuel

[Aurora]

The Guardian - 27/02/11

In 1974, Waclaw Szybalski, a cancer specialist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, described a radical vision of the future. He foresaw a world where scientists had mastered biology to the point of creating life from scratch. His prediction was not far off the mark. Today, "synthetic biology" – the phrase was coined by Szybalski – is one of the most exciting avenues of modern science. Research on artificial life is under way; synthetic viruses a reality. But the swift progress of the field has raised hopes and fears in equal measure. While some argue that the work points the way to green energy and greater food production, others fear synthetic bugs might escape from the lab and spark a catastrophe.

There is no doubt that synthetic biology is delivering. One of the leading lights in the field is Jay Keasling, a professor of bioengineering at the University of California, Berkeley and CEO of the US Department of Energy's Joint BioEnergy Institute (JBEI). Five years ago, he created yeast cells that eat sugar and convert it into a frontline drug for malaria. It was more than a neat laboratory trick. A new facility being built in Italy will put the bugs to good use and make the drug artemisinin, quickly and cheaply. With each dose expected to cost around 15p, Keasling's bugs could save the lives of millions. Now he is switching his attention to finding a replacement for jet fuel and diesel.

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[Mark]

Interesting article, but even if the technology gets off the ground, their (probably wildly optimistic) estimate is only to replace 30% of transportation fuel in 20-30 years.

The technology will be reliant on sugarcane / cellulosic biomass / paper waste / corn stovers / switchgrass, so it's still the same old conundrum for biofuels... should the land be used to produce food or fuel ?

The answer to that one very much depends on where you live in the world and how much money you've got......