Engineered bacteria produce biofuel alternative for high-energy rocket fuel
Wednesday, March 26, 2014 - 17:30
in Physics & Chemistry
Georgia Tech researchers examine the production of the hydrocarbon pinene in a series of laboratory test tubes. Researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology and the Joint BioEnergy Institute have engineered a bacterium to synthesize pinene, a hydrocarbon produced by trees that could potentially replace high-energy fuels, such as JP-10, in missiles and other aerospace applications. With improvements in process efficiency, the biofuel could supplement limited supplies of petroleum-based JP-10, and might also facilitate development of a new generation of more powerful engines.