Bacteria for Fuel

A new and more available source of biofuel may be in our future. Scientists have recently reported that they have now determined the entire genome of a strain of bacteria that lives in the gut of a particular termite that is very efficient in converting cellulosic fibers into sugars they use for food.

These scientists hope this information will eventually help them engineer a process more efficient in making ethanol fuel.

Settled Science discusses a few of the many ways bacteria are helpful to all other living things and how man has already bred some strains to perform very important operations.

Source

Journal Nature, Dr. Eddy Rubin, Director Joint Genome Institute. November 23, 2007