Researchers with the U.S. Department of Energy’s Joint BioEnergy
Institute (JBEI) have engineered the first strains of e.coli
bacteria that can digest switchgrass biomass and synthesize its
sugars into gasoline, diesel and jet fuel. And all without
having to add expensive enzyme additives. The upshot? The cost
of switchgrass-based biofuel could be greatly reduced and help
it compete with fossil fuel-based transportation fuels. JBEI CEO
Jay Keasling explained in a recent announcement the use of
e.coli has allowed researchers to “reduce fuel production costs
by consolidating two steps — depolymerizing cellulose and
hemicellulose into sugars and fermenting the sugars into fuels —
into a single step or one-pot operation.” This research
milestone, which was announced two weeks ago, comes at a time
when switchgrass continues to gain credibility as a viable next-
generation cellulosic feedstock. A new research review published
today in GCB Bioenergy not only confirms the viability of
switchgrass, but adds that it may