Korean scientists developed a bacterium that can produce ethanol about 20 percent more than other similar microbes, paving the way for cheaper production of the alternative fuel. Microgen Inc., a Seoul-based biotech firm, yesterday said its research team had completely decoded genes of an alcohol-making bacterium called Zymomonas mobilis for the first time ever. The researchers used the knowledge to create a new breed of the bacterium with a higher production capability than its relatives. The scientists said this "Super Alcohol Bacterium" will help develop a cheaper and more efficient method to produce ethanol, a fuel that could replace gasoline in the near future.
"We will continue this research further to build a bioreactor that can quickly produce ethanol out of natural materials such as corn and timber," said Suh Jung-sun, the company's CEO. The research report will appear today on the U.S. journal Nature's Web site. The article is also scheduled for publication in the magazine's January edition.
Ethanol is hailed as a completely renewable and environmentally friendly fuel. Energy experts believe that along with other alternative fuels such as hydrogen, it will help reduce the world's dependency on oil. Ethanol fuel is already available in countries such as the United States as a mixture with a small amount of gasoline. Last year, the United States produced more than 10.6 billion liters of ethanol. Experts believe the figure will rise to 18.9 billion liters by 2012. Microgen officials said the study was conducted in tandem with the medical school of Seoul National University. The company plans to seek a patent on the technology with the Korean government, as well as an international one. Formed in 1997, Microgen has mainly supplied transgenic mice to medical laboratories nationwide. It also develops DNA chips that can locate a certain DNA at very low concentrations. |