Researchers have copied the way organisms produce toxic chemicals without harming themselves, paving the way for greener chemical and fuel production.
Researchers have copied the way organisms produce toxic chemicals without harming themselves, paving the way for greener chemical and fuel production.
The new technique, pioneered by Imperial College London scientists, could reduce the need to use fossil fuels to create chemicals, plastics, fibres and fuels.
Currently, many useful chemicals are produced from fossil fuels, which require mining, are of limited supply, and disrupt the carbon cycle. An alternative is to engineer microorganisms like Escherichia coli (E. coli) and cyanobacteria to more sustainably produce the chemicals directly from atmospheric carbon dioxide.
However, many of the chemicals that can be produced this way are toxic to the microorganisms, reducing their ability to make large quantities in a cost-effective way.
Read more at Imperial College London
