Scientists eye using yeast to make biofuel

Scientists eye using yeast to make biofuel
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A research group at Chulalongkorn University has genetically modified a bacteria pressure to increase its capacity to produce a lot of body fat, which could then be further developed and used to make biodiesel for aircraft.

The CU- TPD4 pressure of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae ( S. cerevisiae ), which is usually used in making beer and food, has been genetically engineered so it can make and keep body fat accounting for 20- 25 % of arid body tissues, said Prof Warawut Chulalaksananukul, professor and researcher at the Department of Botany of Chulalongkorn’s Faculty of Science.

Utilizing this type of bacteria in the production of large quantities of biofuel may help reduce the volume of gardening biomass, which is typically burned by careless farmers and causes fog issues, he said.

He claimed that this just developed strain of bacteria could be used to make biodiesel fuel.

More benefits can be obtained from using candida to create a biodiesel than from using a plant. It has a much shorter lifestyle course than flowers, can be grown by many methods, is cheaper and requires less labour”, he said. It makes it much easier to produce biofuel of the same kind produced using grow oil, while also demonstrating its safety and environmental credentials.

The study project is simultaneously funded by the National Research Council of Thailand and a Thai-Chinese assistance program on solar electricity, which focuses on the development of novel microbial lipid production and bio-refinery of jet fuel from carbon resources, he said.

The research team consists of an assistant professor in the department at Chulalongkorn, Chompunuch Glinwong, three Thai PhD candidates in the department, a researcher at the National Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology ( Biotec) and a group of Chinese researchers.

The three Thai PhD candidates are Nattha Chuengcharoenphanit, Wannaphon Watsunthon and Thanaphong Tangwanaphrai, while the Biotec researcher is Surisa Suwannarangsee.

Profs. Zhongming Wang and Wei Qi from the Chinese Academy of Science’s Guangzhou Institute of Energy Conversion lead the Chinese team.