A group of researchers in Berkeley, California produced an E. Coli strain that can break down and ferment alginate to produce ethanol. The Enschericia coli which was specifically designed to help in synthesizing ethanol directly from the macroalgae thru CBP or consolidated process and achieving roughly 80% of the possible maximum yield.

Seaweed as macroalgae is more commonly known has a number of properties which make it a suitable feedstock for chemicals and renewable fuels. It has a good amount of sugar in it, no need for fertilizer, fresh water or farmland. There will also be no issue about food versus fuel issue when you use the seaweed to make fuel.

The researchers also note that the seaweed does not contain lignin which allows simple operations like crushing or milling to release the sugars in them. About 60% of the biomass of seaweed is sugar with roughly 50% of that as alginate.

The scientists were able to come up with a process to metabolize the component alginate of the seaweed. Among the most significant discovery was the fragment of DNA from Vibrio splendidus, a bacterium, which has enzymes that help with alginate metabolism and transport. The proponents of the research capitalized on this property and use it to build a platform to degrade and eventually metabolize alginate.

The microbial platform is broken into shorter fragments using a lyase from the cells of the bacterirum. These fragments are then carried to the E.Coli using the properties of the fragment that came from mthe splendidus.. Other properties of the genes from splendidus help metabolize the alginate and help convert them to building blocks, this is the stage where Zymomonas mobilis step up to produce ethanol.

The research body from California was a receipient of a grant from the Department of Energy of the United States.

Ford and Alternative Fuels are starting to prove to be a winning combination. For has been trying to expand the use of E85 throughout the Midwest this year. In its partnership with VeraSun energy they are trying to increase the availability of E85 to several states around the area as well.

While that is going on Ford and Alternative Fuels are making new advancements in other bio-fuels as well. Ford is trying to focus on bio-eathanol, bio-desel, and natural gas methods. Combining Ford and Alternative Fuels is a chance to keep Ford alive in the competitive car market out there. Ford is trying to get these projects underway in Ireland, the UK, Spain, Italy, and the Netherlands. With Ford teetering on the brink of extinction they are trying to remain the pace setting bio-fuel car in Europe.

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