Bacteria convert newspapers into engine fuel

As newspapers continue to suffer from decline in subscriptions due to the changing times, US-based scientists have found a better, more helpful use for them by converting the used ones into a substance capable of running cars. By cultivating a novel strain of bacteria found in animal excrement, scientists from the Tulane University in New Orleans were able to butanol, a known biofuel that can substitute gasoline in vehicles. First known bacteria of its kind The bacterial strain, dubbed "TU-103," is the first known bacteria of its kind that produces the substance directly from cellulose, an organic compound found in all green plants. "[Cellulose] is the most abundant organic material on earth, and converting it into butanol is the dream of many," said Harshad Velankar, a postdoctoral fellow in Tulane’s Department of Cell and Molecular Biology. The bacteria, cultivated in the laboratory of David Mullin, is said to be the only known butanol-producing clostridial strain which can produce butanol in the presence of oxygen. Other butanol-producing bacteria, the scientists noted, usually die off in the presence of oxygen, that is why butanol produced in oxygen-free spaces usually costs higher. “This discovery could reduce the cost to produce bio-butanol," said Mullin. “In addition to possible savings on the price per gallon, as a fuel, bio-butanol produced from cellulose would dramatically reduce carbon dioxide and smog emissions in comparison to gasoline, and have a positive impact on landfill waste." 323 million tons of potential fuel In the US alone, some 323 million tons of "cellulosic" materials—complex carbohydrates used in manufacturing paper—that can be used to produce butanol are being thrown out each year, the scientists stressed. As a biofuel, the scientists said butanol is superior to ethanol because it can be used readily in most motor vehicles without having to modify the engine. Additionally, butanol can be transported using existing fuel pipes and contains more energy than ethanol, which would mean improved mileage for cars. — TJD, GMA News