MIT YEAST RESEARCH ADVANCES BIOFUEL ALTERNATIVES TO GASOLINE

摘要

In the search for renewable alternatives to gasoline, heavy alcohols, such as isobutanol, are promising candidates. They contain more energy than ethanol, and they are more compatible with existing gasoline based infrastructure. For isobutanol to become practical, however, scientists need a way to reliably produce large quantities of it inexpensively from renewable sources. Historically, researchers have tried to decrease isobutanol production in yeast, because it can ruin the flavor of wine and beer. New approaches are now being sought to achieve the opposite results. Researchers at MIT in Cambridge, Massachusetts, have devised a way to dramatically boost isobutanol production in yeast, which naturally make it in small amounts.