NREL study new type of biofuel produced from genetically engineered bacteria

In Colorado, while the demand for climate-warming fuels like petroleum and diesel is expected to peak before 2030, the global energy demand for alternative fuels to power vehicles to transport people, goods, and services will grow rapidly in the coming years. Researchers at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) recently studied whether a new type of biofuel, produced by genetically engineered bacteria, could be part of the solution.

To fill the gap between demand and production of biodiesel, finding new feedstocks and methods for production of biomass-based diesel is a top priority. NREL’s fuels and combustion researchers are leading efforts to identify whether these discoveries can safely and appropriately meet the need.

NREL researchers, in partnership with ExxonMobil, investigated the properties of a new type of biofuel made by E. coli bacteria engineered to feed on sugar to produce fatty acid methyl esters (FAME), which are similar to the compounds that make up biodiesels. The bacteria, engineered by biotechnology company Genomatica, made a unique FAME with properties that made it different from conventional biodiesel made from, for example, soybean oil. NREL’s partners wanted to know whether the new fuel had any advantages relative to conventional biodiesel or if there were any performance issues.

NREL’s fuels and combustion researchers recently published two papers detailing their findings on these different properties—and showing why such fundamental research is a necessary step to creating well-vetted, reliable, and appropriate new vehicle fuels to hasten the clean energy transition.