Biological Science in the News #4 - Assignment Example

Created: 05-13 5:30 AM Level: Undergraduate Grade: Guaranteed 2 Standard (Normal Charge); Pages Style: MLA Country: Sources: 1Language Style: English (U.S.) Biological Science in the News #4Project descriptionYou can use any Biology related article from the website with this layout:DefineKorean scientists developed new technology of the gasoline production using metabolic engineering of Escherichia coli. It permits to obtain 580 mg per liter of cultured broth by converting in vivo generated fatty acid.

The scientists hope that this technology will be a basis for the production of gasoline or other chemicals from the renewable sources.AnalyzeIndustry and transport depends on the sources of fossil fuels. As the oil is non-renewable energy source, production of fuels from biomass becomes important. However, production of biodiesel from plant oils is controversial because of so-called “food-versus-fuel” debate. The using of non-food biomass for gasoline production is more preferable. Previous studies showed the possibility of obtaining long-chain alkanes containing 13-17 carbon atoms.

The new strategy of microbial gasoline production give opportunity to get fatty acid derivatives that are shorter comparing normal intracellular fatty acid metabolites. The presented strategy introduces a novel synthetic pathway for the biosynthesis of short-chain alkanes. This can be the basis for obtaining gasoline, as well as other compounds like short-chain fatty esters and short-chain fatty alcohols.ResolveWill the presented strategy permit to get huge amounts of gasoline? What are the prospects for the increasing of product yield?

Is it possible to pass from the laboratory experiments to the industrial use of this technology in the nearest time? What are the mains renewable sources for obtaining gasoline?What are the waste products of such technology? What amounts of waste products will be derived? What approaches could be used for the waste management?What amounts of energy are used for obtaining of 1 liter of gasoline? Was energy consumption for production of gasoline by metabolically-engineered microorganism less than energy consumption during oil refining?

EvaluateGasoline production by microorganisms could be one of the possible sources of fossil fuel production. The advantage of this strategy is processing of non-food biomass. However, the amount of obtained hydrocarbons is relatively small. Further researches should be aimed on the increasing of product yield. I personally think that the presented strategy change the dependence from oil into dependence from biomass gasoline. The using of developed strategy for obtaining of other compounds is more preferable.

Yong Jun Choi & Sang Yup Lee. “Microbial production of short-chain alkanes.” Nature (2013): 502, 571–574. 29 September 2013. Web. 11 May 2014