News

Scientists identify key to abundant and cost-effective bio-fuels

(7 June 2006)

With ever growing urgency to find alternative sources of sustainable and carbon neutral energy, a team of scientists believe they have found the key to making bio-fuels a viable option for future energy resources. The team from Durham University’s School of Biological and Biomedical Sciences has identified a particular plant gene which could significantly increase the yield of crop plants such as oil-seed rape, so that these crops could be used as bio-fuels or converted into bio-ethanol for use in vehicles.

The team has identified a gene in the weed Arabidopsis thaliana, commonly known as Thale Cress, which acts as a molecular switch; if ‘turned on’ in tissues like leaves and stems, this switch promotes the massive accumulation of starch and oil. These molecular switches activate the whole biosynthetic pathway, allowing significant production of raw materials for energy in areas of plant tissue other than the seed, which is where they usually accumulate. “It’s a win/win situation” comments Professor Keith Lindsey from Durham University “The production of energy from specially grown crops is 'carbon neutral' – the energy producing elements are made in the plant from carbon dioxide taken up from the air. Any CO2 released back into the atmosphere is only replacing that taken out to make the oils and starches in the first place, so there is no contribution to global warming.” Professor Lindsey continued: “With increased dependence on motorised transport, diminishing mineral resources and increased global warming means that governments around the world are turning their attention to a range of alternative fuel sources. Crop plants, such as oil seed rape, offer the potential for industrial-scale renewable energy supplies – vegetable oils can be converted to bio-diesel and starches to bio-ethanol, a petrol substitute. But land availability, demand on water and crop yields mean bio-fuels are still an expensive option – we believe we have found a way to make bio-fuels viable.” The beauty of this research is that it is not only applicable to bio-fuels – if the team can consistently identify these molecular switches it could have huge impact on crops grown for food, particularly increasing yields in countries where good agricultural land is sparse.