How could Microorganisms Run Cars

Today people often talk about the gas prices and how high they are. Most people wish the prices would go down. Instead of waiting for the gas prices to go down you could use an alternative fuel like bacteria. Even though you wouldn’t expect it, Bacteria have the power to run a car.

You may ask how could this be? Well there is a bacterium called Cyanothece that has the strange ability to produce Oxygen during day and Nitrogen during night. Scientists have learned to extract the materials of this bacterium as Ethanol. (how could bactiria run our cars, warm our homes) The Ethanol can be burned and therefore creating an alternative fuel source. But is Ethanol the best fuel source made from bacteria.

Actually no, Biobutanol is more powerful and made easier.  Scientists have discovered a way to use microorganisms to produce Biobutanol. Biobutanol is better than Ethanol in many ways. It has higher energy content, is easier to produce and is less corrosive. (Biobutanol) Another great advantage of Biobutanol is that it reduces Carbon emissions that go into the atmosphere. Besides Biobutanol there is normal butanol that is easy to collect and as crazy as it sounds it can be collected any bacterium. (Turning bacteria into butanol biofuel factories) Butanol is another alternative fuel that is almost the same as Biobutanol.

Have you ever gone to an ocean and seen that green stuff growing on rocks under water? That green stuff may be Algae. Algae could also be a reliable fuel source. Especially since its renewable because it can just re-grow and sometimes you can find it in large amounts. It could prove to be very useful. (Cars could run on algae 'within a few years' – Telegraph)

In conclusion these things could all one day run our cars and what do they all have in common? Bacteria produce them. So one day on the future our cars could technically run on bacteria.

            Bibliography

Biobutanol. (n.d.). Retrieved April 23, 2012, from About.com: http://alternativefuels.about.com/od/thedifferenttypes/a/biobutanol.htm

how could bactiria run our cars, warm our homes. (n.d.). Retrieved april 17, 2012, from PHYS.org: http://phys.org/news79725028.html

"Cars could run on algae 'within a few years' - Telegraph." Telegraph.co.uk - Telegraph online, Daily Telegraph, Sunday Telegraph - Telegraph. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Apr. 2012. <http://www.telegraph.co.uk/expat/expatnews/6405709/Cars-could-run-on-algae-within-a-few-years.html>.

"Turning bacteria into butanol biofuel factories." Phys.Org - Science News, Technology, Physics, Nanotechnology, Space Science, Earth Science, Medicine. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Apr. 2012. <http://phys.org/news/2011-03-bacteria-butanol-biofuel-factories.html>.