Jun 19 2008Sure, Why Not?: Altering Bacteria To Produce "Renewable Petroleum"
First the diesel tree, and now oil bacteria. Several companies in Silicon Valley are racing to produce bacteria capable of excreting oil (black gold, Texas tea).
What is most remarkable about what they are doing is that instead of trying to reengineer the global economy - as is required, for example, for the use of hydrogen fuel - they are trying to make a product that is interchangeable with oil. The company claims that this "Oil 2.0" will not only be renewable but also carbon negative - meaning that the carbon it emits will be less than that sucked from the atmosphere by the raw materials from which it is made.
Hey, I'm all for it. And as you can see from the picture there, it's a fairly simple process to raise the bacteria. It just takes is a couple of 16oz Coke bottles, an atomic bomb, and what is either a really fancy coffee maker or a hot-air popcorn popper. You attach all the components with some plastic tubing, add some electricity, and presto, the lab explodes.
Hit the link for a much more in-depth article.
Scientists find bugs that eat waste and excrete oil [timesonline]
Related Stories
Coming Soon: The Air Car Pod (11/04/2008)
Lookin' Sharp: Periodic Sweater Of Elements (08/13/2009)
It Buuuuuurns!: India To Make Chili Grenades (06/26/2009)
Reader Comments
1. Julian - June 19, 2008 3:00 PM
meh . . . I'm not big on helping the environment. I say if the planet is so big and blue and is constantly flaunting it, then why doesn't it solve its own damn problems. I have problems too. I can't get a date without a penis but does that mean that I go to scientists and tell them to make me an anti penis dating pill? no It just means I end up spending $400 in a strip club every week trying to pick up strippers and end the night getting my ass kicked by the bouncer!
2. Dan - June 19, 2008 3:31 PM
OWNED! second!!!!!!
3. Kris Raney - June 19, 2008 3:32 PM
So how great will it be for the environment if some of these bacteria escape into the wild?
4. Momboelitist - June 19, 2008 3:34 PM
Yahtzee!!!!
5. Jason - June 19, 2008 3:53 PM
Come on, Kris, that could never happen. You need more blind faith in science... what has ever gone wrong with scientific meddling? Besides, if the bacteria escape and start filling the world with toxic sludge, science will simply create bacteria that convert oil sludge into strawberries or something.
6. Rich - June 19, 2008 4:28 PM
Have that bacteria convert the sludge into cotton-candy or puppies and you've got a deal.
7. Sly - June 19, 2008 5:47 PM
Forget the bacteria- I'm interested in that jar! Not only do the contents defy gravity, but somehow a thumb can cover the whole bottom while it clearly take several finger to hold the top...
Don't trust the jar!
8. Sly - June 19, 2008 5:48 PM
fingers, it's fingerS..plural, yaknow?
9. Sid - June 19, 2008 7:27 PM
Sign me up!
10. tmhs - June 19, 2008 8:44 PM
It's OILX!
11. Cake - June 19, 2008 9:16 PM
"First the diesel tree, and now oil bacteria. Several companies in Silicon Valley are racing to produce bacteria capable of excreting oil (black gold, Texas tea)."
hmmmm....i think the writer has seen the "The Beverly Hillbillies".
12. Mr V - June 19, 2008 9:54 PM
I wanted to make an intelligent post but then read the other comments and realised it would be a combo breaker.
13. Joey - June 20, 2008 12:50 AM
Looks crude to me.
14. TommyP - June 20, 2008 4:01 AM
Modern day alchemy.
15. The Kilted Yaksman - June 20, 2008 9:50 AM
Looks just like the alien/virus Black Oil from The X-Files. We're all f***ing doomed.
16. SmokingGirl - June 20, 2008 10:26 AM
Drill here, drill now, pay less.
This is still pretty neat in a "you're so right #15, it does look like the X-Files stuff" sort of way.
17. JohnnyIrish - June 20, 2008 12:57 PM
God I'm tired of trendy internet tech words being overused and thrown around by people to sound important.. those people can suck my big blogroll 2.0!
18. Veta - June 20, 2008 1:21 PM
Hmm interesting.
Why don't they put all that knowledge into trying to produce replicators?
And what's wrong with changing the global economy?
19. guate6 - June 22, 2008 5:50 PM
#7: good call.
20. marrilliondillion - December 21, 2008 4:53 AM
hmmm. so now our cars will run on bacteria shit. can`t wait to smell those emmisions.