Team:MIT
Project
Project Overview
The environmental benefits of biodiesel are numerous. To be truly renewable, fatty acid ethyl esters (FAEEs) should be used for biodiesel production, but currently only natural gas dependent fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs) are used for the industrial production of biodiesel. Bacterial co-cultures can be designed to produce FAEEs from cellulose, but they are unstable and require significant maintenance. We are genetically modifying two species of bacteria to grow in a metabolically linked, self-regulating co-culture that will ultimately serve as the central component of a stable bioreactor for the production of biodiesel. From this research, we are able to produce biodiesel with an stable, environmentally cautious, and economically feasible method. In the future, we how to expand this project so that it is more attainable on an industrial scale.
Coculture
C. Hutch
Modeling
Biofuel Production
Circuitry
Economic Considerations