The EPA has recently approved a clean energy development from the company Joule that is truly the first of its kind. Joule developed a bacterium that is genetically modified to consume carbon dioxide and produce ethanol. This development could be a major step forward for the next generation of biofuel work.
In developing this bacterium, Joule is aiming to simplify the process of creation of biofuels such as ethanol. Many processes for creating biofuel require extensive harvesting and refining with mechanical and chemical intervention, and those processes can result in the overall product being extremely expensive, making it unrealistic as a sustainable source of alternative energy. This bacterium replaces mechanical processes with the natural process of photosynthesis, effectively cutting out the human middleman.
Joule’s new system has multiple benefits. First, it can easily produce ethanol, which can be used as an alternative to oil and other fossil fuels. Second, it can also be used to help reduce carbon dioxide in waste form.