Are Extreme Bacteria The Secret To A Clean Fuel Source?

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Are Extreme Bacteria The Secret To A Clean Fuel Source?

In the deep recesses of the ocean, there are bacteria that could be the key to creating a new, sustainable fuel source. Learning how these little bugs make their own energy might lead to cleaner fuel for the rest of us.

"Biology is the best chemist out there," said Harvard scientist Pamela Silver. The U.S. Department of Energy funds Silver's research exploring the use of deep-ocean extremophiles to create new biofuels. She described the bacteria she works with as being “like little batteries” that “move electrons around.” Silver's goal is to genetically program these ocean bacteria to recover carbon from air or water and process it into fuel.

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