Morgan BellMaking diesel from mushrooms
November 11th 2008 20:25
Straight up - researches found a fungus that lives on a tree that produces something they call 'myco-diesel' - a fuel that resembles diesel, but is produced by this fungus.
The discovery was found by Montana State University researcher, Gary Strobel, who found the fungus in a Patagonian rainforest. I'm not sure how you 'stumble' on something like this, though... was he just really tired, leant on a tree then said 'What the hell is this on my hand?'
If so, that's the most exciting kind of science. More people in history should ask 'What the @#$ is this @#$! on my hand?', then go and find out!
While Strobel is indifferent to the commercialization aspect, he's really interested in the idea that microbes could make fuel... could we harness their DNA to make giant organic vats of foul-smelling diesel production?
It reminds me of the Dune series of novels, written by Frank Herbet... the Tleilaxu were a strange alien species, deviated from humans, that had mastered genetic science, and provided the galaxy with odd creations. We're moving to that direction, though, hopefully, we won't be as monstrous as the Tleilaxu.
"Another promising aspect is that the fungus can grow in cellulose.
"That's the most common organic molecule on earth," Scott Strobel said. "It's all around us, everywhere."
Scientists in a variety of disciplines should be able to work together to optimize production and find a way to turn what is essentially a vapor into a burnable, liquid fuel, he added."
it is a promising direction, the idea that we could use these microbe tanks to produce fuel from discarded cellulose: the carrot peels and rotten lettuce that you throw away, byproducts of manufacturing... it'd be a fantastic technology to reuse things that we consider garbage.
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Comment by Earl Leonard
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It'd be great if it ran off waste, but what kind of waste? It's an important question!
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Comment by Lilla
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It is always curious to me as to where my mouse takes me on any given day I *surf* orble randomly ... it has become one of my favourite 1 hour pastimes.
Anyewho, I was led here ... and note with interest this fascinating story on mushrooms, coincidentaly (?) having cut and harvested and transformed dozens last night in my dreams ... curious and curiouser said the smiling stripey cat
The tropical top end could produce enough fuel to power Australia and beyond, as you would say; *ten kinds of brilliant!*
Lilla...
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