New 'mighty bug' boosts cellulosic ethanol production

Biofuel advocates are touting news that a team of researchers has engineered a new bacteria that will dramatically cut the costs of producing cellulosic ethanol.

The new bug, known as ALK2, can ferment the sugars in cellulosic biomass at a higher temperature than more conventional bacteria, reducing the need for costly enzymes to produce ethanol, according scientists writing  in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science.

- David Adams