April 4, 2012 –
Bioengineering and Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering professor Jay Keasling and his team of researchers have developed a biological sensor system that stimulates bacteria to produce more sustainable amounts of biofuel.
Keasling and his team of UC Berkeley researchers report that the genetic sensor provides the means for bacteria to be more self-aware, and to adjust their gene expression in response to varying levels of resources in order to achieve stable ongoing production of biofuels.
Keasling’s sensor allows the bacteria to find a balance between the available components, which has increased the amount of biodesel produced by 28%. The findings are a significant step to making biofuels more mainstream.
Read the full article on technologyreview.com