"Genetic engineering" comes after years of human genome research at the molecular level. Much work had to researchers around the world to learn to "cut and paste" DNA sequences, so you can transfer genetic material responsible for certain desirable properties for a custom product. It required, among other research, the discovery of plasmids, small DNA elements used as vectors to transport genes, certain tools such as restriction endonuclease enzymes, real scissors specific DNA cutting enzymes and DNA ligases, glue for gene insertion cut.
In early 1973, Stanley N. Cohen and Annie C.Y. Chang of Stanford University and Herbert W. Boyer and Robert H. Helling of the University of San Francisco conducted the first genetic engineering experiment by using a technique known as recombinant DNA. Inserted into bacteria, plasmids containing genes resistant to antibiotics tetracycline and kanamycin. Then subjected to bacteria in culture plates to the action of antibiotics. As expected, most died. Only survived those genetically engineered to resist antibiotics. Genetic engineering was born and with it modern biotechnology.
Today it is accepted that the human genetic map consists of 25,000 genes. From your knowledge sparked a race to decipher the genetic code of different plant and animal species. In less than 10 years knowledge of genes of living systems rose from 25,000 to 60 million genes!
In the path of biofuels production fotobioquímica highlights the use of microalgae processing of environmental carbon dioxide into oil for biodiesel production. The algae grow extremely rapidly establishing itself as a source of biomass for biofuel production at the global replacement of current demand for fossil fuels. They also offer, through its cultivation in pools or tanks, the possibility of generating marginal in geographic areas with few natural resources.
The key ingredient for the growth of algae is carbon dioxide, water and certain nutrients. Are in their final stage integrated projects in which water is recycled, mineral nutrients, both nitrate and phosphate are obtained by adding water in a 2% human urine and carbon dioxide it is obtained from the chimneys of the big companies such as cement or generating electricity.
The possibility of producing biofuels on a large scale alternative has several drawbacks. Thus in the case of microalgae, it is sembralas (Example: 2000 pools of 40 x 100 x 0.3 meters), harvesting, drying, oil extraction and esterification with methanol or ethanol to produce biodiesel.
After the pools would have to replant, which requires a parallel structure of seaweed farming. If harvested only 50% of them, this parallel structure would not be necessary, but not all have the same stadium and average amount of oil.
If through genetic engineering they could be modified to generate one-step biodiesel or octane (gasoline), on land not suitable for crops (desert) and consuming large amounts of carbon dioxide would be faced with a system that could easily replace advantageously the current renewable and maintaining the environmental balance.
A pioneer on the subject was John R. Coleman of the Department of Botany, University of Toronto, Canada. In 1999 he published jointly with Ming-De Deng's work Ethanol Synthesis by Genetic Engineering in Cyanobacteria.La cyanobacteria is blue-green microalgae. They incorporated, through genetic engineering, the genes that produce pyruvate decarboxylase and alcohol dehydrogenase extracted from the bacterium Zymomonas mobilis. The result is that the micro-algae as it grows and reproduces itself directly produces ethanol. This gave birth today, by patent, to Algenol Biofuels, which produces ethanol using the above technology. Biofuels Algenol recently partnered with Dow Chemical to build and operate a pilot plant consisting of 3,100 horizontal bioreactor for up to 4,000 liters.
In 2006 from a research "Microdiesel: Escherichia coli engineered for fuel production in the journal Microbiology, Rainer Kalscheuer, Torsten AlexanderSteinbüchel Stölting and the Institut für Molekulare Mikrobiologie und Biotechnologie of Germany, was inserted to the bacterium E. Coli producing genes of pyruvate decarboxylase and alcohol dehydrogenase of bacteria extracted from Zymomonas mobilis, but added the gene for Acinetobacter bacteria that produces an acyltransferase baylyi. The result is amazing. Biodiesel is obtained directly in one step. This development is continued later in the Joint BioEnergy Institute JBEI-U.S., becoming one of the three projects funded by the Department of Energy of the United States. Today the company Amyris, featured as seventh among the 10 most innovative biotech companies in 2009, plans to begin production of biodiesel on a large scale in 2011.
The star of genetic biofuels is Synthetic Genomics, founded by the renowned Dr. J. Craig Venter, is currently conducting research to modify genetically engineered to directly produce microalgae for both octane (gasoline) how biodiesel. Exxon Mobil is associated in the development and provided $ 600 million to accelerate the project. Any bet the future. Synthetic Genomics was highlighted as the second most innovative biotech company in 2009
The help of genetic engineering for production of fuels in a single step seems to tip the balance toward the side of biofuels at the expense of electric cars. The market for electric cars will cover a small percentage of the market for vehicles due to limitations such as non-renewable resources of materials to make batteries (nickel, lithium).
Genetic biofuels have enormous potential in the context of the bioeconomy. If genetic modification is performed on microalgae, you do not need land suitable for cultivation, seeded in pools or bioreactors can be utilized desert lands and salt water. Need for developing large amounts of carbon dioxide, allowing a balance between the proceeds due to the use of biofuel and high demand for the cultivation of microalgae. All these benefits must be added to obtain the biofuel directly, in one step, which avoids complex and significantly decreases installation costs.
No hay comentarios:
Publicar un comentario