Engineering Commons^™

Modification Of Pathways With Pseudomonas For The Extraction And Subsequent Conversion Of Algae To Butanol, Danielle Frechette

Biological and Agricultural Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

As the demand for alternative fuels steadily increases, algae continue to be an excellent source for the development of biofuels. While algae have exhibited substantial potential for butanol production, there are limitations when it comes to the extraction process-its inability to withdraw oils and sugars usable for fermentation from cell walls. The genes of two bacteria were combined, creating a new organism that can both extract sugars and oils from algal cell walls and create butanol, simplifying the fermentation process while increasing efficiency. Pseudomonas flourescens, an obligate aerobe, has been shown in literature to degrade these cell walls to make …