Posted on 05/06/2015 11:57:27 AM PDT by Red Badger
Washington State University researchers have found a way to make jet fuel from a common black fungus found in decaying leaves, soil and rotting fruit. The researchers hope the process leads to economically viable production of aviation biofuels in the next five years.
The researchers used Aspergillus carbonarius ITEM 5010 to create hydrocarbons, the chief component of petroleum, similar to those in aviation fuels.
Led by Birgitte Ahring, director and Battelle distinguished professor of the Bioproducts, Sciences and Engineering Laboratory at WSU Tri-cities, the researchers published their work in the April edition of Fungal Biology.
The fungus produced the most hydrocarbons on a diet of oatmeal but also created them by eating wheat straw or the non-edible leftovers from corn production. Fungi have been of interest for about a decade within biofuels production as the key producer of enzymes necessary for converting biomass to sugars. Some researchers further showed that fungi could create hydrocarbons, but the research was limited to a specific fungus living within a specific tree in the rainforest, and the actual hydrocarbon concentrations were not reported.
Ahring's group has previously been successful in using standard Aspergillus fungi to produce enzymes and other useful products, which have been patented and are under commercialization, so they decided to look into A. carbonarius ITEM 5010's potential for biofuels.
Fungi are complex microorganisms and are not always easy to work with, Ahring said. They have a complex biology that is often poorly understood.
"Not many people in this world actually do this,'' she said. "The molecular biology piece of it is complicated.''
The researchers were assisted by Kenneth Bruno, a researcher at the U.S. Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, who developed a method essential for the genetic manipulation of A. carbonarius. The research received funding from the Danish Council for Strategic Research under the program for Energy and Environment.
Using fungi for hydrocarbon and biofuels production is better than other methods because they do the work themselves, bypassing multiple complicated chemical processes required by other biofuel production methods. Fungi also have great potential to create the fuel at low cost, Ahring said.
She suspects the fungi produce hydrocarbons, large compounds that are costly for the organism to produce, as a protective mechanism. Her group showed that fungi react to bacterial attacks by increasing their hydrocarbon production.
The researchers are now working to optimize the fungi's hydrocarbon production and improve biochemical pathways through genetic engineering. They have obtained mutants with a higher production level and are working on improving these strains by using gene coding for specific hydrocarbons out of blue green bacteria and algae.
It's the same challenge faced by mold researchers, more than a generation ago, who found they could only produce a tiny amount of their product, Ahring said. Eventually, they optimized production of their product, which became known as antibiotics.
"It's very promising,'' she said. "I think that the fungus-based fuels are something that is going to happen. It's a tremendous opportunity. ''
Washington State University doctoral student Malavika Sinha, left, examines new mutant of Aspergillus carbonarius with researcher Birgitte Ahring. Credit: Washington State University
THERE IS A FUNGUS AMONGUS
has been entered into the record
Precluded by:
AT EASE, DISEASE!...................
strictly speaking, all fungi fall into the plant Kingdom.
Rocket Fuel! (NEVER eat raw mushrooms!)
(Hi Jack!)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydrazine
“Hydrazine ... is used in various rocket fuels and to prepare the gas precursors used in air bags. .”
http://www.toxipedia.org/display/toxipedia/Hydrazine
..Some nitrogen fixing bacteria may create hydrazine as a by-product while some derivatives (N-methyl-N-formylhydrazine and agaritine) have been obtained from edible mushrooms (Lunn et. al 1983).
and:
“The list of edible mushrooms considered safe for raw consumption is quite short. Even species commonly eaten raw, especially the ubiquitous button mushroom, Agaricus bisporus, have their drawbacks. Buttons, and many other edible mushrooms contain various hydrazines, a group of chemical compounds generally considered carcinogenic.”
I only go for the UDMH!
Raw edible mushrooms are filthy and dirty as well. They grow them in manure!...................................
I fell into the Plant Kingdom once....................poison ivy!......................
I wonder......can UDMH be used in an Internal Combustion engine?........................
Not sure what kind they were running.
Flashback Friday: The Story of the Leathal Fuel Called Hydrazine
http://www.dragzine.com/news/flashback-friday-the-story-of-the-leathal-fuel-called-hydrazine/
Drag racing pioneers or suicidal nutjobs?
https://euclidsbridge.wordpress.com/2011/11/21/drag-racing-pioneers-or-suicidal-nutjobs/
Running with the Big H
http://www.draglist.com/stories/SOD%20Jun%202001/SOD-062601.htm
Doug was still grinning when we got back to the trailer and he ran around to the trunk of the ‘63 Chevy tow car and whipped it open. After rummaging through piles of dirty clothes left over from the trip up from Texas he produced a pint can that had a skull & cross bones on the front with the words “danger hydrazine.” I said, “What’s that stuff”? Doug just grinned wider and said, “You’ll see”.” The Fuel dragster guys use this down in Texas. Bobby Langley sold it to me. He says it’ll make this thing fly. You just use a cap full in the tank and give it a shake.” I said, “OK, let’s give it whirl.” Like I said, young and dumb.
We topped off the tank and pushed to the starting line once more. This time Doug opened the trunk just before we got the go ahead from the starter and dumped in the “H.” We pushed off, got up oil pressure and fired the motor, Man, I thought it was loud before. This time it sounded like machine gums were going off right under my ass. I pulled to the line and when the light changed I drilled the pedal and the tires erupted into smoke and the car lurched forward. I was in the left lane this time and the transition was not as bad so the car only wiggled a little and I kept my foot in it all the way down. The chute hit a lot harder that time so I knew we were going faster. I was right, 9.52 at 172 mph.
When we got back to the tow car, we were greeted by the officials. It seems they had just remembered that NHRA had a fuel ban on and they thought perhaps we had better not make anymore runs like that last one. We agreed to calm it down but the weatherman decided the issue with a downpour that ended the race day.
That ‘story’ sounds a little suspect.
Pouring a ‘cap full’ of hydrazine into a tank of regular gasoline would take some time to disperse throughout the fuel and even longer to make it through the fuel pump and lines to the carburetor/injectors unless it was a very small tank and a high volume pumping system.......................
That’s why you gotta shake it up a little!
Izzat why they are called ‘TOP FUEL’ dragsters?.............cap/top................B^)
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.