The age of the internet may be making much of the printed press redundant, but there is still one good use of newspapers; as a source of biofuel.
Scientists at Tulane University, in New Orleans, have discovered a novel strain of bacteria they call ‘TU-103’ that feeds on paper to produce butanol. The researchers are currently experimenting with old copies of a local New Orleans paper called The Times-Picayune with great success.
Tulane University has now applied for a patent for a method to produce the biofuel butanol from organic material, a process developed by associate professor David Mullin, pictured right, postdoctoral fellow Harshad Velankar, center, and undergraduate student Hailee Rask.
TU-103 is unique because it is thought to be the first bacterial strain from nature found to producesbutanol directly from cellulose.
“Cellulose is found in all green plants and is the most abundant organic material on earth. Converting it into butanol is the dream of many,” says Harshad Velankar. “In the United States alone, at least 323 million tons of cellulosic materials that could be used to produce butanol are thrown out each year.”
Mullin’s lab first identified TU-103 in animal droppings, cultivated it and developed a method for using it to produce butanol.
Mullins explains that TU-103 is the only known butanol-producing clostridial strain that can grow and produce butanol in the presence of oxygen, which kills other butanol-producing bacteria. Having to produce butanol in an oxygen-free space increases the costs of production.
As a biofuel, butanol is better to ethanol (commonly produced from corn because it can readily fuel existing motor vehicles without any modifications to the engine. It also can be transported through existing fuel pipelines, is less corrosive and contains more energy than ethanol. Plus, when produced in this manner, it uses waste products such as newspaper, whereas ethanol is often produced from food sources, creating social, environmental and land-use conflicts.
