Fill your gas tank with fungus fuel? It sounds far-fetched, but it could be a promising alternative to fossil fuel. A Montana State University professor has found a fungus from the Patagonia rainforest that produces a new type of diesel fuel. Other simple organisms such as algae have been known to make chemicals similar to hydrocarbons in transport fuel, but this fungus could do even better than that.

Emeritus plant pathologist Gary Strobel, who 15 years ago discovered the fungus that contained the anticancer drug Taxol, found that this new discovery, called Gliocladium roseum, is capable of producing gases. Further testing of the fungus revealed a number of compounds normally associated with diesel fuel, which is obtained from crude oil. The initial observations of the fungus' output, which Prof. Strobel calls “myco-diesel” were published in this month's issue of Microbiology. The abstract can be read here.

The gas composition of G. roseum included hydrocarbons and hydrocarbon derivatives. A spoonful of the stuff could run a diesel engine with further refining or modifications to it. “The results were totally unexpected and very exciting,” says Prof. Strobel. “Almost every hair on my arms stood on end.”

Prof. Strobel travels the world looking for plants that may contain beneficial microbes and first collected a variety of specimens, including the G. roseum, from the Patagonia rainforest in 2002. He kept the G. roseum in storage until last year when he finally had time to work on it. While he hopes that myco-diesel could be an option for those seeking alternatives to other biofuels like ethanol, the big question remains of whether the microbe can be scaled up to commercial levels.

The findings have led Strobel to even speculate that organisms such as G. roseum may be responsible for the world’s crude oil deposits. This is quite a departure from the traditional theory – that oil is only produced when decaying organic matter is subjected to pressure and millions of years. An intriguing possibility, but for the time being scientists have their hands full trying to figure out how to turn these volatile, oily vapors into biofuel.

Via NPR, The Guardian, Montana State University

In a move that seems to fall somewhere between greenwashing and legitimate green progress, the South Florida Regional Transportation Authority recently announced that its Tri-Rail regional transit lines would be running 8 out of its 10 trains on a nearly pure blend of biofuels. Let’s consider the pro’s and con’s.

First of all, any press is good press, as they say. Especially when we’re talking about a public institution such as a transit authority, whose endorsement of biodiesel seems more significant and far-reaching than, say, Willie Nelson’s. Plus, the fuel is cleaner than standard diesel. It emits less carbon monoxide, fewer particulates and pollutes less overall. If biodiesel spills and soaks into the ground, it is far more benign than old fashioned diesel. And, surprisingly, biodiesel is currently 30 cents/gallon cheaper than the competition.

My main complaint here is that the biodiesel comes from palm and soy sources. This might make some sense if the palm oil is produced locally (though I’m not even sure it does), but food crops-turned fuel crops such as these have been largely condemned by the green community as unsustainable solutions which aggravate food prices across the globe.

As an aside, the SFRTA’s report mentions that Florida is one of the only places where such biofuels could be implemented, because of its temperate climate. I’m assuming they mean that this biodiesel would not function at lower temperatures, perhaps due to congealing or freezing. Perhaps one of you readers can shed light on the issue…

Via Gas 2.0, SFRTA