The following is an edited excerpt.
University of Georgia researchers recently used the mighty Pyrococcus furiosus, which usually eats carbohydrates and lives in super-heated waters or volcanic marine mud. By toying with the genome-sequenced microorganism’s genetic material, they were able to make it eat carbon dioxide. After that, using hydrogen gas to form a chemical reaction in the microorganism, the researchers got the microorganism to produce 3-hydroxypropionic acid, a common chemical used in household products. Now the researchers are looking into turning the process into one that could eventually produce fuel.
Read the full article here: Scientists Engineer Extreme Microorganisms To Make Fuel From Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide