Using Organisms to Create Valuable Chemicals

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People often ask what the world will do when petroleum runs out. I believe we have a very long way to go before all of the petroleum runs out (well into the hundreds of years) but the answer to the question is close.


“Normally, organisms create waste products as they consume food sources to grow,” Smith said. “What we’re trying to do is reprogram them to make a product, such as adipic acid, instead.

“There are thousands of alternative ways a micro-organism can process feedstocks, so this is really a bit like a road-building project. Sometimes you have to widen the path; sometimes you have to detour traffic.

“If we can find a way to ‘teach’ them to take the best route toward making a high- value product from a lower-cost feed- stock, the implications are significant.”

“If you can get billions of these single-celled organisms to do that, you’ve essentially created a chemical factory in a test tube.” 

The global warming cult and others take a "woe is us" view of the world. Human beings are incredibly ingenious and knowledge and capabilities will advance just as they always have.

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