Outstanding impact in technology awarded to Biosciences project

The prize for Outstanding Impact in Technology was awarded to the project ‘Fourth generation biofuels: programming bacteria to produce retail-grade diesel’.

Cutting-edge research in synthetic biology has designed bacteria that produce oils identical to diesel.

The breakthrough, led by Professor John Love and backed by Shell, is important because the bacterial fuel can substitute directly for retail petroleum products. These biofuels will help mitigate rising CO2 emissions and could also solve the fuel-or-food dilemma, as the bacteria thrive on waste.

This breakthrough technology is the focus of a major project involving academic and industry groups from the UK and USA.

The Exeter Impact Awards highlight the world-wide impact of the inspiring research being done at the University.