Cheaper jet fuel from fungus in five years: study

Researchers have found a way to create 'green' jet fuel from a common black fungus found in decaying leaves, soil and rotting fruit.

The researchers hope the process leads to economically viable production of aviation biofuels in the next five years.

Researchers from the Washington State University used Aspergillus carbonarius ITEM 5010 to create hydrocarbons, the chief component of petroleum, similar to those in aviation fuels.

The fungus produced the most hydrocarbons on a diet of oatmeal but also created them by eating wheat straw or the non-edible leftovers from corn production.

Fungi have been of interest for about a decade within biofuels production as the key producer of enzymes necessary for converting biomass to sugars.

Some researchers further showed that fungi could create hydrocarbons, but the research was limited to a specific fungus living within a specific tree in the rain-forest, and the actual hydrocarbon concentrations were not reported.

Fungi are complex microorganisms and are not always easy to work with. They have a complex biology that is often poorly understood.

"Not many people in this world actually do this. The molecular biology piece of it is complicated," said Birgitte Ahring, director and Battelle distinguished professor of the Bioproducts, Sciences and Engineering Laboratory at WSU.

Using fungi for hydrocarbon and biofuels production is better than other methods because they do the work themselves, bypassing multiple complicated chemical processes required by other biofuel production methods.

Fungi also have great potential to create the fuel at low cost, Ahring said.

She suspects the fungi produce hydrocarbons, large compounds that are costly for the organism to produce, as a protective mechanism. Her group showed that fungi react to bacterial attacks by increasing their hydrocarbon production.

The researchers are now working to optimise the fungi's hydrocarbon production and improve biochemical pathways through genetic engineering.

They have obtained mutants with a higher production level and are working on improving these strains by using gene coding for specific hydrocarbons out of blue green bacteria and algae.

It is the same challenge faced by mold researchers, more than a generation ago, who found they could only produce a tiny amount of their product, Ahring said.

Eventually, they optimised production of their product, which became known as antibiotics.

"It's very promising. I think that the fungus-based fuels are something that is going to happen. It's a tremendous opportunity," she said.

The research was published in the journal Fungal Biology.