Is “microbial electrosynthesis” the future of biofuel? Corn fermentation is one oft-used way to make biofuel, but making ethanol this way is often criticized as inefficient, and since it requires corn (or some other crop), it requires farm land and other farming resources that might otherwise be directed toward making food. In a study recently published in mBio, researchers explored the feasibility of microbial electrosynthesis – delivering electrons directly to a biofilm of bacteria that then convert carbon dioxide into organic compounds – to generate biofuel or compounds that can be used to create biofuel. The process proved to be effective and potentially more efficient than more traditional approaches to biofuel-making.
