Researcher: Discovery could end energy crisis

The Tifton Gazette ^ | 3/17/2008 | Jana Cone

[Borneo1]

TIFTON — A Tifton agricultural researcher says he has found the solution to the world’s energy crisis through genetic modification and cloning of bacterial organisms that can convert bio-mass into hydrocarbons on a grand scale. The local researcher believes his groundbreaking discovery could result in the production of 500 to 1,000 barrels of hydrocarbon fuel per day from the initial production facility. The hydrocarbon fuel — commonly known as oil or fossil fuel when drilled — will require no modification to automobiles, oil pipelines or refineries as they exist today and could forever end the United States’ dependence on foreign oil, he said.

J.C. Bell, who brought the world powdered peanut butter, has spent the last four years, identifying the bacteria that produces hydrocarbon and then finding a way to genetically alter it so that it could produce hydrocarbon in greater volume.

[Uncledave]

Renewable Energy Ping

Please Freep Mail me if you'd like on/off

[BellPlantation]

The reporter was only slightly wrong in what was written. The patent papers on the process, on the genetically modified bacteria and other items have been filed in the uspto but are still in the patent pending stage.

[BellPlantation]

In our work with USDA and DOE, we have determined that we can produce about 5,000,000,000 barrels of hydrocarbon per year from easily recoverable biomass in the US. This should go a long way in making the US independent of foreign oil.

[marktwain]

I am very glad to hear it. I wonder if the process is usable for all the biomass that we normally put in our landfills. I guess that the sorting of it might be too costly.

I am not asking secrets, I believe, when I ask if the process converts cellulose?

Have you been able to come up with any production figures, or is “biomass” so differentiated that production per pound of dry biomass is a nonsensical term?

[marktwain]

Thank you for coming onto the forum and taking the time to educate us about your process.

I am impressed that you are willing to answer questions.

I wish you the best of luck.

[antiRepublicrat]

I am now selling 1# concentrate bags for $100. If you add 10,000 gallons of your own boiling water to this, your cost for the dehydrated heat is only a penny a gallon.

But you know some people will try to stretch a bag to last 20,000 gallons in order to save money.

[antiRepublicrat]

OK, If his bacteria works I can see it getting loose and turning the world into one giant tar pit!

I take it you also just watched I Am Legend.

[BellPlantation]

Our process is based on naturally occuring bacteria that have been genetically modified to each faster and to eat a broader range of biomass. We can use all forms of biomass, if it breaks down in nature, our bacteria can break it down and convert it into hydrocarbon. We can get between 2 and 2.t barrels of hydrocarbon per ton of biomass.

[BellPlantation]

We are able to breakdown cellulose, lignon, hemicellolose and xylan at this time. Yes, we are working with landfills to mine landfills in the future, but at this time we are concentrating on using new biomass that is currently being grown. We want to slow the flow into landfills.

[BellPlantation]

We can use all forms of biomass. We should be able to produce 2 to 2.5 barrels of hydrocarbon per ton of biomass.

[SE Mom]

bookmark

[sionnsar]

Well, anyone who invents powdered peanut butter is definitely thinking outside the box jar....

[Hacklehead]

One of the problems I think you will have is maintaining a stable consortia of organisms since you are using a variety of strains. Some will grow faster than others making it difficult to maintain the desired balance. Depending on the type of mutagenesis you performed on the strains, you may also find that the strains have a high reversion frequency especially if you used chemically induced point mutations. These are just a few of the large number of problems you are facing in large scale bioreactors. Having some experience in biosynthesis, I have learned that what can be done in small scale on the benchtop becomes totally impractical on scale-up.

[antiRepublicrat]

The secret is in the carbuerator - you need the exact mixture of air and ... AIR!

I get it now. This whole fuel mileage problem is just a marketing problem. Just tell people the car runs on air (which is true), only you have to keep the oil, power steering, gas tank and radiator full.

[AxelPaulsenJr]

The most important fact is not yet know: how much would the finished product cost to produce?

Maybe not too costly, afterall my digestive systems converts beans to gas at very little cost.

[marktwain]

I will certainly be interested in how scalable the process is. I hope that it would be economical down to the individual farm level. Transporting all that biomass would be a major cost.

[Hacklehead]

“We can use all forms of biomass, if it breaks down in nature, our bacteria can break it down and convert it into hydrocarbon.”

Mind telling me what miracle bug you are using to do this. Everything I know about biodegradation and biosynthesis makes me extremely sceptical of your claims. Where did you get your degree and whose lab did you work in.

[TontoKowalski]

So, we're going to take perfectly innocent bacteria, and genetically modify and clone them. Just so we can feed our insatiable desire for more energy and screw over poor developing countries with economies dependent on gouging us as hard as they can for oil?

I love it.

[marktwain]

Here is a link to an article about J. C. Bell.

http://www.news-tribune.net/food/cnhinsfood_story_339104526.html

[LonePalm]

See post 58.

You should try this.

Garde la Foi, mes amis! Nous nous sommes les sauveurs de la République! Maintenant et Toujours!
(Keep the Faith, my friends! We are the saviors of the Republic! Now and Forever!)
LonePalm, le Républicain du verre cassé (The Broken Glass Republican)