Researchers from the Université Paris-Sud have identified a novel use for Streptomyces, a soil bacterium known for making antibiotics – that of making biodiesel. In the research led by Ariane Deniset-Besseau Streptomyces was found to make and store large amounts of oils called triacylglycerols (TAGs), which are direct precursors of biodiesel. Since manufacturers already know how to grow vast amounts of Streptomyces because pharmaceutical companies use the versatile bacterium to produce life-saving antibiotics, to better understand these microbes’ potential as a fuel source, Deniset-Besseu’s team wanted to explore how Streptomyces stores TAGs. They used a novel laboratory instrument that combines… Login to continue

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