Biodiesel provides an alternative fuel option for gasoline combustion engines, reducing the output of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. Usually the production of biodiesel requires the fermentation of bio-products such as soy or sugarcane, however the process is slow and cannot compete with fossil fuel production. Now with the help of bacteria, everything is about to change. In this weeks episode, hosts Gavin and Greg talk with MSc student Colin Couper from the chemical and biochemical engineering department about his research using a bacteria called Clostridium pasteurianum to intensify the fermentation process of converting glycerol to the biodiesel fuel alternative butanol.

Produced by Ariel Frame