Then e. coli, using DNA borrowed from a fungus called Candida Antarctica, converts the hydroxy fatty acid into a polymer, a material that can be heated and shaped into useful plastic shapes. And after its career as a plastic container is over, it can be shredded and then chemically broken down into diesel fuel.
Minshull said that one challenge now is to tinker with the enzyme that turns the plastic back into liquid, so a smaller amount will do the job. That will lower costs, he said, and reduce the amount of enzyme that is fed into the diesel engine.
While biodiesel is produced commercially in this country, it is not competitive with diesel fuel from petroleum without a government subsidy. But if oil prices stay high enough, or if the government puts a tax on carbon emissions, bioplastic-to-biodiesel could become viable without subsidies. Using plants for plastic or fuel saves carbon because the next year's crop will reabsorb carbon from the atmosphere.
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