Genetics of coal bioliquefaction by Neurospora Crassa: Progress report
N.C. Mishra
Department of Biology, University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina 29208, U.S.A.
Herein yet another progress report on the development, at the U of SC, under sponsorship of the USDOE, on the use of micro-organisms to convert coal, and associated organic material, into liquids that can be further processed into useful compounds - such as liquid fuels.
The summary:
| "Conditions for liquefaction of coal by Neurospora have been optimized. An electrophoretic method has been developed to separate the different components of the liquefied coal. A number of mutants deficient in coal liquefaction have been isolated and analyzed to reveal the genetic control of this process. The Neurospora enzyme capable of bioliquefaction of coal, when examined by DEAE cellulose chromatography, yielded two peaks of enzyme activity. These enzymes are heat stable and more active at acid and neutral pH than at alkaline pH. An autonomously replicating plasmid has been isolated and characterized from Neurospora; this plasmid offers opportunity for the development of replicating vector useful for cloning and mobilization of genes including the genes controlling bioliquefacation of coal." Pretty detailed stuff. We can, it seems, convert our coal and coal mine wastes into commercial liquid fuels and chemical processing raw materials through a variety of technologies. |