K-State biochemists identify promising plants as potential sources for biodiesel energy
A world where your dinner and a diesel truck tank share the same ingredients may not be as far-fetched as it seems. Thanks to a discovery made by K-State biochemists, pennycress and camelina plant oils could become a source for improved biodiesel — and stock shelves next to your canola bottles.
Using synthetic biology techniques, the researchers found a promising solution to clean energy sourcing by increasing acetyl-triacylglycerols in the pair of plants to near-pure levels.
Acetyl-triacylglycerols, or acetyls-TAGs, are adapted from the burning bush plant and are a promising replacement for diesel due to their low viscosity and low performance in cold temperatures.
“When we make biodiesel, we take regular vegetable oil and convert it into biodiesel using a chemical process,” said Timothy Durrett, professor of biochemistry and molecular biophysics. “The idea is that with these acetyl-TAGs, the oil could be directly used as the fuel without any further chemical process needed.”
While biochemists have made promising discoveries in plant-based fuels, most options fall flat once the plants’ enzymes are asked to adapt to yield pure enough oils.
But Durrett’s team has reached levels of 93% and 98% purity by increasing one of the substrates used to synthesize the acetyl-TAGs in camelina and pennycress.
“These levels are actually higher than the burning bush plant when it was first identified,” he said.
The promise of these plant proteges has been incredibly captivating to farmers. The hearty crop can survive harsh winter conditions, allowing farms to plant the crops in late fall and harvest them in early spring. While the pair of plants are currently grown in the northern U.S., future commercialization could allow the crops to spread across the country.
“If you can grow your own fuel, that’s a way of increasing energy independence,” Durrett said.
Working in a separate-but-related partnership with K-State’s Umut Yucel, associate professor of food science, Durrett is also exploring the potential uses of plant oils in the food industry.
The breakthrough, while monumental, is not the final step in the team’s research. Plants often “fight back” against the changes when adapting their seeds, meaning the team must continue studying the crops to see if there are other changes and control responses.
“This level of purity is quite an achievement,” Durrett said. “But, even though we’re at 98%, there are still a lot of questions we’re working to answer.”
Written By: Abbigail Marshall
