The problem of energetic resources is becoming more and more important, and many researchers are trying to create new ways of producing renewable energy and substitutes for petroleum. A group of scientists from Amyris Biotechnologies in Emeryville have managed to create organisms that turn sugar into oil.

Jack Newman, one of the founders of Amyris, modified the organisms genetically along with his team so that they turn sugar into gasoline. His hope is that one they these organisms will be taken into industrial production.

This new organism is called E. Coli, and it is based on the implantation of a series of genes from various organisms into microbes which leads to a new bacteria that can turn sugar into fuel. Ethanol fuel is already obtained from sugar, but it isn’t efficient because it is highly corrosive and it’s very hard to convert into hydrocarbons.