Recipient Organization
AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR MICROBIOLOGY
1752 N STREET, NW
WASHINGTON,DC 20036
Performing Department
(N/A)
Non Technical Summary
Scientists will meet to discuss the potential contributions of microbial activities to sustainable sources of energy that may reduce the demand for diminishing fossil fuels and become a component of the diversity of alternative sources of energy needed in the future. Scientists will assess what we know, what we want to know, and what tools are needed to get there. They will discuss where the field is heading and identify scientific opportunities, challenges, and benefits of this research. An important aspect will be the identification of resource and technology gaps that must be addressed in order to advance the field.
Animal Health Component
(N/A)
Research Effort Categories
Basic
100%
Applied
(N/A)
Developmental
(N/A)
Goals / Objectives
The American Academy of Microbiology will convene a colloquium to address the potential contributions of microbial activities to sustainable sources of energy that may reduce the demand for diminishing fossil fuels and become a component of the diversity of alternative sources of energy needed in the future. Fossil fuels, in the form of coal, oil, and natural gas, have provided the power for developing and maintaining the technologically advanced modern world. These resources are finite, and their use significantly impacts our environment. Shortages of oil and gas are predicted to occur within our lifetimes or those of our children. To prepare for a transition to new sources of energy, we must explore all alternatives for conservation, supplementation, and replacement. Historically, microbes have contributed to energy resources through production of methane, ethanol, and hydrogen during anaerobic conversion of biomass. More recent discoveries reveal the capacity for
oil production and the generation of electricity directly from organics in marine sediments. While most of these energy-rich products involve the degradation of biomass resulting from solar radiation capture, they can be described as carbon-neutral with respect to regeneration of the feedstock biomass. Thus, further accumulation of greenhouse gases should be reduced if these fuels can replace some fraction of fossil fuel. Production of biofuels from microbes or microbial communities able to use solar energy directly may offer greater efficiency. Biological generation of methane is perhaps the oldest technology, and ethanol as a gasoline supplement may be the largest commercial effort. Unfortunately, microbial processes have seen limited application and have not been factored into the scenarios offered for achieving a sustainable energy source. What is needed are not small incremental increases in biofuel production, but a dramatic breakthrough that will generate cheaper fuels with
greater reliability that can begin to compete with fossil fuels. Microbes learned how to split water via photosynthesis over 3 billion years ago. Yet we know little about the molecular mechanisms and diversity of the enzyme catalysts, their assembly, the insertion of required co-factors, or the control of undesired side reactions. It is now clearly accepted that microbial diversity is vastly greater than anyone had imagined 20 years ago. Yet, our study of the important biofuel-producing catalysts is limited to a very short list of well-studied, laboratory-adapted microbes. Explorations of the naturally-occurring array of catalytic solutions to chemical conversions are in their infancy. It is possible that as-yet undiscovered mechanisms will be among the major breakthroughs that will propel microbial fuel production onto the stage of sustainable energy sources.
Project Methods
Colloquium participants knowledgeable about microbial biofuel production will meet for 2.5 days to assess: what we know; what we want to know; and what tools we need to get there. They will discuss where the field is heading and identify scientific opportunities, challenges, and benefits of this research. An important aspect will be the identification of resource and technology gaps that must be addressed in order to advance the field. The colloquium will be held March 10-12, 2006, in San Francisco.