Organization Name: Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
Project Title: Engineering Ralstonia eutropha for Production of Isobutanol (IBT) Motor Fuel from CO₂, Hydrogen, and Oxygen

MIT is using solar-derived hydrogen and common soil bacteria called Ralstonia eutropha to turn carbon dioxide (CO₂) directly into biofuel. This bacteria already has the natural ability to use hydrogen and CO₂ for growth. MIT is engineering the bacteria to use hydrogen to convert CO₂ directly into liquid transportation fuels. Hydrogen is a flammable gas, so the MIT team is building an innovative reactor system that will safely house the bacteria and gas mixture during the fuel-creation process. The system will pump in precise mixtures of hydrogen, oxygen, and CO₂, and the online fuel-recovery system will continuously capture and remove the biofuel product.

Project Factsheet (PDF 320KB)

Electrofuels - Projects

• Columbia University: Biofuels from Bacteria, Electricity, and CO2
• Ginkgo Bioworks: Biofuels from E. Coli
• Harvard: Fuel from Bacteria, CO2, Water, and Solar Energy
• Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory: Turning Bacteria into Biofuel
• MIT: Natural Oil Production from Microorganisms 
• MIT: Liquid Fuel From Bacteria 
• MUSC: Liquid Fuel From Microbial Communities 
• North Carolina State University: Liquid Fuel from Heat-Loving Microorganisms 
• OPX Biotechnologies, Inc.: Engineering Bacteria for Efficient Fuel Production
• Pennsylvania State University: Genetically Modified Bacteria for Fuel Production
• The Ohio State University: Fuel from Bacteria
• UCLA: Liquid Fuel From Renewable Electricity and Bacteria
• UMASS Amherst: Biofuels from Solar Energy and Bacteria