• The Environment

    Breeding the Oil Bug

    By Posted on 4.30.2008 23 Comments

    It could be an aerial photo of an oil spill: liquid spheres pooling, oozing, dwarfing a bedraggled landscape. I half expect to zoom in on poisoned seal pups or waterbirds dragging their oil-soaked feathers. But the scene is microscopic. The landscape is made of E. coli. And whats happening is exactly the opposite of what it seems. The little bugs arent drowning in fuel. Theyre making it.

    6.5.2008 at 01:31am - Comment by grandoodle

    Does anybody have an idea how they modify the bacteria? I had a theory about gene splicing as that is the most practiced method but if anybody has anything to say please post. I think that they are on the right track but they have to watch not to encroach upon the world's fuel reserves.



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