Scientists Create Mutant Bugs That Produce Crude Oil

[Kor37 9]

Scientists Create Mutant Bugs that Produce Crude Oil

by Joshua Topolsky, posted Jun 16th 2008 at 2:16PM

 

Like the beginning of every great science fiction movie, experts claim that they've discovered a cure for our fuel-dependency woes that only requires an army of genetically modified insects... that eat wheat straw and excrete crude oil.

 

 

You read that right: Scientists have created bugs that are able to snack on woodchips or sugar cane and produce waste in the form of easily malleable oil. Not only are the buggers capable of creating a by-product that can quickly be refined into fuel for vehicles, but scientists say the process is carbon-negative -- it outputs less carbon than is required to produce it. Director of the project -- dubbed LS9 -- Greg Pal says that barrel prices could run as low as $50, and that the company plans to have a commercial facility producing the crude in 2011.

 

And as for the potential threat of world-destroying attack from the mutant bugs? Says Pal, "We're putting these bacteria in a very isolated container: Their entire universe is in that tank. When we're done with them, they're destroyed." Sure buddy -- but we're going to re-watch 'Them!' just in case. [source: Times Online]

Could this possibly be true?......

[He Who Shall Not Be Named 2]

Must be a hoax. Has to be. Crude oil is poisonous so any animal that could secrete it couldn't live long.

[MrPsychic 1]

From The Times, the London newspaper: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/envi...icle4133668.ece

 

The title of the article is "Scientists find bugs that eat waste and excrete petrol"

[nerd359 0]

Must be a hoax. Has to be. Crude oil is poisonous so any animal that could secrete it couldn't live long.

 

 

1. These are not animals. They are Protista (under the Haeckel [1866] definition).

 

2. Lactic acid isn't good for you, but your body makes in anyway.

 

3. Where do you think all of the oxygen comes from (guess what - single celled organisms to whom oxygen was toxic).

 

Oh yes - I'm Back.