A fungus that produces compounds with known uses as fuel additives is available for licensing to interested parties through Montana State University’s (MSU) Technology Transfer Office. The fungus produces cineole, also known as eucalyptol, which can be used as an octane-boosting fuel additive.
The fungus, Hypoxylon sp., also produces branched cyclohexanes— molecules, which, along with eucalyptol, can be used to prevent ethanol-petroleum mixtures from separating.
Eucalyptol’s properties are well documented, but the only previously known source was from processing the bark and leaves of eucalyptus trees. However, such processing could never produce economically viable amounts of eucalyptol for fuel additives. The fungus holds the possibility of solving this problem, through large-scale industrial fermentation processes.
In addition to its potential as a fuel additive, eucalyptol is currently used as an antimicrobial and decongestant in a number of pharmaceutical products.
A paper on the fungus has been published in the journal Microbial Ecology. MSU has filed a patent on the fungus and research is ongoing.
Resources
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Angela R. Tomsheck, Gary A. Strobel, Eric Booth, Brad Geary, Dan Spakowicz, Berk Knighton, Cody Floerchinger, Joe Sears, Orna Liarzi and David Ezra (2010) Hypoxylon sp., an Endophyte of Persea indica, Producing 1,8-Cineole and Other Bioactive Volatiles with Fuel Potential. Microbial Ecology Volume 60, Number 4, 903-914 doi: 10.1007/s00248-010-9759-6