TWO SCOOPS PLEASE!

Don't be surprised if you smell chocolate or butterscotch or strawberries instead of petrol, the next time you land up at a petrol pump to get your car filled! It isn’t a Christmas miracle, or anything from Willy Wonka’s factory, but soon motorists would be filling up their vehicles with a fuel made up from a compound found in ice cream and household items such as soap and shampoo. Scientists at the University of Manchester have identified a new bio-catalyst which can manipulate hydrocarbon chemicals, found in ice-cream, soaps and shampoos, into ready-to-use fuels in cars. This development could mean fuel for cars or household power supplies could be created from naturally-occurring fatty acids.

Researchers, led by Professor Nick Turner are using synthetic biology to hijack the naturally-existing fatty acids and direct those fatty molecules towards the production of ready-to-use fuel and household chemicals.

The researchers used synthetic biology to hijack the naturally-existing fatty acids and direct those fatty molecules towards the production of ready-to-use fuel and household chemicals and this breakthrough allows researchers to further explore how to create renewable energy from sustainable sources, and the advance could lead to more innovative ways of sourcing fuel from natural resources.

"In our laboratories in Manchester we currently work with many different biocatalysts that catalyze a range of chemical reactions – the key is to match up the correct biocatalyst with the specific product you are trying to make," said Turner. "Biocatalysts recognize molecules in the way that a lock recognizes a key – they have to fit perfectly together to work. Sometime we redesign the lock so that if can accept a slightly different key allowing us to make even more interesting products. In this example we need to make sure that the fatty acid starting materials would be a perfect match for the biocatalysts that we discovered and developed in our laboratories.”

The only serious contender to fossil fuels in the auto industry are electric and hydrogen models, but the former still suffers from perceptions of range anxiety, while the latter is a long way off becoming commonplace on the market due to cost and infrastructure concerns.

With chemical engineers across the globe looking at sustainable alternatives to petrol, the team's announcement could be the breakthrough in creating sustainable biofuels as a serious alternative to petrol and diesel. 

 No wonder, the day isn’t far when the traditional man with a van turns into a man with an ice cream van and ice cream powered cars become a reality.