Unexpected autocatalytic effect gives light-driven enzyme a boost to synthesise green fuels
Discovery could enhance production of liquid fuels by algae
An enzyme found in algae has been shown to efficiently convert medium-chain fatty acids – eight to 10 carbon atoms long – into medium-chain hydrocarbons similar to petrol. The work provides renewed hope for making green fuels from plant and algae-derived fatty acids.
In 2017, French researchers discovered fatty acid photodecarboxylase (FAP) in the green microalga Chlorella variabilis. FAP was found to be optimised to remove carboxyl groups from C16–C18 long-chain fatty acid substrates and produce hydrocarbons. As one of the few known natural photoenzymes that uses light to initiate biochemical reactions, its discovery triggered interest in its potential to produce environmentally-friendly, carbon-neutral hydrocarbons for fuels, chemicals, and cosmetics.