First discovery! Strange phytoplankton in the Arctic Ocean can synthesize "petroleum"

A research team formed by the Japan Marine Research and Development Agency (JAMSTEC), Toyohashi University of Technology, and the Institute of Physiology, a natural science research institution, discovered a phytoplankton that can synthesize petroleum-like plants in the Arctic Ocean
.

According to the report, this is the first time such an organism has been discovered in the world.
So far, no organism has been found to be able to synthesize a fuel similar to petroleum
.

This discovery may further promote the development of biofuels, thereby contributing to the realization of a decarbonized society

Harada Naomi, Minister of the Earth Environment Department of Japan's Marine Research and Development Agency, said that the main components of oil are compounds of carbon and hydrogen, which are formed by mixing hydrocarbon molecules with different numbers of carbon atoms and different sizes
.

In the refining process, gasoline with 10 to 15 carbon atoms and diesel with 16 to 20 carbon atoms need to be separated

The report also claims that the phytoplankton discovered by the research team has the ability to synthesize a variety of hydrocarbons with 10 to 38 carbon atoms
.

So far, scientists have discovered phytoplankton and algae that can synthesize hydrocarbons.
However, due to the narrow range of carbon atoms, easy oxidation and unstable structures, their practicality is limited, and they must be mixed with fossil fuels before they can be used
.

The newly discovered phytoplankton can produce a variety of components from light hydrocarbons to heavy hydrocarbons at one time, and can synthesize high-quality fuels without unstable structures
.

If it can be mass-produced, it can be used alone as a fuel

What needs to be solved is the output problem
.

The phytoplankton discovered this time is not difficult to cultivate

　　In the future, researchers will focus on the genetic analysis of the mechanism by which phytoplankton synthesizes equivalent components of petroleum, strive to cultivate and select species with stronger capabilities, and use genetic modification to give E.
coli and other biosynthetic petroleum capabilities to overcome the "quantity" Subject
.

　　The report pointed out that in order to achieve a decarbonized society, it is necessary to replace fossil fuels with biofuels that can promote carbon neutrality
.

Biofuels produced by burning phytoplankton and algae emit carbon dioxide, but because they absorb carbon dioxide during their growth, the total carbon dioxide emissions can be reduced to zero

　　In transportation, it is not easy to achieve the electrification of aircraft, so there is a demand for the practical application of carbon-neutral biofuels
.

　　Researchers from the Japan Marine Research and Development Agency collected phytoplankton in the Chukchi Sea on the Pacific side of the Arctic Ocean
.

In order to investigate the impact of global warming on the Arctic Ocean ecosystem, the marine earth research ship "Future" conducted an investigation of the Arctic Ocean and analyzed the plankton collected in the sea, including phytoplankton, which can synthesize petroleum-like hydrocarbons

　　It is generally believed that oil is produced by organic matter such as plankton and algae buried underground under the action of pressure, geothermal and microorganisms
.

On the origin of oil, this new discovery can be said to have posed new challenges to traditional views

      Source: Xinhuanet