Synthetic Biology & Fourth Generation Biofuels

This morning, we are delighted to have John Love speak to us about  Fourth Generation Biofuels.

Fourth Generation Biofuels: Biofuels are the current, commercial solution to mitigating dependence on fossil petroleum and are fundamental for the transition to a low carbon economy. Existing biofuels – alcohols and biodiesels – are derived from plant biomass. However, these biofuels are not fully compatible with modern automotive and jet engines and their production competes directly with food security.

Since 2005, John Love has been engaged in developing biofuels which are structurally identical to transport fuels and can therefore directly substitute for petroleum-based products. His research employs synthetic biology to design and encode artificial metabolic pathways for the production “4^th generation” biofuels that precisely meet the exacting technical and quality assurance requirements of current retail fuels, and are compatible with existing infrastructure and lifestyles.

Current research focuses on developing new, industrially compatible microbes that can efficiently and predictably convert biomass or organic waste products to the chemicals required. Engineering these new microbes with the synthetic “4G” metabolisms is an essential step to producing the carbon-neutral, sustainable fuels that are required for the global transition to C-zero.

John Love is a Professor of Synthetic Biology at the University of Exeter with 2 decades of experience devising, leading, and delivering research underpinning the low-Carbon economy, notably the development of new, bespoke biosynthetic routes and microbial biocatalysts to convert plant biomass and organic wastes to complex hydrocarbons and platform/precursor chemicals that can directly substitute for petroleum-based products. Industrial engagement and knowledge exchange are leitmotifs of John’s research and he has developed close and enduring partnerships with various companies, guiding and co-creating projects to exploit new business opportunities within defined techno-economic frameworks. 

Please, note that pre-registration by 17:00, on Monday, June 20^th at the latest, is mandatory for IRL participation at Concordia Hotel.