Methyl halides are reactive one-carbon compounds from which a wide variety of commercially important organic products can be produced. Industrial production of methyl halides has been carried out using chemical methods that often consume high amounts of energy and involve conditions of high temperature and pressure. Many plants and fungi produce methyl halides and release them into the environment. These organisms contain methyl halide transferases that combine a chlorine bromine or iodine ion with a methyl group of the metabolite S-adenosylmethionine to form the methyl halide and S-adenosyl homocysteine. The harnessing of this process can lead to more efficient ways of producing biofuels. UCSF investigators have developed a method to produce and/or overproduce methyl halides to be used as a biofuel precursor in a variety of plants and microorganisms. This process takes advantage of pathways that are common across all organisms and can be carried out on a commercial scale for example in a reactor. Applications: Methyl halides can be converted into a variety of fuels including: Bio-diesel Higher alkanes Alcohols
1) No extra energy required to purify the active reagent 2) Cheaper and easier to manufacture 3) Increased scale of production 4) Can be optimized for a variety of organisms including bacteria yeast and plant systems