Grassoline

Grassoline Is A Promising Alternative Fuel

Grassoline is a renewable energy source developed by researchers and scientists at the University of Tennessee. 

UT researchers are using cells from switchgrass to create new plants that can create better, and more, fuel. While they can currently turn switchgrass into ethanol in the lab, they hope to create a breed pf grass that can replace corn as the primary source of ethanol. 

Because switchgrass does not break down as easily as corn, and this is a hurdle scientists must overcome. One thought is to add genes from termites, which digest switchgrass easily, to the bioengineered switchgrass.

UT scientists are hoping that another agency or organization will build a biorefinery for their new, improved switchgrass.

While this innovative fuel is far from ready for the pump, there are encouraging signs that switchgrass, or grassoline, could become one of the alternative fuels of the future.