As our concerns about global warming escalate, researchers all over the world are frantically searching for a 'greener' and cheaper bio-fuel, that will help reduce if not eliminate our dependence on oil - or liquid gold, as it is often called.

For a while, the entire world believed that the answer to our problems was Ethanol - a bio-fuel manufactured from crops like corn and sugarcane. However, they soon realized that it was not very practical, since we have only a limited supply of agricultural land and some of it does have to be used to grow food for humans and livestock. Additionally, it did not prove to be very energy efficient and is also difficult to transport via existing pipelines.

Now researchers believe that Butanol, a type of alcohol that has previously been used only as a solvent in industrial chemicals may be our nirvana.

While the idea is not new, scientists from Emeryville, California's, Amyris laboratories have come up with a unique way to 'brew' the fuel using a combination of microbes and polyester, which they claim makes it a much more efficient fuel. In addition, it can be easily transported via existing oil pipelines and adapts well to car engines, without costly repairs or modifications. Like Ethanol, it blends easily with gasoline.

However, Butanol is still produced from sugarcane, raising the food vs. fuel debate once more - and with a price tag of $3.00USD per gallon, costs as much as gasoline. But it is another step closer to helping us eliminate our dependence on oil, and future versions of bio-fuel can only get better!

sources: popularmechanics.com, dailtech.com