Scientists have moved a step ahead in the production of a commercial fossil fuel alternative thanks to a new study that involved the discovery of a new way to generate renewable propane using E. coli.

The study published in this week's Nature Communications journal deals with the methodology whereby E. coli (Escherichia coli) can interrupt a biological process that eventually turns fatty acids into cell membranes.

For the research, researcher team used enzymes to channel the fatty acids along a different biological pathway so that the bacteria made engine-ready renewable propane instead of cell membranes.

Although the work is at a very early stage but the findings of this study are a proof of the fact that an alternative way of producing propane is there. The lower carbon content makes propane a clean burning fuel that currently is obtained from fossil fuel reserves.

Propane makes up the bulk of liquid petroleum gas (LPG) and LPG is used to fuel everything from cars to central heating systems to camping stoves. Though it is produced as a by-product during natural gas processing and petrol refining, both of these are fossil fuels that will one day run out so we need to look at the possible alternatives.

Speaking in this context, Patrik Jones from the Imperial College London said, "Although we have only produced tiny amounts so far, the fuel we have produced is ready to be used in an engine straight away. Fossil fuels are a finite resource so we will have to come up with new ways to meet increasing energy demands".

He also added that level of propane his team produced is currently a thousand times less than what would be needed to turn it into a commercial product, so the team is working at refining their process.