According to foreign media reports, four researchers from the Riken Center in Japan have discovered a new eco-friendly method that can use bacteria to create a chemical substance for synthetic rubber, which will greatly reduce the future environmental footprint of the tire industry. Every year, factories around the world produce more than 12 million tons of organic chemical 1,3-butadiene for tires, adhesives, sealants and other plastic and rubber products.

Their production process is energy-intensive and relies on oil, which can lead to climate change.

For many years, scientists have been trying to use specially designed microorganisms to make 1,3-butadiene from more environmentally friendly raw materials. But no one has successfully converted a simple sugar like glucose into a chemical substance in a simple step.

Now, by modifying bacteria to convert glucose into 1,3-butadiene, Yutaro Mori and his three colleagues have devised a sustainable method for the production of rubber and plastics. They are all in the Sustainable Resource Science Center of the Riken Institute of Japan.

"We have constructed a new artificial metabolic pathway and directly produce 1,3-butadiene from a renewable resource-glucose," Mori said.

It is understood that the team at the Riken Institute in Japan has successfully achieved this long-term goal by focusing on the two parts of the biological manufacturing process. They first designed a bacterial enzyme that can convert a biological compound from glucose to 1,3-butadiene. Then, the researchers modified an E. coli strain to use the enzyme and produce the chemical. Since 1,3-butadiene is a gas at room temperature, it can be easily captured as bacteria continue to divide and grow.

Before entering the golden age of industry, this technology still has a way to go. The research team of Riken Research Institute of Japan successfully synthesized about 2 grams of 1,3-butadiene per liter of microbial brewing liquid. In order to compete with oil-based production in terms of cost, this method also requires greater output.