Researchers have found that whatever is in the Tim Hortons’ cups, the bacteria like it and can convert the cups into usable fuel.
WINNIPEG — Make it a double-double and a maple-glazed. And fill 'er up, too.
At least that's the premise of University of Manitoba biosystems engineering professor David Levin and microbiology professor Richard Sparling, who are hoping to transform all those discarded paper coffee cups from Tim Hortons into fuel. The two are working on a $10.5-million Genome Canada grant to find ways to produce biofuels such as ethanol or hydrogen.
Thanks to an undergraduate project, they've stumbled onto the very real possibility that bacteria could eat and process minutely ground-up Timmies' coffee cups and turn them into biofuel. Starbucks' cups use different material so the end product is nowhere near as good, Levin said Tuesday.
The research they've done so far shows that whatever is in the Tim Hortons' cups, the bacteria like it and can convert the cups into usable fuel.
At least that's the premise of University of Manitoba biosystems engineering professor David Levin and microbiology professor Richard Sparling, who are hoping to transform all those discarded paper coffee cups from Tim Hortons into fuel. The two are working on a $10.5-million Genome Canada grant to find ways to produce biofuels such as ethanol or hydrogen.
Thanks to an undergraduate project, they've stumbled onto the very real possibility that bacteria could eat and process minutely ground-up Timmies' coffee cups and turn them into biofuel. Starbucks' cups use different material so the end product is nowhere near as good, Levin said Tuesday.
The research they've done so far shows that whatever is in the Tim Hortons' cups, the bacteria like it and can convert the cups into usable fuel.
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