Muscat: Mohab bin Ali Al-Hinai, assistant professor in the biology department of Sultan Qaboos University (SQU), has obtained a patent for his research on bacteria that contributes to the production of biofuels.
Al-Hinai said the idea of producing biofuels by bacteria was a development of 'acetobutylicum clostridium' bacteria which is the fastest in its group in the production of organic materials usable as biofuels, according to Oman News Agency.
He added that the significance of the said bacteria is that it produces biofuels from plants that contain fiber and not from components of staple foods for human consumption such as maize, wheat, and sugarcane.
He affirmed that the most significant challenges are to find a way to make this invention economically feasible. He added that he is currently working on the development of research on biofuels from agricultural waste and the smallest organisms found in the Omani environment.