APSU students study bacteria as fuel source

By ANN WALLACE • The Leaf-Chronicle (Clarksville, TN) • January 4, 2009

Professer striving to find alternative energy in biofuels

When Austin Peay State University associate professor Sergei Markov looks at bacteria, he doesn't see a microscopic villain, but instead a facilitator to create a cost-efficient biofuel for use in vehicles.

Markov recently received a $10,000 grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to conduct pilot studies using a prototype bioreactor he built to study the role specific bacteria can play in producing biofuels as inexpensive and plentiful alternatives to petroleum.

"This is a new area. We're kind of pioneers," said Markov, who grew up in Russia.

Markov received a $107,000 grant from the National Science Foundation last year.

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