Patagonian Fungus Naturally Makes Diesel

Nestled somewhere in the forests of northern Patagonia, amongst dramatic Andean peaks, alpine lakes, and fiery winds could very well be the answer to our dependency on fossil fuels. Earlier this month, Gary Strobel, a professor from Montana State University, announced a fungus that lives inside trees naturally makes a mix of hydrocarbons that bears a striking resemblance to diesel. Hydrocarbons are chemical compounds that naturally occur in substances like crude oil, and are thought of as