The bright red landscape plant, Euonymus alatus (commonly known as a ‘burning bush’) isn’t really the same as the Biblical bush that burned, nor is it suitable for biofuel as it occurs in nature. However, when its DNA is inserted into mustard weed (Arabidopsis,) a cousin to commercial oilseed canola, the burning bush yields large amounts of a vegetable oil suitable for biofuel.
Michigan State University researchers found that the burning bush and mustard seed hybrid oil also has properties that could make it suitable as a reduced-calorie food oil substitute.
Biblical Plant Fuels
Burning Bush and Mustard Weed Promise Low-Cal Veggie Oil & Biofuel
Trend Themes
1. Vegetable Oil Substitutes - The discovery of a vegetable oil substitute from the hybrid of burning bush and mustard weed presents an opportunity for disruptive innovation in the cooking oil industry.
2. Biofuel From Burning Bush - The potential use of burning bush as a source of biofuel creates a disruptive opportunity for the renewable energy industry.
3. Genetic Modification for Oil Production - The genetic modification of mustard weed with burning bush DNA offers a disruptive innovation opportunity for the genetic engineering and biotechnology industries.
Industry Implications
1. Cooking Oil - The development of a reduced-calorie vegetable oil substitute from the burning bush and mustard weed hybrid presents a disruptive opportunity in the cooking oil industry.
2. Renewable Energy - The potential use of burning bush as a biofuel source offers a disruptive opportunity in the renewable energy industry.
3. Genetic Engineering - The genetic modification of mustard weed with burning bush DNA presents a disruptive innovation opportunity for the genetic engineering industry.