We consume fossil fuels the most to generate energy like electricity. Fossil fuels are formed from decomposed plants and animals. They create severe air pollution that negatively affects our ventilation system by releasing toxic emission which contributes to climate change in producing and burning processes. Since millions of years are needed to generate fossil fuels under high pressure and high temperature, experts estimate that all fossil fuels will be depleted by 2060 at the current burning rate.

Biofuel development is becoming increasingly important due to climate change and energy security. Biofuel is one of the renewable energies which is obtained from organic sources such as biomass and organic waste.
Organic wastes are usually produced in food, paper, agriculture, and households. The United States produced 268 million tons of waste, with 140 million going into landfills yearly. Among organic wastes, food wastes hugely exacerbate climate change because when food is landfilled and rots, it releases methane, a greenhouse gas that is even more harmful than carbon dioxide.

Biochemistry plays a crucial role in developing sustainable biofuels. It helps understand the composition and structure of biomass. Studying enzymes and engineering technology enhances the efficiency and specificity of biofuel production. For example, metabolic engineering increases the generation of biofuels from plants and microbes.

Energy is generated when biofuels are burned. Therefore, biochemists research fermentation which is the process of improving the transformation from feedstocks into biofuels.

Moreover, Biochemistry enables converting wastes from food and agriculture into biofuels. Biodiesel costs are currently 70% to 130% higher than fossil fuels. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) estimated that 2.4 trillion dollars of global investments would be required in only the energy sector until 2035. Therefore, in the long term, biofuel research and use will be more economically efficient.

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