Faculty of Science’s Department of Botany scientists have received an 18-million-baht fund from the Agricultural Development Research Agency (ADRA) to develop new catalysts for bio-diesel that will make its emission more environmental-friendly.Assoc. Prof. Dr. Worawut Chulalaksananukul (Ph.D.) who heads the research project explained that more people use bio-diesel nowadays as they are becoming more concerned of the environment and bio-diesel is an alternative fuel that produces less pollution.

However, in the bio-diesel production process, chemical catalysts used in the procedure would somehow make the fuel impure; hence, harms the environment indirectly. Therefore, the research tem is trying to develop new kinds of microbe catalysts , in hopes to make the bio-diesel production process less polluted and more eco-friendly. The research project is sponsored by the ADRA with the fund of 18 million baht for 3 years. Currently, researchers have invented a new bio catalyst for producing bio-diesel, but the production costs remain high. As a result, the group is now working on cutting down on production costs and expedite catalyst production process, which will also reduce energy consumption during the process.