Scientists aim to boost world energy supplies -- with microbes!

Mindful of environmental considerations, Mr Rafter accepts that burning fossil fuels may contribute to climate change but points out that the world will have to rely on fossil fuels for part of its energy needs for some time to come. He argues that Profero Energy's technology is less environmentally damaging than some other technologies which oil companies have attempted to use to extract heavy oil reserves and that burning methane is environmentally preferable to burning oil.

In theory, the technology could also be used to produce hydrogen gas from inaccessible oil reserves, he said. Although no market yet exists for this clean fuel, one is likely to develop in the greener world of the future.

Profero Energy was established in a remarkably short space of time following consultation between the scientists, the commercial development teams at Newcastle and Calgary universities, and Novotech.

Newcastle University's Business Development Directorate handled the intellectual property issues and brokered the financing deal with Novotech. The Directorate worked closely with IGNITE, University Technologies International's company creation division, where Profero Energy is based. University Technologies International is the technology transfer, commercialisation and incubation centre at the University of Calgary

Robin Lockwood, Head of Commercial Development at Newcastle University, said: 'This groundbreaking research clearly had commercial potential and we knew that we had to act quickly and decisively to take full advantage.

'The days when universities did the research and left the private sector to develop the commercial potential are long gone. These days, governments expect universities to play a major role in economic development and that means being much more savvy about commercial opportunity,' he said.

'Energy and environment' is one of the main themes of Newcastle Science City, which is establishing North East England as a premier location for science, business and economic development. The Science City initiative was launched in 2004 by Gordon Brown, then Chancellor of the Exchequer and now Prime Minister, to boost the UK's knowledge economy.