In the quest to find planet-friendly substitutes for fossil fuels, more and more researchers are turning their attention to propanol. This alcohol boasts a higher energy content than its cousin ethanol, widely touted as a green substitute for gasoline. And unlike ethanol, propanol can be transported in existing gas pipelines. The problem is how to produce it.

Perry Chou and fellow researchers in Waterloo's department of Chemical Engineering believe the answer could be bacteria. By tinkering…