The man who mapped the human genome has a new focus: using microbes to create alternative fuels.

By Michael S. Rosenwald

Washington Post Staff Writer

Monday, February 27, 2006; Page D01

J. Craig Venter, maverick biologist, wants to cure our addiction to oil. To do so, he proposes creating a designer microbe -- the heart of a biological engine -- from scratch, then adding genes culled from the sea to turn crops such as switch grass and cornstalks into ethanol.

While he`s at it, he`d like to modify or devise microorganisms to produce a steady stream of hydrogen.

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