▁to ▁power ▁cars . ▁Bi ote ch ▁company , ▁Amy ris , ▁in ▁Em ery ville , ▁California , ▁has ▁applied ▁synth etic ▁bi ology ▁to ▁ye ast . ▁Instead ▁of ▁producing ▁alco hol ▁through ▁the ▁fer ment ation ▁of ▁sugar , ▁this ▁ye ast ▁produces ▁dies el . ▁The ▁amount ▁of ▁dies el ▁that ▁is ▁produced ▁by ▁this ▁method ▁is ▁substantial ly ▁greater ▁than ▁that ▁of ▁the ▁conventional ▁method ▁and ▁can ▁expon entially ▁increase ▁the ▁rate ▁of ▁production . ▁This ▁dies el ▁has ▁already ▁been ▁implemented ▁in ▁actual ▁cars , ▁in ▁Brazil . ▁ ▁Other ▁research ers ▁are ▁looking ▁at ▁how ▁we ▁might , ▁one ▁day , ▁control ▁human ▁emot ions ▁by ▁sending ▁' bi ological ▁machines ' ▁into ▁our ▁bra ins . ▁M IT ▁professor ▁Ed ▁Boy den ▁leads ▁a ▁group ▁in ▁synth etic ▁neu ros cience . ▁This ▁team ▁util izes ▁the ▁gen etic ▁code ▁for ▁mole cules ▁that ▁convert ▁light ▁into ▁elect rical ▁energy ▁and ▁inser ts ▁it ▁in ▁a ▁virus ▁or ▁c ass ette ▁that ▁may ▁be ▁installed ▁into ▁various ▁organ isms . ▁Because ▁the ▁brain ▁works ▁on ▁elect rical ▁imp uls es , ▁this ▁technology ▁may ▁be ▁applied ▁to ▁neural ▁circ uits , ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁treat ▁various ▁ne uro log ical ▁dis orders . ▁With ▁this ▁technology , ▁the ▁direct ▁control ▁of ▁various ▁light ▁sensitive ▁and ▁elect rical ▁functions ▁in ▁the ▁brain ▁would ▁be ▁enabled . ▁ ▁M IT ▁professor , ▁Ron ▁We iss , ▁has ▁worked ▁extens ively ▁in ▁this ▁field ▁and ▁has ▁been ▁leading