Zymomonas mobilis is a species of bacteria able to ferment pyruvate to ethanol and CO2, and is resilient to higher concentrations of ethanol than yeasts. Ethanol concentrations of 16% can be reached with Zymomonas mobilis, while ~6% may be the maximum with yeast fermentation.
Zymomonas mobilis may be able to be engineered to tolerate higher ethanol concentrations. This would be useful in bioethanol synthesis, increasing yields from crops (such as sugar cane or maize). Bioethanol is likely to become a more common transport fuel in the future, reducing reliance on petroleum.