In 2008, MSU scientists discovered a tiny fungus hiding inside a rainforest tree that naturally produced diesel-like fuel

• Image(s): Left/MSU/Right/CanvaFor decades, scientists have searched for cleaner alternatives to fossil fuels, looking everywhere from algae and bacteria to agricultural waste.
• In 2008, one of the most unexpected discoveries came from deep inside the South American rainforest.
• Researchers identified a microscopic fungus living quietly within the tissues of a tree that produced a mixture of hydrocarbons strikingly similar to those found in diesel fuel.