In the quest to find a substitute for petroleum based fuels, several low energy molecules have been suggested due to the ease of production. However, a molecule with similar energy density to current fuels would be preferred as a biofuel. Branched higher alcohols have a higher energy density than some of the alcohols proposed as alternative fuels. Other various properties of these alcohols also display more desirable features.   For example, a lower miscibility with water and lower vapor pressure are benefits of higher alcohols.   A unique approach to alcohol synthesis taken by Atsumi et. al. employs synthetic biology to engineer non-fermentative pathways based on amino acid biosynthesis. These pathways produce alcohols that are not natural fermentation products. Some of the features of these molecules include branching and addition of aromatic cyclic hydrocarbon structures. [1]