Researchers added three enzymes to the bacteria, thioesterase, CAR and aldehyde-deformylating oxygenase.

This allowed them to extract butyric acid, a foul smelling compound essential for propane production.

Dr Patrick Jones, from the Department of Life Sciences at Imperial College London, said: ‘Although this research is at a very early stage, our proof of concept study provides a method for renewable production of a fuel that previously was only accessible from fossil reserves.