Articles with the keyword: 
Turning Bacteria into Plastic Factories
jerry submitted, created time 2 months 1 day (www.sciam.com)
Plastics are one of the most versatile and useful things that can be made from expensive fossil fuels. ...except as of now, it's "that can be made from expensive fossil fuels and genetically engineered E. coli." A new company has found a way to produce polymers from genetically engineered microbes that feed on sugars, replacing fossil-fuel based processes.
The plastic in question is called butanediol, and the process has been in the works for some time. The trick was getting the bacteria to tolderate high levels of butanediol in the water. It's usually toxic.
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Carbon-free energy? Already in progress, says Nature.
Darkfrog submitted, created time 3 months 1 week (www.nature.com)
Here, Nature magazine gives an overview of the several different means of generating electricity without releasing carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Increasing the efficiency of existing fossil fuel systems is also given its due.
Once again, we see why Nature is at the very top of science writing. Take a look at this:
"The fact that hydroelectric systems require no fuel means that they also require no fuel-extracting infrastructure and no fuel transport
U.S. retailers chase a solar panel deadline
Darkfrog submitted, created time 3 months 1 week (www.nytimes.com)
U.S. retailers might consider floor space to be the number one claim on their attention, but they're finally putting those big, flat roofs to work toward the bottom line. No, they're not doing cheery rooftop displays of their merchandise; they're installing solar panels. If they do so before December 31 of this year, they will receive a generous tax write-off.
So far, the big chains like Wal-Mart, Kohls, Whole Foods, and Safeway have outfitted about one in ten stores with rooftop solar panels, but we can expect more if Congress renews their offer for 2009 and beyond
Nature examines thin-film and other solar cells
Darkfrog submitted, created time 3 months 3 weeks (www.nature.com)
There are a few different varieties of solar cell on the market and in development, but they've all got their ups and down. Traditional solar cells are now an established technology, but they are very expensive to make and their efficiencies don't top 22%. Other, newer types of solar cells (with one exception) are even less efficient, but they are much less troublesome to mass-produce. Some types of solar cells can even be woven into cloth.
As always, I'm a fan of Natures whole-picture approach. The practical, hopeful and economic aspects of this project all get their treatment.
Enzyme structure reveals key ingredients for making hydrogen
sea-maid submitted, created time 3 months 3 weeks (www.nature.com)
Iron and carbon monoxide are the crucial ingredients that nature uses to process hydrogen, according to researchers. Resolving the structure of the last of the three known hydrogenase enzymes has excited chemists, who are keen to follow nature’s clear advice and develop their own hydrogen catalysts for energy applications.
Solar power: Organic dyes help harvest sunlight
Darkfrog submitted, created time 4 months 1 week (www.nature.com)
Researchers claim that glass laced with specific dyes can channel photons into small solar cells, giving them as much power as if they covered a larger area without overheating. Researchers tried dye-enhanced solar devices years ago, but the research was full of problems. Either the dyes would break down in sunlight or the photons would be reabsorbed too quickly.
Marc Baldo of MIT claims that once the process is fine-tuned the efficiency of most of today's solar cells could be doubled. The research team believes that their work could be available commercially in as little as three years.
Change in ethanol policy might be needed
kavin submitted, created time 6 months 2 weeks (hosted.ap.org)
The federal government might need to rethink its support for corn ethanol because of rising food prices. In the U.S., prices are rising sharply. In other countries, they're seeing riots because of the lack of food.
Biofuel blends not as green as they seem
wugongliang submitted, created time 7 months 3 weeks (environment.newscientist.com)
Despite their green intentions, buyers of blended biofuel may not be getting quite what they are paying for.
One leap for biofuel-based jets
Sue Wu submitted, created time 8 months 4 weeks (www.sciam.com)
Virgin Atlantic became the first commercial airplane operator to fly a plane powered partially by palm oil this week. The jet's engine had not been given any special modifications and there had been some doubts about whether the palm oil would gum up when exposed to the low temperatures of the altitude, but all went well. The only remaining issues, according to the article, are the economic and ecological ramifications of using palm oil. It might drive up the prices of cooking oil in certain parts of the world, and people might cut down rainforests for palm plantations
Countries with highest carbon dioxide-emitting power sectors (tonnes per year)
yangjane submitted, created time 1 year 1 week (www.nature.com)
With some 8,000 power plants emitting 2.5 billion tons of carbon dioxide annually, the United States accounts for a quarter of global emissions, according to the site. China comes a close second at 2.4 billion tons, although its per capita emissions are less than a quarter of those of the United States. Russia comes a distant third, with 600 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions.
This text is about the compositor of countries with highest carbon dioxide and the reason why carbon dioxide was high.We can hnow power plant is the first factor.
Darkfrog submitted, created time 1 year 6 months (www.nytimes.com)
Maple syrup growers in the Northeast are starting to use vegetable oil instead of regular fuel oil to prepare the maple sap for syrup. The growers may be doing this because their own industry is "heavily vulnerable to climate change" (NYT): since sugar maples take years to grow, they cannot simply move north if the land becomes unsuitable (though there is some question as to whether any crop could do that).
The biggest downside so far, other than the expense of converting the heaters, is the smell. The sweet aroma of the world's finest maple sugar now mixes with that of cheapo French fries
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amino acid : Fmoc-L-Asp(OtBu)-OH
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PlantDirect Multiplex PCR System
Kit : PlantDirect Multiplex PCR System
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HEL (46-61)
peptide : HEL (46-61)
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Gly-Pro-Arg
The GPR peptide sequence (28 amino acids) encompassed the co ...
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