Jonathan Liu
March 9th, 2014
Published: March 3, 2014
URL: https://www.sciencenews.org/article/power-packed-bacterial-spores-generate-electricity
Summary: Scientists have discovered that bacterial spores can actually be used as a source of renewable energy. The spores of Bacillus bloat up when exposed to humidity and shrivel up in dry environments. By transitioning through being shriveled up to being bloated, energy is generated. The transition takes roughly about two seconds. Biophysicists at Columbia University realized that this transition could generate energy, so they tested it. They smeared spores onto a piece of rubber roughly about the size of a human hand. By adding more parts, the scientists were able to make a spore-powered generator. Dry shriveled spores pull the rubber into a curve, while bloated spores make the rubber flat again. By linking it to a generator, every transition produced an electrical current. The scientists reported that the spore power rivaled the juice in a car battery, and that the spores have high energy potential (more than 1,000 times that of mammalian muscle).
Connection: In the first unit of this term, we learned about various micro-organisms. One of these organisms being bacteria. In earlier units we also learned about global warming and using renewable resources. This connects past units to our current unit by talking about using bacteria as a renewable resource. It also links to one of our older units that talked about potential energy because the article had talked about how the pores had high potential energy.
Showing posts with label Green Energy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Green Energy. Show all posts
Sunday, March 9, 2014
Saturday, January 11, 2014
Turning carbon dioxide back into fuel through algae: could this be an answer to greenhouse gas emissions?
Summary: Marine Phycology professor Michael Borowitzka is working on an algae that can be burned for fuel as an alternative for fossil fuels. The major benefits to this process is that it does not use fresh water, so it does not take up the supply, while instead it uses salt water, which is much more abundant. Also, it is an efficient way to convert carbon dioxide back into fuel, reversing the damage that humans have done by emitting greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere and restoring balance to earths climate. We probably will not see humans using algae as fuel in the next 10 years, but the study is promising for the future and it may be our answer for cutting our dependency of fossil fuels and having a renewable fuel that has a steady rate of energy production. Other people around the world are also working on this idea for alternate fuel and it is hoped that this particular alternative energy will be successful.
Connection: This subject matter relates to molecular genetics because of the biological genetic enhancement that must go on to make the algae a more efficient fuel. Also, a lot of biotechnology is involved in the process of refining and adding genes to the algae to make it more suitable for human use. It also relates to the photosynthesis unit because the algae is using the process of photosynthesis to make burnable energy from carbon dioxide.
Sunday, October 20, 2013
An Easier Way To Extract Energy From Plants Has Been Discovered!!
An Easier Way To Extract Energy From Plants Has Been Discovered!!
Harshul Shukla
Source: https://www.sciencenews.org/article/make-biofuel-cut-lignin?mode=topic&context=87
Date of Source's publication : August 16 2013
Author: Meghan Rosen
Summary:
By creating a plant that doesn't have the enzyme caffeoyl shikimate esterase, Ruben Vanholme of Ghent University in Belgium was able to grow plants that have 36 percent less lignin. Lignin is a protein that makes the support beams of plant cells and makes it stand tall. These proteins become a problem when sugars are trying to be extracted. To remove the lignin, scientists usually must use many different chemicals and enzymes which sets them back large sums of money and large amounts of time. By eliminating the enzyme altogether, the plant will not produce as much lignin which will allow bio fuel to be much more accessible This process has been completed in a small flowering plant but it is expected to also work in many plants like poplar, switch grass, eucalyptus which are large sources for bio fuel. Hopefully this will make bio fuel a more dependable, effective, and accessible energy source for the future.
Relevance:
This article connects to what we have learned this year in multiple different way. For starters, Ruben Vanholme removed an enzyme in the plant to stop the lignin from forming. That plant requires the enzyme to create lignin because it does not have the activation energy to create the lignin itself and it does not have a catalyst. Also, lignin is cellulose in the plant walls that make it stand up and stiff which is something we learned about. Lastly, the discovery of a better way to make renewable energy is always good news. By reducing carbon emissions we can use this improved method to stop global warming! Also, by reducing pollutants in the sky, we will reduce acid rain which in turn will help us reduce the high levels of toxins in high tropic levels due to biological magnification. Lastly, it will help us protect ecosystem from climate change.
Harshul Shukla
Source: https://www.sciencenews.org/article/make-biofuel-cut-lignin?mode=topic&context=87
Date of Source's publication : August 16 2013
Author: Meghan Rosen
Summary:
By creating a plant that doesn't have the enzyme caffeoyl shikimate esterase, Ruben Vanholme of Ghent University in Belgium was able to grow plants that have 36 percent less lignin. Lignin is a protein that makes the support beams of plant cells and makes it stand tall. These proteins become a problem when sugars are trying to be extracted. To remove the lignin, scientists usually must use many different chemicals and enzymes which sets them back large sums of money and large amounts of time. By eliminating the enzyme altogether, the plant will not produce as much lignin which will allow bio fuel to be much more accessible This process has been completed in a small flowering plant but it is expected to also work in many plants like poplar, switch grass, eucalyptus which are large sources for bio fuel. Hopefully this will make bio fuel a more dependable, effective, and accessible energy source for the future.
Relevance:
This article connects to what we have learned this year in multiple different way. For starters, Ruben Vanholme removed an enzyme in the plant to stop the lignin from forming. That plant requires the enzyme to create lignin because it does not have the activation energy to create the lignin itself and it does not have a catalyst. Also, lignin is cellulose in the plant walls that make it stand up and stiff which is something we learned about. Lastly, the discovery of a better way to make renewable energy is always good news. By reducing carbon emissions we can use this improved method to stop global warming! Also, by reducing pollutants in the sky, we will reduce acid rain which in turn will help us reduce the high levels of toxins in high tropic levels due to biological magnification. Lastly, it will help us protect ecosystem from climate change.
Breakthrough in cell walls helps making bio-fuel more efficient
Cole Winsor
10/20/13
Author: Celia Luterbacher
published: 8/15/13
http://www.news.wisc.edu/22033
Summary
Scientist have recently discovered a new gene in plants that may make the creation of bio-fuel from foods more efficient. Lignin is a compound in the cell walls of plants that give their tissue structure and sturdiness, however it also limits the use of plants as a bio-fuel because in order to gain access to the energy of the plants you must first break down lignin which often requires both heat and harsh chemicals. Researcher from the Department of Energy have recently identified a new gene responsible for producing a newly found enzyme, called caffeoyl shikimate esterase, which creates lignin. these discoveries have helped the world better understand how lignin is produced and is the first discovery in ten years that has helped scientist understand how lignin is produced in plants. When Ghent University in Belgium grew Arabidopsis plants with the gene responsible knocked out the amount of lignin in the plants stems was reduced by 36 percent. By lowering the lignin in plants the process of making bio-fuel could become faster and cheaper for industry, making it a much more viable source of fuel in the future.
Connection
this article relates to much of what we are learning about enzymes. This shows how important enzymes are in cells and how little we know about how much of the cell functions. It connects to what we have learned about synthesis reactions caused by enzymes create things such as the lignin in cell walls, and how without these enzymes to help with these reactions it would be much harder for them to occur
10/20/13
Author: Celia Luterbacher
published: 8/15/13
http://www.news.wisc.edu/22033
Summary
Scientist have recently discovered a new gene in plants that may make the creation of bio-fuel from foods more efficient. Lignin is a compound in the cell walls of plants that give their tissue structure and sturdiness, however it also limits the use of plants as a bio-fuel because in order to gain access to the energy of the plants you must first break down lignin which often requires both heat and harsh chemicals. Researcher from the Department of Energy have recently identified a new gene responsible for producing a newly found enzyme, called caffeoyl shikimate esterase, which creates lignin. these discoveries have helped the world better understand how lignin is produced and is the first discovery in ten years that has helped scientist understand how lignin is produced in plants. When Ghent University in Belgium grew Arabidopsis plants with the gene responsible knocked out the amount of lignin in the plants stems was reduced by 36 percent. By lowering the lignin in plants the process of making bio-fuel could become faster and cheaper for industry, making it a much more viable source of fuel in the future.
Connection
this article relates to much of what we are learning about enzymes. This shows how important enzymes are in cells and how little we know about how much of the cell functions. It connects to what we have learned about synthesis reactions caused by enzymes create things such as the lignin in cell walls, and how without these enzymes to help with these reactions it would be much harder for them to occur
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)