BioQuakes

AP Biology class blog for discussing current research in Biology

Tag: fuel

The Multi-Talented Algae

Many of our natural resources that our planet has gifted us are useful for alternative purposes, including scientific ones. Although some go overlooked, like algae, we continue to appreciate and learn how to use the resources we have. All algas, as plant cells, are proficient photosynthesizers. Algae is found all over the world, and is able to grow at incredible speeds, if placed in the right environment of light, water, and the required nutrients. A professor by the name of Pierre Crozet, who works at Sorbonne University in Paris, is steadily trying to place algae back on the biotechnology map. His research is mainly focused on microalgae, as it is easy to engineer and take care of. It requires less room and nutrients than that of land plants. As our world is struggling with sustainability, the science community is quickly coming up with solutions to aid our planet. Algae is one of the perfect candidates, as it can gain biomass only needing water, carbon dioxide, and nutrients. Crozet says he will soon be able to replace bacteria and yeast with algae, creating a more sustainable and reusable system. Unfortunately, algae’s track record as an alternative to both yeast and bacteria is relatively poor due to their slower growth rate. 

In the early 2010’s many startup companies started with the mission that Crozet is now set on. They claimed to be reaching a breakthrough which would offer algal biofuel as a replacement for the fossil fuels we use today. Those companies struggled and either went bankrupt or decided to change their scientific focus to something more plausible and cost effective. As the world becomes more desperate for alternative fuel solutions, algae might be the most realistic of them all. The only setback would be the slow growth rate, but if the world commits to algae as our fuel source, and access all our resources, it shouldn’t be long before we are totally regenerative. A research scientist at the NSW Department of Primary Industries named Hugh Goold said, “Investors have to know that you are going to produce a product cheaper than other people can. It isn’t worthwhile to produce something in algae instead of E. coli ‘just because.’” As we have seen in the past, this world is one that is most often not open to change, and completely relying on algae as our fuel source is a big, yet perfect one. 

Photobioreactor PBR 4000 G IGV Biotech

In addition to algae being used as a fuel source, companies all over the world are using or trying to implement the use of photosynthesizers into the manufacture of vitamins, food, fashion, and other products. Companies like Living Ink are trying to create an eco-friendly alternative to the printer ink we use everyday using cyanobacteria. Unilever, a mass food producer has taken the first step toward the use of algae by partnering with a company based in the UK called Algenuity. A company called Martek Biosciences uses algae to manufacture critical omega-3 fatty acids for dietary supplementation, especially for pregnant moms (like mine did!).  All of these companies are paving the way for changes that have taken a long time to figure out, but ultimately should help with the sustainability of our planet. With all these companies working to better the world with sustainable product manufacturing, hopefully we will be able to alter the fate that our planet is facing. 

Why is it so hard to stop drinking?

It is well known that alcohol is an addictive substance that is hard to quit. The question is why? Some factors of alcoholism are genetic. People whose brains “release more natural opioids in response to alcohol may get more pleasure out of drinking and may be more likely to drink too much and become alcoholics” Also, the orbitofrontal cortex, which is “a brain region linked with decision-making” is affected by alcohol and is a factor of addiction. In addition, Alcohol triggers dopamine release in the brain, a chemical known to spur satisfying feelings. If all of these factors leading to addiction aren’t enough, scientists recently found evidence of a chemical that makes it hard to stop drinking alcohol.

taken from WikimediaCommons

Researchers from the Journal of Clinical Investigation found that long term alcohol abuse leads to higher levels of acetate. Our brains usually run on sugar but recent studies show that heavy drinkers are better able to use acetate to fuel their brain.

Studies show that heavy drinkers were more adept at transporting acetate to their brains than light drinkers. In addition heavier drinkers “burned the chemical about twice as fast as light drinkers”. This showed that the brains of heavy drinkers are able to use alternate energy sources very efficiently. This may seem like an advantage but this extra energy source makes the body even more addicted to alcohol.

 

 

 

 

main article:

http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/348839/description/Heavy_drinkers_get_extra_brain_fuel_from_alcohol

addition articles:

http://www.webmd.com/mental-health/alcohol-abuse/news/20120111/study-sheds-more-light-on-why-some-get-alcoholism

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/13/alcohol-addictive-endorphins-_n_1202406.html

picture link:

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Alcohol_desgracia.jpg

Bacteria Makes Fuel?

      Now if you’re like me, you have been expressing some concern as to where we are going to get energy in the upcoming years.  The increasing price of oil and the inefficiencies of solar power definitely cause some reason to worry.  Lucky f0r us, a new development at the University of California, Davis, might just solve all of our problems.

Shota Atsumi and his team at UC Davis made ground breaking research in Cyanobacteria that could lead to a solution to our energy problems. This Blue-Green bacteria uses sunlight and carbon dioxide to create 2, 3 butanediol, which is a chemical that can be used to create paint, solvents, plastics and even fuel.  The Scientists identified the enzymes that carried out the reactions that they wanted, and “introduced the DNA for these enzymes into the cells.”  While the experiment was deemed unpredictable at first because they were unsure how enzymes would work in different organisms, the end result was that the Cyanobacteria yielded 2.4 grams of 2, 3 butanediol per liter of growth medium.  This is a groundbreaking experiment because these scientists may have possibly taken the first steps to solving our energy crisis.  Imagine, we may be able create fuel and other resources by simply using the power of the Sun!

 

What do you guys think about this? Comment below.

 

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