01.01.70

Algae create fuel from sunlight

Written by VICTORIA TRANG
Published on January 23, 2013
Filed under Science & Technology

As nations grow and the supply of fossil fuels diminishes, demands for alternative fuel sources rise. The miniscule blue-green algae, or cyanobacteria, provide a means of producing alternative fuels and other commercial products.

In UC Davis, Shota Atsumi, assistant professor of chemistry, and his research group have developed a method to enable cyanobacteria to produce 2,3-butanediol, a type of butane. This butane is a key chemical in producing fuels and solvents.

As a result of the single-celled nature of cyanobacteria, it is easier to introduce DNA fragments that help with the synthesis of 2,3-butanediol from pyruvate, a sugar found in plants.

“Cyanobacteria [are] easy to manipulate. [They] can grow much faster than plants, and the carbon dioxide exchange is faster,” Atsumi said. “In the cynanobacteria, they don’t have any enzymes to create [butane], but [they] can produce pyruvate. We can create a DNA fragment that produces a gene encoder enzyme, and then we install the fragment into a chromosome on the cyanobacteria.

Source: The Aggie

by The Associated Press

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by Justin

There’s nothing like a  ”Paleo Challenge” to get people thinking about their eating habits, diet, and even lifestyle. For those curious, participation can be the spark they need to fully commit to a “Paleo” lifestyle. For others, it can refocus their goals and be the commitment device they need to keep them accountable. However, self imposed commitment devices aren’t without their weaknesses or limitations ( refer to this earlier post for why ). Eventually, the challenge comes to an end. Maybe you win, maybe you don’t (though you can’t really say you lost if you become healthier, lose weight, gain muscle, etc… ). In any case, the inevitable question arises… Now what? Sometimes we revert to previously “bad” habits. Sometimes we continue on as if nothing has changed. It’s honestly tough to say what we’d do until after we’ve done it. So with that in mind let’s take a look at one person’s journey.

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