Important Innovations

From Wastewater to Hydrogen Fuel Cells Source:  Purple Bacteria Stock Photo Important Innovations in Energy Development This is remarkable scientific research.  Scientists at King Juan Carlos University in Spain are the first to document that applying electric current to purple bacteria generates hydrogen gas for the production of electricity.  It does so while also recovering 100% of the carbon from any organic waste. Light Based Biorefining Purple phototrophic bacteria capture and store energy from sunlight.  The Spanish scientists say they can harvest hydrogen fuel from sewage.  Industrial wastewater and household sewage contain organic compounds and are a big potential source of energy, bioplastics and even protein for animal feed.  But until now, there was no efficient extraction method.  As a result treatment plants discard them and cause high carbon emissions. New Energy Source The light based biorefinery process developed by scient...

University of Californa - Berkeley Creates Solar Fuel from Gold + Bacteria Source:  University of California - Berkeley The Midas Touch University of California Berkeley researchers have just demonstrated a novel and efficient means of creating biofuels.  They've placed gold nanoclusters that absorb light into a bacterium.  A biohybrid results that produces a high yield of chemical products like biofuels.  It's a new source of sustainable energy. High Value Biohybrid The biohybrid captures sunlight and carbon dioxide to make chemicals useful both on earth and in space.  It's a breakthrough discovery and has just been published in the journal Nature Nanotechnology. Artificial Photosynthesis Producing Solar Fuels The bacterium is photosensitive and is named Moorella thermoacetica.  It has an appetite for gold.  The researchers feed it a nanocluster of 22 gold atoms.  The gold slips through the cell wall.  With great efficiency, ...