1.

Hydrogen production in extreme bacterium

Date: January 31, 2015
Source: Missouri University of Science and Technology
Summary: Scientists have discovered a bacterium that can produce hydrogen, an element that one day could lessen the
worlds dependence on oil
A researcher at Missouri University of Science and Technology has discovered a bacterium that can produce
hydrogen, an element that one day could lessen the world's dependence on oil.
Dr. Melanie Mormile, professor of biological sciences at Missouri S&T, and her team discovered the
bacterium Halanaerobium hydrogeninformans in Soap Lake, Washington. It can "produce hydrogen under saline and
alkaline conditions in amounts that rival genetically modified organisms," Mormile says.
"Usually, I tend to study the overall microbial ecology of extreme environments, but this particular bacterium has
caught my attention," Mormile says. "I intend to study this isolate in greater detail."
Mormile, an expert in the microbial ecology of extreme environments, wasn't searching for a bacterium that could
produce hydrogen. Instead, she first became interested in bacteria that could help clean up the environment, especially
looking at the extremophiles found in Soap Lake. An extremophile is a microorganism that lives in conditions of extreme
temperature, acidity, alkalinity or chemical concentration. Living in such a hostile environment, Halanaerobium
hydrogeninformans has metabolic capabilities under conditions that occur at some contaminated waste sites.
With Halanaerobium hydrogeninformans, she expected to find an iron-reducing bacterium and describe a new
species. What she found was a new species of bacterium that can produce hydrogen and 1, 3-propanediol under high pH
and salinity conditions that might turn out to be valuable industrially. An organic compound, 1, 3-propenediol can be
formulated into industrial products including composites, adhesives, laminates and coatings. It's also a solvent and can be
used as antifreeze.
The infrastructure isn't in place now for hydrogen to replace gasoline as a fuel for planes, trains and automobiles.
But if hydrogen becomes an alternative to gasoline, Halanaerobium hydrogeniformans, mass-produced on an industrial
scale, might be one solution -- although it won't be a solution anytime soon.
"It would be great if we got liters and liters of production of hydrogen," Mormile says. "However, we have not been
able to scale up yet."
In her first single-author article, Mormile's findings were featured in the Nov. 19 edition of Frontiers in Microbiology.
Mormile holds two patents for her work on the Soap Lake bacterium's biohydrogen formation under very alkaline
and saline conditions. Also named on the patents are Dr. Judy Wall, Curators' Professor of Biochemistry and Joint Curators'
Professor of Molecular Microbiology & Immunology at the University of Missouri-Columbia, and her former lab members,
Matthew Begemann and Dwayne Elias. A pending patent application, submitted along with Elias; Dr. Oliver Sitton, professor
of chemical and biochemical engineering at Missouri S&T; and Daniel Roush, then a master's student for Mormile, is for the
conversion of glycerol to 1, 3-propanediol, also under hostile alkaline and saline conditions.
This patented and patent-pending technology is available for licensing through the Missouri S&T Center for
Technology Transfer and Economic Development.
REFERENCE:

Missouri University of Science and Technology. (2015, January 31). Hydrogen production in extreme
bacterium.
ScienceDaily.
Retrieved
February
3,
2015
from
www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/01/150131071817.htm

REFLECTION:
Having different branches of chemical engineering is a great way to carry on researching many
fields of specification. This type of field is under biomedical engineering wherein researching on this is very
interesting because bacteria are everywhere. And the moment that you intent to research about it, there
will happen that another bacteria will grow accidentally due to condition changes, or variable changes. This
accidental invention is a great news for industries using hydrogen as their main raw material. But it will be
a good research or thesis project as feasibility study for a scale-up plant which will be then patented and
sold. They say that it would be a great supply for gasoline, fuel for planes and 1,2 propenediol which will
be a great help for the oil and gas industry. But then, a lot of bacterial growth studies and propagation are
needed to extract and germinate all these bacteria. With support from biomedical and people who studies
with bio will make this research a great alternative for scarcity of some of countries main product.

2. Future batteries: Lithium-sulfur with a graphene wrapper

Date: December 16, 2014
Source: American Institute of Physics (AIP)
Summary: What do you get when you wrap a thin sheet of the "wonder material" graphene around a novel multifunctional
sulfur electrode that combines an energy storage unit and electron/ion transfer networks? An extremely promising electrode
structure design for rechargeable lithium-sulfur batteries
Lithium-sulfur batteries are of great commercial interest because they boast theoretical specific energy densities
considerably greater than those of their already-well-established cousin, lithium ion batteries.
In the journal APL Materials, from AIP Publishing, a team of researchers led by Dr. Vasant Kumar at the University
of Cambridge and Professor Renjie Chen at the Beijing Institute of Technology describe their design of a multifunctional
sulfur cathode at the nanolevel to address performance-related issues such as low efficiency and capacity degradation.
Metal organic frameworks (MOFs) have attracted plenty of attention recently, thanks to wide-ranging applications
in hydrogen storage, carbon dioxide sequestration, catalysis and membranes. And to create their cathode, the team tapped
MOF "as a template" to produce a conductive porous carbon cage -- in which sulfur acts as the host and each sulfur-carbon
nanoparticle acts as energy storage units where electrochemical reactions occur.
"Our carbon scaffold acts as a physical barrier to confine the active materials within its porous structure," explained
Kai Xi, a research scientist at Cambridge. "This leads to improved cycling stability and high efficiency." They also discovered
that by further wrapping the sulfur-carbon energy storage unit within a thin sheet of flexible graphene speeds the transport
of electrons and ions.
What's behind the improved capacity? Fast charge-transfer kinetics are made possible by an interconnected
graphene network with high electrical conductivity, according to the team. Their work shows that the composite structure of
a porous scaffold with conductive connections is a promising electrode structure design for rechargeable batteries.
This work provides a "basic, but flexible, approach to both enhance the use of sulfur and improve the cycle stability
of batteries," Xi said. "Modification of the unit or its framework by doping or polymer coating could take the performance to
a whole new level."
In terms of applications, the novel battery design's unique integration of energy storage with an ion/electron
framework has now opened the door for fabrication of high-performance non-topotactic (not involving a structural change
to a crystalline solid) reactions-based energy storage systems.
What's next for the team? "We'll focus on fabricating hybrid free-standing sulfur cathode systems to achieve highenergy density batteries, which will involve tailoring novel electrolyte components and building lithium 'protection layers' to
enhance the electrochemical performance of batteries," noted Xi.

REFERENCE:

American Institute of Physics (AIP). (2014, December 16). Future batteries: Lithium-sulfur with a graphene
wrapper.
ScienceDaily.
Retrieved
February
3,
2015
from
www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/12/141216112742.htm
REFLECTION
Nowadays, lithium ion batteries are mostly used for gadget batteries. But this new invention using
lithium sulfur electrodes wrapped with carbon (graphene) wrapper is a more efficient type of battery for it
boast theoretical specific energy densities. Another is that it has fast-charge kinetics which is good to be as
rechargeable and modification of the possible housing or casing for it was fully studied to be safe for the
lithium-sulfur ion. It is good invention to help battery manufacturing companies and even the cellular
companies to save manpower for people who used to report on battery problems on service centers. Just
like what happened to my moms tablet, she havent used it for almost 8 months and it is due to incompatible
charger which is accidentally plugged to the tablet, and then, it chargers but when you tap the screen, it
seemed to have an auto touch or what they call ghosting problem. After which we found out that, it depends
upon the voltage and the battery whether it would work or not. So selling this possible patent will be good
for all mobile manufacturing companies.

3. Penta-graphene, a new structural variant of carbon, discovered

Date: February 3, 2015
Source: Virginia Commonwealth University
Summary: Researchers have discovered a new structural variant of carbon called 'penta-graphene' -- a very thin sheet of
pure carbon that has a unique structure inspired by a pentagonal pattern of tiles found paving the streets of Cairo.

The newly discovered material, called penta-graphene, is a single layer of carbon

pentagons that resembles the Cairo tiling, and that appears to be dynamically, thermally
and mechanically stable.
"The three last important forms of carbon that have been discovered were
fullerene, the nanotube and graphene. Each one of them has unique structure. Pentagraphene will belong in that category," said the paper's senior author, Puru Jena, Ph.D.,
distinguished professor in the Department of Physics in VCU's College of Humanities and
Sciences.
The researchers' paper, "Penta-Graphene: A New Carbon Allotrope," will appear in the journal Proceedings of the
National Academy of Sciences, and is based on research that was launched at Peking University and VCU.
Qian Wang, Ph.D., a professor at Peking University and an adjunct professor at VCU, was dining in a restaurant in
Beijing with her husband when she noticed artwork on the wall depicting pentagon tiles from the streets of Cairo.
"I told my husband, "Come, see! This is a pattern composed only of pentagons,'" she said. "I took a picture and sent
it to one of my students, and said, 'I think we can make this. It might be stable. But you must check it carefully.' He did, and
it turned out that this structure is so beautiful yet also very simple."
Most forms of carbon are made of hexagonal building blocks, sometimes interspersed with pentagons. Pentagraphene would be a unique two-dimensional carbon allotrope composed exclusively of pentagons.
Along with Jena and Wang, the paper's authors include Shunhong Zhang, Ph.D candidate, from Peking University;
Jian Zhou, Ph.D., a postdoctoral researcher at VCU; Xiaoshuang Chen, Ph.D., from the Chinese Academy of Science in
Shanghai; and Yoshiyuki Kawazoe, Ph.D., from Tohoku University in Sendai, Japan.

The researchers simulated the synthesis of penta-graphene using computer modelling. The results suggest that the
material might outperform graphene in certain applications, as it would be mechanically stable, possess very high strength,
and be capable of withstanding temperatures of up to 1,000 degrees Kelvin.
"You know the saying, diamonds are forever? That's because it takes a lot of energy to convert diamond back into
graphite," Jena said. "This will be similar."
Penta-graphene has several interesting and unusual properties, Jena said. For example, penta-graphene is a
semiconductor, whereas graphene is a conductor of electricity.
"When you take graphene and roll it up, you make what is called a carbon nanotube which can be metallic or
semiconducting," Jena said. "Penta-graphene, when you roll it up, will also make a nanotube, but it is always
semiconducting."
The way the material stretches is also highly unusual, the researchers said. "If you stretch graphene, it will expand
along the direction it is stretched, but contract along the perpendicular direction." Wang said. "However, if you stretch pentagraphene, it will expand in both directions."
The material's mechanical strength, derived from a rare property known as Negative Poisson's Ratio, may hold
especially interesting applications for technology, the researchers said.
Penta-graphene's properties suggest that it may have applications in electronics, biomedicine, nanotechnology and
more.
The next step, Jena said, is for scientists to synthesize penta-graphene. "Once you make it, it [will be] very stable.
So the question becomes, how do you make it? In this paper, we have some ideas. Right now, the project is theoretical. It's
based on computer modelling, but we believe in this prediction quite strongly. And once you make it, it will open up an
entirely new branch of carbon science. Two-dimensional carbon made completely of pentagons has never been known.
REFERENCE:

Virginia Commonwealth University. (2015, February 3). Penta-graphene, a new structural variant of carbon,
discovered.
ScienceDaily.
Retrieved
February
3,
2015
from
www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/02/150203142303.htm

REFLECTION:
I thought this article was fully furnished, yet, it wasnt finished and all were from theoretical basis.
Its good to know that there are still researchers who go on deep researching for new branches of
compounds. Penta-graphene being under graphene as one of three carbons most important form. A part
of the research described that penta-graphene is like a thin sheet, synthesized for a modelling machine
which may outstand properties of graphene in terms of its mechanical strength and tensile strength as well
as thermal properties, which is a good news. But then. Final costing or approximation for how much it would
cost to generate this type of product is not yet unknown. This type of material is known to be a
semiconductor unlike graphene which is a conductor which will be an edge for latest technology.

4. Chemists find a way to unboil egg whites: Ability to quickly restore molecular proteins could
slash biotechnology costs
Date: January 26, 2015
Source: University of California - Irvine
Summary: Chemists have figured out how to unboil egg whites -- an innovation that could dramatically reduce costs for
cancer treatments, food production and other segments of the $160 billion global biotechnology industry, according to new
findings

UC Irvine and Australian chemists have figured out how to unboil egg whites -- an innovation that could dramatically
reduce costs for cancer treatments, food production and other segments of the $160 billion global biotechnology industry,
according to findings published today in the journal ChemBioChem.
"Yes, we have invented a way to unboil a hen egg," said Gregory Weiss, UCI professor of chemistry and molecular
biology & biochemistry. "In our paper, we describe a device for pulling apart tangled proteins and allowing them to refold.
We start with egg whites boiled for 20 minutes at 90 degrees Celsius and return a key protein in the egg to working order."
Like many researchers, he has struggled to efficiently produce or recycle valuable molecular proteins that have a
wide range of applications but which frequently "misfold" into structurally incorrect shapes when they are formed, rendering
them useless.
"It's not so much that we're interested in processing the eggs; that's just demonstrating how powerful this process
is," Weiss said. "The real problem is there are lots of cases of gummy proteins that you spend way too much time scraping
off your test tubes, and you want some means of recovering that material."
But older methods are expensive and time-consuming: The equivalent of dialysis at the molecular level must be
done for about four days. "The new process takes minutes," Weiss noted. "It speeds things up by a factor of thousands."
To re-create a clear protein known as lysozyme once an egg has been boiled, he and his colleagues add a urea
substance that chews away at the whites, liquefying the solid material. That's half the process; at the molecular level, protein
bits are still balled up into unusable masses. The scientists then employ a vortex fluid device, a high-powered machine
designed by Professor Colin Raston's laboratory at South Australia's Flinders University. Shear stress within thin,
microfluidic films is applied to those tiny pieces, forcing them back into untangled, proper form.
"This method ... could transform industrial and research production of proteins," the researchers write
in ChemBioChem.
For example, pharmaceutical companies currently create cancer antibodies in expensive hamster ovary cells that
do not often misfold proteins. The ability to quickly and cheaply re-form common proteins from yeast or E. coli bacteria could
potentially streamline protein manufacturing and make cancer treatments more affordable. Industrial cheese makers,
farmers and others who use recombinant proteins could also achieve more bang for their buck.
UCI has filed for a patent on the work, and its Office of Technology Alliances is working with interested commercial
partners.
REFERENCE:

University of California - Irvine. (2015, January 26). Chemists find a way to unboil egg whites: Ability to quickly
restore molecular proteins could slash biotechnology costs. ScienceDaily. Retrieved February 3, 2015 from
www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/01/150126095911.htm

REFLECTION:
Reading this article is very informative. I found out that eggs after laid out and boiled have different
nano structures. So when they studied it, they found out that it changed that the process can be and possible
to be a reversible one. By the use of a machine, they apply a speed forming vortex to those liquids which
will be therefore cause the rupture of those protein cells. It is good to know that there are now possible
ways to make processes reversible. Though I dont know whats the reason or objective of this, and probable
uses but its a good idea that it would be applicable for all kinds of protein and they tried it only on egg yolk
since it is the most available protein source. Another good invention is the machine which outperforms
machines which is applicable to all kinds of protein. Even so for pharmaceuticals manufacturing industries,
it would be a great addition to them for producing more kinds of protein. Even on large scale.

5. Sea slug has taken genes from algae it eats, allowing it to photosynthesize like a plant
Date: February 3, 2015
Source: Marine Biological Laboratory
Summary: How a brilliant-green sea slug manages to live for months at a time 'feeding'
on sunlight, like a plant, is clarified in a recent study. The authors present the first direct
evidence that the emerald green sea slug's chromosomes have some genes that come
from the algae it eats.
How a brilliant-green sea slug manages to live for months at a time "feeding"
on sunlight, like a plant, is clarified in a recent study published in The Biological Bulletin.
The authors present the first direct evidence that the emerald green sea slug's chromosomes have some genes
that come from the algae it eats.
These genes help sustain photosynthetic processes inside the slug that provide it with all the food it needs.
Importantly, this is one of the only known examples of functional gene transfer from one multicellular species to
another, which is the goal of gene therapy to correct genetically based diseases in humans.
"Is a sea slug a good [biological model] for a human therapy? Probably not. But figuring out the mechanism of this
naturally occurring gene transfer could be extremely instructive for future medical applications," says study co-author Sidney
K. Pierce, an emeritus professor at University of South Florida and at University of Maryland, College Park.
The team used an advanced imaging technique to confirm that a gene from the algaV. litorea is present on the E.
chlorotica slug's chromosome. This gene makes an enzyme that is critical to the function of photosynthetic "machines"
called chloroplasts, which are typically found in plants and algae.
It has been known since the 1970s that E. chloritica "steals" chloroplasts from V. litorea (called "kleptoplasty") and
embeds them into its own digestive cells. Once inside the slug cells, the chloroplasts continue to photosynthesize for up to
nine months--much longer than they would perform in the algae. The photosynthesis process produces carbohydrates and
lipids, which nourish the slug.
How the slug manages to maintain these photosynthesizing organelles for so long has been the topic of intensive
study and a good deal of controversy. "This paper confirms that one of several algal genes needed to repair damage to
chloroplasts, and keep them functioning, is present on the slug chromosome," Pierce says. "The gene is incorporated into
the slug chromosome and transmitted to the next generation of slugs." While the next generation must take up chloroplasts
anew from algae, the genes to maintain the chloroplasts are already present in the slug genome, Pierce says.
"There is no way on earth that genes from an alga should work inside an animal cell," Pierce says. "And yet here,
they do. They allow the animal to rely on sunshine for its nutrition. So if something happens to their food source, they have
a way of not starving to death until they find more algae to eat. "
This biological adaptation is also a mechanism of rapid evolution, Pierce says. "When a successful transfer of genes
between species occurs, evolution can basically happen from one generation to the next," he notes, rather than over an
evolutionary timescale of thousands of years.
REFERENCE:

Marine Biological Laboratory. (2015, February 3). Sea slug has taken genes from algae it eats, allowing it to
photosynthesize
like
a
plant.
ScienceDaily.
Retrieved
February
3,
2015
from
www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/02/150203155925.htm

REFLECTION:
I never thought that there is such thing as transfer of genes. It is truly amazing that it is possible
that the algae, green bacteria have chloroplast which acts up for photosynthesis. When it was eaten by the
sea slug, it turned out green which is suspected that was obtained from green algae. It was stated in history
that sea slugs were able to photosynthesize these chloroplasts up to nine months only which then produces
carbohydrates and lipids to nourish the slugs. These genes will we therefore transmitted to other slugs will
be then delivered to the next level on our ecology. One of the advantages of these transfer of genes is there
is a possibility of arising of new microorganism and organisms, as a product or a waste. The only problem
to face is that if it doesnt have effect on sea slugs after 9 months and the supply of algae might have
shortage.

6. Water purification: Running fuel cells on bacteria

Date: January 30, 2015
Source: SINTEF
Summary: Researchers in Norway have succeeded in getting
bacteria to power a fuel cell. The "fuel" used is wastewater, and the
products of the process are purified water droplets and electricity.
This is an environmentally-friendly process for the purification of
water derived from industrial processes and suchlike. It also
generates small amounts of electricity in practice enough to drive
a small fan, a sensor or a light-emitting diode. In the future, the
researchers hope to scale up this energy generation to enable the
same energy to be used to power the water purification process,
which commonly consists of many stages, often involving
mechanical and energy-demanding decontamination steps at its
outset.
This is an environmentally-friendly process for the purification of water derived from industrial processes and
suchlike. It also generates small amounts of electricity -- in practice enough to drive a small fan, a sensor or a light-emitting
diode.
In the future, the researchers hope to scale up this energy generation to enable the same energy to be used to power the
water purification process, which commonly consists of many stages, often involving mechanical and energy-demanding
decontamination steps at its outset.
Nature's own generator
The biological fuel cell is powered by entirely natural processes -- with the help of living microorganisms.
"In simple terms, this type of fuel cell works because the bacteria consume the waste materials found in the water,"
explains SINTEF researcher Luis Cesar Colmenares, who is running the project together with his colleague Roman Netzer.
"As they eat, the bacteria produce electrons and protons. The voltage that arises between these particles generates energy
that we can exploit. Since the waste in the wastewater (organic material) is consumed and thus removed, the water itself
becomes purified," he says.
Searching for the best bacteria
"Our challenge has been to find the mechanisms and bacteria that are best suited for use in this water purification
method," says Netzer. "To start with, we had to find a bacterium which was not only able to consume the waste products in
the water, but which could also transfer electrons to a metal electrode," he says.
The idea behind this water purification approach was born many years ago when the two scientists first met and
began discussing how bacteria could be used to generate energy. Since then, they have both been working to put the idea
into practice -- each from their own respective fields of expertise. While Netzer is an expert in bacteria, Colmenares is an
electrochemist with a knowledge of, and interest in, water purification.

Today, they have a small demonstration plant bubbling away in the lab -- efficiently exploiting the bacterias' ability
to purify dirty water and generate electricity. The wastewater comes from the local Tine dairy and is rich in organic acids,
which are ideal for this process. But this is not essential -- other types of wastewater work just as well.
"At the moment, we're not talking about producing large volumes of energy," says Netzer. "But the process is very interesting
because water purification processes are very energy-demanding using current technology. We're particularly pleased at
being able to produce just as much energy using low-cost materials as others are achieving using much more expensive
approaches," he says.
REFERENCE:

SINTEF. (2015, January 30). Water purification: Running fuel cells on bacteria.ScienceDaily. Retrieved February
3, 2015 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/01/150130081535.htm

REFLECTION:
I have articles and journals about wastewater treatment using cells which can produce electricity
and at the same time freshwater. Also, there are articles which adds the desalination of water.
Having this small scale idea is a good support since most researches nowadays covers the usage
of most cells. It is said to be a costly type of producing of energy but I can say that compared to
our sources of energy now, geothermal, nuclear, electrical and hyroelectic, this one is the cheapest
and does not require much of equipment. Also, the problem to solve is the source of cells but for
sure there are ways to propagate this cells which will require more processes. An advantage of this
research is that we wont run out of water and electricity. Due to all product were accumulated and
recycled.

7. Biologists partner bacterium with nitrogen gas to produce more, cleaner bioethanol
Date: February 2, 2015
Source: Indiana University
Summary: Biologists believe they have found a faster, cheaper and cleaner way to increase bioethanol production by using
nitrogen gas, the most abundant gas in Earth's atmosphere, in place of more costly industrial fertilizers. The discovery could
save the industry millions of dollars and make cellulosic ethanol -- made from wood, grasses and inedible parts of plants -more competitive with corn ethanol and gasoline..
The raw materials for cellulosic ethanol are low in nitrogen, a nutrient required for ethanol-producing microbes to
grow, so cellulosic ethanol producers are estimated to spend millions of dollars annually on nitrogen fertilizers like corn
steep liquor and diammonium phosphate. But an IU team led by biologist James B. McKinlay has found that the bioethanolproducing bacterium Zymomonas mobiliscan use nitrogen gas (N2) as a nitrogen source, something that the more traditional
ethanol-producer, baker's yeast, cannot do.
"When we discovered that Z. mobilis could use N2 we expected that it would make less ethanol. N2 utilization and
ethanol production demand similar resources within the bacterial cell so we expected resources to be pulled away from
ethanol production to allow the bacteria to grow with N2," McKinlay said. "To our surprise the ethanol yield was unchanged
when the bacteria used N2. In fact, under certain conditions, the bacteria converted sugars to ethanol much faster when
they were fed N2."
Knowing the bacterium could use N2 without hindering ethanol production, the team reasoned that N2 gas could
serve as an inexpensive substitute for nitrogen fertilizers during cellulosic ethanol production.
"Until recently, ethanol has been produced almost entirely from food crops, but last year there was a surge in
cellulosic ethanol production as several commercial facilities opened," McKinlay said. "Cellulosic ethanol offers more
favorable land use and lower carbon emissions than conventional ethanol production. Even so, cellulosic ethanol is
struggling to be cost-competitive against corn ethanol and gasoline."
The largest cost contributors to cellulosic ethanol production are the cellulosic plant material and the enzymes
needed to degrade the plant material into sugars that are converted into ethanol, so they have received the most attention.

"But we recognized nitrogen fertilizers as a smaller, yet considerable, cost contributor that could potentially be more
readily addressed," he said.
They estimated that using N2 gas, which can be produced on-site at production facilities, in place of costly nitrogen
supplements could save an ethanol production facility over $1 million dollars a year. Using N2 gas could also have
environmental benefits such as avoiding carbon dioxide emissions associated with producing and transporting the industrial
fertilizers.
"More work needs to be done to assess how this approach can be integrated and optimized on an industrial scale,
but all of the data we've collected thus far are very encouraging," McKinlay said.
A provisional patent has also been filed in relation to the study with the United State Patent and Trademark Office,
he added.
The research was published today in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences by McKinlay
and three past and present members of his laboratory: graduate student Timothy A. Kremer, postdoctoral fellow Breah
LaSarre, and former research associate Amanda L. Posto. McKinlay is an assistant professor in the IU Bloomington College
of Arts and Sciences' Department of Biology.
REFERENCE:

Indiana University. (2015, February 2). Biologists partner bacterium with nitrogen gas to produce more, cleaner
bioethanol.
ScienceDaily.
Retrieved
February
3,
2015
from
www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/02/150202212120.htm

REFLECTION:
It is a great invention knowing that there is such bacteria called Zymomonas mobiliscan
which can utilize Nitrogen (N2) gas for further genereration of bioethanol. As we otices, nowadays,
bacteria are mostly used to produce fuels. It is a good idea if in case the oil depot have run out and
refineries have shut down due to high process of processing. Due to bacteria which easy
propagates and multiply, we are able to continuously produce fuel. Not only that, they only help in
our environment. These, Zymomonas mobiliscan, are good for producing bioethanol, which says
our natural products such as coconut or other food sources will be used for food too, and not for
fuel, which helps our food market industry.

8. Sugar Beets Make Hemoglobin

Hemoglobin is best known as red blood cells' superstar proteincarrying oxygen and other gases on the
erythrocytes as they zip throughout the bodies of nearly all vertebrates. Less well known is its presence in vegetables,
including the sugar beet, in which Nlida Leiva-Eriksson recently discovered the protein while working on her doctoral thesis
at Lund University in Sweden. In fact, many land plantsfrom barley to tomatoescontain the protein, says Ral
Arredondo-Peter, an expert on the evolution of plant hemoglobins, or leghemoglobins, at the Autonomous University of the
State of Morelos in Mexico. Hemoglobins are very ancient proteins, he notes. Scientists first discovered them in the brightred nodules of soybean roots in 1939 but have yet to determine the proteins' role in plants in most cases. One popular idea
is that hemoglobin binds with and delivers nitric oxide to cells, sending signals to regulate growth.

Researchers are now investigating ways to leverage leghemoglobins. For example, Robert Hill, a plant biologist at
the University of Manitoba, found that genetically engineering alfalfa to produce more of the proteins boosted the crop's
survival rate during a flood from 20 to 80 percent. Plant hemoglobins might even serve as a blood substitute for humans
somedayan idea that Arredondo-Peter says is conceivable but far off because they do not carry and release oxygen at
the same rates as human hemoglobins. Or they could be exploited to trick our senses: food scientists at Stanford University
are experimenting with plant hemoglobins as an ingredient in veggie burgers to make them taste more like bloody steaks.

REFERENCE:

(Volume 312, Issue 2). Sugar Beets Make Hemoglobin. ScienceDaily. Retrieved February 3, 2015 from
www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/02/150202212120.htm

REFLECTION:
The news research was not yet fully studied but it is feasible. It never thought of the idea that these plants
can be convertible to human needs specially in the blood. We all know that these plants only give us food,
oxygen, and prevent us from flood. But for all we know that there is a plant which can carry proteins. And
as the same as humans our red blood cells have hemoglobin which carries the protein needed in our body,
especially, the oxygen and main nutrients, it even spreads the nitric oxide to our cells. There is a high
probability that they can be carriers of protein like hemoglobin but there are furthermore researches to be
done to obtain the efficiency of carriage of plants as on humans.

9. Non-damaging, efficient sterilization: Plasma sterilizer for medical, aerospace applications

Date: February 2, 2015
Source: Ruhr-Universitaet-Bochum
Summary: Traditional sterilization methods are no longer effective against all pathogens. By means of plasma, on the other
hand, exceptionally stubborn bacteria stems can be killed off, researchers have demonstrated. A new sterilizer that is
specifically suited for ridding medical instruments of germs efficiently, yet without damaging the material, has been
developed and may also have applications for the aerospace industry
Traditional sterilization methods are no longer effective against all pathogens. By means of plasma, on the other
hand, exceptionally stubborn bacteria stems can be killed off, as demonstrated by Junior Professor Dr Katharina
Stapelmann from the Institute for Electrical Engineering and Plasma Technology. She has developed a sterilizer that is
specifically suited for ridding medical instruments of germs efficiently, yet without damaging the material. As reported in the
RUB's science magazineRUBIN, the process is also interesting for the aerospace industry.
Perfect fit for medical applications
Stapelmann designed the sterilization chamber as a drawer with a surface in DIN-A4 format to hold standard tablets
for medical instruments. The drawer may also be used as a sterile container. "You can, for example, put a set that's going
to be used in an appendectomy into the device, sterilize it and store the closed container in the cupboard right until surgery,"
explains the researcher. Compared with traditional processes, plasma sterilization is more energy saving, faster and does
not require any harmful radiation or carcinogenic chemicals. Unlike autoclaves, which apply moist heat, the process can be
deployed for synthetic components, and it does not damage metal items which an autoclave blunts within a short space of
time. A prototype of the sterilizer is already available. What is now missing is an industrial partner who will make the product
market-ready.
Germ-free in space
In order to prevent germs from Earth from getting into space, and germs from space from getting to Earth, it is
standard practice to sterilize all aerospace materials. However, not all pathogens are destroyed by this multi-stage process.
In collaboration with the German Aerospace Center, Katharina Stapelmann tested her method for metal screws which were
riddled with the spores of the particularly stubborn bacteriumBacillus pumilis SAFR032. This bacteria stem has
demonstrated the to-date highest resistance against traditional sterilization methods, such as autoclaves, chemical
treatment or UV radiation. The plasma treatment, however, destroyed all germs within the space of only five minutes at a
temperature of 60 degrees centigrade.
REFERENCES:

Ruhr-Universitaet-Bochum. (2015, February 2). Non-damaging, efficient sterilization: Plasma sterilizer for medical,
aerospace
applications.
ScienceDaily.
Retrieved
February
3,
2015
from
www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/02/150202080730.htm

REFLECTION:

I have no idea on the need to sterilize such objects that we need in outer space. I only thought that which
needs sterilization are for those in the medical fields. Like in autoclaving, I have read an article on how to
autoclave such material using plasma. It was a 1980s study which covers on the autoclaving of an acrylic
material. Since an acrylic can withstand 20-80C temperature, there is no chances to autoclave it in a
machine but only thru use of ethylene gas, or plasma. I dont get why do we need to sterilize it, not unless
it has to be implanted or ingested to a persons body. But it is a good study for which it is non damaging
kind to sterilize aerospace stuffs.

10. Biomaterial coating raises prospect of more successful medical implants

Date: January 30, 2015
Source: IOP Publishing
Summary: A novel, bacteria-repelling coating material that could increase the success of medical implants has been
created. The material helps healthy cells 'win the race' to the medical implant, beating off competition from bacterial cells
and thus reducing the likelihood of the implant being rejected by the body.
A novel, bacteria-repelling coating material that could increase the success of medical implants has been created
by researchers.
The material helps healthy cells 'win the race' to the medical implant, beating off competition from bacterial cells
and thus reducing the likelihood of the implant being rejected by the body.
The first results of the material's performance have been published today, 30 January, in IOP Publishing's
journal Biomedical Materials.
The failure rate of certain medical implants still remains high -- around 40% for hip implants -- due to the formation
of biofilms when the implant is first inserted into the body.
This thin film is composed of a group of microorganisms stuck together and can be initiated by bacteria sticking to
the implant. This prevents healthy cells from attaching and results in the body eventually rejecting the implant, potentially
leading to serious complications for patients.
In their study, researchers from A*STAR (Agency for Science, Technology and Research) in Singapore, Nanyang
Technological University and City University of Hong Kong produced a material that not only repelled bacteria but also
attracted healthy cells.
The base of the material was made from polyelectrolyte multilayers onto which a number of specific bonding
molecules, called ligands, were attached.
After testing various concentrations of different ligands, the researchers found that RGD peptide was particularly
effective at inhibiting the attachment of bacterial cells and attracting healthy cells, compared with collagen, when attached
to dextran sulfate and chitosan multilayers.
This combination was tested on cultures of healthy fibroblast cells and cultures of bacterial cells, in which two specific strains
were used -- E. coli and S. aureus.
The lead author of the research, Professor Vincent Chan from Nanyang Technological University, said: "The method
we developed helped the host cells win the so called 'race-for-surface' battle, forming a confluent layer on the implant
surface which protects it from possible bacterial adhesion and colonization.

"Medical implants currently have antibacterial silver coatings incorporated into them; however, the total amount of
silver used must be very carefully controlled because high concentrations could kill mammalian cells and become toxic to
the human body.
"The bio-selective coatings we've created do not have this problem as the materials used are non-toxic and the
preparation process uses water as a solvent.
"At the moment this is just a 'proof-of-concept' study, so there is still a long way to go before the coating can be
used on implants in clinical setting. In future studies we hope to firstly improve the long-term stability of the coating."

REFERENCE:

IOP Publishing. (2015, January 30). Biomaterial coating raises prospect of more successful medical
implants.
ScienceDaily.
Retrieved
February
3,
2015
from
www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/01/150130102540.htm

REFLECTION:
During TIP Foundation week, our class project on Biochemical Engineering under Engr. Jopeth Ramis
mainly scopes biomedical engineering. So I got the idea that in processing such transplants or any organ
imitation, it should be a biomaterial. There are certain plastics and certain materials which are advised to
be made or to be used regarding such transplants. So what are these Biomaterials? These are materials
which can be used to life. In laymans term, it is a material which can last long for years and can be used as
your own organ, and imitate your affected organ as the same as the original. These also must not affect
the organs inside. It must not rust due to fluids inside the body. It must not be easily degraded and melt
due to acidic intakes. It must not also deform due to certain pressures. There are many more studies to
alter such biomaterial.

11. Artificial blood vessels: Tri-layered artificial blood vessels for first time
Date: February 3, 2015
Source: American Institute of Physics (AIP)
Summary: By combining micro-imprinting and electro-spinning techniques, researchers have developed a vascular graft
composed of three layers for the first time. This tri-layered composite has allowed researchers to utilize separate materials
that respectively possess mechanical strength and promote new cell growth - a significant problem for existing vascular
grafts that have only consisted of a single or double layer.

By combining micro-imprinting and electro-spinning techniques, researchers at Shanghai University's Rapid

Manufacturing Engineering Center have developed a vascular graft composed of three layers for the first time. This trilayered composite has allowed researchers to utilize separate materials that respectively possess mechanical strength and
promote new cell growth -- a significant problem for existing vascular grafts that have only consisted of a single or double
layer.
Vascular grafts are surgically attached to an obstructed or otherwise unhealthy blood vessel to permanently redirect
blood flow, such as in coronary bypass surgery. Traditional grafts work by repurposing existing vessels from the patient's
own body or from a suitable donor. However, these sources are often insufficient for a patient's needs because of the limited
supply in a patient's body, and may be afflicted by the same underlying conditions that necessitate the graft in the first place.
Accordingly, there has been a great deal of research towards developing synthetic vessels that can mimic natural ones,
allowing new cells to grow around them and then degrade away, thereby creating new vessels.
"The composite vascular grafts could be better candidates for blood vessel repair," said Yuanyuan Liu, an associate
professor at the Rapid Manufacturing Engineering Center. Liu's team had previously worked with bone scaffolds, which are

used to repair bone defects, before turning their attention to cardiovascular disease, and thus vascular grafts. They describe
their current research in the journal AIP Advances,from AIP Publishing.
As a rule, surrogate scaffolds need to mimic the natural vasculature of their targeted tissue as much as possible.
For blood vessel surrogates, this structural mimicry can be fabricated by electrospinning, a process which uses an electrical
charge to draw liquid inputs -- here a mixture of chitosan and polyvinyl alcohol -- into incredibly fine fibers. Electrospinning
also allows for a high surface-to-volume ratio of nanofibers, providing ample space for host cells to grow and connect. These
components all naturally degrade within six months to a year, leaving behind a new, intact blood vessel.
The resulting structure, however, isn't very rigid -- the fly in the ointment for many previous models. To compensate
for this, the researchers designed a three-layer model, in which the mixture was electrospun onto both sides of a
microimprinted middle layer of poly-p-dioxanone, a biodegradable polymer commonly used in biomedical applications. The
ends of this sheet were then folded and attached to make a tube-like vessel.
Liu and her team then seeded the scaffold with rat fibroblast cells, which are ideal candidates because of their ease
of cultivation and quick growth rate, to test the scaffold's efficacy in promoting cellular expansion and integration. The
researchers found that the cells on these composite scaffolds proliferated quickly, likely due to the functional amino and
hydroxyl groups introduced by the chitosan.
While a good deal of work remains before the prospect of human trials, Liu and her group are optimistic about the future of
their research. Their next project is to test the implants in an animal model, to observe the structure's efficacy with live
vascular cells.
REFERENCES:

American Institute of Physics (AIP). (2015, February 3). Artificial blood vessels: Tri-layered artificial blood vessels
for
first
time.
ScienceDaily.
Retrieved
February
3,
2015
from
www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/02/150203111912.htm

REFLECTION:
Mostly I observed news articles covers on biomedical engineering, which is a great invention.
People research more on this due to many changes happened to peoples body and many new diseases
comes up due to certain viruses and due to weak immune system that attacks our red blood cells and
increases the count of our white blood cell which made us prone to more sickness. In here, it says that
there is a tri-layered artificial blood vessels. It was such an amazing study, but then I am little confused if it
however succeed, how can be implanted on people. Since our arteries are connected to our heart. But then
it will take years to agree on this since for some countries this kind of act is unethical due to some moral
issues. God told us to take care of our body, but we people are the ones who destroy it, but there is science
who always support these problems yet opposed by the church. But we got nothing to do but study it, avail
it for it is also for the best of us.

12. New mechanism unlocked for evolution of green fluorescent protein

Date: January 27, 2015
Source: Arizona State University
Summary: A primary challenge in the biosciences is to understand the way major evolutionary changes in nature are
accomplished. Sometimes the route turns out to be very simple. An example of such simplicity is provided in a new
publication that shows, for the first time, that a hinge migration mechanism, driven solely by long-range dynamic motions,
can be the key for evolution of a green-to-red photoconvertible phenotype in a green fluorescent protein.

Primary challenge in the biosciences is to understand the way major evolutionary changes in nature are
accomplished. Sometimes the route turns out to be very simple. An example of such simplicity is provided in a new
publication by a group of ASU scientists.
They show, for the first time, that a hinge migration mechanism, driven solely by long-range dynamic motions, can
be the key for evolution of a green-to-red photoconvertible phenotype in a green fluorescent protein (GFP).

Rebekka Wachter, a professor in ASU's Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry and the College of Liberal Arts
and Sciences, is an expert in the field of structural characterization of GFP-like proteins. The present study is the culmination
of eight years of intense effort in her laboratory.
The work, just published in the high impact journalStructure, involves collaborations with S. Banu Ozkan, from the
Center for Biological Physics in the Department of Physics at ASU, and evolutionary biologist Mikhail Matz of the University
of Texas.
Green fluorescent protein was first isolated from the jellyfish Aequorea victoria, which drifts with the currents off the
west coast of North America. It was discovered that this protein glowed bright green under ultraviolet light. This phenomenon
has found many creative applications in the biosciences.
The protein has been utilized as an extremely valuable luminous genetic tag for various biological phenomena.
Using green fluorescent protein one can observe when proteins are made and where they go. This is done by joining the
GFP gene to the gene of the protein of interest so that when the protein is made it will have GFP hanging off it. Since GFP
fluoresces, one can shine light at the cell and wait for the distinctive green fluorescence associated with GFP to appear.
The ability of some GFPs to turn red upon prolonged illumination makes them invaluable probes in super resolution
fluorescence microscopy applications. This is where the current study is of most value.
To fluoresce, GFP-like proteins must adopt a compact barrel-like shape. The light-triggered red phenotype may
have arisen from a common green ancestor by a reversal of firm and soft regions located in opposite corners of the betabarrel fold.
Although six crystal structures of reconstructed ancestral Kaede-type proteins indicate that the structure is highly
conserved, analysis of chain flexibility by Molecular Dynamics and perturbation response scanning, performed in the group
of S. Banu Ozkan has shown that the individual flexibility of each position (i.e. structural dynamics) alters throughout the
evolution of green-to-red photo conversion. Thus this study suggests that green-to-red photoconversion may have arisen
from a common green ancestor by the shift of the rigid corner near the chromophore to the opposite corner of beta-barrel.
"For the first time, this work establishes a direct experimental link between protein phenotypic change and collective
dynamics without any external trigger, such as substrate, product or effector binding," explains Wachter. "Based on
structural, computational and kinetic data, we propose a novel photoconversion mechanism that provides a plausible path
for the irreversible acquisition of red fluorescence."
In spite of intense efforts in a number of laboratories worldwide, the mechanism of photoconversion of Kaede-type
proteins has remained largely enigmatic. The present work sheds light on structural, dynamic and mechanistic features that
must be considered when engineering improved fluorescent probes for super-resolution microscopy applications.
REFERENCE:

Arizona State University. (2015, January 27). New mechanism unlocked for evolution of green fluorescent
protein.
ScienceDaily.
Retrieved
February
3,
2015
from
www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/01/150127140812.htm

REFLECTION:
It is an amazing study which objective is to convert a certain green fluorescent protein to a red on
phenotype. I think it Is a little risky and a little delicate cause what we are handling are proteins. As we all
know, just a segregation of proteins are hard to do but yet there are just machines now who do it, which we
all know as, protein sequencing or chromatography. This invention says that there is conversion of color.
And for all we know it only happens in the effect of light or photoconversion. This so called illumination is
said to change the molecular and crystal structures of the protein which then changes its color. IT a nice
topic for a research study but I dont know if it has a lot of uses.

13. Researchers produce two bio-fuels from a single algae

Date: January 28, 2015
Source: Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
Summary: A common algae commercially grown to make fish food holds promise as a source for both biodiesel and jet
fuel, according to a new study.
A common algae commercially grown to make fish food holds promise as a source for both biodiesel and jet fuel,
according to a new study published in the journal Energy & Fuels.
The researchers, led by Greg O'Neil of Western Washington University and Chris Reddy of Woods Hole
Oceanographic Institution, exploited an unusual and untapped class of chemical compounds in the algae to synthesize two
different fuel products, in parallel, a from a single algae.
"It's novel," says O'Neil, the study's lead author. "It's far from a cost-competitive product at this stage, but it's an interesting
new strategy for making renewable fuel from algae."
Algae contain fatty acids that can be converted into fatty acid methyl esters, or FAMEs, the molecules in biodiesel.
For their study, O'Neil, Reddy, and colleagues targeted a specific algal species called Isochrysis for two reasons: First,
because growers have already demonstrated they can produce it in large batches to make fish food. Second, because it is
among only a handful of algal species around the globe that produce fats called alkenones. These compounds are
composed of long chains with 37 to 39 carbon atoms, which the researchers believed held potential as a fuel source.
Biofuel prospectors may have dismissed Isochrysis because its oil is a dark, sludgy solid at room temperature,
rather than a clear liquid that looks like cooking oil. The sludge is a result of the alkenones in Isochrysis -- precisely what
makes it a unique source of two distinct fuels.
Alkenones are well known to oceanographers because they have a unique ability to change their structure in
response to water temperature, providing oceanographers with a biomarker to extrapolate past sea surface temperatures.
But biofuel prospectors were largely unaware of alkenones. "They didn't know that Isochrysismakes these unusual
compounds because they're not oceanographers," says Reddy, a marine chemist at WHOI.
Reddy and O'Neil began their collaboration first by making biodiesel from the FAMEs in Isochrysis. Then they had
to devise a method to separate the FAMEs and alkenones in order to achieve a free-flowing fuel.The method added steps
to the overall biodiesel process, but it supplied a superior quality biodiesel, as well as "an alkenone-rich . . . fraction as a
potential secondary product stream," the authors write.
"The alkenones themselves, with long chains of 37 to 39 carbons, are much too big to be used for jet fuel," says
O'Neil. But the researchers used a chemical reaction called olefin metathesis (which earned its developers the Nobel Prize
in 2005). The process cleaved carbon-carbon double bonds in the alkenones, breaking the long chains into pieces with only
8 to 13 carbons. "Those are small enough to use for jet fuel," O'Neil says.
The scientists believe that by producing two fuels--biodiesel and jet fuel--from a single algae, their findings hold
some promise for future commercialization. They stress that this is a first step with many steps to come, but they are
encouraged by the initial result.
"It's scientifically fascinating and really cool," Reddy says. "This algae has got much greater potential, but we are in
the nascent stages."
Among their next steps is to try to produce larger quantities of the fuels fromIsochrysis, but they are also exploring
additional co-products from the algae. The team believes there are a lot of other potential products that could be made from
alkenones.
"Petroleum products are everywhere--we need a lot of different raw materials if we hope to replace them," says
O'Neil. "Alkenones have a lot of potential for different purposes, so it's exciting."

REFERENCE:

Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. (2015, January 28). Researchers produce two bio-fuels from a single
algae.
ScienceDaily.
Retrieved
February
3,
2015
from
www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/01/150128170159.htm

REFLECTION:
Ever since, algae has been widely known for its wide uses. Even on Food Industry, Water Industry,
Gas and Oil and energy industry, even on Wastewater technology. But here, its a great advantage that
thru the use of a single algae with a certain amount can produce two type of fuel. Now, we got no problems
on our fuel for it is sustainable at the end of the 21st century. The problem we will face only is the pollution.
I hope so that algae has a certain property to clean up effluents and fumes in the air as it ca clear the
liquids, especially the water. I hope that algae can filter the air we breathe for a real greener environment.

14. Researchers identify materials to improve biofuel, petroleum processing

Date: January 26, 2015
Source: University of Minnesota
Summary: Using one of the largest supercomputers in the world, a team of researchers has identified potential materials
that could improve the production of ethanol and petroleum products. The discovery could lead to major efficiencies and
cost savings in these industries
The University of Minnesota has two patents pending on the research and hopes to license these technologies. The
study was published in the research journal Nature Communications.
Petrochemical and biofuel refineries use materials called zeolites that act as molecular sieves to sort, filter, and trap
chemical compounds, as well as catalyze chemical reactions necessary to produce and upgrade fuel and chemical
feedstock from petroleum-based and renewable resources. There are more than 200 known zeolites and hundreds of
thousands predicted zeolite variations. The key to improving biofuel and petrochemical processes is to find which zeolites
work best.
Unfortunately, synthesizing novel zeolites in the lab is a long, complicated process that can take many months
each. To analyze all the known and predicted structures would take decades. Instead, researchers from the University of
Minnesota and Rice University developed a complex computational screening process that can look at thousands of zeolites
in the virtual world and identify their performance for specific applications. This reduces the need for trial and error
experimentation in the lab.
"Using a supercomputer at Argonne National Laboratory, we are able to use our computer simulations to compress
decades of research in the lab into a total of about a day's worth of computing," said lead researcher Ilja Siepmann, a
University of Minnesota chemistry professor and director of the U.S. Department of Energy-funded Nanoporous Materials
Genome Center based in Minnesota.
Predicting the zeolites' performance required serious computing power, efficient computer algorithms, and accurate
descriptions of the molecular interactions. The team's software can utilize Mira, a supercomputer with nearly 800,000
processors, to run in a day the equivalent computations requiring about 10 million hours on a single-processor computer.
The computations identified zeolites to attack two complex problems.
The first problem researchers tackled is the current multi-step ethanol purification process encountered in biofuel
production. One of the last steps involves the separation of ethanol from water. Researchers found a few all-silica zeolites
with superior performance that contain pores and channels with the ability to accommodate ethanol molecules but to shun
hydrogen bonding with water molecules. One of these zeolites, which was synthesized and tested in University of Minnesota
chemical engineering and materials science professor Michael Tsapatsis' lab, was found to be so effective that it could
change the ethanol/water separation process from a multi-step distillation process to a single-step adsorptive process.
Similar zeolitic materials could also have possible applications for separations in the biofuels and petrochemical industry.
The second problem researchers examined targets the upgrading of petroleum compounds into higher-value
lubricant and diesel products. They identified zeolite frameworks that could improve the dewaxing process of transforming

linear long-chain into slightly branched hydrocarbon molecules, called alkanes, which affect the pour point and viscosity of
lubricants and other petroleum products. Researchers say, defining appropriate sorbents and catalysts for all of the complex
mixtures involved in creating these products is of "paramount importance," but has been one of the most difficult problems
to overcome.
"We're looking for materials that have interesting properties and that's what we've achieved here," said paper coauthor Michael Deem, chair of Rice University's Department of Bioengineering and a professor of physics and astronomy.
REFERENCE:

University of Minnesota. (2015, January 26). Researchers identify materials to improve biofuel, petroleum
processing.
Science
Daily.
Retrieved
February
3,
2015
from
www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/01/150126112356.htm

REFLECTION:
I am not fond of certain raw materials to produces fuels, but then, it is the most need of our world
as transportation lags and people multiplies so fast. But improving biofuel is a good news aside from
producing it from a new way or new method. They found out that zeolites help improve the quality and
efficiency of the certain fuel. We all know that zeolites are known to help a certain product to dry fast. It acts
as an absorbent. But it is on moisture. Maybe on fuels, it will further remove the unwanted moist which
produced from final thermal cracking.

15. 15-million-year-old mollusk protein found

Date: February 5, 2015
Source: Carnegie Institution
Summary: Scientists have found 'beautifully preserved' 15-million-year-old thin protein sheets in fossil shells from
southern Maryland. The team collected samples from Calvert Cliffs, along the shoreline of the Chesapeake Bay, a popular
fossil collecting area. They found fossilized shells of a snail-like mollusk called Ecphora that lived in the mid-Miocene era.
A Team of Carnegie scientists have found "beautifully preserved" 15 million-year-old thin protein sheets in fossil
shells from southern Maryland. Their findings are published in the inaugural issue of Geochemical Perspectives Letters.
The team--John Nance, John Armstrong, George Cody, Marilyn Fogel, and Robert Hazen--collected samples
from Calvert Cliffs, along the shoreline of the Chesapeake Bay, a popular fossil collecting area. They found fossilized
shells of a snail-like mollusk called Ecphora that lived in the mid-Miocene era--between 8 and 18 million years ago.
Ecphora is known for an unusual reddish-brown shell color, making it one of the most distinctive North American
mollusks of its era. This coloration is preserved in fossilized remains, unlike the fossilized shells of many other fossilized
mollusks from the Calvert Cliffs region, which have turned chalky white over the millions of years since they housed living
creatures.
Shells are made from crystalline compounds of calcium carbonate interleaved with an organic matrix of proteins
and sugars proteins and sugars. These proteins are called shell-binding proteins by scientists, because they help hold the
components of the shell together.They also contain pigments, such as those responsible for the reddish-brown
appearance of the Ecphora shell. These pigments can bind to proteins to form a pigment-protein complex.
The fact that the coloration of fossilized Ecphora shells is so well preserved suggested to the research team that
shell proteins bound to these pigments in a complex might also be preserved. They were amazed to find that the shells,
once dissolved in dilute acid, released intact thin sheets of shell proteins more than a centimeter across. Chemical
analysis including spectroscopy and electron microscopy of these sheets revealed that they are indeed shell proteins that
were preserved for up to 15 million years.

"These are some of the oldest and best-preserved examples of a protein ever observed in a fossil shell," Hazen
said.
Remarkably, the proteins share characteristics with modern mollusk shell proteins. They both produce thin,
flexible sheets of residue that's the same color as the original shell after being dissolved in acid. Of the 11 amino acids
found in the resulting residue, aspartate and glutamate are prominent, which is typical of modern shell proteins. Further
study of these proteins could be used for genetic analysis to trace the evolution of mollusks through the ages, as well as
potentially to learn about the ecology of the Chesapeake Bay during the era in which Ecphora thrived.
REFERENCE:

Carnegie Institution. (2015, February 5). 15-million-year-old mollusk protein found.ScienceDaily. Retrieved
February 5, 2015 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/02/150205083702.htm

REFLECTION:
Aside from researches there are also searches for certain biological organisms which are found at the surface or
even at the bottom of the earth. This historical organism is said to be found 15 million years ago, which means that
it existed before anyone else. Some of the proteins found in this mollusk were studied to be preserved. And some
were for further studies. IF there is a mollusk found, for sure there are many of it which werent discovered yet.

Technological Institute of the Philippines

363 P. Casal St. Quiapo, Manila

CHEP 582
ChE Laws and Ethics

Chemical Engineering
News Articles

Submitted by:
Amado, Rosenn B.
BSCHE V

Submitted to:
Engr. Efren Chavez
12 February 2015