microbes Archives – The Green Optimistic

Microbial Battery Cleans Wastewater, Generates Energy

Mila Luleva — Tue, 03 Mar 2015 13:34:08 +0000

A team of US researchers have found a cost effective way to use a microbial battery for cleaning up wastewater discarded during oil and gas operations. With fresh water scarcity becoming more and more of a problem as we speak, any industry that pollutes the “liquid gold” or wastes it in any way, is the […]

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Microbes Munching on Methane Could Have Big Climate Implications

Danny Harper — Tue, 12 Nov 2013 17:12:22 +0000

Hidden within the seemingly endless list of strange biological partnerships, the tale of two microbial life forms who enjoy dining together is one the most fascinating. Deep down in the continental margins or our oceans, low temperatures and high pressure force methane inside what are essentially ice crystals called methane hydrates. These crystals are important […]

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Microbes Accelerate Release of Carbon from Soil to Atmosphere

Janina Lazo-Cruz — Wed, 28 Nov 2012 13:17:29 +0000

In response to warmer temperatures, the microbes that thrive in soils increase their rate of decomposing soil carbon, and hence, they accelerate release of CO2 into the atmosphere. This is the latest finding of scientists from University of Wyoming (UW) and Colorado State University (CSU). To determine the mechanisms behind the accelerated soil carbon loss […]

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Microbes Consume Nitrous Oxide, Reduce Amounts of Greenhouse Gases

Mila Luleva — Thu, 22 Nov 2012 17:22:49 +0000

It is interesting how not everyone is aware of the range of greenhouse gases that are harmful to the environment and could have devastating effects when released in the atmosphere. One of these not-so-well-known gases, yet 300 times more destructive to the ozone layer than carbon dioxide, is the nitrous oxide. It is released in […]

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Methane-Producing Microbes as New Source of Renewable Energy

Maria Reyes — Tue, 31 Jul 2012 05:59:12 +0000

Researchers from Stanford and Penn State are studying microbes that can convert carbon dioxide to methane using electricity. These microbes could be potential sources of renewable energy. Methane is the main component of natural gas, which is a fossil fuel. Many organic compounds used in industry are derived from fossil fuels. The goal of the […]

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Blood-Fed Yeast Batteries Could Greenly Power Pacemakers

Ovidiu Sandru — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 05:41:10 +0000

As if it wasn't enough for MIT's virus batteries, scientists from the University of British Columbia have now devised a fuel cell prototype able to feed itself from the sugar in the blood stream.The tricky part of the invention is that the fuel cell is made of nothing else but a type of bacteria, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, that lives in yeast.

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Microbes Producing Hydrogen For Your Car!

Ovidiu Sandru — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 09:40:31 +0000

US Researchers said Friday in Los Angeles that they have developed a new electrically-assisted microbial fuel cell that does not require oxygen, enabling bacteria to produce four times as much hydrogen directly out of biomass than can be generated typically by fermentation alone. This process is not limited to using only carbohydrate-based biomass for hydrogen […]

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