Chemical Engineering

Methane Power Could Come from Lakes and Reservoirs

Scientific American: In 1776 Italian physicist Alessandro Volta discovered something bubbling up among the reeds at the marshy end of a mountain lake. It turned out to be methane, a potent greenhouse gas produced by microbes living in the lake’s sediments….

Will Probiotics Save Corals or Harm Them?

Scientific American: Manta rays and whitetip reef sharks glide past socially distanced visitors at Rio de Janeiro’s hangar-sized AquaRio aquarium. In a laboratory upstairs, above the main gallery, a new experiment is underway, one that marine scientists hope will enhance the…

Organic Optogenetics Tool Shines Light on Brain’s Communication Pathways

Photonics.com: Light-sensing proteins called rhodopsins are used in optogenetics to control neuronal activity, but existing rhodopsins can have low efficacy, especially when they are used to control synaptic activity…

Food Scraps Get a Bold New Life

Institute of Industrial Science, the University of Tokyo: Most people don’t think much about the food scraps they throw away; however, investigators from the Institute of Industrial Science at The University of Tokyo have developed a new method to reduce food waste by recycling discarded fruit and vegetable scraps into robust construction materials. Worldwide industrial and…