Related topics: microbes · bacteria

Bacteria from Salar de Uyuni in Bolivia conceal bioplastic

In Bolivia, in the largest continuous salt desert in the world, researchers from the Polytechnic University of Catalonia have found a bacterium that stores large amounts of PHB, a prized polymer. This biodegradable plastic ...

Auburn scientists find tar balls are better left alone

(PhysOrg.com) -- The April 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico and the waves of tar balls deposited on the beaches shortly thereafter prompted the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to produce ...

Teach science through argument, professor says

(Phys.org) —Teaching students how to argue based on available evidence engages them in the scientific process and provides a better idea of how science actually works. The challenge is training teachers.

Garbage bug may help lower the cost of biofuel

One reason that biofuels are expensive to make is that the organisms used to ferment the biomass cannot make effective use of hemicellulose, the next most abundant cell wall component after cellulose. They convert only the ...

NASA's arsenic-eating life form gets a second look

Soon after NASA-funded researchers announced this month they had found a new life form that thrives on arsenic, critics took to the blogosphere with skeptical views and downright insults.

Keeping soft fruit 'fur-free' for longer

A new way of improving the shelf life of soft fruit like strawberries and raspberries is being pioneered by researchers at the University of Nottingham.Millions of tons of soft fruit go to waste each year through mold developing ...

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