Friday, January 24, 2014

Desert plants to be put to the test for aviation biofuel production

Desert plants to be put to the test for aviation biofuel production
The Salicornia is one species of halophyte that is a promising feedstock for biofuel produ...

Whenever the topic of plant-derived biofuels is raised, the issue of turning valuable arable land over to the task of growing feedstock is generally not far behind. A discovery by the Sustainable Bioenergy Research Consortium (SRBC) that desert plants fed by seawater can produce biofuel more efficiently than other well-known feedstocks could help alleviate such concerns.

The SRBC, which is affiliated with the Masdar Institute of Science and Technology in Abu Dhabi, is receiving funding from Boeing, Etihad Airways and Honeywell UOP to develop and commercialize a sustainable biofuel that emits 50 to 80 percent less carbon through its lifecycle than fossil fuels. Plants called halophytes, which are highly salt tolerant, could be the answer.

SRBC researchers found that halophyte seeds contain oil suitable for biofuel production and that the entire shrub-like plant can be turned into biofuel more effectively than many other feedstocks.

The pilot project that will test the potential of halophytes for biofuel production (Image...

To test their findings, the SRBC team will create a test ecosystem over the coming year that will see two crops of halophytes planted in the sandy soil found in Abu Dhabi. The test site will use waste seawater from a fish and shrimp farm to nourish the plants, with the water then flowing into a field of mangroves before being returned to the ocean.

"The UAE has become a leader in researching desert land and seawater to grow sustainable biofuel feedstocks, which has potential applications in other parts of the world," says Dr. Alejandro Rios, Director of the SBRC. "This project can have a global impact, since 97 percent of the earth's water is ocean and 20 percent of the earth's land is desert."

Tuesday, January 21, 2014

Modifier protein could increase crop yields, even in poor conditions


Modifier protein could increase crop yields, even in poor conditions

A modifier protein that can be used to interfere with the plant's growth repression protei...

A modifier protein that can be used to interfere with the plant's growth repression proteins could lead to higher crop yields, even in unfavorable conditions (Photo: Shutterstock)

Researchers have discovered a new way to increase plant growth by suppressing the natural response to environmental stress. The scientists have found a modifier protein that can be used to interfere with the plant's growth repression proteins independently of the previously identified hormone Gibberellin. They believe this will lead to higher crop yields, even in unfavorable conditions.

When plants face difficult conditions, like drought or high soil salinity, they produce growth-regulating DELLA proteins. It is already known that Gibberlin can reverse the effects of DELLA proteins, but the research team, led by Durham University's Dr Ari Sadanandom, discovered that the Small Ubiquitin-like Modifier (SUMO) protein also reduces the amount of growth repression experienced.

They demonstrated the ability to block the mechanism of control growth, GID1 receptors, when DELLAs were joined with the SUMO protein. The subsequent obstruction of GID1 by SUMO-paired DELLAs led to improved growth during stress. This was done independently of the much studied growth hormone Gibberellin, that plants use to break down DELLA proteins.

The study, which involved members from the University of Nottingham, Rothamsted Research and the University of Warwick, was conducted on Thale Cress, but the team believes the research could also be applied to commercial crops, such as barley, corn, rice and wheat. They researchers believe the interaction between the modifier protein and the repressor proteins can be modified in a number of ways, including using biotechnology techniques and through conventional plant breeding methods.

"What we have found is a molecular mechanism in plants which stabilizes the levels of specific proteins that restrict growth in changing environmental conditions," says Dr Sadanandom. "This mechanism works independently of the Gibberellin hormone, meaning we can use this new understanding for a novel approach to encourage the plant to grow, even when under stress. If you are a farmer in the field then you don't want your wheat to stop growing whenever it is faced with adverse conditions. If we can encourage the crops to keep growing, even when faced by adverse conditions, it could give us greater yields and lead to sustainable intensification of food production that we must achieve to meet the demands on the planet's finite resources."

The research was published in the journal Developmental Cell and was funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council. It is the subject of pending patent applications and commercial rights are available from Plant Bioscience Limited, Durham's commercialization partner for this technology.


Thousands of Australian bees are getting tagged for research


Thousands of Australian bees are getting tagged for research

Approximately 5,000 bees are receiving RFID tags like this one

Bees are integral to the pollination of major crops around the world, so the more that we understand how they go about their business, the better we can facilitate the process and thereby boost yields. With this in mind, scientists from Australia's Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) are taking the unprecedented step of equipping up to 5,000 honeybees with RFID (radio frequency identification) tags.

The flat, square tags measure 2.5 mm per side, and are being affixed with adhesive to the backs of bees in Hobart, Tasmania. The insects are first placed in a refrigerator to temporarily subdue them, and are then released when they awake after a few minutes. According to the researchers, the tags don't appear to impact the bees' ability to fly or perform other duties.

Once they've rejoined their hives, the bees will recommence joining in the daily swarming flights to nearby crops or other sources of pollen. As they travel, they'll pass by stationary checkpoints, that will detect the signals emitted by the tags. That data will be transmitted back to a central computer, which will assemble it all into a three-dimensional model, showing the scientists where all the bees are at what times.

The flat, square tags measure 2.5 mm per side, and are being affixed with adhesive to the ...

Along with allowing farmers and other people to better understand bee behavior – and thus make sure that conditions are optimal for pollination – the study is also intended to determine how various factors can negatively affect them. In some cases, for instance, bees feeding on chemically-treated crops will be monitored. If their behavior differs significantly from that of other bees, it should show up in the models.

It is hoped that by learning more about such factors, we may come closer to fully understanding Colony Collapse Disorder – a worldwide phenomenon in which all the worker bees in one colony spontaneously disappear. Australia is currently unaffected by the disorder.

Down the road, the scientists plan on further miniaturizing the RFID tags to one square millimeter in size, so they can be affixed to other pollinating insects such as fruit flies and mosquitoes.