Biofuel experts have long sought a more economically viable way to turn algae into biocrude oil to power vehicles, ships and even jets. University of Utah researchers believe they have found an answer. A specially designed jet mixer They have developed an unusually rapid method to deliver cost-effective algal biocrude in large quantities using a specially designed jet mixer. Packed inside the microorganisms growing in ponds, lakes and rivers are lipids, which are fatty acid ...

Many microbes have an enzyme that can convert carbon dioxide to carbon monoxide. This reaction is critical for building carbon compounds and generating energy, particularly for bacteria that live in oxygen-free environments. This enzyme is also of great interest to researchers who want to find new ways to remove greenhouse gases from the atmosphere and turn them into useful carbon-containing compounds. Current industrial methods for transforming carbon dioxide are very ...

Introduction Data centres are ‘mission critical’ facilities used to house computer systems, telecommunications and storage systems for large multinational organisations. They consume vast amounts of electricity and must have continuous power supply 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. What is less known are the potential major safety issues in data centres. Ireland is already home to a significant number of global data centres belonging to the tech giants. Richard Coffey, a senior EHS ...

[caption id="attachment_45295" align="alignright" width="275"] Source: Mdd/Wikimedia Commons[/caption] Thomas Midgley Jr was an American mechanical engineer born on May 18, 1889, in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania. He liked to experiment with extremely poisonous chemical substances without any concern for the consequences this could bring to the world, the population, and the environment. He is globally regarded as one of the worst inventors who greatly contributed to the environmental ...

Some of the biggest supermarkets in the UK have removed dozens of frozen items from their shelves due to a recent deadly outbreak of listeria, costing the market thousands in recalls. But it’s not just bacteria that poses a risk. Here, Chris Johnson, managing director of food grade bearing supplier SMB Bearings, explains the importance of food safe lubricants in food processing equipment. Product recalls cost food and drink manufacturers $10m in direct costs On average, product ...

The last 10 years have seen a surge in the use of tiny substances called nanomaterials in agrochemicals like pesticides and fungicides. The idea is to provide more disease protection and better yields for crops, while decreasing the amount of toxins sprayed on agricultural fields. But when combined with nutrient runoff from fertilised cropland and manure-filled pastures, these 'nanopesticides' could also mean more toxic algae outbreaks for nearby streams, lakes and wetlands, a study has ...