FUTURE FOR CLEAN ENERGY LIES IN 'BIG BANG' OF EVOLUTION
Date: Monday, August 25, 2008 @ 22:29:28 UTC
Topic: Science
Amid mounting agreement that future clean, "carbon-neutral", energy
will rely on efficient conversion of the sun's light energy into fuels
and electric power, attention is focusing on one of the most ancient
groups of organism, the cyanobacteria. Dramatic progress has been made
over the last decade understanding the fundamental reaction of
photosynthesis that evolved in cyanobacteria 3.7 billion years ago,
which for the first time used water molecules as a source of electrons
to transport energy derived from sunlight, while converting carbon
dioxide into oxygen.
The light harvesting systems gave the bacteria their blue ("cyano")
colour, and paved the way for plants to evolve by "kidnapping" bacteria
to provide their photosynthetic engines, and for animals by liberating
oxygen for them to breathe, by splitting water molecules. For humans
now there is the tantalising possibility of tweaking the photosynthetic
reactions of cyanobacteria to produce fuels we want such as hydrogen,
alcohols or even hydrocarbons, rather than carbohydrates.
Full story at http://www.physorg.com/news138881582.html
CATALYST FOR WATER OXIDATION ADOPTED FROM PLANTS: A MEANS FOR ENERGY-EFFICIENT PRODUCTION OF HYDROGEN?, August 25
(PhysOrg.com) -- Hydrogen will be one of the most important fuels of the future. It would be ideal to obtain hydrogen by splitting water instead of from petroleum. However, the electrolysis of water is a very energy intensive process, making it both expensive and unsustainable if the electricity necessary to generate it comes from the burning of fossil fuels. Photolysis, the splitting of water by light, is a highly promising alternative.
Full story at http://www.physorg.com/news138873713.html
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