Article

2007-06-16 Science & Technology

Sandia Labs mutating extremophiles to produce cellulosic ethanol for fuel.

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Posted by 3dc 2007-06-16 03:46|| || Front Page|| [3 views ] Top

#1 The real WOT.

Posted by gromgoru 2007-06-16 06:31|| 2007-06-16 06:31|| Front Page Top

#2 "The ultimate dream - and it's only a dream right now - would be to take a poplar tree, put it into a tank, let it sit for three days, then come back and watch as the ethanol comes pouring out of the spigot," says Simmons. "Though we're probably decades away from that, this project aims to consolidate the pretreatment steps and get us one step closer to realizing that vision."

This generation's Apollo Project. Too bad the boomers are taking a pass.

Posted by Nimble Spemble 2007-06-16 06:59|| 2007-06-16 06:59|| Front Page Top

#3 The ultimate dream - and it's only a dream right now - would be to take a poplar tree, put it into a tank, let it sit for three days, then come back and watch as the ethanol comes pouring out of the spigot,"

Man, Ima have that dream many timez, will it work with Pine, I got a s**tload of pine.

Posted by HalfEmpty">HalfEmpty 2007-06-16 08:57|| 2007-06-16 08:57|| Front Page Top

#4 The real problem here is that in order to work on this, students have to have studied math and science, not PC self-esteem boosting fiction. The US education system has been producing very little but consumers for the last 30 years. The scientists who may make this happen will be mostly foreigners from Asia, where science and math are still studied, assuming they can get visas to work here. After all, our preference in immigrants is for the undeducated illegal variety that can only speak Spanish.

Posted by RWV 2007-06-16 08:58|| 2007-06-16 08:58|| Front Page Top

#5 This seems to have the logic of trying to create gasoline by breeding dinosaurs.

Right now there are common algae that produce copious amounts of biodiesel and some ethanol, which can be obtained by the complex engineering process known as "squeezing".

If you want to have mountains of such algae, all you need is warm fresh water, and to bubble carbon dioxide and nitrous oxides through it. Which just so happens to also be the waste gases of a huge number of industrial processes. Kill two birds with one stone.

If you just have to genetically engineer something, then why not GM the algae to not just be a good producer of biodiesel and ethanol, but a great producer of it. Instead of just individual algae cells full of oil, make it so it clumps together in tennis ball sized balls of oil. Or whatever.

It's not reliant on a growth cycle, and in the southern US you will get copious growth 10 months out of the year.

Posted by Anonymoose 2007-06-16 10:43|| 2007-06-16 10:43|| Front Page Top

#6 Where'd they get those extremophiles? Were any reported missing at the last SanFran rally?

Posted by Almost Anonymous5839">Almost Anonymous5839 2007-06-16 12:36|| 2007-06-16 12:36|| Front Page Top

#7 Man, Ima have that dream many timez, will it work with Pine, I got a s**tload of pine.

Pine makes Turpentine.

Posted by Redneck Jim 2007-06-16 12:39|| 2007-06-16 12:39|| Front Page Top

#8 A related news item: Democrats: Motorists deserve more fuel efficient cars

"America deserves more fuel efficient cars," Sen. Maria Cantwell of Washington said. But she added "the only way consumers are going to get more out of a tank of gas is if the president and his party help deliver votes in a narrowly divided Congress." The Senate bill would require automakers to increase the fuel economy of new cars, SUVs and pickups beginning in 2020 to a fleet average of 35 miles per gallon. It currently is 27.5 mpg for cars and 22.2 mpg for SUVs and small trucks. Bush has said he opposes Congress setting any new arbitrary numerical fuel economy standard. Cantwell said Democrats want to "take our energy policy in a new direction."

The only direction Democrats want to take us is down, with them on top. If Congress is going to mandate fuel economy then they should mandate 100 mpg, after all, I deserve more fuel efficient cars. And a million dollars. And a pony.

Posted by Anguper Hupomosing9418 2007-06-16 13:03|| 2007-06-16 13:03|| Front Page Top

#9 If you truly want 100 MPG and that's your goal, buy a motorscooter today, many can get that, 'course you'll have to do without some "Extras", such as a roof, windows, heat and air conditioning, no "Seat belts" no "Air bags", and a few others, such as 45-55 MPH top speed, No radio, satelite feed,(No Sirrus) and your Safety Equipment starts with a helmet and is entirely optional from there up. Passenger space is very limited (one max), and no trunk to carry all your junk, BUT IT CAN BE DONE.

(Dying laughing at the absurdity of non-engineers trying to order something possible that they have no fucking idea about.)

The mental image of the next moonbats convention parking lot full of Vespas and Mopeds is a hoot.

Posted by Redneck Jim 2007-06-16 16:21|| 2007-06-16 16:21|| Front Page Top

#10 I'd try converting kudzu...the South would rise again!

Posted by Frank G">Frank G 2007-06-16 16:42|| 2007-06-16 16:42|| Front Page Top

#11 (Dying laughing at the absurdity of non-engineers trying to order something possible that they have no fucking idea about.)

Old saying: Nothing's impossible for the man who doesn't have to do the work.

Or its variant: Nothing's impossible for the man who won't listen to reason.

Posted by Zenster">Zenster 2007-06-16 16:47|| 2007-06-16 16:47|| Front Page Top

#12 Frank G: Kudzu has been considered, years ago. The winner was Russian thistle aka tumbleweeds, which have an amazingly high water to cellulose conversion ratio.

But algae is still king. Its biggest problem is when an algae growing tank gets contaminated with an invasive algae, which means you pretty well have to sterilize it and start over with a new culture. But beer, bread and cheese makers have the same problem.

A lot of that problem might be overcome with that new "self-cleaning" glass, which is covered with nanoparticles so dirt and water just won't stick to it. If you covered your tanks with that, the sunlight would get through, but the CO2 and nitrous oxide would be contained, and you wouldn't have to worry about your glass becoming obscured.

Posted by Anonymoose 2007-06-16 22:06|| 2007-06-16 22:06|| Front Page Top

23:51 twobyfour
23:44 Pappy
23:43 FOTSGreg
23:41 USN, ret.
23:36 FOTSGreg
23:35 Frank G
23:35 Mike N.
23:34 Frank G
23:22 ryuge
23:21 Mike N.
23:21 Zenster
23:20 USN, ret.
23:18 badanov
23:03 Frank G
23:02 Steve
22:57 USN, ret.
22:42 twobyfour
22:41 Zenster
22:38 Zhang Fei
22:38 Phineter Thraviger
22:35 Barbara Skolaut
22:33 Barbara Skolaut
22:32 Zenster
22:32 Natural Law