science newsletter: Science News SciGuru.com

Δευτέρα 17 Ιουνίου 2013

Science News SciGuru.com

Using Gamma-Valerolactone to Synthesise Cheaper Alternative Fuels
More efficient "artifical leaf" using solar energy
Researchers Find Genetic Diversity Key to Survival of Honey Bee Colonies

Using Gamma-Valerolactone to Synthesise Cheaper Alternative Fuels

Posted: 17 Jun 2013 06:59 AM PDT

MIT chemical engineers have devised a cheaper way to synthesize a key biofuel component, which could make its industrial production much more cost-effective. The compound, known as gamma-valerolactone (GVL), is attractive because of its versatility, says Yuriy Román, an assistant professor of chemical engineering and leader of the research team. It has more energy than ethanol and could be used on its own or as an additive to other fuels. GVL could also be useful as a “green” solvent or a building block for creating renewable polymers from sustainable materials.

More efficient "artifical leaf" using solar energy

Posted: 17 Jun 2013 06:41 AM PDT

Due to the fluctuating availability of solar energy, storage solutions are urgently needed. One option is to use the electrical energy generated inside solar cells to split water by means of electrolysis, in the process yielding hydrogen that can be used for a storable fuel. Researchers at the HZB Institute for Solar Fuels have modified so called superstrate solar cells with their highly efficient architecture in order to obtain hydrogen from water with the help of suitable catalysts. This type of cell works something like an "artificial leaf."

Researchers Find Genetic Diversity Key to Survival of Honey Bee Colonies

Posted: 17 Jun 2013 06:30 AM PDT

When it comes to honey bees, more mates is better. A new study from North Carolina State University, the University of Maryland and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) shows that genetic diversity is key to survival in honey bee colonies – a colony is less likely to survive if its queen has had a limited number of mates.