Using microbes to get more out of mining waste
Researchers have developed a new mining technique which uses microbes to recover metals and store carbon in the waste produced by mining. Adopting this technique of reusing mining waste, called tailings, could transform the mining industry and create.....»»
Pooping on the Moon Is a Messy Business
If humans are to return to the moon, space agencies and governments need to figure out the legal, ethical, and practical dimensions of extraterrestrial waste management......»»
Food safety, quality review summarizes sustainable seafood preservation to minimize waste, losses
Seafood is in high demand across several regions of the world. Moreover, this demand for seafood is expected to surge by a whopping 56% by 2050. Given the high moisture content and susceptibility of seafood to microbial and biochemical decay, it ofte.....»»
Novel virus identified in zebrafish from the pet trade causes disease in laboratory fish
Zebrafish in the pet trade are asymptomatic carriers of previously undescribed microbes, including a novel virus that causes hemorrhaging in infected laboratory fish, Marlen Rice from the University of Utah, US, and colleagues report in the open-acce.....»»
Novel carbon nanotube yarns can generate electricity from waste heat
In line with global efforts towards sustainability, the development of energy harvesting technologies has become a top research priority. Although renewable energy sources like wind and solar power have recently taken the spotlight, waste heat also s.....»»
Improved refrigeration could save nearly half of the 1.3 billion tons of food wasted each year globally
About a third of the food produced globally each year goes to waste, while approximately 800 million people suffer from hunger, according to the U.N.'s Food and Agriculture Organization......»»
Q&A: Plastic waste is a global problem, but carbon recycling can help
Heavy industries such as aviation and chemical manufacturing contribute to about 20% of overall U.S. greenhouse gas emissions and will continue to depend on fossil fuels......»»
Decades of industrial waste to be cleaned up in Montana following years of negotiations
Decades of industrial waste to be cleaned up in Montana following years of negotiations.....»»
New findings on fertility: Sperm can adapt to sexually transmitted microbes
Researchers from Dresden University of Technology (TUD) and the University of Sheffield have discovered that male fertility can adapt to microbes. These findings shed new light on the importance of sperm ecology and might have significant implication.....»»
Big brands are "failing to curb plastic sachet use"
Small plastic sachets commonly used in low- and middle-income countries must be phased out and packaging reuse systems promoted, urge campaigners and waste pickers, as new analysis reveals major corporations have failed to curb their use......»»
Researchers: A rush on critical minerals is coming for Australia"s most remote and disadvantaged communities
The Australian mining industry was promised billions of dollars in last week's federal budget to boost critical minerals such as lithium, copper and rare earth metals. This includes tax incentives, an innovation fund and money for Geoscience Australi.....»»
Chocolate made with fewer calories, less waste
“Whole fruit chocolate” uses cocoa pulp and inner shell in lieu of sugar. Enlarge (credit: YelenaYemchuk) Commercialization has not dealt kindly with the Mayan Food of the Gods. Modern chocolate products are filled w.....»»
A fungus converts cellulose directly into a novel platform chemical
The fungus Talaromyces verruculosus can produce the chemical erythro-isocitric acid directly from cheap plant waste, thus making it interesting for industrial utilization......»»
A merger of microbes: Study shows low-nutrient conditions alter viral infection
This much we know: When viruses infect bacteria—a common occurrence in oceans, soils, even human guts—the interaction results in the creation of entirely new organisms called "virocells." But scientists are still learning about how this merger of.....»»
Packaged-meat labels that show freshness could replace use-by dates, reducing food waste
Patches that change color as raw meat freshness deteriorates in sealed refrigerated products could soon become a reality on supermarket shelves, making it easier for shoppers to know if it's still good to eat and reducing food waste......»»
New polystyrene recycling process could be world"s first to be both economical and energy-efficient
Engineers have modeled a new way to recycle polystyrene that could become the first viable way of making the material reusable. The chemical method identified to tackle hard-to-recycle packaging material, cutting landfill waste.....»»
Powering wearable devices with high-performing carbon nanotube yarns
With the growth of the Internet of Things, sustainable solutions for powering wireless sensors and devices are considered important. Thermoelectric generators, for example, which have the ability to convert waste heat into electricity, can offer a su.....»»
Researchers analyze how a chemical process could help recycle a common plastic waste
Researchers at Virginia Tech are exploring processes that might greatly increase the recycling of one of the world's most-produced plastics......»»
BLM ends future coal mining on Powder River Basin federal lands
The move compounds pressure on coal communities to diversify their economies. Enlarge / A 133-car coal train moves slowly as it's loaded at the Buckskin Coal Mine in 2006 in Gillette, Wyoming. (credit: Robert Nickelsberg/Getty.....»»
Study shows regenerating worms have genetic control over their algal partners
Many organisms are far more complex than just a single species. Humans, for example, are full of a variety of microbes. Some creatures have even more special connections, though......»»
Researchers discover new family of bacteria with high pharmaceutical potential
Most antibiotics used in human medicine originate from natural products derived from bacteria and other microbes. Novel microorganisms are therefore a promising source of new active compounds, also for the treatment of diseases such as cancer or vira.....»»