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Public Release: 20-Nov-2009
International expedition investigates climate change, alternative fuels in Arctic NRL marine biogeochemistry and geology and geophysics scientists return from Arctic expedition exploring methane hydrate deposits in the Beaufort Sea and spatial variation of sediment contribution to Arctic climate change. Contact: Daniel Parry
Public Release: 20-Nov-2009
 Renewable and Sustainable Energy ReviewsFlax and yellow flowers can produce bioethanol Surplus biomass from the production of flax sheaves, and generated from Brassica carinata, a yellow-flowered plant related to those which engulf fields in spring, can be used to produce bioethanol. This has been suggested by two studies carried out by Spanish and Dutch researchers and published in the journal Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews. Contact: SINC
Public Release: 19-Nov-2009
ScienceReference genome of maize, most important US crop, is published by team co-led by CSHL scientists A four-year, multi-institutional effort co-led by three Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory scientists culminated today in publication of a landmark series of papers in the journal Science revealing in unprecedented detail the DNA sequence of maize. Maize, or corn, as it is commonly called by North American consumers, is one of the world's most important plants and the most valuable agricultural crop grown in the United States, representing $47 billion in annual value. 
National Science Foundation, US Department of Agriculture, US Department of Defense
Contact: Peter Tarr
Public Release: 19-Nov-2009
ScienceAmaizing: Corn genome decoded In recent years, scientists have decoded the DNA of humans and a menagerie of creatures but none with genes as complex as a stalk of corn, the latest genome to be unraveled. A team of scientists led by the Genome Center at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis published the completed corn genome in the Nov. 20 journal Science, an accomplishment that will speed efforts to develop better crop varieties to meet the world's growing demands for food, livestock feed and fuel.
National Science Foundation, US Department of Agriculture, US Department of Energy
Contact: Caroline Arbanas
Public Release: 18-Nov-2009
Berkeley Lab lends expertise to India to promote energy efficiency India may rank only a distant fourth in terms of carbon dioxide emissions, behind China, the United States and Russia, but its rapid economic growth rate coupled with aging and inefficient energy infrastructure suggest dire environmental consequences if "business as usual" continues. That's why experts from the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory have been working to expand collaborations with India on energy efficiency. Contact: Julie Chao
Public Release: 18-Nov-2009
Journal of Applied PhysicsMIT: Better way to harness waste heat New MIT research points the way to a technology that might make it possible to harvest much of the wasted heat produced by everything from computer processor chips to car engines to electric power plants, and turn it into usable electricity. Contact: Jen Hirsch
Public Release: 17-Nov-2009
Nature GeoscienceFossil fuel CO2 emissions up by 29 percent since 2000 The strongest evidence yet that the rise in atmospheric CO2 emissions continues to outstrip the ability of the world's natural "sinks" to absorb carbon is published this week in the journal Nature Geoscience. Contact: Simon Dunford
Public Release: 16-Nov-2009
Global Change BiologyNew research provides insights into potential ecological costs and cobenefits of REDD A new paper just published in Global Change Biology examines the potential of a REDD (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation) mechanism to provoke ecological damage and/or promote ecological cobenefits. Such analysis is key as negotiations and discussions continue between now and early December when the United Nation's Framework Convention on Climate Change holds its 15th Conference of the Parties, where an agreement on REDD may emerge. Contact: Elizabeth Braun
Public Release: 16-Nov-2009
Volatile gas could turn Rwandan lake into a freshwater time bomb A dangerous level of carbon dioxide and methane gas haunts Lake Kivu, the freshwater lake bordering Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. The volatile mixture at the bottom of the lake could remain still for another 1,000 years or explode without warning. In a region prone to volcanic and seismic activity, the fragility of the lake is a serious matter. Scientists will meet in January in Gisenyi, Rwanda, to grapple with the problem.
National Science Foundation
Contact: Susan Gawlowicz
Public Release: 16-Nov-2009
List makers take note: 10 technologies that made news in 2009 and warrant watching in 2010 A first-of-its kind inhalable measles vaccine for developing countries, where the disease remains a scourge. A "nanogenerator" that could recharge iPods and other electronic devices with a shake. And for Fido and Fluffy, a long-awaited once-a-month pill for both ticks and fleas. Those three advances are among hundreds publicized during 2009 by the American Chemical Society, the world's largest scientific society. Contact: Michael Bernstein
Public Release: 12-Nov-2009
Geological Society of America BulletinAlberta's hidden valleys offer both resources and danger Alberta is crisscrossed with hidden glacial valleys that hold both resource treasures and potential danger. University of Alberta researcher Doug Schmitt discovered a 300-meter-deep valley hidden beneath the surface of the ground near the community of Rainbow Lake in northwestern Alberta. Contact: Brian Murphy
Public Release: 12-Nov-2009
Nature NanotechnologyUT Knoxville and ORNL researchers turn algae into high-temperature hydrogen source In the quest to make hydrogen as a clean alternative fuel source, researchers have been stymied about how to create usable hydrogen that is clean and sustainable without relying on an intensive, high-energy process that outweighs the benefits of not using petroleum to power vehicles. New findings from a team of researchers from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and Oak Ridge National Laboratory, however, show that photosynthesis may function as that clean, sustainable source of hydrogen.
National Science Foundation
Contact: Jay Mayfield
Public Release: 12-Nov-2009
Physical Review LettersIn touch with molecules The performance of modern electronics increases steadily on a fast pace thanks to the ongoing miniaturization of the utilized components. However, severe problems arise due to quantum-mechanical phenomena when conventional structures are simply made smaller and reach the nanometer scale. Therefore current research focuses on the so-called bottom-up approach: the engineering of functional structures with the smallest possible building blocks -- single atoms and molecules. Contact: Dr. Richard Berndt
Public Release: 11-Nov-2009
Angewandte Chemie International EditionEnergy-saving powder Max Planck chemists are using a simple method to convert methane to methanol -- something that has the potential to exploit previously unused reserves of natural gas. Contact: Professor Ferdi Schueth
Public Release: 11-Nov-2009
NatureVibrations key to efficiency of green fluorescent protein Green fluorescent protein has invaded thousands of research labs around the world, thanks to its versatility in labeling cells and organisms. Now, UC Berkeley chemists have discovered why GFP is such an efficient emitter of green light. A new technique, femtosecond stimulated Ramon spectroscopy, could provide snapshots of reactions in other light-capturing molecules and allow redesign for improved photon absorption in solar cells.
Mathies Royalty Fund
Contact: Robert Sanders
Public Release: 9-Nov-2009
Cereal ChemistryWet ethanol production process yields more ethanol and more co-products Using a wet ethanol production method that begins by soaking corn kernels rather than grinding them, results in more gallons of ethanol and more usable co-products, giving ethanol producers a bigger bang for their buck -- by about 20 percent.
University of Illinois, Monsanto Company
Contact: Debra Levey Larson
Public Release: 5-Nov-2009
1st Annual Chemical Sciences and Society SymposiumChemists describe solar energy progress and challenges, including the 'artificial leaf' Scientists are making progress toward development of an "artificial leaf" that mimics a real leaf's chemical magic with photosynthesis -- but instead converts sunlight and water into a liquid fuel such as methanol for cars and trucks. That is among the conclusions in a newly available report from top authorities on solar energy who met at the 1st Annual Chemical Sciences and Society Symposium. The symposium was organized by the American Chemical Society and other scientific societies. Contact: Michael Bernstein
Public Release: 5-Nov-2009
November 2009 story tips from the US Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory Fuel economy ratings for the new 2010 model year automobiles are posted at www.fueleconomy.gov, which ORNL maintains for the US Department of Energy and the US Environmental Protection Agency. A team led by ORNL's Nina Balke has moved closer to developing more rugged memory and logic devices. Heavy trucks are less heavy but just as safe and rugged because of steel rail frames. A new approach to crunching massive volumes of data uses neural networks like an artificial brain. Contact: Ron Walli
Public Release: 5-Nov-2009
Boat tail reduces truck fuel consumption by 7.5 percent A boat tail, a tapering protrusion mounted on the rear of a truck, leads to fuel savings of 7.5 percent. This is due to dramatically improved aerodynamics, as shown by road tests conducted by the Dutch PART (Platform for Aerodynamic Road Transport) public-private partnership platform. Contact: Gandert van Raemdonck
Public Release: 5-Nov-2009
Genome ResearchGenomes of biofuel yeasts reveal clues that could boost fuel ethanol production worldwide As global temperatures and energy costs continue to soar, renewable sources of energy will be key to a sustainable future. An attractive replacement for gasoline is biofuel, and in two studies published online in Genome Research, scientists have analyzed the genome structures of bioethanol-producing microorganisms, uncovering genetic clues that will be critical in developing new technologies needed to implement production on a global scale. Contact: Peggy Calicchia
Public Release: 5-Nov-2009
ScienceHow size matters for catalysts University of Utah chemists demonstrated the first conclusive link between the size of catalyst particles on a solid surface, their electronic properties and their ability to speed chemical reactions. The study is a step toward the goal of designing cheaper, more efficient catalysts to increase energy production, reduce Earth-warming gases and manufacture a wide variety of goods from medicines to gasoline.
US Air Force Office of Scientific Research, US Department of Energy
Contact: Lee Siegel
Public Release: 4-Nov-2009
USGS science picks Did you know that that the United States uses less water today than 35 years ago and that there might be caves on Mars? In this edition of Science Picks, learn more about these stories, as well as the latest on carbon storage in the Arctic and faulty wallboard from China that may be making Florida residents sick. Also, discover why bats are dying near wind turbines and how endangered whooping cranes are being saved. Contact: Kara Capelli
Public Release: 4-Nov-2009
Report on US-China collaboration on carbon capture and sequestration Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory's Julio Friedmann, in collaboration with the Center for American Progress, the Asia Society Center and with partner Monitor Group, today released the report, "A Roadmap for US-China Collaboration on Carbon Capture and Sequestration." Contact: Anne Stark
Public Release: 4-Nov-2009
GeologyStudy uses satellite imagery to identify active magma systems in East Africa's Rift Valley A team from University of Miami, University of El Paso and University of Rochester used Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) images compiled over a decade to study volcanic activity in the African Rift. A paper, published in the November issue of Geology, focuses on the section of the rift in Kenya. Surface deformation of four active volcanoes underscore possibility for human hazard, as well as the potential of geothermal resources. Contact: Barbra Gonzalez
Public Release: 3-Nov-2009
International Academy for Production Engineering MeetingK-State engineers strive to make algae oil production more feasible The idea by Kansas State University's Wenqiao "Wayne" Yuan and Zhijian "Z.J." Pei is to grow algae in the ocean on very large, supporting platforms. Contact: Wenqiao "Wayne" Yuan
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