Abundant Ammonia Aids Life's Origins

 An important discovery has been made with respect to the possible inventory of molecules available to the early Earth. Scientists led by Sandra Pizzarello, a research professor at Arizona State University, found large amounts of ammonia in a primitive Antarctic asteroid. This high concentration of ammonia could account for a sustained source of reduced nitrogen essential to the chemistry of life.

The finding of a high concentration of nitrogen-bearing molecules in an asteroidal environment shown by the new study is very provocative. Besides the noble gases, nitrogen is the fourth most abundant element in the Sun and the universe overall. On the Earth, it is an indispensable ingredient of the biosphere, being essential to DNA, RNA and proteins, i.e., it is necessary for life's information transfer and catalytic processes.

"All origins-of-life theories need to account for a sustained source of reduced nitrogen, in order to make amino acids and nucleobases.http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/03/110302091646.html

Shift in Northern Forests Could Increase Global Warming

Boreal forests across the Northern hemisphere are undergoing rapid, transformative shifts as a result of a warming climate that, in some cases, is triggering feedback loops producing even more regional warming, according to several new studies.

Russia's boreal forest - the largest continuous expanse of forest in the world - has seen a transformation in recent years from larch to conifer trees, according to new research by University of Virginia researchers.

Harnessing Bacteria To Make Fuel Cells More Efficient

ScienceDaily (Sep. 10, 2009) — Bacteria that generate significant amounts of electricity could be used in microbial fuel cells to provide power in remote environments or to convert waste to electricity. Professor Derek Lovley, from the University of Massachusetts, isolated bacteria with large numbers of tiny projections called pili which were more efficient at transferring electrons to generate power in fuel cells than bacteria with a smooth surface.

The team's findings were reported at the Society for General Microbiology's meeting at Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, Sept. 7.

The researchers isolated a strain of Geobacter sulfurreducens which they called KN400 that grew prolifically on the graphite anodes of fuel cells. The bacteria formed a thick biofilm on the anode surface, which conducted electricity. The researchers found large quantities of pilin, a protein that makes the tiny fibres that conduct electricity through the sticky biofilm.

"The filaments form microscopic projections called pili that act as microbial nanowires," said Professor Lovley, "using this bacterial strain in a fuel cell to generate electricity would greatly increase the cell's power output."

The pili on the bacteria's surface seemed to be primarily for electrical conduction rather than to help them to attach to the anode; mutant forms without pili were still able to stay attached.

Microbial fuel cells can be used in monitoring devices in environments where it is difficult to replace batteries if they fail but to be successful they need to have an efficient and long-lasting source of power. Professor Lovley described how G. sulfurreducens strain KN400 might be used in sensors placed on the ocean floor to monitor migration of turtles

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