‘No evidence’ bacteria ate methane BP spill

Posted on May 28, 2011 by Rolf Schuttenhelm

A group of 13 marine scientists* from 12 different institutions in the United States and Germany have in Science criticised a January publication in that same journal, which stated ‘almost all’ of the spilled methane had been consumed by microbes, … Continue reading →

Bacteria at core of hailstorms

Posted on May 27, 2011 by Rolf Schuttenhelm

Powerful convection in summertime thunderstorms explains why raindrops can become ‘trapped’ in the cumulus clouds, recycling the water at high altitudes, where temperatures are below zero – even today.

Sulphur switch in algae new route to marine cloud geoengineering?

Posted on May 15, 2011 by Rolf Schuttenhelm

Marine bacteria produce two types of sulphur compounds as they eat dead algae biomass. The one, methanethiol, or MeSH, is cycled downwater into the food chain. The other forms a liquid aerosol, dimethylsulfide, or DMS. The latter plays an important … Continue reading →

‘Insecticide imidacloprid not main cause of bee CCD’

Posted on March 15, 2011 by Rolf Schuttenhelm

Proteins as a base for biorefining and biofuel

Posted on March 11, 2011 by Jorn van Dooren

Researchers at the UCLA Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science, in Los Angeles have developed a way to utilise proteins, one of the most abundant biomolecules in the world, as a raw material for biorefining and biofuel production. … Continue reading →

Methane breakdown in Gulf suddenly 3,000 times slower

Posted on February 22, 2011 by Rolf Schuttenhelm

Despite a bloom in methane-consuming bacteria – and despite us saying last month all BP methane had been eaten – in fact the spilled gas is still present in large quantities, underwater.

Methane burps important, but sometimes eaten

Posted on January 9, 2011 by Rolf Schuttenhelm

Fast forward through last week’s methane news: Wetland methane is probably bigger GHG source than previously thought That one big BP methane burp never made it to the surface

Bumblebee CCD in US?

Posted on January 6, 2011 by Rolf Schuttenhelm

Recently we witnessed positive news with respect to the Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) of honeybees. In December British scientists announced in Parasites & Vectors they had discovered a method to combat a parasitic mite that kills honeybee colonies, varroa destructor, … Continue reading →

Insects add 4th generation to biofuels debate

Posted on October 9, 2010 by Rolf Schuttenhelm

Good news from Norway. Sustainable biofuel production is perhaps another tiny step closer. Soon we may be able to start burning bugs.

Unravelling CCD: virus and fungus combinedly killing bees?

Posted on October 8, 2010 by Rolf Schuttenhelm

The mystery of Colony Collapse Disorder, a sudden die-off of bee populations that spread across the world since 2006, is slowly being solved. CCD may not have one single cause, but rather multiple factors adding up, including pollution and diseases … Continue reading →

Bits of Science

Tag Archives: microorganisms