Tag Archives: toxic metals

How to Thrive in Battery Acid and Among Toxic Metals

By Guest PostMarch 9, 2013Environment, Scienceandreas weber, archaebacteria, bacteria, battery acid, biofuel production, biotechnology, decoded genetic information, dusseldorf, effects of toxins, eukaryote, eukaryotic microorganisms, evolution, extraterrestrial creature, extreme environment, galdieria, galdieria sulphuraria, genes from bacteria, genome of extremophile, gerald schoenknecht, Germany, heinrich heine universitat, horizontal gene transfer, hot springs, martin lercher, matt kane, movie alien, national science foundation, oil producing algae, oklahoma state university, photosynthesis, red alga, thrive, toxic metals, yellowstone national park

Genome of “extremophile” red alga offers insights

In the movie Alien, the title character is an extraterrestrial creature that can survive brutal heat and resist the effects of toxins.

In real life, organisms with similar traits exist, such as the “extremophile” red alga Galdieria sulphuraria.

In hot springs in Yellowstone National Park, Galdieria uses energy from the sun to produce sugars through photosynthesis. (more…)

Microbes Generate Electricity While Cleaning Up Nuclear Waste

By Guest PostSeptember 8, 2011Environmentallison speers, conductive pili, dena cologgi, electricity, environmental disasters, gemma reguera, geobacter bacteria, groundwater, michigan state university, microbes, microbial fuel cells, microorganisms, nanowires, nuclear contamination, nuclear waste, polluted sites, production of nuclear fuel, radioactive material, sanela lampa pastirk, shelly kelly, toxic metals, uranium

EAST LANSING, Mich. — Researchers at Michigan State University have unraveled the mystery of how microbes generate electricity while cleaning up nuclear waste and other toxic metals.

Details of the process, which can be improved and patented, are published in the current issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The implications could eventually benefit sites forever changed by nuclear contamination, said Gemma Reguera, MSU microbiologist. (more…)