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Articles tagged with: ‘bacteria‘

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Using ‘wired microbes’ to generate electricity from sewage

By Damir Beciri
23 September 2013

microbial-battery-1Exoelectrogenic microbes are organisms evolved in airless environments which developed the ability to react with oxide minerals to create biological fuel needed for their survival. Although several research groups tried different approaches to tap into this source of energy since the turn of millennium, efficient use of these microbes as bio-generators proved to be challenging…. »

Bionics»

Spiber Qmonos – a tough and lightweight artificial spider silk

By Maja Bosanac
2 Comments14 July 2013

spiber-qmonos-1A Japanese startup called Spiber Inc. has created an artificial spider silk using synthesized genes which persuade bacteria to produce fibroin, a structural protein found in spider silk. Researchers have developed technologies to cultivate these bacteria efficiently and weave the fibroin into fabric. The protein derived from fibroin has been given the name “QMONOS” (from… »

Bionics| Tech»

Using bees as early warning for a fruit tree disease

By Damir Beciri
One Comment23 April 2013

bees-tubes-1When blossoms and leaves wane and turn black, it is usually too late to fight off the disease which attacks the plant. Fire blight is a plant disease which strikes fruit trees such as apple and pear trees. Clearing the affected trees was often the only chance left before it takes over the entire orchard…. »

Bionics| Tech»

Marine bacterium enzyme helps in fight against tooth decay

By Damir Beciri
One Comment1 August 2012

seaweed-enzyme-fights-tooth-decayA team of researchers from Newcastle University was investigating the use of an enzyme isolated from a marine bacterium (Bacillus licheniformis) found on the surface of seaweed in order to develop an environmentally friendly way to clean the hulls of ships, but that research led to development of a new product which can be used… »

Tech»

Titanium dioxide coating + sunlight = self cleaning surfaces

By Damir Beciri
4 July 2012

cleaning-with-sunlightUnlike Alcoa EcoClean coating for panels which was developed to clean the air around us, the researchers from the Fraunhofer Photocatalysis Alliance, which includes researchers from ten Fraunhofer institutes, have decided to combine their expertise in this field to use titanium dioxide particles in a coating which could be used to destroy bacteria, fungi and… »

Bionics| Tech»

Using bacteria mechanism to create bonds

By Damir Beciri
One Comment26 February 2012

pnas-oxford-university-spytag-spycatcher-1Researchers from the University of Oxford managed to create a bio-inspired superglue with unmatched performance by engineering an unusual protein from Streptococcus pyogenes – a type of bacteria that can cause mild infections as well as some life-threatening diseases. The modified protein enables sticking molecules, proteins or enzymes together to build new structures on the… »

Bionics»

New biosensors arise from glowing bacteria synchronization research

By Damir Beciri
One Comment19 December 2011

glowing-bacteria-microfluidic-chipBiologists and bioengineers at UC San Diego have created a living neon sign composed of millions of bacterial cells that periodically fluoresce in harmony like blinking light bulbs. By utilizing the same method they used to create the flashing signs, the researchers managed to make a simple bacterial sensor that could be used to detect… »

Bionics»

Increasing phytoremediation with bacteria

By Damir Beciri
2 Comments2 December 2011

champignons-petroleA multidisciplinary team of researchers from Canada is looking for ways to improve phytoremediation – a process where plant matter is used for decontamination. They use bacteria to stimulate faster growth capacity of certain plants and microscopic mushrooms which act as decontamination units. The researchers expect that these decontamination units will be used at various… »