Last year, biofuels consisted of only 2.7 % of the world’s transportation fuel. This astoundingly low percentage is due high costs of biofuels. Researchers at the Energy Biosciences Institute, University of California, Berkeley, have found a new way to decrease the costs. Their method involves reducing O-acetate in the cell walls of plants by blocking enzymes that acetylate content of cell walls. When the polysaccharides of plant cell walls are O-acetylated, acetate releases and inhibits activity...
From all of us at greenseedling.com – Happy Thanksgiving!
Pass the yams, please!
Image courtesy: buckshappening.com
Phosphorus, essential to the health of plants, is unfortunately in short supply. Over the next twenty years our soils will experience the crunch of phosphorous depletion, a fate suffered by some already. As the amount of phosphorous in the soil decreases, the vitality of the plants growing there is threatened.
There are, however, “fertilizers”...
Often times, the ability of plants are underestimated or unappreciated. For instance, it was not until recently that scientists discovered the benefits of milk thistle extracts. These extracts, taken from certain seeds of flowers, are primarily used to aid in the treatment of gallbladder and liver problems. However, an issue published by researchers...
New research seems to paint the picture of pollen grains having their own versions of brawls and fights over female preference. Pollen grains from genetically different trees within the same species seem to have the ability to interfere with each other’s reproductive goals in the race to find a mate. Though the process is not as dramatic as the...
A new study by the University of British Columbia predicts that wood will become a competitive commercial source for fuel by 2020. Although wood-based bio fuels are considered more sustainable than corn, they are not widely used due to high costs. Ethanol produced from corn is more commonly used and can be found mixed in gasoline. This study aims...
In recent years, obesity in teenagers has increased dramatically. Seeing this as a primary issue, Joseph Carlson, professor at Michigan State University, conducted a study on reducing symptoms of metabolic syndrome. To do so, Carlson and his group examined the effects of incorporating high-fibrous foods from plants instead of completely eliminating...
