Modified switchgrass boosts biofuel yield
A transgenic (GM) switchgrass has produced about one-third more ethanol by fermentation than conventional switchgrass.
Oakridge National Laboratory: 14 February 2011
TechNyou
Apologies this accidently got filed into weird nowhere category on the web site, so is a bit out of date
I have yet to look into this, but I wonder that as this switchgrass is a native of the US, whether there may be environmental implications to having a low-lignin version of switchgrass out there? Australian researchers are working on developing low-lignin pasture grasses to improve digestability by livestock, but as they are not native and confined to an agricultural system the chances on any adverse affects on the environment are low. This switchgrass, however, is native (to the US anyway) and not necessarily confined to an agricultural system.
If anyone knows of any research that would shed light on my question please add it to the bottom of this page.
Jason
TechNyou
Warning against stifling effect of stem cell patents
Bioethicists says the poorly managed system of stem cell patents is hindering progress toward new treatments the public desperately wants.
Johns Hopkins Berman Institute of Bioethics: 10 February 2011
Nose stem cells might prevent childhood deafness
Mice that had nasal stem cells injected into their inner ear have the potential to reverse or restore hearing.
Garvan Institute: 11 February 2011
Image: Australian Stem Cell Centre
Bean gene boosts cassava protein
A bean gene used to modify the cassava has boosted protein content 4-fold and halved the cyanide level.
PLoS ONE
Abhary M, Siritunga D, Stevens G, Taylor NJ, Fauquet CM (2011) Transgenic Biofortification of the Starchy Staple Cassava (Manihot esculenta) Generates a Novel Sink for Protein. PLoS ONE 6(1): e16256. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0016256
Donald Danforth Plant Science Centre – New Scientist story
Image: Donald Danforth Plant Science Centre
Bursting point for food bubble
By Jason Major
TechNyou
We are all going to starve, apparently. Unless we do something immediately.
Food and food security are the hot topics for 2011 as experts worldwide get on their soapbox and present facts and figures that should make us all cringe in fear, though I suspect that for many Australians at the moment it all seems like a problem too far off to worry about. Many I speak to aren’t even aware we have a food security problem, which is a problem in itself.
Lester Brown is another to pull up the box and give us a spray. New Scientist gave him some room to promote his new book on the topic. His doesn’t mince words. Among his scary facts on unsustainable use of irrigation water, he calls for people power to shut down coal-fired power stations. I guess if Egyptians can toss out a government, then shutting down a power station should be a cinch. Not that TechNyou is trying to incite carbon riots.
Prolific concern
This will give you an idea of what has come out on this topic of food security in just the last few months
TechNyou has posted commentary from Julian Cribb
Two government-backed reports
1. PMSEIC (2010). Australia and Food Security in a Changing World. The Prime Minister’s Science,
Engineering and Innovation Council, Canberra, Australia.
From Foreword and Executive Summary
Global food security will demand the development and delivery of new technologies to increase food production on limited arable land and without relying on increased water and fertiliser use. In addition, the frequency and severity of climate ‘shocks’ are expected to increase due to the effects of climate change. Australia can make a significant contribution to addressing this challenge.
If our (Australia’s) population grows to 35-40 million and climate change constrains food production, we can expect to see years where we will import more food than we export. We are now facing a complex array of intersecting challenges which threaten the stability of our food production, consumption and trade. It is imperative that we continue to develop food-related science and technology to fuel a future food revolution that must exceed the achievements of the Green Revolution.
2 Foresight. The Future of Food and Farming (2011)
Final Project Report.
The Government Office for Science, London.
From Foreword and Introduction
The case for urgent action in the global food system is now compelling. We are at a unique moment in history as diverse factors converge to affect the demand, production and distribution of food over the next 20 to 40 years.
The needs of a growing world population will need to be satisfied as critical resources such as water, energy and land become increasingly scarce. The food system must become sustainable, whilst adapting to climate change and substantially contributing to climate change mitigation.
The global food system will experience an unprecedented confluence of pressures over the next 40 years. On the demand side, global population size will increase from nearly seven billion today to eight billion by 2030, and probably to over nine billion by 2050; many people are likely to be wealthier, creating demand for a more varied, high-quality diet requiring additional resources to produce. On the production side, competition for land, water and energy will intensify, while the effects of climate change will become increasingly apparent. The need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to a changing climate will become imperative.
Groundhog day
Starting to sound familiar? One must consider that this disparate collection of experts all saying the same thing might have something. Actually the fact that food security is an issue is not debated. Most of the reasons behind it (speculative markets, food wastage, poverty, distribution, infrastructure, war, corruption, population growth…and so on) are also mostly agreed on, though some of the financial stuff gets tricky. The blood letting, however, will be over how to solve the problem.
TechNyou can thankfully steer clear of the politics (boring anyway) and focus on the role new and existing technologies can play, and facilitate discussion around the question of which technologies should play a role in the big picture solutions. Transgenic technologies are the obvious one, but many others such as the nanotechnologies are already creeping into the picture.
GM debate
I went to that GM debate last night which also focused at times on food security, specifically where GM crops can or should fit (or not). The issue was recognized by the audience as well as the speakers. Of course one side saw GM technology as one of the tools to help with the problem, the other side did not. I will give a proper appraisal of this next post.
Beware of Dr Google if you want full story on stem cells
The internet is awash with sites promising stem cell cures for the incurable. What do you need to be aware of?
Australian Stem Cell Centre article from Australian and New Zealand Spinal Cord Injury Network
Sharing our genome
Book reviews: How we can protect our personal genomic data while making them available for research.
Nature News: 10 February 2011
TechNyou
You will find this article in Nature News under Comment – Article is titled: Genomics: Sequence sharing
Aluminium make solar cells thinner, lighter
Aluminium nanoparticles on the surface of thin-film solar panels can improve their efficiency.
PhysOrg: 9 February 2011
Molecular autopsies hope to help grieving families
Stanford School of Medicine are using whole genome sequencing to find genetic clues that might explain why a young man’s heart suddenly stopped.
Mecury News.com: 7 February 2011
Break it down with Dr Garlick
We’ve already blogged about this, but we thought it’s worth keeping in the resource section too. Professor Jonathan Garlick of Tufts University raps about the importance of knowing about stem cells.