Microbes "eating" CO2 - Fossil Fuels On Demand

[Zebo]

This is also a distinct possibility.

Trust me if it worked they’d be busy dropping off dump trucks of money at the bank instead of putting out news reports and being secretive. Has anyone ever heard of a bacterium that photosynthesizes so where is the energy coming from since making hydrocarbons from co2 and water is an massive endothermic process?

 

[dmcowen674]

It's People!!!

 

[KlokWyze]

I doubt it's true. Would be great if it is.

 

[JohnOfSheffield]

Indeed. These organisms already exist somewhere in the wild and haven't spread to destroy the earth. At least I'm fairly certain we're not gods yet that can create organic life from scratch.

We can synthesise organic life from scratch, have been able to do so for years. I don't think that makes us gods though.

The problem with genetic mutations is that no one really knows the outcome once it spreads into the wild, it can even be benificial, we just don't know until it happens... We do know that bacterium can actually change species on its own to allow for new breeding grounds, that should be enough to be very careful about spreading it.

 

[middlehead]

Its called algae and coral reefs. The energy gets converted to sugars and fats. Its the start of the entire underwater food chain.

I read "sugars and farts."

I like my version better.

 

[HamburgerBoy]

Has anyone ever heard of a bacterium that photosynthesizes so where is the energy coming from since making hydrocarbons from co2 and water is an massive endothermic process?

You've never heard of cyanobacteria?

 

[Brigandier]

You've never heard of cyanobacteria?

Algae?

 

[Steeplerot]

Not much different then wastewater, it basically goes from your toilet to bacteria tanks for solid matter to get "eaten" clean , we have used this technology for decades. About time they found a bug that eats more wastes.

 

[Ozoned]

I know of no way to guarantee that it couldn't happen. You could cause a mutation such that multiple nutrients were needed for it to survive, however bacteria do have sex after a fashion and normal e. coli could donate genetic material which would fix that. E. coli have one circular chromosome and can do a whole bunch of neat stuff.

Yes, like produce pure human insulin.

 

[JohnOfSheffield]

Algae?

Ever heard about the endosymbiotic theory?

 

[Brigandier]

Ever heard about the endosymbiotic theory?

No, but I'll look it up now. Science FTW.

 

[JohnOfSheffield]

Yes, like produce pure human insulin.

I wonder how well known that really is, if it's common knowledge?

If i remember correctly, the bacteria don't actually release the Insulin, they are broken and filtered out to get the pure insulin within the bacteria... I can very well be wrong about that though, it's been a while. I believe HGH is made in the same way these days.

 

[JohnOfSheffield]

No, but I'll look it up now. Science FTW.

I completely agree with that statement. Science FTW indeed.

 

[Brigandier]

I completely agree with that statement. Science FTW indeed.

I just read the wiki-article, and I think, well, that makes sense. I always had a hard time understanding what made the prokaryotes become eukaryotes, but it makes sense that it was one organism taking another in, that is evolution, after all. It's an odd thought to think humans are just bacteria that got smart and ate or capable neighbors, but it makes sense if you look at eukaryotic development on a whole. We started as opportunistic bacteria, and hell, we seem to expand as the same, taking other organisms in to expand our influence. Humans have evolved, however, to also take that inorganic shiz to our advantage too.

 

[dmcowen674]

The problem with genetic mutations is that no one really knows the outcome once it spreads into the wild

Look up CHUD

 

[Hayabusa Rider]

Yes, like produce pure human insulin.

Which is pretty cool.

I'm not saying it can't be done, but one has to make sure it's done right from the beginning. Since the process is necessarily proprietary we won't know all the details.

This is where reasonable regulation comes in to make sure that sufficient precautions exist and are applied consistently to ensure nothing nasty happens.

 

[Jhhnn]

Trust me if it worked they’d be busy dropping off dump trucks of money at the bank instead of putting out news reports and being secretive. Has anyone ever heard of a bacterium that photosynthesizes so where is the energy coming from since making hydrocarbons from co2 and water is an massive endothermic process?

You're right that it's an endothermic process, so energy has to be added for that to occur. There's more energy in hydrocarbon bonds than in CO2 and H2O. I'd presume solar or geothermal energy, and a relatively low efficiency factor, along with byproducts.

World oil consumption is currently ~90Mbbl/day, so it'd take a huge acreage to replace that.

Properly design of genetically engineered bacteria should ensure that they can't survive outside of an artificial environment, but that doesn't mean they can't transfer genetic material to other bacteria which would obviously exist in such enormous cultures, bacteria that can survive in the wild...

 

[HeXen]

this will never see any real use. At best our govt or some govt will quietly use it maybe but us consumers will never benefit. there will be some excuse, theres always an excuse.

 

[1prophet]

We can synthesise organic life from scratch, have been able to do so for years. I don't think that makes us gods though.

The problem with genetic mutations is that no one really knows the outcome once it spreads into the wild, it can even be benificial, we just don't know until it happens... We do know that bacterium can actually change species on its own to allow for new breeding grounds, that should be enough to be very careful about spreading it.

No we haven't synthesized organic life from scratch as of yet.

The problems of synthesizing life by Francis Collins, a geneticist who led the landmark Human Genome Project.

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/tech/collins-genome.html

Most current endeavor on creating life from scratch.

http://www.sciencenews.org/view/feature/id/60345/title/Life_from_scratch

 

[Perknose]

< HorriblePun crits you for 800 Billiondy (799,999,999,999.... Overkill) >


< You Die >

I admit it. I cod have done better.

 

[hal2kilo]

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news...rld-of-fossil-fuels-on-demand/article1871149/




< Story Continues - Please follow the Link >


If this actually works (Microbes "Photosynthesizing" CO2 and producing fuel), it can go a LONG way towards solving any number of problems. Not to mention making it's inventors stupendously wealthy...

Comments??

Criticisms??

Disbelief??

Conspiracy Theories???

If it really works then the oil/coal energy conglomerates will buy the company out and it will never be seen again.

 

[Howard]

I wonder what the efficiency is. The conversion of solar to chemical energy is nothing new.

 

[Scotteq]

I admit it. I cod have done better.

Naah - Puns aren't really good until they turn left at "Vile" and hit the accelerator.

Spoiler

It was a risky production unlike any mounted prior on the Met stage, the orchestra first imitating the perpetually beating heart of a man walled-in while in pursuit of wine, and then a soprano singing the plaintive aria of a barely alive woman stuffed up a chimney as her ancestral home was destroyed; however, it certainly was Opera Poe.

or

Wearing his new slacks from L.L. Bean, and entering the pen to feed his three big dogs their usual three cans of dog food, some of which ended up on his new pants, Kevin then left the house to attend a revival screening of &#8216;Serpico&#8217; with Alpo chinos.

See?? (Bulwer~Lytton 4TW.)

If it really works then the oil/coal energy conglomerates will buy the company out and it will never be seen again.

Actually - I would expect an oil company to buy it and thereby guarantee their ongoing future. Not bury it. $80 a barrel is pretty good incentive when the cost of the process outlined here is $30/bbl.

 

[Hayabusa Rider]

No we haven't synthesized organic life from scratch as of yet.

The problems of synthesizing life by Francis Collins, a geneticist who led the landmark Human Genome Project.

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/tech/collins-genome.html

Most current endeavor on creating life from scratch.

http://www.sciencenews.org/view/feature/id/60345/title/Life_from_scratch

Correct. What we have effectively done is take a car with no engine and put one in. Hardly from scratch. If someone takes the chemicals which constitute life and makes an e. coli, that person will be thought of as the next Einstein.

 

[evident]

as cool as it sounds, it also sounds like another bs technology that's too good to be true, unfortunately