EurekAlert! - AgricultureThe premier online source for science news since 1996. A service of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.Algae from the ocean a sustainable energy source of the future- June 26, 2008 (Kansas State University) Research by two Kansas State University scientists could help with the large-scale cultivation and manufacturing of oil-rich algae in oceans for biofuel.http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2008-06/ksu-aft062608.php Census of Marine Life lists 122,500 known species, over halfway to complete inventory by Oct. 2010- June 25, 2008 (Census of Marine Life) Census of Marine Life-affiliated scientists consolidating world databases of ocean organisms have demoted to alias status almost one-third of all names culled so far from 34 regional and highly specialized inventories.Experts will complete the World Register of Marine Species by October 2010 as part of the first Census of Marine Life.http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2008-06/coml-com062208.php Salutary pizza spice- June 25, 2008 (University of Bonn) Oregano doesn't only give a pizza its typical taste. Researchers at Bonn University and the ETH Zrich have discovered that this spice also contains a substance which, amongst other qualities, appears to help cure inflammations. The researchers administered its active ingredient -- known as beta-caryophyllin -- to mice with inflamed paws. In seven out of ten cases there was a subsequent improvement in the symptoms. E-BCP might possibly be of use against disorders such as...http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2008-06/uob-sps062508.php Food scientists confirm commercial product effectively kills bacteria in vegetable washwater- June 25, 2008 (University of Idaho) Research conducted by food science faculty at the University of Idaho and Washington State University indicate that a commercially available fruit and vegetable wash, when used in a food-manufacturing setting, can dramatically decrease the number of disease-causing organisms in produce-processing washwater. That could reduce by manyfold the potential for cross-contamination within the water by such "gram-negative" bacteria as Salmonella and E. coli O157:H7.http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2008-06/uoi-fsc062508.php Air monitoring helps anticipate possible ecosystem changes- June 25, 2008 (Texas A&M University - Agricultural Communications) When rain settles the atmosphere and brings air pollutants to the ground, it can have a lasting effect on ecosystems, sometimes hundreds of miles away, according to a Texas AgriLife Research agricultural engineer. Dr. Brent Auvermann, research engineer and Texas AgriLife Extension Service specialist in Amarillo, is working with the US Department of Agriculture, the Environmental Protection Agency and other agencies to see what is settling...http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2008-06/tau--amh062508.php Use of nanomaterials in food packaging poses regulatory challenges- June 25, 2008 (Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies) Engineered nanoscale materials, which contain novel properties that offer potential benefits for use in food packaging, raise new safety evaluation challenges for regulators and industry, according to a report released today by the Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies and the Grocery Manufacturers Association.http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2008-06/poen-uon062408.php Global ChallengesChemistry Solutions debuts with focus on drinking water- June 25, 2008 (American Chemical Society) An authority on the quality of drinking water today describes new challenges for consumers and municipal water supply systems, including unexpected consequences of efforts to conserve water in the first of a special series of podcasts from the American Chemical Society, the world's largest scientific society.http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2008-06/acs-gcs062508.php Stanford study: Bioenergy potential of reviving abandoned agricultural land- June 24, 2008 (Stanford University) Across the globe, hundreds of millions of acres of once-productive agricultural land lie abandoned, according to a new report from researchers at Stanford University and the Carnegie Institution for Science. If this land was used to grow crops for conversion into biofuel, it could help ease the energy crunch without worsening the world food shortage or contributing to global warming.http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2008-06/su-ssb062408.php |