Wednesday 14 January 2015

Extract from The Shark's Paintbrush

I found this excerpt from the book The Shark's Paintbrush by Jay Harman about how bacteria can be used to aid environmental issues through their ability to decompose certain harmful substances;


“These microscopic titans create proteins called enzymes that can digest just about anything, including radioactive material. There are germs that eat gasoline an diesel fuel, or neutralize some of the most powerful plastic explosives. Other bacteria quickly evolve to safely eat foods made with genetically modified organisms (GMO) that were originally designed to kill them. A new species of bacteria that eats iron was recently found on the Titanic, two and a half miles under the oceans surface. Named Halomonas Titanicae, it was discovered by scientists from the Ontario Science Center, Dalhousie University in Nova Scota and the University of Deville. Within the chemistry of these bacteria lie secrets that researchers can study, synthesize, and ultimately put to use in everything from rust prevention on oil rigs, pipelines, and ships to the clean-up of toxic waste.”

The book focuses on biomimicry and how it can be used to our advantage in the modern world to solve current crisis. 

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