All Waste Management articles – Page 2
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NewsScientists uncover how engineered biochar and microbes work together to boost plant-based cleanup of cadmium-polluted soils
A new study reveals how specially modified biochar can significantly improve the ability of willow trees to remove toxic cadmium from contaminated soils, offering a promising strategy for restoring polluted land in a sustainable way.
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NewsSelf-repairing biohybrid system uses sunlight to purify uranium-contaminated water
The efficiency of microbial remediation technologies is often limited by the slow electron transfer rate of microorganisms themselves. Scientists have successfully constructed a novel, self-regenerating “bacteria-mineral” biohybrid system that can utilize light like a solar cell, greatly enhancing the purification efficiency of uranium pollution.
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NewsBreadcrumbs lead to fossil free production of everyday goods
The humble breadcrumb could hold the key to cutting out fossil fuels from one of the chemical industry’s most widely used reactions. Scientists have found a one-pot microbial formula that uses waste bread to replace fossil fuel-derived hydrogen in hydrogenation.
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NewsResearch teams will develop automated compost monitoring system
Composting turns organic waste into nutrient-rich material, but improper temperature and moisture control can allow pathogens to survive and increase safety risks. Researchers have received a $362,000 grant to develop an automated sensor network to improve monitoring of compost piles.
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NewsScientists unlock magnetic secrets of bacteria with built-in compass
Some bacteria are miniature masters of navigation: A built-in “compass” made of magnetic nanoparticles helps them to reliably find the optimal habitat. Researchers have now unlocked the magnetic properties of individual bacteria — an important step toward harnessing the potential for technology.
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NewsSeashells and coconut char: A coastal recipe for super-compost
Researchers have developed a calcium-modified biochar that speeds up waste recycling and creates nutrient-rich soil, boosting specialized microbial communities that break down tough materials like lignin and convert them into stable humus.
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NewsFungus unlocks hidden phosphorus from massive industrial waste
Researchers have shown that Aspergillus niger can extract large amounts of residual phosphorus from phosphogypsum, a byproduct of phosphoric acid production that is generated in enormous quantities worldwide. More than 40 per cent of the phosphorus locked inside this waste material can be recovered.
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NewsMethane eating microbes turn a powerful greenhouse gas into green plastics, feed, and fuel
Methane eating microbes could help turn a powerful greenhouse gas into everyday products like animal feed, green plastics, and cleaner fuels, according to a new scientific review of fast moving research on these unusual bacteria.
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NewsPine bark removes pharmaceutical residues from wastewater – an affordable way to keep antibiotics out of nature
Researchers have developed a pine‑bark–based water‑treatment medium that efficiently removes antibiotics as well as residues of blood‑pressure and antidepressant medicines from wastewater treatment plant effluent.
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NewsResearchers eye goal of turning garden and crop waste into plastics
A research team will combine eco-friendly and application-oriented approaches to develop a cost-effective, energy-efficient technology for making innovative plastics based on polybutylene succinate (PBS) which are made entirely out of organic waste.
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NewsTurning crop waste into precision weapons against waterborne pathogens
Researchers have developed a novel class of biomass-derived carbon dots that selectively eradicate Staphylococcus aureus in water, using corn straw to synthesize amine-modified nanomaterials that act as oxidase mimics, enabling targeted bacterial inactivation without harming beneficial microorganisms.
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NewsFeeding plant remnants to fungi produces tasty protein to fortify vegan, vegetarian diets
Researchers fed the side streams of carrot production to fungi, generating a sustainable source of protein. They incorporated the new protein into proof-of-concept vegan patties and sausages that testers ranked as tastier than food made from plant-based proteins.
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NewsMoss and symbionts offer a promising solution for removing metals from mining and forestry-impacted waters
New findings shed light on the mechanisms behind a natural purification process and identify the key microbial “teammates” that enable mosses to remove metals from water. The new study reveals that mosses do not remove metals alone. The key is the cooperation between the moss and its microbial symbionts.
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CareersCBCTA 2024 oral presentation winners: Isabella and Lia take home the honours
Letters in Applied Microbiology sponsored the best oral presentation award at the 29th Brazilian Congress of Food Science and Technology (CBCTA 2024). Winner Isabella Bassoto Xavier and runner-up Lia Mariano Aquino take a dive into their research.
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NewsBlack carbon from wheat straw burning shown to curb antibiotic resistance spread in farmlands with plastic mulch residues
A new study reveals that black carbon formed during wheat straw burning can significantly reduce the spread of antibiotic resistance genes in soil and soybean crops, offering a promising strategy for safer and more sustainable farming in regions burdened by plastic mulch debris.
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NewsBiochar boosts hydrogen and methane yield in next-generation food-waste-to-energy systems
A research team has demonstrated that adding biochar to two-phase anaerobic digestion systems can significantly increase hydrogen and methane production from food waste, while maintaining system stability under high organic loading rates.
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News‘Smart wrap that breathes and warns’ - cellulose film cuts oxygen 99% and changes color when shrimp goes bad
Researchers have revealed how one-step dual-engineering turns plant nanofibers into a transparent cellulose that keeps food fresh and tells consumers when it is not.
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NewsLivestock manure linked to the rapid spread of hidden antibiotic resistance threats in farmland soils
Scientists have uncovered how even “low-risk” organic fertilizers like dried poultry manure can inadvertently drive a dramatic surge in dangerous antibiotic resistance genes, once released into vegetable plots used for food crops.
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NewsResearchers diagnose disease with a drop of blood, a microscope and AI
Scientists have developed an automated, high-throughput system that relies on imaging droplets of biofluids for disease diagnosis in an attempt to reduce the number of consumables and equipment needed for biomedical testing.
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NewsBiochar boosts clean energy output from food waste in novel two-stage digestion system
A new study from researchers at the University of Western Australia and Universitas Brawijaya has found that adding biochar to advanced food waste recycling systems can significantly increase the clean energy yields of hydrogen and methane. This breakthrough offers promising strategies for municipalities and industries aiming to turn food scraps ...