TheBiologySpace.BioBlog

Is this the first comment? This could be harder than normal. Platinum, gold, and silver would probably be the best metals for the job of connecting the enzyme to the rest of the fuel cell. Unfortuately, these are three of the most expensive metals in existance (though not the most expensive). I have no idea how expensive it is to make and use the carbon nanotubes and I do know that mass production of macromolecules isn’t always feasible because a mistake with one or two atoms makes a big difference, where as one or two atoms out of the sextillion to septillion in any small object doesn’t matter (sextillion is 10 to the power of 21, septillion is 10 to the power of 24). Despite this carbon nanotubes have been around for a while and could actually probably lower the cost of fuel cells.

Just commenting on myself. Another plus side to the use of carbon nanotubes is that carbon is in abundant supply and can be found nearly anywhere whereas platinum, gold, and silver…just cant. This means prices most likely would actually be lower. Also, they are more stable. To my knowledge the price of manufacturing carbon nanotubes doesn’t fluctuate, so it would be an economically ’safer’ alternative as well.

I’ve never stopped to think about how glucose meters function even though basically half my family is diabetic and use such machines. It’s certainly interesting that the meter can be precise enough to measure the ions that pass through a little strip.

Enzymes are pretty amazing…not going to lie. The amount of enzymes that we use in the human body alone is staggering. Since there are so many different forms and variations of enzymes, its kind of a given that they have some form of complexity. In my opinion, the more complex something is….the more it can be diversely manipulated (with more effort than simple structures of course). I know that there’s this enzyme called nattokinase (I think) that is used as a dietary supplement becuase it helps break down blood clots….

Using this to generate the hydrogen that will be used for fuel cells would ultimately lead to a cleaner world. One of the only reasons that hydrogen-powered electricity is not used is due to the expenses required in manufacturing fuel cells and the cost of manufacturing usable hydrogen. If the prices were reduce, hydrogen would be the best option at alternative fuels. Some hydrogen cars that have been designed actually clean the air while being driven, removing particles of rubber and carbon-monoxide from the air. The only waste that a hydrogen powered car releases is water, and occasionally some nitrogen, which is what air is mainly composed of. Enzymes could help clean the planet!

This idea is truly revolutionary. I always imagined enzymes are just things you deal with in a lab or study as a part of living organinsms. The use of hydrogenase and nanotubes opens a new perspective. Especially that it results in “virtually no pollution for motor vehiceles…” This can help the world in many ways as Mr. Patel said above. But I think that this can help America in particular. Since the economy is going down, or at least it has been exagerated so, then funding this project can help America. If United States focuses on this project and figures out a way to perfect it, everybody in the world will want it. And America will once again be prosperous, foreigners will again think that money grows on trees, and America can continue to think that they are better than Russia.

using other alternatives to oil is complicated when it comes to the use of resources that are needed. we don’t need the bacteria that includes the enzymes but we do need platinum for wedding and engagement rings and the majority of the world population requires this as well as the careless ones who misplace things easily. so far i prefur the use of plant matter for our power to run our vehicles but it is awesome that enzymes can do more than just break down food particles.

The components of the nanotube itself are interesting (the type carbon used in the research team’s experiment). The carbon’s unique shape and structure makes it a viable host for differing processes. Thanks to its organization, the nanotube is able to “form a super high strength composite supermaterial” which is in the process of being engineered. This new innovation could change engineering designs “where low weight and high strength is required”. A such an important structure, the nanotubes, can lead us to new possibilities as well.

Enzymes are awesome! Maybe they could find other uses and use enzymes in more consumer products, because they are already created and have many unique chemical structures and properties. With there being so many different enzymes, there could probably be many more things in which enzymes can be used.

wow enzymes are great
\i didnt know that enzyme extracted from a fungus is what goes into diabetic glucose testing strips. that si so cool
this also shows how science has been grown from past years

This brings up another bioethical dilemma: you’d be killing bacteria off. Is it fair to slaughter them, as well? Would it be fair to say that just because they are little and easily replaced, that they are indispensible? It’s almost the same as slaughtering a bunch of cows for the sake of having leather to sit on.

I think that if this was a source of clean and easy fuel, people would have to pick their words very carefully.