Microalgae produce more oil faster for energy, food or products

Apr. 7, 2013 ? Scientists have described technology that accelerates microalgae's ability to produce many different types of renewable oils for fuels, chemicals, foods and personal-care products within days using standard industrial fermentation.

The presentation was part of the 245th National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society (ACS) on April 7.

Walter Rakitsky, Ph.D, explained that microalgae are the original oil producers on earth, and that all of the oil-producing machinery present in higher plants resides within these single-cell organisms. Solazyme's breakthrough biotechnology platform unlocks the power of microalgae, achieving over 80 percent oil within each individual cell at commercial scale while changing the triglyceride oil paradigm by their ability to tailor the oil profiles by carbon chain and saturation. The ability to produce multiple oils in a matter of days out of one plant location using standard industrial fermentation is a game-changer. Solazyme's patented microalgae strains have become the workhorses of a growing industry focused on producing commercial quantities of microalgal oil for energy and food applications. Rakitsky is with Solazyme, Inc., of South San Francisco, Calif., one of the largest and most successful of those companies, which in 2011 supplied 100 percent microalgal-derived advanced biofuel for the first U.S. passenger jetliner flight powered by advanced biofuel.

In a keynote talk at the ACS meeting, Rakitsky described Solazyme's technology platform that enables the company to produce multiple oils from heart-healthy high-oleic oils for food to oils that are tailored to have specific performance and functionality benefits in industry, such as safer dielectric fluids and oils that are the highest-value cuts of the barrel for advanced fuels. The benefits of these oils far surpass those of other oils that are currently available today.

"For the first time in history, we have unlocked the ability to completely design and tailor oils," he said. "This breakthrough allows us to create oils optimized for everything from high-performance jet and diesel fuel to renewable chemicals to skin-care products and heart-healthy food oils. These oils could replace or enhance the properties of oils derived from the world's three dominant sources: petroleum, plants and animals."

Producing custom-tailored oils starts with optimizing the algae to produce the right kind of oil, and from there, the flexibility of the fermentation platform really comes into play. Solazyme is able to produce all of these oils in one location simply by switching out the strain of microalgae they use, Rakitsky explained. Unlike other algal oil production processes, in which algae grow in open ponds, Solazyme grows microalgae in total darkness in the same kind of fermentation vats used to produce vinegar, medicines and scores of other products. Instead of sunlight, energy for the microalgae's growth comes from low-cost, plant-based sugars. This gives the company a completely consistent, repeatable industrial process to produce tailored oil at scale.

Sugar from traditional sources such as sugarcane and corn has advantages for growing microalgae, especially their abundance and relatively low cost, Rakitsky said. The company's first fit-for-purpose commercial-scale production plant is under construction with their partner Bunge next to a sugarcane mill in Brazil. Initial production capacity will be 110,000 tons of microalgal oil annually, expanding up to 330,700 tons. In addition, the company has a production agreement with ADM in Clinton, Iowa, for 22,000 tons of oil, expandable to 110,000 tons. Ultimately, cellulosic sources of sugars from non-food plants or plant waste materials, like grasses or corn stover, may take over as those technologies reach the right scale and cost structures.

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Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/top_science/~3/NSroPcteTF0/130407211542.htm

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Egyptian judiciary urges top prosecutor to leave

CAIRO (AP) ? Egypt's highest judicial body on Sunday urged the nation's top prosecutor to step down less than five months after the president appointed him, reflecting persistent turmoil in the government's upper echelon that has often been accompanied by violence.

Also on Sunday, Christians angered by the killing of four fellow Christians in weekend sectarian violence clashed with a mob throwing rocks and firebombs outside the gate of St. Mark Coptic Orthodox Cathedral in Cairo.

At least 21 people were injured in the clashes, according to the head of the national ambulances services, Mohammed Sultan. Two local journalists were among those injured, one seriously, according to their newspapers.

The surprise statement from the Supreme Judiciary Council came on a day when Egypt's railway services came to a halt because of a strike by train drivers and conductors. The strike snarled inter-city transit in the nation of some 90 million.

Carried by the official MENA news agency, the statement urged the chief prosecutor, Talaat Abdullah, "to express a wish" to return to his previous job as a judge for the sake of the unity of the judiciary.

Abdullah's appointment in December set off protests by many judges and fellow prosecutors, who called it illegal. It set off days of protests outside his office in downtown Cairo. The protests forced him to tender his resignation, but then he withdrew it and stayed in office.

A court ruling last week annulled the presidential decree appointing Abdullah, but he has continued to carry out his duties. There was no word immediately available from Abdullah on his plans.

Removing Abdullah has been a key demand of the mostly liberal and secular opposition. Sunday's call by the council of the judiciary appeared aimed at offering him an honorable exit, a step toward ending a long-running crisis within the judiciary over the appointment.

During the past two weeks, Abdullah has issued summons against several media celebrities critical of Morsi, Egypt's first freely elected president. They included popular TV satirist Bassem Youssef, who was accused of insulting Morsi and Islam. The satirist was released on bail.

The train drivers and conductors went on strike Sunday to demand better pay in yet another in a string of work stoppages during the past two years.

Transport Minister Hatem Abdel-Lateef approved a 10 percent hike in bonuses routinely given to all railway workers but train drivers and conductors rejected it as too little and went on strike. They are members of a national union representing all railway workers. Thousands of angry passengers crowded train stations. Video footage aired by several TV networks showed deserted platforms and empty trains heading nowhere.

The head of Egypt's Railways Authority, Hussein Zakaria, threatened legal proceedings against train drivers who called for the strike. Speaking to MENA, he said the strike caused "total paralysis" of train services, and that additional public buses were sent to the streets to deal with the backlog of passengers between Cairo and other cities in the Delta, and Alexandria on the Mediterranean.

Sunday's clashes outside the Coptic cathedral began when hundreds of angry Christians began an anti-government march after the funeral, chanting slogans against Morsi, just as several thousand did earlier during the funeral service for the four slain Christians.

Soon after they left the cathedral's complex, a mob, described by witnesses as residents of the area, pelted them with rocks and firebombs, forcing them to return to the sprawling cathedral complex. They also showered the protesters with rocks from the roofs of nearby buildings, according to witness Ibrahim el-Shareef.

Riot police later arrived, firing tear gas at the Christians and the mob. Several tear gas canisters landed inside the cathedral's grounds, causing a panic among women and children who attended the funeral.

Video footage aired live on the private ONTV network showed young men on the roof of a building adjacent to the cathedral firing handguns toward the compound.

The four Christians, along with a Muslim, were killed in clashes on Saturday in a town north of Cairo.

Inside the cathedral, several thousand mourners chanted slogans against Morsi, calling on the Egyptian leader to step down. They shouted "Leave!" and "This is our country, we will not leave."

Coptic Christians make up about 10 percent of Egypt's estimated 90 million people. They have long complained of discrimination. Attacks against Christians have increased since the ouster two years ago of autocrat Hosni Mubarak.

___

AP writer Sarah El Deeb contributed.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/egyptian-judiciary-urges-top-prosecutor-leave-165744890.html

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Search crews recount dramatic Calif. hiker rescue

RANCHO SANTA MARGARITA, Calif. (AP) ? Two hikers were recovering from dehydration and minor injuries in Southern California hospitals on Friday after a grueling, four-day hunt for the lost teens met a happy ending, authorities said.

Nicolas Cendoya, who was rescued late Wednesday after being spotted by hikers, was in serious but stable condition at Mission Hospital in Mission Viejo. The hospital released a photo Friday of the smiling 19-year-old pointing his thumb up.

Kyndall Jack, 18, who was discovered Thursday clinging to a rocky outcropping no bigger than a yoga mat on a near-vertical slope, was being treated at University of California, Irvine, Medical Center for dehydration and hypothermia. She remained in intensive care Friday while doctors continued to run tests, said John Murray, a spokesman for the hospital.

"I want to thank all those who never stopped trying to find me and Kyndall," Cendoya said in a statement.

"The whole time I was lost, I felt the presence of Jesus and my friend, Carlos, who died last year of cancer. I felt they were both with me, inspiring me to stay alive," he added.

The two had gone missing on Easter, when they called 911 to report they were lost and out of water after wandering off Holy Jim Trail during what they expected would be an easy day hike.

The popular trail is in the Cleveland National Forest, where the dangers of 720 square miles of rugged mountain wilderness run smack up against the planned communities and shopping malls of suburban southeast Orange County.

"I have no doubt that they came out here with the best of intentions ... but this is a complicated environment and before you know it, you're lost," said Lt. Jason Park, an Orange County sheriff's spokesman.

Orange County Sheriff's Technical Rescue crew gather at Trabuco Canyon Road command center during the search for missing hiker Kendall Jack, in Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif., Thursday, April 4, 2013.... more? Orange County Sheriff's Technical Rescue crew gather at Trabuco Canyon Road command center during the search for missing hiker Kendall Jack, in Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif., Thursday, April 4, 2013. A sheriff?s rescue team, following the sounds of a screaming female voice, found Jack, late Thursday morning clinging to a small rock outcropping along the brush-covered wall. Jack, 18, was found not far from where her 19-year-old hiking companion, Nicolas Cendoya, had been found by a hiker Wednesday night.. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes) less? Park added that having civilization so close can lull some hikers into a false sense of security.

A reserve deputy who slipped and fell 10 feet, hitting his chest on a rock before falling another 50 feet and hitting his head, remained in serious condition, the Orange County Register reports. A San Bernardino County Sheriff's search and rescue coordinator told the newspaper the deputy suffered cuts to his head, a punctured lung, broken ribs and other injuries. Park said he is expected to recover.

The teens are expected to remain in the hospital for several days.

Jack and Cendoya had parked their car off a dirt road just a few miles from an upscale neighborhood where on Thursday children bounced on trampolines and customers sipped lattes at a Starbucks in an outdoor strip mall.

The two got separated sometime Sunday night and were both found less than a mile from their car and "very, very close" to one another, although they did not know it, said Park.

Investigators were still trying to determine how they got lost in the wilderness and separated. They tried to talk to Jack after she was found, but she was confused and dehydrated.

Jack had no memory of going hiking or of being with Cendoya, Murray said.

The area where the two got lost is in a section of forest in the Santa Ana Mountains that lies along the border of Orange and Riverside counties southeast of Los Angeles. The trail ranges in elevation from about 2,000 feet to about 4,000 feet.

___

Associated Press writers John Rogers, Andrew Dalton, Christopher Weber and Robert Jablon contributed to this story from Los Angeles.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/search-crews-recount-dramatic-calif-hiker-rescue-081301276.html

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AP PHOTOS: NCAA Final Four

Michigan's Caris LeVert (23) passes the ball as Syracuse's C.J. Fair (5) looks on during the second half of the NCAA Final Four tournament college basketball semifinal game Saturday, April 6, 2013, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Michigan's Caris LeVert (23) passes the ball as Syracuse's C.J. Fair (5) looks on during the second half of the NCAA Final Four tournament college basketball semifinal game Saturday, April 6, 2013, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Syracuse head coach Jim Boeheim reacts to play against Michigan during the second half of the NCAA Final Four tournament college basketball semifinal game Saturday, April 6, 2013, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Michigan's Glenn Robinson III (1) shoots as Syracuse's James Southerland defends during the first half of an NCAA Final Four tournament college basketball semifinal game Saturday, April 6, 2013, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Syracuse's Brandon Triche (20) shoots against Michigan's Tim Hardaway Jr. (10) during the first half of an NCAA Final Four tournament college basketball semifinal game Saturday, April 6, 2013, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Michigan student Aaron Ruhlig cheers before the first half of the NCAA Final Four tournament college basketball semifinal game against Syracuse, Saturday, April 6, 2013, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)

The first of Saturday's pair of Final Four matchups ends with the Louisville Cardinals advancing to the national championship game with a 72-68 victory over upstart Wichita State, which lost a 12-point lead. They'll play the winner of the matchup between Michigan and Syracuse. Here are some photos from both games.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2013-04-06-NCAA%20Finals-Photo%20Gallery/id-9b6377a8b12544aeb92d3c8f2fba90ee

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Mitochondrial metabolic regulator SIRT4 guards against DNA damage

Friday, April 5, 2013

Healthy cells don't just happen. As they grow and divide, they need checks and balances to ensure they function properly while adapting to changing conditions around them.

Researchers studying a set of proteins that regulate physiology, caloric restriction and aging have discovered another important role that one of them plays. SIRT4, one of seven sirtuin proteins, is known for controlling fuel usage from its post in the mitochondria, the cell's energy source. It responds to stressful changes in the availability of nutrients for the cell.

New research reveals that SIRT4 is also extremely sensitive to a different form of stress: DNA damage. This unsuspected response by the metabolic checkpoint means SIRT4 doubles as a sentry guarding against cancer, which is spurred by genetic abnormalities.

Sirtuins have become familiar for their connection to longevity and to resveratrol, the red-wine compound that activates SIRT1, but less attention has been focused on SIRT3, SIRT 4 and SIRT5, all of which are found in mitochondria. Marcia Haigis, HMS associate professor of cell biology, led a team that has uncovered SIRT4 as an important player in the DNA damage response pathway, coordinating a sequence of events that normally result[s] in tumor suppression. They published their results April 4 in Cancer Cell.

"When we started studying SIRT4, we were focused only on its metabolic role, looking for functions related to diabetes and obesity," said Haigis. "What we found, to our surprise, was that SIRT4 was responsive to DNA damage, so that led us to investigate the metabolic response to DNA damage and how SIRT4 controls the metabolic response to genotoxic stress."

To see how SIRT4 normally functions, Haigis and her colleagues induced DNA damage by exposing cells in a lab dish to ultraviolet light. This damage triggered a halt in glutamine metabolism, limiting the amount of nutrients the cell could use as it goes through a cycle of division and growth.

Blocking the cell cycle at this juncture is important. If cell growth after DNA damage goes unchecked, proliferation of impaired cells can lead to cancer. When SIRT4 works properly, this chain of events is broken before bad cells and their abnormal genes multiply. SIRT4 blocks glutamine metabolism, arrests the cell cycle and suppresses tumor formation.

The scientists tested this SIRT4 response in mice. Bred to lack the gene that encodes the SIRT4 protein but otherwise normal, the mice spontaneously developed lung cancer by 15 months.

"When SIRT4 is missing, you don't have this metabolic checkpoint involving glutamine, which is important because glutamine is an amino acid required for proliferation in the cell," Haigis said. "Without SIRT4, the cell keeps dividing even in the face of DNA damage, so the cell accumulates more damage."

The scientists also analyzed data showing SIRT4 gene expression levels are low in several human cancers, including small-cell lung carcinoma, gastric cancer, bladder carcinoma, breast cancer and leukemia.

While they cannot say if SIRT4 loss alone will initiate cancer, its absence appears to create an environment in which tumor cells survive and grow.

"Our findings suggest that SIRT4 may be a potential target against tumors," they conclude.

###

Harvard Medical School: http://hms.harvard.edu

Thanks to Harvard Medical School for this article.

This press release was posted to serve as a topic for discussion. Please comment below. We try our best to only post press releases that are associated with peer reviewed scientific literature. Critical discussions of the research are appreciated. If you need help finding a link to the original article, please contact us on twitter or via e-mail.

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Source: http://www.labspaces.net/127612/Mitochondrial_metabolic_regulator_SIRT__guards_against_DNA_damage

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As Koreas Face Off, Risk of Accidental War Grows (Voice Of America)

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Democrats lose fight in Montana Senate over ballot measures

By Dan Boyce

HELENA, Mont (Reuters) - Over loud objections from Democrats, Montana's Republican-controlled Senate on Friday voted to put proposals on the 2014 ballot that would tighten voter registration and restrict the rights of third parties to compete in general elections.

The measures, which are expected to be approved by the Republican-majority House, do not need approval from the Democratic governor. They would go before Montana voters in November of next year.

Democrats tried to stall action on the bills through a rarely used parliamentary procedure, demanding that the vote be delayed until a missing Democratic senator was found and brought into the chamber.

But Republicans moved forward anyway, prompting Democrats to leap to their feet, shout objections and pound on their desks with everything from coffee mugs to copies of the Montana constitution.

"We did what we had to do and it's done," said Senate Majority Leader Art Wittich.

"I'm saddened by what we saw today - it's worse than Washington, D.C.," Governor Steve Bullock said. "I'm not embarrassed by men and women demanding a right to speak - I'm disappointed by those who denied it."

The measures would ask voters to eliminate same-day voter registration, and put in place a new primary election system that only allows the two political parties that get the most votes in the primaries to be on the ballot in the general election.

Both are seen as benefiting Republicans. Third parties have acted as spoilers for some Republican candidates in recent elections. Same-day voter registration is considered a plus for Democrats.

Any ballot-measure bills that pass the Montana Legislature with a simple majority of both chambers move right to a public vote, bypassing the governor's office.

(Reporting by Dan Boyce; Editing by Mary Wisniewski)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/democrats-lose-fight-montana-senate-over-ballot-measures-051453734.html

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