Umthombo: Newscenter

Izinto zomhlaba ezingavamile(Rees) njengeuhlobo linthanumna-needymiumIzakhi ezibalulekile ze-elekthronikhi zanamuhla, ezivela kumaselula namaphaneli elanga kuya kuma-satellites nezimoto zikagesi. Lezi zinsimbi ezisindayo zisenzeka zizungeze thina, yize inqwaba yamashumi amancane. Kepha ukufunwa okuqhubekayo ukukhuphuka futhi ngoba kwenzeka ekugxiliseni okuphansi okunjalo, izindlela zendabuko zokukhipha izitha zingasebenzi kahle, ukungcoliswa kwemvelo, nokulimaza impilo yabasebenzi.

Manje, ngemali evela kwi-Defence Advanced Research Project Projects Agency (DARPA) ama-Microbes wezemvelo njengohlelo lwe-Bioengineering Resource (Ember), Abaphenyi baseSan Diego State University bathuthukisa izindlela zokukhishwa ezithuthukile ngenhloso yokuqinisa ukunikezwa kwasekhaya.

"Sizama ukuthuthukisa inqubo entsha yokululama okuyinto enobungane nemvelo futhi esimeme ngokwengeziwe," kusho udokotela wezinto eziphilayo kanye noPreyist Privigator Marina Kalyuzhnaya.

Ukuze wenze lokhu, abacwaningi bazothinta ubungako bemvelo bamagciwane adla ama-methane ahlala ezimweni ezimbi kakhulu ukuze athwebule izintambo ezivela emvelweni.

"Zidinga izinto zomhlaba ezingandile ukwenza enye yezindlela ezibalulekile ze-enzymatic emigwaqweni yazo ye-metabolic," kusho uKalyuzhnaya.

Ama-Rees afaka izinto eziningi ze-lanthanide zetafula lesikhathi. Ngokubambisana neNyuvesi yaseCalifornia, iBerkeley nePacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNS), abacwaningi be-SDSU bahlela ukubuyisa unjiniyela izinqubo zemvelo ezivumela amagciwane ukuthi avune ama-bacteli avela emvelweni. Ukuqonda le nqubo kuzokwazisa ukwakhiwa kwamaprotheni okuqashwa okwenziwe ahlanganisa ngokucaciswa okuphezulu ezinhlotsheni ezahlukahlukene zeLanthanides, ngokusho kweBiochemist John Love. Ithimba likaPnnl lizokhomba ukunqunywa kofuzo kwamagciwane e-desthertfilic kanye ne-Ree aqongelela amagciwane, bese ekhombisa ukuthakazela kwabo.

Iqembu lizobe seliguqula amagciwane ukukhiqiza amaprotheni abopha insimbi ebusweni bamaseli abo, asho uthando.

Ama-Rees anokuningi okuchichima kwemisila yemayini, imikhiqizo yemfucumfucu yamanye ama-ores wensimbi, njenge-aluminium.

"Imisila yemayini empeleni iyimfucuza enezinto eziningi eziwusizo kuyo," kusho uKalyuzhnaya.

Ukuhlanza nokuqoqa ama-Rees ngaphakathi, lezi zinhlamvu zamanzi namatshe aqhekekile zizoqhutshwa nge-biofilter equkethe amagciwane aguqulwe, avumele amaprotheni aqanjiwe ebusweni bamagciwane. Njengama-bacterane anothando lwe-methane owayesebenza njengezifanekiso zabo, ama-bacterium athuthukisiwe azobekezelela ukweqisa kwe-pH, izinga lokushisa kanye nosawoti, izimo ezitholakala emisindweni yemayini.

Abaphenyi bazosebenzisana nomlingani wezimboni, isikhungo sokucwaninga nge-Palo Alto (i-Parc), inkampani ye-Xerox, ukuze i-BioPrint impahla ye-porous, esonakele ukuze isetshenziswe kwi-biofilter. Lokhu kubuchwepheshe kwe-biopripting kubiza kakhulu futhi kuyabonakala futhi kulindeleke ukuthi kuholele ekugcinweni okubalulekile lapho kufakwa kabanzi kubuyiselwe amaminerali.

Ngaphezu kokuhlola nokwandisa i-biofilter, iqembu kuzodingeka futhi lithuthukise izindlela zokuqoqa ama-lanthanides ahlanziwe kwi-biofilter uqobo, ngokoNgqombi wezemvelo uChristy Dykstra. Abaphenyi bahlanganise nenkampani yokuqalisa, i-Phoenix Tailings, ukuhlola kanye nokuhlaziya inqubo yokutakula.

Ngoba inhloso ukuthuthukisa inqubo esebenza ngezentengiso kodwa enobungani bezemvelo yokukhipha ama-Rees, ama-Dykstra kanye nabalingani abaningi bephrojekthi bazohlaziya izindleko zohlelo uma beqhathaniswa nobunye bezobuchwepheshe bokuthola ama-lanthanides, kodwa futhi nomthelela wezemvelo.

"Silindele ukuthi kuzoba nezinzuzo eziningi zemvelo kanye nezindleko zamandla eziphansi uma kuqhathaniswa nalokho okusetshenziswa njengamanje," kusho uDykstra. "Uhlelo olunjengalesi kuzoba ngohlelo lwe-BIOFILTRATION oluningi, ngokufakwa okuncane kwamandla. Futhi-ke, ngokweqiniso, ukusetshenziswa okuncane kwe-solvents eyingozi yemvelo nezinto ezinjalo. Izinqubo eziningi zamanje zizosebenzisa izixazululo ezinokhahlo futhi ezingezona zemvelo. "

UDykstra futhi uphawula ukuthi njengoba ziziphindaphinda amagciwane amagciwane, ubuchwepheshe obusekelwe kwi-microbe bayazivuselela, "kanti ukube besizange sisebenzise indlela yamakhemikhali, kuzofanela siqhubeke njalo ngamakhemikhali."

"Noma kuzobiza kancane, kepha akulimazi imvelo, lokho kungazwakala," kusho uKalyuzhnaya.

Umgomo wephrojekthi ye-DARPA-funds ukuhlinzeka ngobufakazi bobuchwepheshe bokubuyiselwa emuva kwe-bio-oqhutshwa yiminyaka ngeminyaka emine, kusho uKalyuzhnaya ukuthi uzodinga umbono onamasu kanye nombono wokuqondiswa kwezigwegwe.

Ubuye wengeza ukuthi iphrojekthi izohlinzeka abafundi abaphothule iziqu ze-SDSU ithuba lokubamba iqhaza ku-multidiculinary ucwaningo "futhi ubone ukuthi imiqondo ingakhula kanjani kusuka emibonweni nje ye-Pilot."

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Isikhathi Sokuthumela: APR-17-2023