> -----Original Message----- > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On > Behalf Of Charlie Bell > Sent: Saturday, September 27, 2008 1:05 AM > To: Killer Bs (David Brin et al) Discussion > Subject: Re: Global Warming and new numbers > > > On 27/09/2008, at 11:34 AM, Dan M wrote: > > > > There are some radical new ideas (like right handed algae) > > ? > > Would this be algae that process carbon into sugar enantiomers that > then couldn't be broken down organically?
According to folks involved, we now have left handed algae that can directly produced gasoline/jet fuel. The problem is that it is a lab curiosity because it is so sensitive to fungi attack that it cannot last in real world. The idea is to make this right handed, so the fungi wouldn't recognize it. Based on this theory, we could not count on other organisms to interact with it to break it down unless we made them ourselves). One thing I asked about was accidental spreading, and suggested engineering in a dependence on X, which is not commonly found in nature. It turns out that already exists in the left-handed version. So, from what I know, the answer to your question would be no; it's algae that uses water, photosynthesis and carbon dioxide to produces complex hydrocarbons that we can burn as fuel, producing water and carbon dioxide as end products. Dan M. _______________________________________________ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
