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IMAGE: Lead author Bridget McGivern in June 2018, shortly after setup of the soil experiment. view more
Credit: Provided/Bridget McGivern
Fruits, vegetables, red wine and chocolate are all rich in polyphenols, natural plant compounds that double as cancer-fighting antioxidants. We can access these foods health benefits because the microbes in our guts happily feast on them, breaking them down into smaller chemical components.
Microbiome scientists at Colorado State University wanted to know if microbes can also break down those same polyphenols in systems outside the human body, including the microbial wild west of soils.
A research team led by Kelly Wrighton, associate professor in the College of Agricultural Sciences Department of Soil and Crop Sciences, has uncovered new insights into the role of polyphenols in the soil microbiome, known as a black box for its complexity. They proffer an updated theory that soils - much like the human gut - can be food s
U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm virtually visited Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) Monday, May 24, where she met with leading.
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IMAGE: PNNL scientist Ruozhu Feng created a series of molecular engineering steps to cultivate fluorenone s energy-carrying capability, part of an effort at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory to develop new energy-storage technology. view more
Credit: (Photo by Andrea Starr | Pacific Northwest National Laboratory)
A compound used widely in candles offers promise for a much more modern energy challenge storing massive amounts of energy to be fed into the electric grid as the need arises.
Scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory have shown that low-cost organic compounds hold promise for storing grid energy. Common fluorenone, a bright yellow powder, was at first a reluctant participant, but with enough chemical persuasion has proven to be a potent partner for energy storage in flow battery systems, large systems that store energy for the grid.