Regional platform to share SDG strategies for Southeast Asian nations
Reading Time: 2 minutesSustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that are based on the successes of the Millennium Development Goals came into effect in January 2016 and are targeted to be achieved by 2030. However, the United Nations and its member countries are aware of the reality that a lot of turbulence and headwinds must be navigated to achieve these […]
UPM researchers produce quality biochar from agro wastes using BMC
Reading Time: 2 minutesBY SHAZLAN HALAMY SERDANG: A team of researchers from Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) has succeeded in creating a sustainable green technology by way of transforming agriculture wastes or biomass into bio-char through a microwave system. Compared to the conventional method, this Biomass Microwave Carboniser (BMC) innovation offers an innovative and clean technology using microwave-assisted pyrolysis […]
Mitsubishi Corp and SBC explore use of algae as feedstock gears up
Reading Time: 2 minutesSEMENGOH, SARAWAK: Mitsubishi Corporation (MC) and the Sarawak Biodiversity Centre (SBC) will move into the next phase of a research collaboration which started in year 2012. The collaboration between MC and SBC has reached Phase 3 (Demonstration and Validation of Commercially Viable Microalgal Biomass Production Technologies) which will implement an outdoor facility to demonstrate and […]
Britain’s top weatherman comes under our radar
Reading Time: 5 minutesRob Varley, Britain’s top weather man holds court at the Met Office in Exeter as the Chief Executive. He started his career as a weather forecaster, then spent 10 years as trainer of Britain’s weather forecasters and also project-managed the construction of the current Met Office headquarters. In a recent sojourn to Kuala Lumpur, The […]
Fuel from water hyacinth
Reading Time: 2 minutesPeople who maintain ponds and lakes will know how much of a nuisance water hyacinth is. Sure, this aquatic weed is nice to look at, but it is considered a pest in many countries. Thanks to the researchers at Indian Institute of Technology – Kharagpur (IIT – Kharagpur), water hyacinth – which contains up to 50 […]
…. And sunflower is Hawaii’s largest biofuel source
Reading Time: < 1 minuteHawaii’s longest operating biodiesel producer, Pacific Biodiesel Technologies is planting sunflowers as its first biofuel crop on 115 acres in Maui’s central valley. The project is the largest of its kind and the only biofuel farming operation running on 100% renewable fuel in Hawaii, showcasing the company’s sustainable, community-based model of agriculture and renewable energy. […]
UPM turns cooking oil into biodiesel
Reading Time: 2 minutesSERDANG: Don’t discard used cooking oil because it can still be utilised. A research by Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) has succeeded in turning cooking oil into biodiesel for use for heavy machinery and vehicles. Those who give used cooking oil to UPM will be paid RM1 for every 1kg of such oil. The processing of […]
Genome sequence of polar alga explains adaptation to extreme climates
Reading Time: 2 minutesAn international team of researchers has identified the genetic mutations which allowed microalgae (phytoplankton) from the Southern Ocean to adapt to extreme and highly variable climates – a step towards understanding how polar organisms are impacted by climate change. The team led by Prof Thomas Mock from the University of East Anglia (UEA) School of […]
Oil and gas deposits could be located with help of DNA soil analysis
Reading Time: < 1 minuteWHILE a lot of sciences are involved in finding oil and gas, biology might not be the first science that leaps to mind. But researchers at Repsol are working on changing that mindset. The team is focusing on the concept of “bioprospection,” studying how the presence of certain microorganisms on the surface can be an […]
Seagrasses greatly reduce bacteria, benefiting humans and marine life
Reading Time: 2 minutesSEAGRASS meadows reduce bacteria pathogenic to humans and marine life by up to 50%, a new study shows. What’s more, corals located near seagrass meadows exhibit only half the prevalence of disease. These findings highlight the importance of seagrass ecosystems to the health of humans and other organisms; not only could they help with improving […]