Scientists drive efforts for cleaner energy

NaijaAgroNet:

Scientists have mapped the movement of electrical charge through a material known as a metal organic framework or ‘MOF’ to improve on cleaner energy efforts, reports NaijaAgroNet.

According to scientists at The Manchester University, United Kingdom, MOF was designed to host charge in future vehicle fuel cells which offer a greener alternative to traditional combustion engines.

By using a combination of X-ray and neutron techniques, NaijaAgroNet gathered that scientists now have a better understanding of the flow of charge in the material, and could begin to design more efficient fuel cells in pursuit of cleaner energy.

NaijaAgroNet reports that fuel cells convert the chemical energy of a fuel into electricity by means of a chemical reaction, and there are a variety of fuel cells available, with polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells currently used most widely.

In addition, NaijaAgroNet gathered from experts that the performance of a fuel cell depends on the electrolyte, the porous material at the centre of the cell which controls the flow of charge - to boost its efficiency, hence scientists are developing smart membranes with new materials to produce more charge.

NaijaAgroNet recalls that a team from The University of Manchester linked up with others, including the University of Nottingham, have mapped the atomic structure and workings of the metal organic framework using intense X-rays at the UK’s Diamond Light Source ‘super-microscope.’

Media Relations Officer, The University of Manchester, Joe Paxton, told NaijaAgroNet that these scientists then used neutrons to map the flow of charge, known as proton conduction, in the material for the first time.

The results, also published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society, found that the protons move freely within a sphere, rather than the more common ‘jump diffusion between sites’ mechanism. This new knowledge will enable the design of improved proton conducting materials by optimising the pathway that the protons take.

Drs Sihai Yang and Martin Schröder, group leaders from The University of Manchester, said, “The success of this work will not only create new knowledge on metal organic frameworks, but also enable the building of next generation fuel cells that operate at a wider temperature range and with higher efficiency. This will help bring this technology into a reality.”

Dr Claire Murray from Diamond Light Source, said “This represents really beautiful chemistry in a new and exciting area of research. Up until now, metal organic frameworks have been mainly used for gas absorption, but scientists hope to be able to exploit proton conductivity for the production of green energy fuel cells that can operate at high temperatures and in dry conditions. Because the X-rays we generate are so intense, researchers can reveal the structure of materials in very fine detail, enabling the detection of tiny changes that could impact on their performance.”

Now the team have cracked the mechanism behind proton conductivity in the material, they have returned to the laboratory to use this information to design and study new materials with increased conductivity.

Remmy Nweke/ED, Ops 

... Linking agrobiz, sustainable environs, people & technology

Scientist describes Uber, Airbnb as new model for sustainable society

NaijaAgroNet:

An environmental social scientist at The University of Manchester, Dr Chris Martin, has described the duo of Uber and Airbnd as new model way of building a sustainable society, reports NaijaAgroNet.

He also said that this new form of consumption could be rolled out to bolster the sustainability of other day-to-day functions including production, education, banking and transport and further described the Silicon Valley success stories like Uber and Airbnb as paving the way to a more sustainable global society.

The ‘sharing economy’ model, he said, has seen a boom in the collaborative use of services, which has come under criticism for disrupting traditional and independent business activity.

Dr. Martin contended that it is bad for business in his new paper, The sharing economy: a pathway to sustainability or a nightmarish form of neoliberal capitalism? published online in the journal Ecological Economics this week, that radically decentralising economic activity and allowing people shared access to services and resources is more than just an economic opportunity for big business and an employment solution for governments.

“This decentralised, online model of economic activity has significant sustainability potential but it is currently being overlooked by big players who are focused on the commercial aspects,” he declared, explaining that the potential, and the appetite, for a sharing economy promotes social sustainability, in addition to environmental sustainability and economic growth. 

“The core ideas and technologies behind Airbnb and Uber could also be used to empower citizens and civic society to participate in previously centralised activities, be that more open education, car-pooling or microfinance models in place of traditional banking,” Martins said.

For him, the taxi giant Uber and holiday rental firm Airbnb are at the tip of the sharing economy iceberg, underscoring that policy-makers, innovators and entrepreneurs need to look beyond the idea of ‘sharing’ just service industries. Rather, they could focus on exploiting the potential of the sharing economy to reduce overall consumption and create a more equitable, sustainable economy and society.

  Isaac Oyimah/GEE

... Linking agrobiz, sustainable environs, people & technology

Prof Larkin faults first draft of Paris Climate Change agreement

NaijaAgroNet:

Professor of Climate Science & Energy Policy at The University of Manchester, Ms Alice Bows Larkin, has faulted the first draft statement at the on-going COP21 in Paris, reports NaijaAgroNet.

Prof. Larkin was responding to the first draft statement released Wednesday afternoon, saying that it does not specific how to reduce global emissions below 2°C.

She pointed out that the latest text from the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) is an international environmental treaty negotiated at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro which includes a statement that the increase in global average temperatures will be held at least below 2°C above pre-industrial levels.

“It says it will try to achieve this by either peaking global emissions as soon as possible or through a long-term global low emissions transformation over this century,” she quoted part of the draft statement.

According to Prof. Larkin, both options refer to the ‘best available science’ which she described as disappointing then that despite clarity from the science, in terms of a need for urgent and deep mitigation, and a limited carbon budget that has been quantified, there is no reference to this budget, stressing it appears that this agreement will not set legally binding CO2 limits.

“So, whilst it is encouraging to see the temperature goal, and even the potential for a more strict (1.5C) temperature goal remains in the text, I would question how mitigation to the extent necessary will be achieved, given the focus is on individual national pledges as opposed to a legally binding carbon budget, that fits with the scientific interpretation of the 2°C goal,” she said.
 
@Isaac Oyimah/GEE
... Linking agrobiz, sustainable environs, people & technology

Exclusive: Experts found water in Mars

NaijaAgroNet:

 

Professor of Astrophysics at The University of Manchester, Mr. Tim O’Brien, has explained the possibility of finding water in the Mars, reports NaijaAgroNet.

Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun and the second smallest planet in the Solar System, after Mercury and was named after the Roman god of war, the Mars is often referred to as the "Red Planet" because the iron oxide prevalent on its surface gives it a reddish appearance.

According to the Media Relations Officer, University of Manchester, Mr. Sam Wood in a press statement available to NaijaAgroNet quoted Prof. O’Brien as trying to explain why finding liquid water on Mars is such an important discovery and the essence.

Prof. O’Brien noted that this effort is truly an exciting discovery, even as scientists know there are features on the planet which suggest flowing material.

“What we were not sure about was whether this was water,” he queried.                           

However, Prof. O’Brien pointed out that the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has now studied the signature of this material and they could see that it looks like briny water.

He described this as good evidence that there is water involved, but added that what is unknown yet is where the water is coming from.

“Is it seeping up to mix with salts on the surface to make the briny water? Or it this water coming from the atmosphere, as it does on Earth?” Prof. O’Brien asked with excitement.

He was optimistic that the really interesting thing is what this means for life on Mars, which goes to state that millions of years ago conditions on Mars were similar to what “we have on Earth now.”

He emphasized that the presence of liquid water increases the possibility that there could be some microbial life forms still on the planet, though in itself it is not evidence for life.

“All life as we know it needs water, now we have found water on Mars there could be life. They have found a key prerequisite for life but not life itself” O’Brien affirmed.
 
 +Remmy Nweke (ITRealms)
... Linking agrobiz, sustainable environs, people & technology

Expert says entrepreneurship not silver bullet for fighting poverty

NaijaAgroNet:

 

As the Global Entrepreneurship Week, the world’s largest campaign to promote entrepreneurs, comes to a close an academic from The University of Manchester warns that entrepreneurship shouldn’t be a silver bullet for fighting poverty, reports NaijaAgroNet.

According to Dr Nicola Banks from The University of Manchester is an ESRC Future Research Leader (The Economic and Social Research Council) who is leading on research into young people's experiences of urban poverty in Tanzania, this kind of definition negates the spirit of entrepreneurship.

She told NaijaAgroNet in a press statement made available by Kath Paddison, Media Relations Officer, The University of Manchester that the world should be wary of solutions that focus on entrepreneurship as a silver bullet for fighting poverty.

“Entrepreneurship can be a way to help young people out of poverty, but a sole focus on entrepreneurship can put all the responsibility on the young person and removes responsibility from governments,” she said.

Dr Bank also pointed that as the popular TV show The Apprentice illustrates, “we're not all born with entrepreneurial skill.  Multilateral agencies and national governments need to address the full range of obstacles facing young people to adequately support the world’s growing population of young people.” 

Isaac Oyimah
+Remmy Nweke +enterpreneurs us +The University of Manchester  
... Linking agrobiz, sustainable environs, people & technology

Cancer treatment: Experts discover how oxygen levels in tumours affect response

NaijaAgroNet:

Experts at the United Kingdom-based Manchester Cancer Research Centre (MCRC), a partnership project founded by The University of Manchester, have revealed the disclosure that the genetic make-up of a patient’s tumour could be used to personalise their treatment, reports NaijaAgroNet.

This, NaijaAgroNet gathered would help to decide whether cancer patients would benefit from receiving additional drugs as part of their radiotherapy programme, according to a recent study involving scientists from MCRC.

Experts said tumours with lower levels of oxygen, otherwise known as hypoxia often respond less well to radiation therapy.

“There are several agents that can be given to patients before radiotherapy to reduce hypoxia, but these are not given as standard. Being able to measure how well-oxygenated an individual’s tumour is would give doctors a valuable way of identifying which patients might benefit from treatment with hypoxia reducing agents before radiotherapy,” MCRC scientists explained.

They further said, hypoxia has previously been investigated by looking at the expression of certain genes, and Manchester researchers have come up with a genetic profile for tumours that should indicate the overall level of oxygenation.

NaijaAgroNet reports that researchers at MCRC carried out the study in patients diagnosed with cancer of the bladder and larynx, stressing these patients subsequently underwent either standard radiotherapy or radiotherapy with the addition of two agents which in combination are known to increase oxygenation: nicotinamide and carbogen.

The team tested patients’ tumour samples for 26 genes in order to classify them as more or less hypoxic, and then analysed whether this hypoxia score related to the results of treatment.

Leader of the team, Prof. Catharine West of The University’s Institute of Cancer Sciences, said “Our goal is to find ways of predicting how patients will respond to different treatments.

“Future cancer treatments will be personalised so that patients get the best therapy for their tumour,” she said, pointing out that personalising therapy will not only increase the number of people surviving cancer but also decrease side-effects, as patients would be spared from having treatments that are unlikely to work in their tumour.

Prof. West emphasised that they will now test how the hypoxia score works in the clinic in a trial starting in December in patients with head and neck cancer.

“I have studied ways of measuring hypoxia in tumours for many years so this is a very exciting finding that could help us optimise how we use radiotherapy to get the best outcome for patients,” she declared.

Isaac Oyimah/GEE

... Linking agrobiz, people & technology
Pix: Prof. Cath West and Pro. Davies