The Alchemist Newsletter: November 12, 2010

Organic no better

It's a matter of contention that "organic" food products are intrinsically healthier than those grown with modern farming techniques using pesticides and synthetic fertilizers. Now, Pia Knuthsen and colleagues in Denmark have demonstrated that in one sense organic onions, carrots, and potatoes really are no healthier as they do not have higher levels of healthful antioxidants. The researchers analyzed polyphenolic antioxidants in onions, carrots and potatoes grown using conventional and organic methods and found no differences in concentrations. "On the basis of the present study carried out under well-controlled conditions, it cannot be concluded that organically grown onions, carrots, and potatoes generally have higher contents of health-promoting secondary metabolites in comparison with the conventionally cultivated ones," the team states.

Organic onions, carrots, and potatoes do not have higher levels of healthful antioxidants

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3D, color, (almost) live action holograms

New advances in materials science have led to the demonstration of a color holographic display that can depict a scene in another location and be updated in close to real time (refresh rate is once every two seconds). The system known as three-dimensional (3D) telepresence was reported in the journal Nature and holds great promise for applications in the entertainment industry and in telemedicine as well as potentially fulfilling the dreams of a generation of fans of the Star Wars movies and actor Sir Alec Guinness. A photorefractive polymer is used as the recording material and a two-dimensional image is recorded from various angles using 16 Firewire cameras in one location and sent to another using a network connection where it is "printed" with the hologram set-up. The material is a copolymer with a polyacrylic backbone to which are attached pendant tetraphenyldiaminobiphenyl (TPD) and carbaldehyde aniline (CAAN) groups in the ratio 10:1 (TPD/CAAN). Plasticizer, 9-ethyl carbazole (ECZ), lower the glass transition temperature and facilitates chromophore alignment.

Holographic Video Brings Star Wars-Style 3D Telepresence a Step Closer

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Weedy solution for biofuels

Pennycress, also known as stinkweed and frenchweed grows widely in the American Midwest, it completes its lifecycle in late spring and so does not interfere with the growth of soy and corn crops. This horticultural characteristic could make it the perfect plant to grow for biofuel because it neatly sidesteps the issue of displacing food for fuel. Terry Isbell and colleagues at the new crops and processing technology group at the National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research at Peoria, in Illinois, say the seeds of pennycross produce 36% oil by weight and the plant grows at a density of one tonne over an area of just 4000 square meters. Pennycress seed oil contains a range of fatty acids from 16-carbon to 24-carbon chain length.

Making Pennycress Pay Off

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Diverse applications glean award

R&D Magazine has honored biochemist Richard Smith of the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory as its 2010 Scientist of the Year for his many significant contributions to science in fields as diverse as Parkinson's disease, cancer and biofuels. Described as "creative," "innovative" and "adventurous" by his colleagues, Smith has, since the 1980s, pushed technological advancements bringing analytical chemistry techniques into the domain of microbiologists and medical researchers. "I'm surprised and pleased at the honor," said Smith. "And I'm especially grateful to the incredibly talented team of researchers at the lab whom I have been able to work with."

PNNL's Richard Smith named 2010 Scientist of the Year

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