Tag Archives: friday
Boost For Biofuels Production
Friday 16 August 2013 SCIENTISTS say they have discovered a potential key to more efficient biofuel production, reducing reliance on fossil fuels. Biofuels are a source of energy created by processing fast-growing plants as opposed to matter that has taken millions of years to form. An international team of scientists from the UK, Belgium and the US has identified a new enzyme associated with lignin, a major component of plant cell walls that limits their conversion to energy by reducing the accessibility of sugar molecules necessary for biofuel production. The lignin has to be removed through an energy-consuming process, therefore plants with a lower amount of lignin, or containing lignin that is easier to break down, are ideally suited for the process. Experts in plant genetics, biochemistry and chemical analysis teamed up to identify a key enzyme named caffeoyl shikimate esterase (CSE). By knocking it out, the scientists found that it resulted in 36% less lignin per gram of stem material. The remaining lignin also had an altered structure which contributed to a more efficient conversion of biomass to energy. The findings are published online in this week’s issue of Science Express magazine. Professor Claire Halpin, of Dundee University, said: “It looks like it could be very useful in trying to manipulate plant biomass to generate biofuels and other chemicals from non-food crops.” The study was a collaboration between Dundee University, the James Hutton Institute, VIB research institute and Ghent University in Belgium and the University of Wisconsin in the US. Continue reading
House Prices Rise £383 Per Day In Prime Central London
House prices rise £383 per day in prime Central London Friday 10th May 2013 Home owners in prime Central London are currently benefiting from price growth of £383 per day, the equivalent of a return air fare to New York City or Dubai, reports property consultant Cluttons in its latest Residential Investment Monitor Q1 2013. Following a slowdown in both the sales and lettings markets during Q4 2012, the prime Central London residential market has turned a corner, with positive growth recorded across all London regions. Values rose by 2.3% during the first quarter, taking the annualised increase to 6.8%, just ahead of the long run average of 6.7% per annum. Consequently, the average price of a flat in prime Central London breached the £1million mark for the first time, while the average price for prime residential property as a whole reached a new historic high of £1.53million in Q1, leaving prices 6.1% above the previous market peak of Q3 2007. This translates to an average increase of £383 per day. The best performing London region was Central North West, incorporating St John’s Wood, Hampstead, Maida Vale, Regent’s Park and Highbury & Islington, which showed price growth of 4.5%, pushing values above the £1.5million mark for the first time. Central West on the other hand, incorporating Hyde Park, Notting Hill, Kensington, Holland Park, Mayfair, Paddington and Marylebone saw the smallest increase of 1% over the quarter, which pushed average prices to £2.36million. Sue Foxley, Head of Research at Cluttons, said: “Prime Central London is once again experiencing robust price growth, driven primarily by the supply drought and strong domestic demand, aided by a greater take up of the historically low mortgage rates. To access property while also securing long-term capital value growth, buyers are looking to the edge of core locations with good transport links such as Clapham, Highbury and Canary Wharf, which in turn are benefiting from upward pressure on prices. “The prime London market appears to have successfully withstood the worst of the economic turbulence and continues to outperform the rest of the UK, albeit with relatively subdued levels of growth when compared to the years leading up to the recession.” Continue reading
