Oil-eating bacteria

When a severe explosion took place in the Deep-water horizon offshore owned by BP in 2010, it led to one of the worst oil spills with an estimate of over 3.19 million barrels of oil released to in the Gulf of Mexico. It was regarded as to be the worst oil spill in U.S history. Even more devastating was the effects the oil could have on marine and animal life nearby. However, the worst did not happen due to the breakthrough of oil-eating bacteria. These remarkable microbes function by attacking and breaking down the molecules of oil. In progress of time, the bacteria were able to multiply and consume most of the oil spill. Such bacteria can now be used to create and clean up any future oil leaks.

Growing human organs

 

A growing concern in the case of organs transplants is the lack of availability of sufficient organs. How things work now is, if you need an organ transplant, you will be listed in the national lists for organ transplants. However, if things look gloomy now, they could change in the future. Scientists with the help of new technology are experimenting using organs of animals such as pigs which share similar internal functions. However, pig genome includes PERVs or porcine endogenous retroviruses. If this was to be mixed with human DNA, the result could be devastating. But don’t worry as scientists with the help of CRISPR CAS-9 were able to deactivate the PERVs. So, this means in there is a good chance the organs we need can be grown in pigs and transplanted into human bodies.

Advanced biofuel technology

Biofuel is defined as biomass which can be easily converted to liquid fuels. Biofuels are a much better alternative to fossil fuels as they achieve over fifty percent reduction in carbon intensity. In recent years, numerous companies have come together to formulate advanced biofuels using natural material such as sugar cane and feedstock. The advent of advanced biofuel can soon be considered as a permanent alternative to fossil fuels.

Lab-grown meat and plants

It is becoming increasingly difficult to meet the needs of the ever-changing world. Increase in population is bound to increase the demand for beef, chicken, etc. which means growing more animals and slaughtering them for meat. Has anyone considered more organic and humane option to meet such needs? Yes, a San Francisco startup named Memphis Meats was able to produce meat from animal cells in laboratories. Like this, many other companies are beginning to develop such clean technologies to provide meat and plants and which very well may change the way we grow our food over the next couple of years.