Scientists determine the structure of highly efficient light-harvesting molecules in green bacteria

An international team of scientists has determined the structure of the chlorophyll molecules in green bacteria that are responsible for harvesting light energy. The team’s results one day could be used to build artificial photosynthetic systems, such as those that convert solar energy to electrical energy. A research paper about the discovery will be published on 4 May 2009 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
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The scientists found that the chlorophylls are highly efficient at harvesting light energy. “We found that the orientation of the chlorophyll molecules make green bacteria extremely efficient at harvesting light,” said Donald Bryant, Ernest C. Pollard Professor of Biotechnology at Penn State and one of the team’s leaders.

According to Bryant, green bacteria are a group of organisms that generally live in extremely low-light environments, such as in light-deprived regions of hot springs and at depths of 100 meters in the Black Sea. The bacteria contain structures called chlorosomes, which contain up to 250,000 chlorophylls. “The ability to capture light energy and rapidly deliver it to where it needs to go is essential to these bacteria, some of which see only a few photons of light per chlorophyll per day.”…

“The NMR data revealed to us that the individual chlorophyll molecules in green bacteria are arranged in dimers — molecules consisting of two identical simpler molecules — with their long hydrophobic, or water-repellent, tails sticking out of either side,” said Bryant. “We also learned precisely how the chlorophyll molecules attach to one another, and we were able to measure the distance between chlorophyll molecules. The cryo-electron microscopy pictures showed gross structural details and distances, and the NMR results allowed us to quantify these distances as well, and confirmed to us that what were were seeing was, in fact, stacks of the chlorophyll molecules all lined up,” he said. The NMR results also enabled the scientists to determine that the chlorophyll molecules in green bacteria are arranged in helical spirals. In the mutant bacteria, the chlorophyll molecules are positioned at a nearly 90-degree angle in relation to the long axis of the nanotubes, whereas the angle is less steep in the wild-type organism. “It’s the orientation of the chlorophyll molecules that is the most important thing here,” said Bryant. The last steps for the team were to pull together all of their data and to create a detailed computer model of the structure.

“At first it seems counterintuitive that green bacteria have managed to evolve a better light-harvesting system by increasing disorder in the chlorosome structure,” said Bryant. “Most people would think that if you make something that is more highly ordered, you’ll end up with something that works better. But this is clearly a case where that isn’t true. If all of the chlorophylls are identically arranged in a chlorosome, then the energy from the photon, once it is absorbed, is going to wander around over all of those chlorophylls, which could take a long time.

via Scientists determine the structure of highly efficient light-harvesting molecules in green bacteria.

Oil prices jump to new high for the year

Oil prices hit a new high for the year Wednesday ahead of a government report on the levels of crude in storage that have neared 19-year highs recently.

Benchmark crude for June delivery rose $1.42 cents to $55.26 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange, levels not seen since November.

Weekly inventory data from the Energy Information Administration is due later Wednesday morning, but an overnight report from the American Petroleum Institute showed a 1-million-barrel slip in crude oil stocks and a 2.9-million-barrel drop in gas supplies.

“A sign that demand is improving perhaps? Or maybe those refiners are still indifferent to increasing supply,” Phil Flynn, an analyst at Alaron Trading Corp., wrote in a morning note. “It was probably a little of both.”

Meanwhile, the national retail average price for a gallon jumped more than 3 cents overnight to $2.11 a gallon, according to auto club AAA, the Oil Price Information Service and Wright Express. That is about 7 cents a gallon below what it was a month ago, but $1.50 below its year-ago price.

Analysts expect the EIA to report a build of 2.2 million barrels of oil for the week ended May 1, according to a survey by Platts, the energy information arm of McGraw-Hill Cos.

via Oil prices jump to new high for the year.

Review: Star Trek a Slick, Witty Reboot—With a Twist

Review in a Hurry: Part sequel, part prequel, all clever reboot. Director J.J. Abrams smartly uses existing Trek continuity to change existing Trek continuity (bear with us here) and delivers the truest big-screen take on the original series yet. Also, along with a near-perfect cast, he obliterates the unofficial rule that says only even-numbered Star Trek movies are good.

The Bigger Picture: In the timeframe immediately following the last movie, Nemesis, a catastrophic event destroys planet Romulus and catapults a mining ship captained by pissed-off refugee Nero (Eric Bana) nearly 150 years into the past. He’s followed by a smaller ship containing Vulcan Ambassador Spock (Leonard Nimoy).

Because Spock takes 25 years to show up after Nero’s arrival, the tattooed Romulan passes the time by blowing up Starfleet ships, changing the course of Star Trek history as we know it—and creating an alternate timeline (rather deftly discussed in a brief onscreen conversation).

So by the time the old gang from the original series gets together on the starship Enterprise, to give Nero a decent fight, they look a little different, and interact a little differently. Kirk (Chris Pine) is now a bitter fatherless rebel, but Pine expertly incorporates all the classic Shatnerisms without doing a direct impersonation—quite a feat.

Zachary Quinto nails young Spock in all but one aspect—his voice just isn’t anywhere near as deep as Nimoy’s. Karl Urban and Simon Pegg do almost direct (impressive) impersonations of DeForest Kelley and James Doohan in their respective roles as McCoy and Scotty. And John Cho, Anton Yelchin and Zoe Saldana give us updated, better-looking takes on Sulu, Chekov and Uhura.

Sure, but is it any good? Hell yes.

Somehow this movie manages the delicate balancing act of incorporating both the humor and action of the original series, while simultaneously satiating hard-core geeks and fans who thought the original crew could never be succeeded.

via Review: Star Trek a Slick, Witty Reboot—With a Twist – E! Online.

Alien giants land in Russia …? Video

200,000 Year Old Statue Found On Moon

Here is an absurd WeeklyWorldNews story by Erik Van Datiken. “I knew it! Angels are real! OMG”. No, it’s a hoax. There is no such Geologist.  Can anyone track down who the woman really is, where this photo was taken, etc? The author’s name is probably a spoof on Erich von Däniken.

A noted scientist has just produced proof that the lunar surface was inhabited by intelligent life: a 10-inch angel sculpture embedded in a moon rock.

Geologist Dr. Morris Charles revealed last week that NASA lab workers chipped the angel from one of the rocks brought to Earth by Apollo 11 astronauts 40 years ago, in 1969. Dr. Charles was a NASA scientist himself for 23 years but left the agency in 1987. He still maintains close ties to many of his former colleagues.

“The implications of this figurine are absolutely mind-boggling,” Dr. Charles told reporters. “It means that at one time the moon had an atmosphere conducive to life. And what’s more, it was once home to a sophisticated race of people with a highly refined sense of beauty.”

The angel – a humanoid female with wing-like appendages on her back and long flowing hair – is made of an iron compound found exclusively in the highlands of the moon.

This rules out the possibility that it was dropped by a race of aliens from another planet. It’s been hand polished to a silvery metallic sheen. Based on chemical analysis of the metal, geologists estimate the sculpture to be 200,000 years old which means it was made 170,000 years before the human species appeared on Earth.

It’s been examined by art experts who concur with Dr. Charles’ appraisal of the culture that produced it. “Clearly these beings had a sense of religion that parallels our Christianity. Perhaps they had a Jesus of their own, proving that the important spiritual principles are, in a very literal sense, universal,” said a Washington anthropologist.

Others are not so sure of its religious significance. Dr. Miles Fredericks of New York University countered, “This is just more Christian propaganda. The Sumerians told stories of the Annunaki, winged deities, as far back as 18th century BC. Maybe the Sumerians were visited by these moon beings, who merely modeled the statue after their own image.”

While many ponder the significance of the figure, others are curious about why it has remained a secret for so long. “The artifact has been common knowledge among NASA insiders for years,” said Dr. Charles. “But space agency higher-ups have kept the information highly classified, fearing world-wide panic. It was smuggled out to me by persons who must, for obvious reasons, remain anonymous.”

NASA officially denies Dr. Charles’ allegations. The statue was displayed to photographers and newsmen but is now being held for further study at an undisclosed location.

via 200,000 Year Old Statue Found On Moon : thecrit.com.

‘Alien skull’ spotted on Mars

At first glance it looks like a rocky desert – but this image of the Mars landscape has got space-gazers talking.

An oddly shaped space boulder appears to show eye sockets and a nose leading to speculation it might be a Martian skull.

Internet forums are full of chatter about the picture, taken by a panoramic NASA camera known as Spirit.

One alien-spotter speculated: “The skull is 15 cm with binocular eyes 5 cm apart. The cranial capacity is approximately 1400 cc.

“There appears to be a narrow pointed small mouth, so this creature most likely is a carnivore.”

Another joked: “The coronal ridge shows ample structure to support the musculature of antennae, although none are visible in this view.

“The nose area is broad and blunted as you would expect to see in a cold and windy landscape. Is he decapitated or is he buried up to his neck?”

Previous images of a skull spotted on Mars in 2006 were believed to have been the result of tampering.

The famous Face on Mars, snapped by the Viking 1 spacecraft in 1976, which showed the shadowy likeness of a human face was late, was found to be a trick of the light when the area was re-photographed in 1998.

via ‘Alien skull’ spotted on Mars – Telegraph.

That one just looks like a rock to me, but the other skull on Mars looks like a skull.

Is The Channel Creature The Loch Ness Monster? Video.

Fifty years ago sightings of the Loch Ness Monster or ‘Nessie’ were common and few Scottish locals doubted the presence of an exotic water creature in their locale which might have been the last living member an isolated relic Plesiosaur population. Sightings of Nessie have decreased over the last few years and extensive and thorough scanning of the Loch Ness by scientists and researchers have failed to produce any evidence of Nessie. This has led many to believe, sadly, that this gentle, secretive creature had passed on. Now, astonishingly, frequent sightings are being reported of a creature living in the English Channel that appears, judging by images (picture above, video below) captured by astonished witnesses, to be similar in form to Nessie. This cryptid has been dubbed ‘The Channel Creature’.

Many are now asking: Is Nessie the Channel Creature? Is it possible that a hidden water passage exists linking the Loch Ness to the ocean? Perhaps Nessie instinctively realises that open knowledge of her presence would jeapordise her existence and has thus moved out to sea. UFO activity in the area is fairly frequent and a UFO is reported to have crashed in the region some five years ago. Was Nessie placed in the lake by extraterrestrials and then moved by them for her own safety?

Some Nessie researchers claim that scientists are aware of the Loch Ness Monster’s presence and the existence of a secret underwater tunnel leading to the sea ‘She goes out to mate, thus perpetuating the elusive species. But she always returns home to the Loch Ness’ one told us.

via All News Web – Is The Channel Creature The Loch Ness Monster? Video..

White Blood Cells Can Sprout ‘Legs’ And Move Like Millipedes

How do white blood cells – immune system ‘soldiers’ – get to the site of infection or injury? To do so, they must crawl swiftly along the lining of the blood vessel – gripping it tightly to avoid being swept away in the blood flow – all the while searching for temporary ‘road signs’ made of special adhesion molecules that let them know where to cross the blood vessel barrier so they can get to the damaged tissue.

In research recently published in the journal Immunity, Prof. Ronen Alon and his research student Ziv Shulman of the Weizmann Institute’s Immunology Department show how white blood cells advance along the length of the endothelial cells lining the blood vessels. Current opinion maintains that immune cells advance like inchworms, but Alon’s new findings show that the rapid movement of the white blood cells is more like that of millipedes.

Rather than sticking front and back, folding and extending to push itself forward, the cell creates numerous tiny ‘legs’ no more than a micron in length – adhesion points, rich in adhesion molecules (named LFA-1) that bind to partner adhesion molecules present on the surface of the blood vessels. Tens of these legs attach and detach in sequence within seconds – allowing them to move rapidly while keeping a good grip on the vessels’ sides.

Next, the scientists turned to the Institute’s Electron Microscopy Unit. Images produced by scanning and transmission electron microscopes, taken by Drs. Eugenia Klein and Vera Shinder, showed that upon attaching to the blood vessel wall, the white blood cell legs ‘dig’ themselves into the endothelium, pressing down on its surface. The fact that these legs – which had been thought to appear only when the cells leave the blood vessels – are used in crawling the vessel lining suggests that they may serve as probes to sense exit signals.

via White Blood Cells Can Sprout ‘Legs’ And Move Like Millipedes.

Poison bacteria set up worst extinction

In the ancient oceans, stagnant depths harbored poison-belching bacteria that crippled life on Earth, leaving it vulnerable to a knockout punch from volcanic eruptions, according to a new study.

Three to four million years before the Permian-Triassic extinction, also known as the Great Dying, the seas were already becoming oxygen-starved and sour, said the study in the journal Earth and Planetary Science Letters.

Changqun Cao of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Nanjing and a team of researchers studied rock samples drilled in central China from the late Permian and early Triassic periods. Rocks from the extinction itself date to 252.2 million years ago, and show several chemical signs of catastrophe.

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The team found that a few of the compounds extend back millions of years before the main extinction event. Known as biomarkers, the chemicals are evidence that Chlorobium — green sulfur bacteria — were living in the oceans.

“These are strict anaerobic organisms,” Roger Summons of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge said. “They use sulfate dissolved in water for respiration instead of oxygen, and produce hydrogen sulfide.”

Hydrogen sulfide is a lethal poison to most oxygen-breathing animals. Today, it is common in lakes or seas when circulation is poor, oxygen levels plummet, and anaerobic bacteria take over.

…The finding gets to the heart of a long debate among extinction researchers: Was hydrogen sulfide from the ocean enough to extinguish up to 90 percent of life on Earth, or was the eruption of the massive Siberian Traps supervolcano responsible for the killing

…The answer may be “both.” If ocean-going bacteria were producing hydrogen sulfide for 3 million years or more, it would have put enormous stress on plants and animals and made them prone to devastation when the volcano finally blew its top.

via Poison bacteria set up worst extinction – Discovery.com- msnbc.com.

Dr Pepper artifact may reveal soft drink’s origin

Poking through antiques stores while traveling through the Texas Panhandle, Bill Waters stumbled across a tattered old ledger book filled with formulas.

He bought it for $200, suspecting he could resell it for five times that. Turns out, his inkling about the book’s value was more spot on than he knew. The Tulsa, Okla., man eventually discovered the book came from the Waco, Texas, drugstore where Dr Pepper was invented and includes a recipe titled “D Peppers Pepsin Bitters.”

“I began feeling like I had a national treasure,” said Waters, 59.

Dr Pepper’s manufacturer says the recipe is not the secret formula for the modern day soft drink, but the 8 1/2-by-15 1/2 inch book is expected to sell between $50,000 to $75,000 when it goes up for auction at Dallas-based Heritage Auction Galleries on May 13.

“It probably has specks of the original concoction on its pages,” Waters said.

Waters discovered the book, its yellowed pages stained brown on the edges, underneath a wooden medicine bottle crate in a Shamrock antiques store last summer. A couple months after buying it, he took a closer look as he prepared to sell it on eBay.

He noticed there were several sheets with letterheads hinting at its past, like a page from a prescription pad from a Waco store titled “W.B. Morrison & Co. Old Corner Drug Store.” An Internet search revealed Dr Pepper, first served in 1885, was invented at the Old Corner Drug Store in Waco by a pharmacist named Charles Alderton. Wade Morrison was a store owner.

Faded letters on the book’s fraying brown cover say “Castles Formulas.” John Castles was a partner of Morrison’s for a time and was a druggist at that location as early as 1880, said Mary Beth Webster, collections manager at the Dr Pepper Museum and Free Enterprise Institute in Waco.

via Dr Pepper artifact may reveal soft drink’s origin.