10-09 :: September 2010

nanotimes EU-Projects

the approaches of systems biology with the tools of synthetic biology to develop a photobiological pro- cess for direct conversion of sunlight and CO2 into engine- and infrastructure-ready transport fuels.

The DirectFuel project sets the challenging target of developing a photobiological process for direct conversion of sunlight and CO2 into engine- and infrastructure-ready transport fuels such as propane.

The DirectFuel project covers a broad spectrum of methodologies and R&D questions, including (1) enzyme screening, evolution and targeted enginee- ring, (2) computational modeling of photobiological metabolism, (3) engineering and optimization of the metabolism of cyanobacteria, (4) development of photobioreactor technology and (5) theoretical life cycle analysis.

Contact: Dr. Wolfgang R. Hess, University Freiburg, Faculty of Biology, Inst. Biology III, Schaenzlestr. 1, D-79104 Freiburg, Germany: http://www.directfuel.eu

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valuable time and avoiding unnecessary maintenance costs.

http://www.eurekanetwork.org/showsuccessstory?p_r

_p_564233524_articleId=497986&p_r_p_564233524_ groupId=10137

New Polymers For Fuel Cells

Fluoropolymers are extremely stable materials that exhibit strong resistance to solvents, acids and bases and are used in the fields of engineering, microe- lectronics, optics, textile finishing, and aeronautics. They are also employed in fuel cell membranes. A number of research groups have attempted to find a replacement for the most commonly used proton ex- change membrane. Known as perfluorinated Nafion® it is used in a proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC). The fuel cell is an electrochemical cell that turns a source fuel, such as hydrogen, into electricity for lighting homes and powering transport systems.

Intelligent Battery Project

After 30 months of collaboration, project partners Abertax Quality Inc. of Malta and Mentzer Electro- nic GmbH of Germany, with research support from the University of Malta, have delivered an inno- vative lead and non lead acid battery system that gives users unprecedented real time information on the health and charge level of their batteries. This al- lows for more efficient and safe charging while saving

The EU-funded Flupol project created new fluoro- polymers for fuel cell membranes using simple, cost- effective techniques. The consortium built on existing work in the areas of synthetic fluorine chemistry and polymer chemistry.

Contact: Olive (Ms.) Thomas, the Chancellor, Masters and Scholars of the University of Oxford, Chemistry Research Laboratory, Departmental Administrator, Oxford, U.K., Phone: + 44 1865 271189