fuelulose? or cellufuel?

From ScienceDaily: Two-step Chemical Process Turns Raw Biomass Into Biofuel

Researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison have developed a way to convert "raw" biomass, that is, cellulose, into usable biofuel. Cellulose is the most common organic compound on Earth, and through this, we could make biofuel without using the food parts of plants.

The punny portmanteau brand names will be endless.

life's first environment?

From New Scientist: Did life begin in a pool of acidic gloop?

This article reads less like a piece on a study and more like a story - the story of a hypothesis. The writer, Douglas Fox, describes time spent with David Deamer, biochemist with University of California, Santa Cruz. Deamer is trying to figure out what type of environment nurtured the first amino acids and genetic material into being. He believes that a geothermally active muddy sulfuric soup like that found in Bumpass Hell in Lassen Volcanic National Park, CA is the right place to look. A great read.

way over my head

From ScienceDaily: Future of Plastics: Designing Tomorrow's Sustainable Polymer

I didn't really understand the details of this article, except perhaps the idea that actually understanding how plastics work will allow us to make better ones.

But (and I feel a little bad saying this), Dr. Guenza is adorable. I dare you to find a bigger, more enthusiastic, and more tired-looking smile.