Thursday, September 17

Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory

On Thursday, September 17, 2009, the Levermore Global Scholars took a trip to the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory for a seminar on bio-fuels and their various capabilities. The diverse audience was filled with interested students as well as involved adults already in the bio-fuel industry and hoping to learn more about newer possibilities.

The discussion was led by Robert Martienssen, a plant geneticist at the forefront of finding alternative energy sources that can sequester, if not negate, carbon emissions.  He described plant life as being perfectly suited for this role due to the fact that it removes carbon from the atmosphere and replaces it with needed oxygen.  While a number of plants were familiar to the audience as having potential bio-fuel applications, such as corn used for ethanol, he stated that such sources of energy were not nearly as effective as we need them to be in the long run.  They do, however, contribute greatly to genetic research to determine what genes are responsible for certain traits, and finding ways to “silence” these genes to allow for greater bio-fuel capabilities.

He also introduced us to a revolutionary plant that may well hold the key to our energy problems.  Duckweed is a plant that few know by name (aside from the unfortunate community that suffers from its invasion of ornamental ponds), though many have seen it in action.  Duckweed is the layer of green “stuff” that can be seen blanketing bodies of water all over the world.  There are 40 known species, and Dr. Martienssen assured audience members that if handled properly and chosen carefully, the Duckweed would not invade local water sources and plague aquatic enthusiasts.  In fact, its properties have already been useful in bioremediation techniques, in which it serves as a natural detoxifying agent in wastewater treatment.  This application would mean that growing and harvesting Duckweed could be done in wastewater treatment plants, where it could then serve a dual purpose to clean water and be used for fuel.

Following the lecture, there was a Q & A session to clarify any confusing points or principles, and audience members left with a newfound respect for the plant that few had ever heard of.  Duckweed was on the tongues of just about every participant, and on the minds of those interested in alternative energy and bio-fuels (there was also a brief lesson on epigenetics, but that wasn’t met with quite the same fervor from audience members, and just didn’t really catch on so well).  All in all the experience was informative and mostly understandable, and Cold Spring Harbor, with its many swans basking in the sunset, was a lovely setting for the educational outing.

Written by Rebecca Benison, LGS junior