This resource is a video abstract of a research paper created by Research Square on behalf of its authors. It provides a synopsis that's easy to understand, and can be used to introduce the topics it covers to students, researchers, and the general public. The video's transcript is also provided in full, with a portion provided below for preview:

"In the absence of oxygen, some prokaryotes can degrade organic matter via anaerobic digestion. This occurs in natural settings, like wetlands, and industrial ones, like wastewater treatment or biogas production. But what about viruses? Bacteriophages can impact their hosts’ community structure through selective pressure and have been used to influence microbial communities, such as through pathogen control. A recent study examined the virome of anaerobic digestion communities undergoing prophage- inducing environmental stresses. The virome was almost entirely composed of tailed bacteriophages of the order Caudovirales. Metagenome reconstruction revealed 1,092 viral genomes and 120 prokaryotic genomes, and over half of the prokaryotic genomes contained a provirus in their genomic sequence. In general, species of viruses and prokaryotes could be grouped by having similar reactions to stressors. Archaea had the most pronounced reactions to stressors and featured behaviors unique to those species..."

The rest of the transcript, along with a link to the research itself, is available on the resource itself.

This resource is a video abstract of a research paper created by Research Square on behalf of its authors. It provides a synopsis that's easy to understand, and can be used to introduce the topics it covers to students, researchers, and the general public. The video's transcript is also provided in full, with a portion provided below for preview:

"In the human gut, a subpopulation of the microbiome belonging to Archaea produces methane through fermentation. Increased methane production is associated with gastrointestinal discomfort and disorders, and 20% of the healthy Western population exhales high methane levels, indicating high gut methane production. However, the mechanisms and health effects are unclear. To learn more, a recent study analysed 100 healthy young adults who were divided into high methane emitters and low methane emitters according to breath analysis. 16S rRNA sequencing revealed that the microbiomes of high and low emitters had different diversity levels and different compositions. Notably, the relative abundance of the archaeon Methanobrevibacter smithii was 1000-fold higher in high emitters than in low emitters, and M. smithii in the high emitters co-occurred with dietary fiber-degrading bacteria, including Ruminococcaceae and Christensenellaceae..."

The rest of the transcript, along with a link to the research itself, is available on the resource itself.

By studying key processes in the carbon cycle, such as photosynthesis, composting and anaerobic digestion, students learn how nature and engineers "biorecycle" carbon. Students are exposed to examples of how microbes play many roles in various systems to recycle organic materials and also learn how the carbon cycle can be used to make or release energy.

Methane emissions from coal mines are a significant concern for greenhouse gas reduction. Certain mines, known as "superemitters," contribute a large proportion of global methane emissions. Factors like mine depth and coal rank affect methane content. While reducing coal use in electricity generation is important, mitigating methane emissions from mines needs greater attention.

In a multi-week experiment, student teams gather biogas data from the mini-anaerobic digesters that they build to break down different types of food waste with microbes. Using plastic soda bottles for the mini-anaerobic digesters and gas measurement devices, they compare methane gas production from decomposing hot dogs, diced vs. whole. They monitor and measure the gas production, then graph and analyze the collected data. Students learn how anaerobic digestion can be used to biorecycle waste (food, poop or yard waste) into valuable resources (nutrients, biogas, energy).

Fundamentals of Ammonia Synthesis is a meticulously designed resource that was written to provide both students and educators with an amazing learning experience.The topic is structured into five captivating lessons, each carefully designed to understand the complexity of ammonia production. Beginning with the first lesson where we studied the process steps involved in ammonia synthesis, to lesson two where we explored the concept of Synthesis gas production by steam reforming with emphasis on natural gas reforming. In lesson three we analyzed the various operating variables that influence the production of synthesis. In lessons four and five we studied the purification of synthesis and how it is used for the production of ammonia. Each lesson comes with a quiz to reinforce what was learned.Our resource doesn't just serve as class notes; it's a gateway to a deeper understanding of chemical engineering principles. Whether you're a student seeking to grasp the fundamentals or an educator looking to enrich your teaching arsenal, "Fundamentals of Ammonia Synthesis" promises an enriching educational journey filled with insight, discovery, and practical application. Join us as we unlock the secrets of ammonia synthesis and pave the way for a brighter future in chemical engineering.

In this lesson, students investigate sources of fossil fuels, particularly oil. Students will learn how engineers and scientists look for oil by taking core samples from a model of the Earth. Also, students will explore and analyze oil consumption and production in the United States and around the world.

In this design challenge lesson students explore the Denver Public School District’s solid waste plan and discuss how their school can save or decrease emissions by reducing solid waste at our school.

This lesson provides guidance for students to create and practice a presentation about design challenge results that they developed in the previous unit lessons and how to present it to the school administration.

In this activity students utilize collected data and propose solutions to mitigate food waste in their school.

This lesson outlines for students how to design and carry out an investigation to audit their school’s food waste system.

In this design challenge lesson, students examine their school food system and develop an investigation about food waste in order to know what should change.

Lessons teach core knowledge about the science of climate change, explore conflicting views, and integrate critical thinking skills. Students will apply knowledge of climate change to a rigorous analysis of media messages through asking and answering questions about accuracy, currency, credibility, sourcing, and bias. Lessons address basic climate science, the causes of climate change, scientific debate and disinformation, the consequences of global warming, the precautionary principle, carbon footprints, moral choices, and the history of global warming in media, science, and politics.

This resource is a video abstract of a research paper created by Research Square on behalf of its authors. It provides a synopsis that's easy to understand, and can be used to introduce the topics it covers to students, researchers, and the general public. The video's transcript is also provided in full, with a portion provided below for preview:

"Manufacturing and resources industries are critical drivers of economic progress, but they release large amounts of waste, threatening the health of surrounding ecosystems and nearby human communities. Inorganic pollutants like heavy metals and metalloids are especially problematic because they persist and bioaccumulate. However, specialized bacteria called methanotrophs can detoxify them using only methane as a carbon/energy source. Methanobactin peptides help these bacteria bind and reduce certain metal ions, such as copper. These bacteria can also reduce chromium, selenium, and mercury into less-toxic forms. Chromium is released from industries such as tanneries, but bacteria such as Methylococcus capsulatus can reduce this metal over a range of concentrations. Methanotrophs can also detoxify selenium, which is associated with mining, coal combustion, and electronic equipment production, and package it into useful nanoparticles..."

The rest of the transcript, along with a link to the research itself, is available on the resource itself.

Explore naturally occurring frozen methane deposits under the sea with renowned geochemist Miriam Kastner and discover whether or not they are a hazard to climate change. (53 minutes)

This resource is a video abstract of a research paper created by Research Square on behalf of its authors. It provides a synopsis that's easy to understand, and can be used to introduce the topics it covers to students, researchers, and the general public. The video's transcript is also provided in full, with a portion provided below for preview:

"Fixing carbon through biological methanation is a promising technology for generating renewable energy. It remains unclear, however, how microbial species interact to generate biogas. To find out, researchers explored the community dynamics of microbes found in biofilms from four biogas reactors. Metagenomics revealed 59 species of microbes with five accounting for more than 70% of total abundance in the four reactors under investigation. Experiments showed that Firmicutes spp. GSMM966 and GSMM974 and Limnochordia sp. GSMM975 played a central role in biofilm formation. And metabolic reconstruction indicated complex metabolisms for the two dominant species M. wolfeii GSMM957 and Limnochordia sp. GSMM975. Simulations of the core biofilm community showed that these same species exhibit the highest increases in growth rate with increasing uptake. And cross-feeding interactions, not easily measured in vivo, were visualized..."

The rest of the transcript, along with a link to the research itself, is available on the resource itself.

This resource is a video abstract of a research paper created by Research Square on behalf of its authors. It provides a synopsis that's easy to understand, and can be used to introduce the topics it covers to students, researchers, and the general public. The video's transcript is also provided in full, with a portion provided below for preview:

"Rising sea levels are the catastrophic image of global warming But the threat of melting ice at high latitudes goes much deeper Locked within the frozen soil in these regions are vast pools of prehistoric carbon Once freed, this carbon has the potential to accelerate the current rate at which the earth is heating up thanks in large part to microbes in the soil A new study shows that 5 years’ worth of warming is enough to seriously alter communities of bacteria priming them to convert newly thawed carbon into greenhouse gases like methane Experiments in Alaska revealed dramatic changes to the composition and functional structure of microbial communities which suggested an evolving sensitivity to warming over time The findings contrast those obtained from a similar experiment conducted over only 1..."

The rest of the transcript, along with a link to the research itself, is available on the resource itself.

In this lesson, students explore solid waste and its effects on the environment. They will collect classroom trash for analysis and build model landfills in order to understand the process and impact of solid waste management. Students will understand the role of engineers in solid waste management.

This resource is a video abstract of a research paper created by Research Square on behalf of its authors. It provides a synopsis that's easy to understand, and can be used to introduce the topics it covers to students, researchers, and the general public. The video's transcript is also provided in full, with a portion provided below for preview:

"Mangrove forests are home to many varieties of methanogens, microbes that digest surrounding carbon into methane under low-oxygen conditions. Despite their important role in the global carbon cycle and climate change, the metabolic potentials of two novel methanogens in mangroves remain poorly understood. A new study reports on the ecological importance of Methanofastidiosa (MF) and Methanomassiliicoccales (MMA), two recently discovered groups of methanogens found to dwell naturally in the Mangrove Nature Reserve in Shenzhen, China. Using metagenomics, researchers examined how MF and MMA produce methane. Results showed that the two groups of microbes both use hydrogen to produce methane from compounds found naturally in mangrove sediments, including methylsulfides, methanol, and methylamines. This marks the first time the two groups of methanogens have been studied in the wild and could help scientists understand how these microbes contribute to global methane emissions and a changing climate..."

The rest of the transcript, along with a link to the research itself, is available on the resource itself.

Students determine their carbon footprints by answering questions about their everyday lifestyle choices. Then they engineer plans to reduce them. Students learn about their personal impacts on global climate change and how they can help the environment.