Why urine is considered a preferable vehicle for a biotechnology product as compared to milk?
Answers
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A team of researchers based at the University of the West of England in Bristol has developed a method for turning human effluent into electricity. Urine is basically chemicals in solution, so if those chemicals can be properly utilised, it can be a fuel like any other. The Bristol team uses a Microbial Fuel Cell (MFC) system, which harnesses microorganisms to create energy as part of their metabolic process. “Microorganisms are extremely efficient — more than 96% — at converting organic matter into energy, however a well-performing MFC is less than 60% at best”, says Professor Ioannis Ieropoulos, lead researcher and director of the Bristol BioEnergy Centre. “There is clearly a lot of room for improvement.”
In contrast to milk, which is solely generated by female animals, urine is preferred because it is produced by all of the animals on the farm. Therefore, the urine will be more abundant than milk for biotechnology products.
Biotechnology:
- In its most basic form, biotechnology is simply technology based on biology.
- It uses cellular and biomolecular processes to create products and technologies that enhance both our quality of life and the health of the world.
Biologically based goods:
- It comprises the practice of using cells, like microbes, or parts of cells, like enzymes.
- To produce goods in industries that could benefit from them, like food and feed, chemicals, detergents, paper and pulp, textiles, biofuels, and biogas.
Since urine mostly consists of compounds in solution, if those chemicals are used effectively, it can be used as fuel just like any other. The Microbial Fuel Cell (MFC) device used by the Bristol team allows microorganisms to consume the energy produced during their metabolic activity.
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