Bioplastics from natural polymers could replace petroleum-based plastics, helping us keep nonbiodegradable plastics out of landfills and waterways. But there’s a problem: The most promising ...

Photosynthesis is the process plants, algae and some bacteria use to turn ... reaction often relies on a pigment called chlorophyll, which gives plants their green color. Photosynthesis is also ...

Most photosynthetic organisms use the pigment ... sulphur bacteria living in deep waters without oxygen." In different circumstances, the ocean could even turn red, brown or green again.

A lot of bacteria might have a bad rep ... That showiness doesn't come from pigments, but rather the microscopic internal structure of the colonies, which reflect light at different wavelengths ...

Led by Dr. Jixun Zhan, the researchers started with another type of bacteria that naturally produce the blue pigment, but only in small amounts. To produce usable quantities, Zhan turned to the ...

green, and blue. Once excited by the colors, the genetic circuitry activates and inspires the bacteria to produce corresponding pigments or fluorescent proteins. Mats of microbes then turn their ...

Producing a single kilogram of pigment requires 1,000 liters of water, 100kg of petroleum and 10kg of auxiliary chemicals. Putting that pigment onto a piece of clothing will cost another 30-50 ...

Engineered bacteria can sense environmental ... In each case, the pigment's production was tied to a genetic circuit that responds to specific stimuli, such as the presence of nearby bacterial cells.