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Genetially Engineered Stomach Microbe Converts Seaweed to Ethanol

Traditional sushi eaters have a specialized gut bacteria that helps them digest sushi wrappers, which isn’t present in North Americans.  This discovery helped lead synthetic biologist Yasuo Yoshikuni and his colleagues to figure out how to modify a strain of E. coli so that it turns the sugars in an edible kelp called kombu into ethanol. More importantly, this transformation takes place with the temperature between 77 and 86 degrees Farenheit, which means it doesn’t take extra energy to make ethanol this way. This strain of E. coli likes it warm, too, so it’s not likely to escape into the wild and start consuming seaweed on its own. Read more about this at Scientific American.

So….Rygel’s ability to turn tannot root into a fuel for Peacekeeper weapons isn’t so farfetched. However, the Helium farts, or somehow providing nourishment for a growing human/sebacean embryo? That’s another matter entirely. Still, nothing is stranger than real life, and you just cannot predict which places new discoveries will take us to. This is why I never worried too much about the “science” of Farscape. Just because something seems impossible to us now, doesn’t mean it is.

A&E Home Video, the folks who will be releasing the new Farscape DVD set, have also extended their deadline for submitting questions to the Farscape panel at ComicCon.  The original deadline was two days ago, but you now have until Monday, July 20th to submit more questions.

If you have a question that you would like an answer to, go to A&E Home Video’s Facebook page and scrawl it on their wall.

You know the saying about how truth is always stranger than fiction?

The news that KFC has locked up their secret recipe in a special bank vault would not have come as a surprise to any Farscape fan, who all saw John Crichton try to do the exact same thing in the first part of the Liars, Guns and Money trilogy.

Akkor: What is your business?
John: This is a depository, right? We have something to deposit.
Akkor: What makes you think we’d be interested?
John: You ever hear of KFC?
Akkor: KFC?
John: It is, to my knowledge, unique in the universe, and unique – is always valuable.  Now we have managed to procure all 11 secret ingredients. What we need to do now is discuss the terms-

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So…why did Crichton call his “pet” DRD 1812?

The short answer is that no one really knows.

The only connotations that come to mind for Americans would be that Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture is frequently played on the Fourth of July celebrations, when it is usually accompanied by fireworks and cannon shots.

And the next question is why is a Russian piece of music, which celebrates a Russian triumph over Napoleon’s army played during that most quintessential American holiday celebrating their declaration of independence?

That’s another mystery — although there is a tenuous connection.

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