Betsy Smeed

Science is cool

Update

March30

So I updated my resume and added a little youtube video page(with the help of my husband). Monday I start at my new job at Drug and Lab Disposal.

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From the backyard to the ocean: New study shows streams act as key nitrogen filters

March13

From Physorg.com, a study of river systems from across the US looks as how these systems filter nitrogen. How it’s done is by denitrogenzing bacteria taking nitrates from the water and creating nitrogen gas. And the amount of nitrates in the water is related to the amount made into gas. This relates to algal blooms that is harmful to humans and create dead zones in the ocean.

International Rivers, a NGO, is having action for rivers, today and tomorrow.

Evolution of root nodule symbiosis

March4

From EurekAlerts.com, a study looking at the genetics in plants that have a associated fungi and the plants that produce nodules involved with nitrogen fixation. Seems that the symbiosis receptor-kinase gene is a bit longer in N2-fixing plants than mycorrhiza associated plants.

Article

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The Handiness Question

March2

One of the big questions in the origin of life, is why are some chemicals right handed or left handed. Usually in a reaction, the two enantiomers are formed. And this is dependent on several factors. Looking at meteorites, scientists have found that in space there is a higher proportion of left-handed amino acids than expected.

Abstract

Edit: After publishing this piece, I received information about a conference on this topic.