U.S. researchers discover way to produce biofuels

    LOS ANGELES, March 6 (Xinhua) -- U.S. researchers have successfully used certain microbes to produce biofuels(生物燃料), opening a door to developing cheaper "green" energy.
    The discovery was made by researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles. The findings were published on Sunday's issue of the journal "Nature Biotechnology".
    The work concentrated(集中精力于) on tricking microbes into eating protein and using the resulting energy to generate specific proteins that can be refined into fuel, the researchers explained.
    This is different from the current biofuel production which is based on plants or microbes that generate fats, oils or carbohydrates¹ that can be refined into biofuel, said Dr. James C. Liao, who took part in the study.
    "This research is the first attempt to utilize² protein as a carbon source for energy production and biorefining," Liao said. " Complex cellular³ regulation in nitrogen metabolization had to be rewired."The researchers said they are now working to take ammonia out of individual cells, allowing the cells to keep their nitrogen.
    "Our strategy effectively recycles nitrogen back into the biofuel production process, thus approaching nitrogen neutrality," Liao said.
    "Growing algae⁴ to produce protein is like putting the interest back to the principal," he said.
    The challenge was to trick microbes into using protein for creating fats or other substances that can be refined into fuel, rather than simply producing more protein -- also known as growing, explained Yi-xin Huo, a UCLA postdoctoral student and lead researcher.
    "We have to completely redirect the protein utilization⁵ system, which is one of the most highly-regulated systems in the cell," Huo said.
    This process has a side benefit -- developing a new type of fertilizer that would use less nitrogen, dramatically reducing harmful greenhouse emissions⁶ generated by the production of fertilizer, the researchers said.
    They said this discovery could unleash⁷ a new universe of fuel-producing microbes that eat naturally-occurring proteins that are otherwise unfit for animal consumption.(本文由在线英语听力室整理编辑)

1 carbohydrates   

n.碳水化合物，糖类( carbohydrate的名词复数 )；淀粉质或糖类食物

参考例句：

• The plant uses the carbohydrates to make cellulose. 植物用碳水化合物制造纤维素。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• All carbohydrates originate from plants. 所有的碳水化合物均来自植物。 来自辞典例句

2 utilize   

vt.使用，利用

参考例句：

• The cook will utilize the leftover ham bone to make soup.厨师要用吃剩的猪腿骨做汤。
• You must utilize all available resources.你必须利用一切可以得到的资源。

3 cellular   

adj.移动的；细胞的，由细胞组成的

参考例句：

• She has a cellular telephone in her car.她的汽车里有一部无线通讯电话机。
• Many people use cellular materials as sensitive elements in hygrometers.很多人用蜂窝状的材料作为测量温度的传感元件。

4 algae   

n.水藻，海藻

参考例句：

• Most algae live in water.多数藻类生长在水中。
• Algae grow and spread quickly in the lake.湖中水藻滋蔓。

5 utilization   

n.利用，效用

参考例句：

• Computer has found an increasingly wide utilization in all fields.电子计算机已越来越广泛地在各个领域得到应用。
• Modern forms of agricultural utilization,have completely refuted this assumption.现代农业利用形式，完全驳倒了这种想象。

6 emissions   

排放物( emission的名词复数 )； 散发物（尤指气体）

参考例句：

• Most scientists accept that climate change is linked to carbon emissions. 大多数科学家都相信气候变化与排放的含碳气体有关。
• Dangerous emissions radiate from plutonium. 危险的辐射物从钚放散出来。

7 unleash   

vt.发泄，发出；解带子放开

参考例句：

• They hope to create allies to unleash against diseases,pests,and invasive species.他们希望创造出一些新群体来对付疾病、害虫和一些有侵害性的物种。
• Changing water levels now at times unleash a miasma of disease from exposed sewage.如今，大坝不时地改变水位，从暴露的污水释放出了疾病瘴气。