Scientists invent transparent soil to reveal the secret life of plants

Lettuce grown in transparent soil developed by researchers at the James Hutton Institute and the University of Abertay Dundee in Scotland

Most people’s image of plants is actually upside down. For most of our photosynthetic friends, the majority of the plant is underground in the form of an intricate system of roots. The bit that sticks up is almost an afterthought. That’s a problem for scientists trying to study plants because growing them in media that allow you to see the roots, such as hydroponics, doesn't mimic real soil very well. Now, a team of researchers at the James Hutton Institute and the University of Abertay Dundee in Scotland has developed an artificial transparent soil that allows scientists to make detailed studies of root structures and subterranean soil ecology on a microscopic level.
Developed by a team led by Lionel Dupuy, a theoretical biologist in the Ecological Sciences group at the James Hutton Institute, the transparent soil is the result of two years of research. It doesn't look much like conventional soil. In fact, it’s a bit like those high-tech ant farms where instead of sand, the ants burrow through a jelly that also provides them with food and water. However, mechanically, it does mimic real soil. It supports root structures, holds suspended minerals, can be colonized by microorganisms and even exchanges gases like soil.
It’s made from granules of Nafion, which is a lot easier than calling it a sulfonated tetrafluoroethylene based fluoropolymer-copolymer. Used in batteries, fuel cells and a wide range of applications, Nafion is naturally transparent, but in order to make it translucent enough for for botanical purposes it needs a special water-based formula. Forming the polymer into pellets allows it to mimic soil particle properties, such as forming channels, retaining water and nutrients and sustaining plant growth. Fluorescent dyes can also be added to it to aid studies.
Researchers say that the transparent soil could be used to study root systems, help breed crops with more efficient roots that need less fertilizers, and study the ecology of plants and microorganisms. Currently, the team is working on controlling the properties of the transparent soil and bringing down its cost.
The team's research is published in the journal PLOS One.
Source: James Hutton Institute

Vestas increases capacity of massive V164 wind turbine

Vestas has upped the capacity of ts V164 wind turbine to 8 MW

Danish wind turbine specialist Vestas was already looking to claim the title of the world’s largest offshore wind turbine with its proposed V164 that boasts a diameter of 164 m (538 ft). The company claims the V164 was developed with the potential of increasing its turbine size and now it has done just that, upping the capacity from seven to eight megawatts. So not only is the V164 set to boast the largest swept area of any single wind turbine, it will also claim the title for the world’s largest capacity wind turbine.
The current titleholder for the largest swept area goes to the G10X prototype installed by Gamesa in Spain, with a rotor diameter of 128 m (420 ft) and a capacity of 4.5 MW. Meanwhile, with a rated capacity of 7.58 MW and rotor diameter of 126 m (413 ft), the Enercon E-126 has held the title for the world’s largest capacity wind turbine since its introduction in 2007.
“As we progressed in the technology development it was clear that an 8 MW version of the turbine will offer lower cost of energy and at the same time keep the reliability and structural integrity of the turbine unchanged,” says Anders Vedel, Vestas Executive Vice President and CTO.

The company is currently constructing a purpose-built test bench that is due to enter service in January 2013 and will allow the company to conduct in-house testing of the turbine’s complete drivetrain. The first V164-8.0 MW turbine isn’t due to be installed in Oesterid, Denmark until 2014, so with a number of other companies working on 10 MW and higher wind turbines, it remains to be seen whether Vestas’ effort will actually be able to claim the records. But at the moment the company definitely seems well placed to do so.
Source: Vestas