CO2 Archives - InnoHEALTH magazine

Exploring Photonic Energy as Crucible for Human Exploratory Research

InnoHEALTH magazine digital team — Wed, 02 Feb 2022 05:26:19 +0000

Dr Sarita Jaiswal is an accomplished Plant Scientist with +15 years of R&D experience with specialization in cereal & pulse crop biochemistry and genomics. She is Research Specialist at University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Canada and served in different capacities for 10 years. She also works as a Regulatory Specialist. She is a two times young scientist (Indian Society of Plant Physiology & KK Nanda Foundation for Advancement of Plant Sciences) award winner. She is an Honorary Advisor to various reputed firms and reviewer of multiple Journals of International repute.

The very existence of human life on earth depends on the plants. One of the fundamental biochemical reactions, which makes plants autotrophic, is photosynthesis. It transforms celestial energy to chemical equivalents. The autotrophic plants not only transform this energy for their functioning but also store the excess in compact form, which we know as “starch”. We all are familiar with the principle of conservation of energy, “Energy can neither be created nor be destroyed, it can only be transformed.” In a plant’s chloroplast cells this transformation is completed with the generation of ATP, the ultimate currency for the existence of living organisms. In plants, the capture and storage of solar energy involves two separate reactions, termed the light and dark cycle of photosynthesis. The two mechanisms, which lead to the existence of life on earth, intrigued researchers for centuries.

In the light cycle solar energy powers chlorophyll electrons to move along a chain of different acceptors in the thylakoid membrane (also referred as electron-transport chain). The chlorophyll obtains its electrons from water (H₂O), producing O₂ as a by-product. To synthesize oxygen-generating organelle is definitely a charm for creation in synthetic plant biology. Julian Melchiorri, a graduate student in innovation design engineering at the UK’s Royal College of Art (2014), created the synthetic leaf, which produces oxygen, by absorbing light, water and carbon dioxide. This artificial leaf incorporates chloroplasts extracted from actual plant cells suspended in a material made from silk protein.

This artificial leaf is still far from the competing all leaf functions in photosynthesis and performs only a part of the light cycle. During the electron-transport process, H+ is pumped across the thylakoid membrane, and the resulting electrochemical proton gradient drives the synthesis of ATP in the stroma. In the dark cycle, the ATP and the NADPH produced during the light cycle serve as the source of energy and reducing power for generation of carbohydrate and ultimately fixing atmospheric CO2. The carbon-fixation step begins in the chloroplast stroma and continues in the cytosol. It produces sucrose and many other organic molecules inside the plant’s leaf, which later get transferred to other parts.

To create a system like chloroplast /mitochondria is the ultimate fancy in the area of synthetic biology. Artificial chloroplasts can power nonliving mini-reactors to produce molecules that living cells cannot. These mini synthetic reactors will be more efficient as their main objective is only processing with no energy partitioning to grow, reproduce or maintain other life-like functions. The entire system will focus on production of target molecules. Artificial photosynthesis can drive tiny, non-living, solar-powered factories that churn out therapeutic drugs. These artificial systems can even provide a solution for sequestering atmospheric CO2.

There are six naturally occurring carbon fixation pathways in plants, which convert CO2 to sugar. The carboxylase involved in bio-catalysis is key to its sustainability. In 2016, Tobias Erb and his group at the Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology in Marburg, Germany, designed a seventh pathway for fixing CO2, the crotonyl-coenzyme A (CoA)/ethylmalonyl-CoA/hydroxybutyryl-CoA (CETCH) cycle. This artificially designed pathway is 20% more efficient than natural classic CO2 fixation cycles. Tobias with his colleague Tarryn Miller created an artificial chloroplast. They included spinach chloroplast membranes in the artificial system to carry out photosynthetic electron transport. CETCH cycle enzymes use that energy to break down CO2 and convert it into glycolate. Glycolate can further be used for generating organic products.

The next advancing step in creating synthetic plants like biology is to generate starch from fixed CO2.

In autotrophic plants, the excess energy (glucose/sucrose) transforms into compact starch granules and acts as storage deposit for later use. Evolution of human civilization very much relied on this converted energy format. The next advancing step in creating synthetic plants like biology is to generate starch from fixed CO2. Starch is the backbone of the energy cycling of the planet earth. Plants convert celestial energy in the process of photosynthesis and store it as starch in albino plastids termed as amyloplasts. Starch as an osmotically inert chemical form, stores carbon in highly dense nature (~1.6g cm^-3). It is mainly composed of amylose and amylopectin. Amylose is essentially linear with few inter-dispersed branches while amylopectin is a highly branched glucan structure. Granule bound starch synthases (GBSS) is mainly involved in the enzymatic machinery of amylose synthesis. In contrast to this amylopectin synthesis if mediated by an array of biosynthetic enzymes including starch synthases (SSII, SSIII, SSIV), starch branching (SBEI, SBEII) and debranching enzymes (isoamylases and pullulanases).

An artificial cell-free chemoenzymatic starch synthesis from carbon dioxide can be a new route with the possibility to shift starch production from traditional agricultural cultivation to industrial manufacturing. Cai Tao from Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biology (TIB) (2021) created the artificial starch anabolic pathway by assembling 11 core reactions. Based on “building block” strategy model, researchers integrated chemical and biological catalytic modules to utilize high-density energy and high-concentration CO2 in a biotechnologically innovative way. They further optimized this hybrid system using spatial and temporal segregation by addressing issues such as substrate competition, product inhibition, and thermodynamic adaptation. The artificial route can produce starch from CO2 with an efficiency 8.5-fold higher than starch biosynthesis in maize, suggesting a big step towards going beyond nature. It provides a new scientific basis for creating biological systems with unprecedented functions.

The Anglo-Japanese research team in 2019 with Professor Erwin Reisner as the leading scientist of the Cambridge university created an artificial leaf prototype. The prototype used little solar cells to absorb the light, water and carbon dioxide and generated syngas – specifically carbon monoxide and hydrogen. They further improvised it in the form of a leaf using cobalt photocatalyst. Instead of syngas this artificial leaf generates formic acid.

In India, a research group led by Chinnakonda S Gopinath, a senior scientist at the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research’s National Chemical Laboratory in Pune (2017) developed a leaf-like device capable of generating hydrogen fuel from water.

In India, a research group led by Chinnakonda S Gopinath, a senior scientist at the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research’s National Chemical Laboratory in Pune (2017) developed a leaf-like device capable of generating hydrogen fuel from water. This device contains semiconductors stacked in a manner to simulate the natural leaf system. When light strikes the semiconductors, electrons move in one direction, producing electric current which further breaks down water to generate hydrogen. This palm size model can generate six litres of hydrogen fuel in an hour.

These small steps in human’s evolution to achieve equilibrium with optimal utilization of photonic energy, will drastically transform every aspect of life, however, setting its timeline is not plausible yet.

These small steps in human’s evolution to achieve equilibrium with optimal utilization of photonic energy, will drastically transform every aspect of life, however, setting its timeline is not plausible yet. It is our next step towards resolving the energy crisis, resolving climatic change, food crisis and eventually, boosting human’s expansion to utilize untapped resources of the universe.

Photo from Unsplash

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WHAT IS AROMATHERAPY?

InnoHEALTH Magazine — Tue, 10 Oct 2017 09:13:53 +0000

The world is smelling a new reality and enjoying the benefits of sweet smell for a better health and well-being. Officially accepted and identified as Aromatherapy, it’s dating back to Veda times with original Hindu scriptures elaborately mentioning this method for lasting health benefits. The same has also been unearthed in other parts of the world and is getting widely accepted by people and the health industry as such.
Aromatherapy is the practice of using the natural oils extracted from flowers, bark, stems, leaves, roots or other parts of a plant to enhance psychological and physical well-being.
The inhaled aroma from these “essential” oils is widely believed to stimulate brain function. Essential oils can also be absorbed through the skin, where they travel through the bloodstream and can promote whole-body healing.
A form of alternative medicine, aromatherapy is gaining momentum. It is used for a variety of applications, including pain relief, mood enhancement and increased cognitive function.
There are a wide number of essential oils available, each with its own healing properties.
Aromatherapy is the practice of using the natural oils extracted from flowers, bark, stems, leaves, roots or other parts of a plant to enhance psychological and physical well-being.
Aromatherapy is the practice of using volatile plant oils, including essential oils, for psychological and physical well-being.
Essential oils, the pure essence of a plant, have been found to provide both psychological and physical benefits when used correctly and safely. The Essential Oil Profiles area details over 90 essential oils. Absolutes, CO2s and Hydrosols are also commonly utilised in aromatherapy. Although essential oils, CO2 extracts and absolutes are distilled by different methods, the term essential oil is sometimes used as a blanket term to include all natural, aromatic, volatile, plant oils including CO2s and absolutes.
In addition to essential oils, aromatherapy encourages the use of other complementary natural ingredients including cold pressed vegetable oils, jojoba (a liquid wax), hydrosols, herbs, milk powders, sea salts, sugars (an exfoliant), clays and muds.
Products that include synthetic ingredients are frowned upon in holistic aromatherapy. It is important to note that perfume oils also known as fragrance oils (and usually listed as “fragrance” on an ingredient label) are not the same as essential oils. Fragrance oils and perfume oils contain synthetic chemicals and do not provide the therapeutic benefits of essential oils.
Buyer Beware: Authorities do not regulate the use of the word aromatherapy on product packaging, labeling or in product advertising, so any product can be marketed as a product suitable for aromatherapy. There are quite a few products on the market that contain unnatural ingredients including fragrance oils and claim to be aromatherapeutic. It’s important to look at the ingredient label when seeking true aromatherapy products.
Also, use caution with marketing claims that state a product is “Made With Essential Oils” or “Made With Natural Ingredients.” Claims like these do not state that the product is only made with the ingredient(s) specified. Such products may contain heavy proportions of synthetic fragrance oils and only contain a minute quantity of essential oil to simply be able to profess the “Made With Essential Oils” claim.
Don’t let false marketing hype scare you away from the benefits of holistic aromatherapy. By exploring on the web, you can learn how to safely use just a few essential oils and start gaining the benefits of aromatherapy. If you realize you hold an even deeper interest, you can learn to make your own products and control the exact ingredients included in your own personal aromatherapy products.
The Benefit of Inhaling Essential Oils
Essential oils that are inhaled into the lungs offer both psychological and physical benefits. Not only does the aroma of the natural essential oil stimulate the brain to trigger a reaction, but when inhaled into the lungs, the natural constituents (naturally occurring chemicals) can supply therapeutic benefit. Diffusing eucalyptus essential oil to help ease congestion is a prominent example.
If not done correctly and safely, however, the use of essential oils can have severe consequences.
The Benefit of Topical Application

Essential oils that are applied to the skin can be absorbed into the bloodstream. The constituents of essential oils can aid in health, beauty and hygiene conditions. Since essential oils are so powerful and concentrated, they should never be applied to the skin in their undiluted form. To apply essential oils to the skin, essential oils are typically diluted into a carrier such as a cold pressed vegetable oil, also known as a carrier oil. Common carrier oils include sweet almond oil, apricot kernel oil and grape seed oil.

Other Benefits

In addition to therapeutic benefit at the emotional and physical level, essential oils are helpful in other applications. Essential oils can be used in household and laundry cleaners. Some oils act as a natural insect repellent and pesticide. You may recall using citronella candles during the summer to keep mosquitoes away. Citronella essential oil is the ingredient in the candles that is responsible for repelling the mosquitoes.

Essential Oil Blends

Essential oils can be blended together to create appealing and complex aromas. Essential oils can also be blended for a specific therapeutic application. Essential oils that are carefully blended with a specific therapeutic purpose in mind may be referred to as an essential oil synergy. A synergistic essential oil blend is considered to be greater in total action than each oil working independently.

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Read all the issues of InnoHEALTH magazine:
InnoHEALTH Volume 1 Issue 1 (July to September 2016) – https://goo.gl/iWAwN2
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InnoHEALTH Volume 2 Issue 1 (January to March 2017) – https://goo.gl/DEyKnw
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InnoHEALTH Volume 2 Issue 3 (July to September 2017) – https://goo.gl/MCVjd6

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SWEET SMELL OF HEALTH AND WELL BEING

InnoHEALTH Magazine — Tue, 10 Oct 2017 07:31:49 +0000

Not all ready-made aromatherapy products labeled with the word aromatherapy are pure and natural. Products that contain artificial ingredients do not provide true aromatherapy benefits. At worst, they provide no benefit or be harmful. At best, they provide only a fraction of the benefit that natural products supply. Buyers seeking true aromatherapy products must look at the ingredient label to ensure that the product does not contain fragrance oils or unpure (chemical) components. A general rule-of-thumb is to be wary of products that do not list their ingredients and those that do not boast of having pure essential oils (look for products that contain pure essential oils on their ingredient list and avoid those that have words like fragrance). A note, however, is that some sellers of good-quality aromatherapy blends do not list their ingredients because they are worried that others may copy their creation. By asking the seller more about the blend, and listening to how they respond, you should have a better idea about the quality of the blend being sold. Good suppliers should be happy to provide you with a list of the ingredients. They understand that some individuals must avoid particular oils due to health problems.

Can aromatherapy cure my major illness or psychological problem?

If you expect that aromatherapy alone will cure a major illness or permanently “cure” “stress,” you will likely be in for a disappointment. But if you develop a realistic mindset and expect that aromatherapy may help with a physical condition, may help with symptoms, may effect your mood, or help alleviate or temporarily eliminate stress or other psychological factors, you should be delighted with the overall results that you experience by incorporating aromatherapy into your lifestyle.

Holistic aromatherapy is a complementary alternative health modality. Aromatherapy is not intended to replace standard medical care, but is meant to complement it. In some cases, under the guidance of a qualified practitioner, aromatherapy can offer an alternative choice to taking prescription or over-the-counter drugs.
Aromatherapy can offer practical benefit for a variety of common ailments or symptoms such as assisting with cuts, wounds, bruises, inflammation, arthritis, muscle stiffness, indigestion, acne, skincare, hair care, hygiene, PMS, menstruation, and for providing mental and emotional assistance with such issues as stress, fatigue, anxiety, insomnia, fear and enhancing concentration.

Aromatherapy does have valid and extraordinary uses. It can improve one’s lifestyle tremendously, especially if you take the time to become educated about each essential oil, its chemistry, safety and applications. But, as with anything in life, sensibility comes into play. Do not fall prey to any claims that aromatherapy can cure major illnesses or can cause miracles to happen. Aromatherapy can be play a beneficial role in assisting with illnesses, but it should not be depended upon as a cure.

How to Buy Essential Oils
Tips that can help you select vendors of pure, high quality essential oils:

When shopping for essential oils, watch out for words such as “fragrance oil,” “nature identical oil,” or “perfume oil.” These words indicate that what you see is not a pure, single essential oil.

Watch out for vendors that sell each of their “essential oils” for the same price. This doesn’t guarantee that the oils are not pure or of good quality, but it really does scream of concern. Generally speaking, Neroli, Jasmine and Rose, for instance, should cost a lot more than Geranium and Ylang Ylang and anyone reputable in selling essential oils should realise that and should be aware that selling all oils for the same price is a red flag to knowledgeable consumers. A good quality Patchouli usually costs more than Eucalyptus. The basic, common citrus oils including Sweet Orange oils are some of the least expensive oils.

Avoid buying oils from retailers/suppliers that don’t provide the essential oil’s botanical (Latin name), country of origin or method of extraction. For instance, there are multiple varieties of Bay, Cedarwood, Chamomile, Eucalyptus, and so on. Each offers different therapeutic properties.

Organic oils are typically superior to non-organic oils.

Be cautious about purchasing oils from traveling vendors that set up shop at street fairs, farmer’s markets, craft shows, festivals or other limited-time events. Some traveling vendors at these events may know their customers have no recourse against them after the event is over.

Safety Measures

Essential oils should never be used undiluted on the skin. There are instances when experienced aromatherapy users and practitioners make exceptions to this precaution, but only once significant essential oil knowledge is gained should you ever attempt to apply an undiluted oil on the skin. Lavender and tea tree are listed by a large number of aromatherapy sources as being oils that can be used undiluted. Undiluted use of lavender and tea tree, however, should be discouraged as severe sensitivity still could occur in some individuals. Again, the safest rule of thumb is to never use any essential oil undiluted.

Some oils can cause sensitization or allergic reactions in some individuals. When using a new oil topically for the first time, do a skin patch test on a small area of skin — it’s easy.

Some essential oils are phototoxic and can cause irritation, inflammation, blistering, redness and/or burning when exposed to UVA rays. For more information, learn about phototoxicity and phototoxic essential oils.

Some essential oils should be avoided during pregnancy or by those with asthma, epilepsy, or with other health conditions. Be sure to research/review the safety precautions associated with each essential oil that you use.

Less Is More

When using essential oils, use the smallest amount of essential oilthat will get the job done. If 1-2 drops are called for, for example, don’t use more than that. Essential oils are very concentrated. (As a sidenote, some companies or their representatives may suggest that you use as much as you want — it’s in their best interest that you go through your oils faster so you then need to reorder more frequently. Generally speaking, it takes a lot of plant material (i.e. flower petals, leaves, needles, bark, wood, root, etc.) to obtain the botanical’s essential oil by steam distillation. It’s wasteful to use more essential oil than is needed for your particular application.)

Not all essential oils are suitable for use in aromatherapy. Wormwood, pennyroyal, onion, camphor, horseradish, wintergreen, rue, bitter almond and sassafras are examples of some of the essential oils that should only be used by qualified aromatherapy practitioners, if ever at all.

Never let children use essential oils without the presence of an adult knowledgeable about their use. Most essential oils smell wonderful and many essential oils such as citrus oils can smell like they are “yummy” and safe to drink. ALWAYS keep your essential oils away from children. Treat the oils like medicines that are poison in unknowing hands.

Essential oils should not be taken internally without guidance by a qualified practitioner or until you have gained adequate knowledge and understanding of the risks and safe internal applications and dosages.Even though essential oils are cold pressed or steam distilled from a range of citrus and common spices like Lemons, Oranges, Grapefruits, Allspice, Basil, Black Pepper, Cinnamon, Clove, Fennel, Ginger, Rosemary and a number of other botanicals that are routinely ingested without the need for precautionary usage info, essential oils are highly concentrated and should not be ingested without thorough understanding of appropriate usage and risks for each oil. For more information, read Internal Use of Essential Oils.

Essential oils are flammable. Keep them out of the way of fire hazards.

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