A paper in the International Journal of Nanoparticles has found a more environmentally friendly reducing agent for making silver nanoparticles. A reducing agent donates electrons to another compound which is needed in the process. Usually the reducing agents take the form of chemical agents but instead a group of scientists namely, botanist Naheed Ahmad of Patna University and physicist colleague Seema Sharma of AN College (India), are trying to use the skins of pomegranate fruit to replace the chemical agent.
This will be more benign and natural then using chemicals and solvents. This could also save the laboratory money as less money will be spent on those chemicals and also the need to heat the solvent would be eradicated hence saving energy.
Maybe more fruit exhibit similar biomass to the pomegranate or could be used in other manufacturing chemical processes.
In other fruit news... Genetically modified tomatoes could be out on your shelves, researchers say these tomatoes live nearly a month longer than 'normal' tomatoes and this could have cost effectiveness in agriculture and food wastage. Economically the price of tomatoes would drop as they would last longer.
Genetic modification has its skeptics however, many argue that the long term effects have not been thoroughly tested, however scientists do test to see any major side effects. These skeptics have to be aware that many foods have not been tested but they indeed could play a role in our health either for the good or bad.
Genetic experiments should carry on and more teamwork between physicists and biologists would be great!
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