Sulfolobus Acidocaldarius MArch AD RC7 Jeng-Ying Li
SPECIAL THANK
Prof. Cruz, Marcos Beckett, Richard DR. Leung, Christopher Javier Ruiz
Introduction
The extreme environment contains conditions that are hard to survive for most known life forms. An extremophile is an organism that thrives in physically or geochemically extreme conditions that are detrimental to most life on Earth. How do these extremophiles thrive in such a strictly environment? And what can these extremophiles inspire us to adapt the changing environment? By studying the archaea “Sulfolobus Acidocaldarius� which is isolated from hot acid spring in Roaring mountain, the features of metabolism and the special structure on cell wall can be applied to bio-desulfurization. Hence sulfur dioxide and hydrogen sulfur which are toxic compounds in the human environment, these compounds in the air needs to be reduced and purified. Since the photosynthesis of plant can decrease carbon dioxide in the air by turning CO2 to O2 which, this bacteria can be similar in sulfur compounds reduction by turning SO2 or H2 S to H2SO4. The purpose of this design is to create a plant by using the concept of photosynthesis that can purify air via turning SO2 or H2 S to H2SO4. Plants have adaptations to help them survive in different areas. Each plant type refers to different environments, adoption is to change types to develop special features in different habitats. By using Houdini to stimulate various types of plant and try to design various forms to adapt to different levels of pollution.
CONTENT Part I -Roaring Mountain Extrem Environment
-Sulfolobus Acidocaldarius Archaea
-Sulfur
Our enviroment
Part II -Concept
Reduce and purify
-Form Demonstrate plant stimulate
Part III -Design adaption
Part I
The Environment
Yellowstone National Park - Roaring Mountain
Roaring Mountain is found midway between Norris Basin and Mammoth Hot Springs in Yellowstone National Park. It has an elevation of approximately 2260 meters (7400 feet). Many fumaroles - vents or cracks in the ground from which steam escapes into the air - appear on the side of Roaring Mountain. The steam results from ground water in the region being warmed by heat from the magma in the Yellowstone Cauldera. The number of fumaroles has decreased since the beginning of the twentieth century. There is very little vegetation growing in the affected area. Roaring Mountain is formed of rhyolite, a volcanic rock that contains 70-75% silica (SiO2). This mountain is a small area in a larger rhyolite ridge, that occurs about 8 kilometers (5 miles) north of the present Yellowstone caldera. The rhyolite at Roaring Mountain formed from a volcanic eruption that occurred sometime during the Pinedale Glaciation (approximately 30,000 to 12,000 years ago). Roaring Mountain occurs in one of the hottest parts of Yellowstone National Park. This might be because the magma is closer to the surface here than in other locations. It is estimated that the magma is 1.6 to 3.2 kilometers below the surface (one to two miles). As snow and rainwater percolates down through fractures in the rocks, the warmth from the magma heats it up. Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) gas from the magma dissolves in the water. The hot – now acidic - water rises back up to the surface. It dissolves the rhyolite rock, removing the minerals and leaving behind an aluminum-rich clay called kaolinite. The acidic water forms steaming fumaroles and runs off the mountain.
The Archaea
Sulfolobus acidocaldarius Sulfolobus acidocaldarius is thermophilic and acidophilic bacteria which can grow in acidic hot springs (>60°C). These bacteria can be used to extract copper and molybdenum respectively from chalcopyrite (CuFeS2) and molybdenite (MoS2). It is a facultative sulphur-oxidizing autotroph whose natural habitat in hot acidic springs. Cell are roughly spherical, 0.8-1.0 micrometer in diameter, and are often lobed. When grown in autotrophic conditions with elemental sulphur as an energy source, the cells attach to sulfur crystals by means of pili.
The Archaea
S-layer on Sulfolobus acidocaldarius The outermost component of Sulfolobus acidocaldarius is a three-dimensional structure of an S-layer. S-layer is a complex and strongly interconnected structure, penetrated by numerous channels which appear to provide little barrier to anything but rather large molecules. The substructure consists of three types of the globular domain, connected by narrow bridges. These can be the flexible hinges that allow S-layer to form a curved surface, and that the multidomain structure allows the S-layer to maintain strong connectively as it grows with the bacterium. Like another simple cell wall, consisting essentially of S-layer attached to the plasma membrane. S-layer shows a hexagonal lattice, two-sided plane group p6.
Surfide metabolism
The strains of S. acidocaldarius available in culture oxidize elemental sulfur to sulfate over a temperature range from 55 to 84 C. The maximal rate of sulfur oxidation occurs at 70 to 75 C. No attempts were made to examine any of the intermediates in the metabolic pathway since most of the intermediate sulfur compounds decompose at the temperature and pH at which the organism grows. Our data suggest that Sulfolobus species are generally aerobic, and heterotrophic growth has been reported, during which a range of carbohydrates, yeast extract, and peptide mixtures are oxidized to CO2(Grogan 1989; SchÜnheit and Schäfer 1995). In addition, both autotrophic—oxidation of S2O32-, S4O62-, So and S2- to sulphuric acid, and of H2 to water.
The Sulfur Traffic Sulfur dioxide is a gas. It is invisible and has a nasty, sharp smell. It reacts easily with other substances to form harmful compounds, such as sulfuric acid, sulfurous acid, and sulfate particle. Motor vehicles create this pollutant by burning sulfur-containing fuels, especially diesel. Sulfur dioxide can react in the atmosphere to form fine particles and poses the largest health risk to young children and asthmatics.
Livestock Livestock workers are involved in a variety of tasks, such as caring for animals, maintaining the breeding facilities, cleaning, and manure handling, and are exposed to health and safety risks. Hydrogen sulfide is considered the most toxic by-product of the manure handling process at livestock facilities. Hydrogen sulfide forms when manure is stored anaerobically.
A 1,100 pounds beef can produce manure at clip of about 14.6 tons annually. That’s the weight equivalent of 10 cars
The Sulfur Industry The largest source of sulfur dioxide in the atmosphere is the burning of fossil fuels by power plants and other industrial facilities. sulfur dioxide emissions that lead to high concentrations of sulfur dioxide in the air generally also lead to the formation of other sulfur oxides (SOx). SOx can react with other compounds in the atmosphere to form small particles. These particles contribute to particulate matter (PM) pollution: particles may penetrate deeply into sensitive parts of the lungs and cause additional health problems.
acid rain
SO2 + H2O + O2
SO2
H2SO4 + H2O
Bio-desulfurization system
Photosynthesis is a process used by plants and other organisms to convert light energy into chemical energy and water and convert carbon dioxide into oxygen. Leaves are adapted to perform their function; hence, they have a large surface area to absorb sunlight. O2
CO2 CO2 CO2
O2 CO2
O2
O2
O2
CO2
Using the same concept of plant processing photosynthesis, Sulfolobus acidocaldarius can absorb hydrogen sulfur and sulfur dioxide in the air and turn it into sulfuric acid. Then that collected sulfuric acid can be applied to generate electrical power.
H2SO4
SO2 SO2 H 2S
H2SO4 H 2S SO2
H2SO4
H2SO4 H2SO4
Part II
Stimulating the form of plant
Stimulating 1 - straight trunk
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Stimulating 2 - twisted trunk
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Stimulating 3 - twisted trunk + straight branches
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Stimulating 4 - twisted trunk + twisted branches
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Structure stimulating
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Cambium stimulating
Truss-like structure
Hydrogen gel - bacteria
Tube - keep warm
Increase surface
Space for bacteria to attach
Hydrogen gel - bacteria
collecting sulfuric acid
Part III
Grass
Bush
Shurb
Tree
Adaptations are special features that allow a plant or animal to live in a particular place or habitat. These adaptations might make it very difficult for the plant to survive in a different place. By using Houdini to stimulate different types of plant and make this plant to the reasonable scale in the real environment.
Grass
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Shurb
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Bush
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Tree
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