Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory scientists have combined biology and 3-D printing to create the first reactor that can continuously produce methanol from methane at room temperature and pressure. The team removed enzymes from methanotrophs, bacteria that eat methane, and mixed them with polymers that they printed or molded into innovative reactors. The research could lead to more efficient conversion of methane to energy production. Remarkably, the enzymes retain up to 100 percent activity in the polymer. According to researchers, the printed enzyme-embedded polymer is highly flexible for future development and should be useful in a wide range of applications, especially those involving gas-liquid reactions. http://phys.org/news/2016-06-d-polymer-methane-methanol.html Paper: http://www.nature.com/ncomms/2016/160615/ncomms11900/full/ncomms11900.html
