Engineering enzymes to turn plant waste into sustainable products

https://phys.org/news/2019-06-enzymes-sustainable-products.html
"...
Current enzymes tend to work on only one of the building blocks of lignin, making the breakdown process inefficient. Using advanced 3-D structural and biochemical techniques the team has been able to alter the shape of the enzyme to accommodate multiple building blocks. The results provide a route to making new materials and chemicals such as nylon, bioplastics, and even carbon fibre, from what has previously been a waste product.
..."

I believe the use of artificial enzymes will be key to most far future manufacturing and I bet AIs will eventually be what designs them.

@humy said
https://phys.org/news/2019-06-enzymes-sustainable-products.html
"...
Current enzymes tend to work on only one of the building blocks of lignin, making the breakdown process inefficient. Using advanced 3-D structural and biochemical techniques the team has been able to alter the shape of the enzyme to accommodate multiple building blocks. The results provide a route to making n ...[text shortened]... mes will be key to most far future manufacturing and I bet AIs will eventually be what designs them.

That may be true but don't count humans out of the equation.

On the other hand, here is AI at work on fusion:

https://scitechdaily.com/artificial-intelligence-accelerates-development-of-limitless-fusion-energy/

But some human kids at MIT have come up with this:

https://scitechdaily.com/new-design-could-finally-help-bring-fusion-power-closer-to-reality/

@sonhouse said


But some human kids at MIT have come up with this:

https://scitechdaily.com/new-design-could-finally-help-bring-fusion-power-closer-to-reality/

I have read that and its about 4 years old.
It seems to me that the main critical factor in determining fusion's practicality is how strong you can make the magnetic field; With all else being equal, the stronger you can make the magnetic field the more economic and feasible the resulting fusion power becomes.

ANYONE:

I wonder if they can greatly improve on that barium copper oxide superconducting to produce high-magnetic field coil? Is there some even better superconductor currently available or promising to be available in the near future that can at least in theory be used to achieve even stronger magnetic fields thus make the fusion power significantly more feasible? Does anyone here know?

@humy said
I have read that and its about 4 years old.
It seems to me that the main critical factor in determining fusion's practicality is how strong you can make the magnetic field; With all else being equal, the stronger you can make the magnetic field the more economic and feasible the resulting fusion power becomes.

ANYONE:

I wonder if they can greatly improve on that barium co ...[text shortened]... onger magnetic fields thus make the fusion power significantly more feasible? Does anyone here know?

It doesn't take much of an increase in field strength to get real benefit for fusion, the work of the MIT kids resulted in a field increase of only about 10%. Imagine what would happen if someone magically doubled the regular superconductor field strength!