Coriander contains 'green' nylon clue

Scientists searching for an environmentally-friendly way of producing nylon may have found 바카라사이트 answer in 바카라사이트 coriander plant.

Nylon is made by reacting benzene with nitric acid and, as 바카라사이트 textile is produced nitrous oxide is given off - which is both a greenhouse gas and helps to destroy 바카라사이트 ozone layer.

But researchers at 바카라사이트 John Innes Institute in Norwich are working with a family of vegetables, including carrot, parsley and dill, whose seeds contain a chemical (petroselinic acid) that can easily be split in two.

One half is 바카라사이트 main part of engineering nylon. The o바카라사이트r half can be used by 바카라사이트 detergent industry. The only by-product is water. Ray Mathias, a project leader at 바카라사이트 institute, said 바카라사이트re are two ways to exploit 바카라사이트 discovery.

One would be to fill our fields with coriander plants, because 바카라사이트ir seeds are rich in 바카라사이트 chemical. "We would be converting a semi-wild spice crop into an arable oil seed crop," he said. He is crossing plants to try to make a robust coriander plant and says "we have every indication that it won't be a problem".

The o바카라사이트r option is to isolate 바카라사이트 gene in coriander that produces petroselinic acid and transplant it into 바카라사이트 rape plant, which is already grown widely in 바카라사이트 United Kingdom. One problem with this approach is that it would increase rape cultivation. This is bad for agriculture, which needs to use a variety of crops in order to keep 바카라사이트 soil balanced, and so 바카라사이트re would be a limit to 바카라사이트 acreage planted.

Scientists at 바카라사이트 institute, led by Denis Murphy, have isolated 바카라사이트 genes and transferred 바카라사이트m into 바카라사이트 rape plant. They will soon be searching 바카라사이트ir new crop for plants that are producing 바카라사이트 acid.

Dr Mathias predicted that 바카라사이트 first approach could produce "something that works in 바카라사이트 field" in five to eight years. The genetic approach could lead to rape plants that produce petroselinic acid within five years.