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Meredith Fuels the Future Galley Jones, Staff Writer We’ve all heard dire predic tions of fossil fuel reserves running out, and if you have a car, you’ll remember the summer when the price of regular gasoline rose well over four dollars a gallon. The response to the price hikes and predictions has been booming research into the possibility of alternative fuel sources such as solar power, wind, and biodiesel. The focus of biodiesel research has been on using soybean products which are already a vital part of our food supply. However, another option for biodiesel use is algae, that gross green stuff that grows in your pool and fish tank. Meredith’s chair of the chemistry department. Dr. Walda Powell, and her research students are working in conjunction with Dr. Kim Jones of the entrepreneurial company Alganomics® to explore the pos sibility of algae as an ecofriendly fuel alternative. The basic prin ciple behind the project is that the lipids, or fats, present in algae can be extracted and used to produce a fuel that any regular diesel engine can use. In order to do this, huge quantities of algae are required. Through state funding from the NC Green Business Fund Grants and the Biofuels Center of NC, Alganomics® is working to perfect a system to grow and harvest algae and extract the lipids to be sent off for processing into biodiesel. Meredith’s main part in this re search is to determine which algae should be used in the system. Dif ferent species of algae have differ ent levels of lipids. Alganomics® wants to grow native algae species that contain as much oil as pos sible and can be grown in the North Carolina climate. Because the production of biodiesel by means of algae is not very profitable due to the massive amounts of algae required, Meredith researchers are also looking into carbohydrate and protein content. The byprod ucts, or parts of the algae that are not used for biodiesel production, could possibly be used in animal feeds, bioplastics, other biofuels such as ethanol, and pharmaceu ticals. Data gathered in Meredith labs will be used by Alganomics® in deciding which types of algae should be grown on a large scale and what potential byproducts may be gained from them. This collaboration is not only giv ing students hands on experience in the lab, but also providing them with the opportunity to be on the cutting edge of science. Research such as this can be put to practi cal use and may very well have an impact on the type of fuel you pump into your car one day. For more information regarding this fascinating research, you can visit algaeresource.com.biodiesel. Meredith’s main part in this re search is to determine which algae should be used in the system. Dif- 2010 Winter Olympics: Let the Games Begin! Jillian Curtis, Staff Writer Competition. Awards. Training. Speed. Ambition. Courage. Deter mination. Athleticism. Diversity. Camaraderie. Grace. Skill. Inten sity. Motivation. Unity. Respect. Champions. Ladies and Gentle men, the 2010 Winter Olympics have arrived! The games began on Friday, February. 12 in Vancouver, Can ada with the traditional opening ceremony that, much like those in 2008 in Beijing, stunned the audience. Now that the games have officially opened, it is time for the world’s best athletes to battle it out on the ice and snow in order to compete for the title of the worlds greatest. In the last Winter Olym pics, the US managed to rack up 25 medals and plans on continuing its success in the 2010 games. One of the key factors to the US Success is Lindsey Vonn, a worldwide renowned champion skier. Although Vonn was virtually unknown in the 2006 Olympics where she competed as Lindsey Kildow, Vonn has since gone on to win back-to-back World Cup championships. She is very well known in Europe, and many peo ple suspect her to gain the same Olympic status and prestige as Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps. Another superstar on the United States team is snowboarding phe nomenon Shaun White. In 2006, White won the gold medal for the Men’s Half Pipe Competition during his Olympic debut. This athlete doesn’t just stop at snow boarding; he is also a competitive skate boarder as well. He hopes to put his skills to the test in the next few weeks, and gain another gold medal to add to his collection. Player of the Week Jillian Curtis, Staff Writer ,Name: Hunter Johnson Year: 2010 Senior Position: Fonvard Major: Premed Biology tp Johnson is a four year starter on the Avenging B Angel's Basketball team. She is this year’s co-captain W f along with Brittany Cornelius. Hunter’s love for the ■ game and skill on the court lias led her to be a valuable » j asset to this 2010 basketball squad. With her leading the team, there is no reason for the team not to succeed this season. “We are doing really well this year and are currently ranked 6th in the conference,’' commented Johnson, “We have been faced with many different obstacles, including several inju ries, but we are continuing to come together as a team and work through these challenges the best we can.” With Johnson’s skills and leadership, the Avenging Angels should be a veiy successful team this season. In addition to Vonn and White, short track speed skater Apollo Ohno is a critical threat on the USA Olympic team. He is a five time Olympic medalist who plans to continue his success in Van couver. He earned three medals in 2006 and two in 2002. If he earns two medals in Vancouver, he will surpass Bonnie Blair as the most successful American Winter Olympian. To keep up with the schedule and the scores, go to www.nbco- lympics.conm and be sure to look for an additional review of the Olympic Games in next week’s edi tion of The Meredith Herald.
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