December 2010

This month, CEP covers the topic of sustainability through eco-efficiency analysis and brings you a look at the subjects of chromatography for separating complex mixtures and heat integration for improved energy efficiency.

Commercial aviation just reached an important milestone. Germany's Lufthansa Airlines has announced they will begin using a biofuel blend for regularly scheduled passenger service starting in April. This six-month trial on Hamburg to Frankfurt flights is part of a long-term study of a 50-50 biofuel blend on flight performance, maintenance and engine life. One caveat: only one of the two engines will use the blend; the other will still rely on pure jet fuel.

There are many reasons why we game. Some game to escape, others to compete, and my personal favorite, to learn. Now, gamers have another—and even loftier—goal behind their time in front of the screen: contributing to science. Thanks to a new game developed by a team of bioinformaticians at McGill University, players can contribute in a fun way to genetic research.