The Microcosm Engine

The Microcosm Engine

The microcosm engine is a small internal combustion engine that uses liquid alcohol as fuel.microcosm engine It is a collaboration between researchers from the University of Birmingham and Cambridge Combustion Research Centre. The project brings together novelties in micro-fabrication and combustion expertise.

Article: Competition among different trophic groups is an important force driving ecosystem dynamics and community structure, especially during early stages of ecosystem colonization or re-colonization. The initial species assortment has a major influence on competition outcomes, but little is known about the interaction between salinity and priority effects (order of arrival). We used Daphnia-Simocephalus experimental microcosms to examine this interaction, and found that salt additions alter both competitive outcome and priority effect.

The ability of aerobic groundwater microorganisms to cometabolically degrade trichloroethylene (TCE), 1,2-cis-dichloroethylene (c-DCE) and 1,2-trans-dichloroethylene (t-DCE) was examined in batch microcosms and in situ in a shallow aquifer. The use of isobutanol as a biostimulant and the addition of 13C labeled isobutanol to bioaugmentation resulted in TCE transformation rates that approached those observed in aquifer sediments.

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