Press Release

by ORNL here, on an article we published in PNAS.
A Zymomonas mobilis mutant was identified by Steve Brown and colleagues demonstrating sodium acetate
tolerance that has potential importance in biofuel development.
Over-expression of the sodium-proton antiporter
gene nhaA confers the elevated AcR sodium acetate tolerance
phenotype. A structural model for the NhaA sodium proton
antiporter was constructed to provide mechanistic insights.

The LEAF Festival in North Carolina

Just back from a magical getaway weekend at the LEAF festival in Black Mountain, N.C.
Well recommended for those living in these parts.

Highlights for me included playing my Djembe impromptu with the Atlanta Swamp Opera Cajun Band ("Oh, Madeleine!"), and later again at midnight in the Drum Circle, and tenaciously hanging in there to force a defensive three-hour draw with the chess senior master Robert Frederick (although admittedly he was playing six other people at the same time!).

Flooding in Tennessee

Every cloud has a silver lining!