The best Hacker News stories from All from the past day
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DigitalOcean acquires CSS-tricks
Cities should not pay for new stadiums
Go 1.18
Go 1.18
Why is it hard to buy things that work well?
US Senate votes unanimously to make daylight savings time permanent
US Senate votes unanimously to make daylight savings time permanent
New WebKit features in Safari 15.4
New WebKit features in Safari 15.4
Launch HN: Living Carbon (YC W20) – Trees that capture and store more carbon
Hi HN! Maddie and Patrick here. We founded Living Carbon (<a href="https://www.livingcarbon.com" rel="nofollow">https://www.livingcarbon.com</a>), a biotech company developing trees that grow faster, capture more carbon, and produce more durable wood. Our mission is to help rebalance the planet's carbon cycle using the power of plants.<p>We released research results indicating that photosynthesis enhanced trees grow faster and capture more carbon compared to control seedlings [1, 2]. After multiple generations of vegetatively propagated tree seedlings studied in a controlled environment, our lead photosynthesis-enhanced poplar tree seedling showed a 53% increase in above ground biomass.<p>Data from our molecular, morphology, and physiology analyses indicate that our photosynthesis-enhancement design works as intended. We’re continuing to study these seedlings in field trials and pilot projects across the US.<p>Forest carbon drawdown is one of our greatest allies in the climate crisis, but the impact of forest carbon solutions has been constrained by land-use efficiency, suitability of land to support forest stands, the growth rate of trees, and the duration of carbon storage before it is released back into the atmosphere. There are many strategies to enhance carbon capture in plants, including nitrogen fixating microbes, resistance to disease and drought, salt tolerance, decomposition resistance, and photosynthesis enhancement. Our initial focus has been two-fold: (1) improve carbon capture in trees via more efficient photosynthesis, and (2) improve carbon storage through decay-resistant wood, which slows the release of carbon through decomposition resistance.<p>Our approach is to use an alternative metabolic bypass pathway that allows our seedlings to break down toxic byproducts of photosynthesis using less energy. Usually, waste products of photorespiration are exported from the chloroplast to multiple organelles for metabolic cycling. Our biotechnology enables the chloroplast to break down these waste products internally and turn them into energy-rich glucose and cellulose, thereby growing faster and capturing more CO₂ over time. This method can operate across many different species and doesn't require an intensive human re-engineering process.<p>This process is similar to the natural process that already exists in 15% of plants, called C4 carbon fixation, which have separately evolved special features to combat photorespiration and are more photosynthetically efficient and productive. Examples of C4 plants include corn, sorghum, and sugarcane. Our strategy achieves similar results to C4 carbon fixation in the remaining 85% of C3 plants, starting with trees.<p>To ensure this carbon is stored for longer, we are also developing a trait to naturally slow decay by increasing metal accumulation in plants. Our trees accumulate metals from the soil, making their wood less digestible to fungi and slowing the return of CO2 to the atmosphere. As a bonus, this makes our trees uniquely well suited to land with high heavy metal concentration. We’re targeting underutilized, abandoned mine land across the U.S.—areas where trees would otherwise not grow.<p>If we can increase the efficiency of photosynthesis by 30-40% and if we can also reduce the decomposition rate of wood, then we will have a biological method of active drawdown that avoids the conflicting incentives, high starting costs, and requirement for ongoing and intensive management seen in methods such as direct air capture.<p>Living Carbon got started when Maddie read a paper on improving photosynthesis in tobacco and thought that someone should try this in trees. After talking to the author of that paper and other experts in forest biotechnology, turns out it wasn't only possible but a very good idea.<p>We want to help ignite hope, in our current era of climate instability, that we can use the tools of biotechnology to empower our ecosystems and help plants do what they do best. We welcome your thoughts and discussion!<p>[1] <a href="https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.02.16.480797v1" rel="nofollow">https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.02.16.480797v1</a><p>[2] <a href="https://www.livingcarbon.com/post/photosynthesis-enhanced-trees-grow-faster-and-capture-more-carbon" rel="nofollow">https://www.livingcarbon.com/post/photosynthesis-enhanced-tr...</a>
Launch HN: Living Carbon (YC W20) – Trees that capture and store more carbon
Hi HN! Maddie and Patrick here. We founded Living Carbon (<a href="https://www.livingcarbon.com" rel="nofollow">https://www.livingcarbon.com</a>), a biotech company developing trees that grow faster, capture more carbon, and produce more durable wood. Our mission is to help rebalance the planet's carbon cycle using the power of plants.<p>We released research results indicating that photosynthesis enhanced trees grow faster and capture more carbon compared to control seedlings [1, 2]. After multiple generations of vegetatively propagated tree seedlings studied in a controlled environment, our lead photosynthesis-enhanced poplar tree seedling showed a 53% increase in above ground biomass.<p>Data from our molecular, morphology, and physiology analyses indicate that our photosynthesis-enhancement design works as intended. We’re continuing to study these seedlings in field trials and pilot projects across the US.<p>Forest carbon drawdown is one of our greatest allies in the climate crisis, but the impact of forest carbon solutions has been constrained by land-use efficiency, suitability of land to support forest stands, the growth rate of trees, and the duration of carbon storage before it is released back into the atmosphere. There are many strategies to enhance carbon capture in plants, including nitrogen fixating microbes, resistance to disease and drought, salt tolerance, decomposition resistance, and photosynthesis enhancement. Our initial focus has been two-fold: (1) improve carbon capture in trees via more efficient photosynthesis, and (2) improve carbon storage through decay-resistant wood, which slows the release of carbon through decomposition resistance.<p>Our approach is to use an alternative metabolic bypass pathway that allows our seedlings to break down toxic byproducts of photosynthesis using less energy. Usually, waste products of photorespiration are exported from the chloroplast to multiple organelles for metabolic cycling. Our biotechnology enables the chloroplast to break down these waste products internally and turn them into energy-rich glucose and cellulose, thereby growing faster and capturing more CO₂ over time. This method can operate across many different species and doesn't require an intensive human re-engineering process.<p>This process is similar to the natural process that already exists in 15% of plants, called C4 carbon fixation, which have separately evolved special features to combat photorespiration and are more photosynthetically efficient and productive. Examples of C4 plants include corn, sorghum, and sugarcane. Our strategy achieves similar results to C4 carbon fixation in the remaining 85% of C3 plants, starting with trees.<p>To ensure this carbon is stored for longer, we are also developing a trait to naturally slow decay by increasing metal accumulation in plants. Our trees accumulate metals from the soil, making their wood less digestible to fungi and slowing the return of CO2 to the atmosphere. As a bonus, this makes our trees uniquely well suited to land with high heavy metal concentration. We’re targeting underutilized, abandoned mine land across the U.S.—areas where trees would otherwise not grow.<p>If we can increase the efficiency of photosynthesis by 30-40% and if we can also reduce the decomposition rate of wood, then we will have a biological method of active drawdown that avoids the conflicting incentives, high starting costs, and requirement for ongoing and intensive management seen in methods such as direct air capture.<p>Living Carbon got started when Maddie read a paper on improving photosynthesis in tobacco and thought that someone should try this in trees. After talking to the author of that paper and other experts in forest biotechnology, turns out it wasn't only possible but a very good idea.<p>We want to help ignite hope, in our current era of climate instability, that we can use the tools of biotechnology to empower our ecosystems and help plants do what they do best. We welcome your thoughts and discussion!<p>[1] <a href="https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.02.16.480797v1" rel="nofollow">https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.02.16.480797v1</a><p>[2] <a href="https://www.livingcarbon.com/post/photosynthesis-enhanced-trees-grow-faster-and-capture-more-carbon" rel="nofollow">https://www.livingcarbon.com/post/photosynthesis-enhanced-tr...</a>
Google “hijacked millions of customers and orders” from restaurants – lawsuit
Spending more on retaining developers reduces the cost of hiring developers
Veloren is a multiplayer voxel RPG written in Rust
Microsoft is testing ads in the Windows 11 File Explorer
Medical student surgically implants Bluetooth into own ear to cheat in final
Medical student surgically implants Bluetooth into own ear to cheat in final
Show HN: HN Avatars in 357 bytes
Paste the following into the console of any HN page - for annotated avatars on all HN comments. (self contained code)<p><pre><code> for(u of document.querySelectorAll('.hnuser'))for(u.prepend(c=document.createElement('canvas')),x=c.getContext('2d'),c.width=18,c.height=14,s=u.innerText,r=1,i=28+s.length;i--;i<28?r>>>29>X*X/3+Y/2&&x.fillRect(6+2*X,2*Y,2,2)&x.fillRect(6-2*X,2*Y,2,2):r+=s.charCodeAt(i-28,x.fillStyle='#'+(r>>8&0xFFFFFF).toString(16)))r^=r<<13,r^=r>>>17,r^=r<<5,X=i&3,Y=i>>2</code></pre>
Tell HN: China Is Entering Lockdown
Over the past two years there's been smaller regional outbreaks here and there, but they were quickly contained. This current outbreak started about a month ago with cases slowly starting to tick up. About two weeks ago it became clear to me that we would soon be entering lockdown as the omicron cases won't stop increasing, imported as well as local. Last Friday there were about a 1000 new daily cases nationally, higher than at the peak in 2020. Since there is no clear change in policy, and already a lot is being done, there is no reason to believe that infections won't keep increasing exponentially. Today, Sunday, daily new cases reached 2000-3000.<p>Schools, gym, parks, and most other public venues have closed. Education is being done online, and also adult education is shut down if it is offline.<p>WFH is pretty much non-existant in China, even after 2020, but from next week we'll work from home as will many offices.<p>When ordering on Meituan, some select goods are out of stock at some stores , like tomatoes, minced meat. Still, you can get it if you just search it from another store. My neighborhood seems perfectly normal and the supermarket has lots of stock though some beef is sold out. Several supermarkets on Meituan are closed but there's lots still open. I've got food for two months so no issues.<p>Still, I see this as a good thing because: (1) Hopefully WFH gains acceptance and becomes normalized (2) A new policy will emerge as it is already clear that you can't quarantine and hospitalize people for omicron when it is not dangerous. In fact what I'm worried about is having to be in quarantine hospital or hotel, that's it. There are officials talking about ending the 0-policy but no clear solution yet.<p>I expect this to last 3 months.<p>Edit: I'm in Shanghai. Types of lockdown vary between cities and even districts and sub-districts. Here, you may get to stay at home for two days if you're a second degree contact; but if you didn't wear a mask it'll be 14 days. If you're a first degree contact it's quarantine hotel for 14. If you're infected I believe you go to a hospital. In Shenzhen, some communities that are under lockdown are not able to order groceries but only get the type of hotel/airplane food you get in quarantine. So I definitely want to have proper food, which is why I'll WFH for a long time, so as to not come into first or something cond degree contact.
We must return to an economy fueled by innovation, rather than disruption