“The way we're really going to grow the economy is to invest in people, to invest in innovation, to have the government put money in the kind of research that will create the new high-technology, BIOTECHNOLGY industries that will create millions of new jobs.” - Joseph Lieberman-
Showing posts with label biotechnology. Show all posts
Showing posts with label biotechnology. Show all posts
Wednesday, June 24, 2015
Future of Finnish biotechnology?
Many innovations of biotechnology have celebrated for some decades ago in Finland. Several small biotechnology companies were grounded but, unfortunately, their count has been dropped during this millenium. A lot has still to be done: what could be small waste water treatment units for houses on the countryside be like - which really work in our climate conditions? How could we improve the biogeoleaching process for nickel mining in Talvivaara? Innovations are really needed! Biotechnology (especially environmental-oriented) is an elementary division of current "Bioboom". What shall we do?
Wednesday, September 11, 2013
Biotechnika 2013, Hannover
BIOTECHNICA 2013, 8. bis 10. Oktober
Europas Branchentreff Nr. 1 für Biotechnologie, Life Sciences und Labortechnik
Mit neuen Themen und innovativen Marktplätzen wird die BIOTECHNICA 2013 wieder das Zentrum der Biotechnologie-Branche in Europa sein.
Bereits zum 20. Mal bringt die BIOTECHNICA Aussteller und Besucher mit dem Ziel der Geschäftsanbahnung zusammen.
Ein Schwerpunktthema der diesjährigen Messe ist Bioökonomie. Erstmals gibt es mit der Schweiz auch ein Partnerland der BIOTECHNICA
http://www.biotechnica.de/
Sunday, July 14, 2013
Copenhagen District Heating for one million people
DENMARK | For over 40 years, Ramboll has helped develop one of the largest integrated district heating system in the world.
The system supplies heat to the city of one million people and is central to Copenhagen’s ambition of becoming carbon neutral by 2025.
As the District Heating (DH) system based on CHP in Copenhagen was established and the costumers were connected to DH the overall efficiency raised and the costs to consumers were reduced.
Hence, it has been a very effective and successful initiative in order to save energy and to reduce the overall dependence on imported oil.
The heat supply act from 1979 also stated that heating companies are non-profit companies, the price of heat is the cost of the heat production and the distribution to the user. This is still the bases of the district heating in Denmark today.
Security of power supply, climate change and energy efficiency are top priorities on the global agenda.
Sources: Ramboll, Copenhagen District Heating System
Friday, January 25, 2013
Salon Bois Energie 2012 Report
SOURCE: The Salon Bois Energie returned to Saint-Etienne for the 2nd time at the end of March 2012.
Traversing the outdoor exhibition, the trail was flanked by a large array of foresty and wood fuel production machinery that was not only on show but exhibitors actively demonstrated the efficiency and flexibility of today’s operating environment, cutting, chipping, splitting, pelletising and packaging more than 500 m3 of wood into a range of
different woodfuels over the four days of the Exhibtion.
Continuing along the wood energy chain, two Exhibition Halls presented the brightest and best in wood heating equipment from 19 countries for industrial and local authority users (CHP and district heating plants).
Key Stats for 2012*
- 11 000 visitors (7 000 professionals and 4 000 general public)
- 357 exhibitors and represented companies (exhibitors (282) and represented companies (75))
- 19 countries exhibiting (Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Luxemburg, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, The Netherlands, United Kingdom, United States of America)
- 24 500 m2 gross surface area (indoor and outdoor stands)
- 11 500m2 net surface area (indoor and outdoor stands)
- 700+ wood heating appliances on site (boilers, fireplaces, stoves, ovens etc.)
- 32 wood heating appliances fully operational on site
- 350+ wood fuel production machines
- 30+ wood fuel machines operating
- 500 m3 of wood worked by the exhibitors during the Exhibition
- 4 study tours
- 50+ conference presentations
Exhibitor or represented trademark 2013
Sunday, December 9, 2012
Testing the many faces of bio economics
This frightening picture is reminding me about a blog visualizing microbes and bacteria.
I hope to find those representations soon to have a model.
Nevertheless, we’re going to create our own picture and graphics gallery.
We need to invest time in creating cartoons and images.
There’re tons of pictures describing process technology solutions, but the challenge is to create visual effects to show events that aren’t visible to the eye.
Juha Mentu does have pictures from microscopic “body counts”.
We’ve the artistic freedom to show the mystery of microbial activity with inventive graphical effects.
Thursday, March 15, 2012
Biotechnology in Finland 2012.
A curious look on the Finnish biotechnology: it seems that bio-energy projects are starting well, thank to our forest industry companies. The future of small biotech enterprises does not seem so promising, however. Their count have dropped radically since 80's when their count was over 100 - only few of them have survived the hard years on 90's and 00's, however.
In addition to bio-energy projects, analytical and consulting activities to solve environmental problems would be one promising branch for biotech in Finland.
It is pity that ChemBio Finland ("Kemian Päivät") will be hed not before March 2013. But, instead of it, I will join "Paptech Finland 2012" which will take place 21th - 22th March 2012 in Helsinki. There are several suppliers of paper industry present and I am looking forward to hear their latest news!
Monday, February 9, 2009
Challenges of Biotech
IM will refer the excellent book "The Biotech Investor" by Tom Abate (Owl Books, 2003, New York) again. IM also tries to reserve his time to read it through, no matter it is a dense collection of biotech and marketing facts.
In the preface of this book Tom Abate says:
"Biotechnology is an experimental field. Only a handful of of biotech companies currently have products on the market. The vast majority of biotech firms run at a loss during long developmental cycles aimed at proving their founding thesis. Experiments take time, and they often fail. Even when experiments have been done, and their results analyzed and presented at scientific meetings, biotech medicines undergo an excruciating process of regulatory review the can lead to approval, rejection or demands for more testing...In biotech time, development horizons strech for years, even decades."
This is familiar for every modern biotech researchers. Dr. Abate refers medicine research but relatively similar problems may arise when a novel microbiological analyse method is the subject of the research. Approval is then depending not on the health of the customers but the potential markets (IM's opinion). IM still thinks that such a development task can be fulfilled in only years, but marketing may be a challenging task, indeed.
Contacts between paper industry personnel and biotech researchers shall be developed. There are other alternatives than the traditional fairs and exhibitions: discussions in Internet blogs, nings etc. would help significantly to present all modern microbiological tools and evaluate their use in paper industry microbiology. Unfortunately the main problem, time, still stays, even gets worser: people tend to be in a hurry in their working life today. To reserve a period, even short, to investigate new methods will still be worth to do!
In the preface of this book Tom Abate says:
"Biotechnology is an experimental field. Only a handful of of biotech companies currently have products on the market. The vast majority of biotech firms run at a loss during long developmental cycles aimed at proving their founding thesis. Experiments take time, and they often fail. Even when experiments have been done, and their results analyzed and presented at scientific meetings, biotech medicines undergo an excruciating process of regulatory review the can lead to approval, rejection or demands for more testing...In biotech time, development horizons strech for years, even decades."
This is familiar for every modern biotech researchers. Dr. Abate refers medicine research but relatively similar problems may arise when a novel microbiological analyse method is the subject of the research. Approval is then depending not on the health of the customers but the potential markets (IM's opinion). IM still thinks that such a development task can be fulfilled in only years, but marketing may be a challenging task, indeed.
Contacts between paper industry personnel and biotech researchers shall be developed. There are other alternatives than the traditional fairs and exhibitions: discussions in Internet blogs, nings etc. would help significantly to present all modern microbiological tools and evaluate their use in paper industry microbiology. Unfortunately the main problem, time, still stays, even gets worser: people tend to be in a hurry in their working life today. To reserve a period, even short, to investigate new methods will still be worth to do!
Sunday, August 17, 2008
Gina Smith about Tech and Biotech
gina smith: "gina smith about herself: I am an author and a journalist specializing in tech and biotech -- I consult, write and love to hear from you all via email."
Contact Gina Smith:
* Her Website is: http://www.ginasmith.com
* Location: United States
One-Line Bio: I am an author and a journalist specializing in tech and biotech -- I consult, write and love to hear from you all via email.
Biography: Gina Smith is a career technology and science journalist and author.
She is the New York Times Best-Selling Author (with Steve Wozniak) of iWOZ: From Geek to Cult Icon: How I Invented the Personal Computer, Co-founded Apple and Had Fun Along the Way.
Her previous book: The Genomics Age, explained DNA and stem cell science to investors and interested lay people. Barron's named it one of the top 20 books of 2005. Gina was on air as ABC News' first technology correspondent. She appeared several times weekly on Good Morning America and World News Tonight with Peter Jennings from 1995 to 2000.
From 1990 to 2000, she authored Inside Silicon Valley, an award-winning column in the San Francisco Sunday Chronicle. In that time period she also cohosted and solo hosted On Computers with Gina Smith (later Connected with Gina Smith on ABC), a syndicated tech-help talk show. She does lots of other things -- freelance writing and..."
Helge: Learned about this on Twitter and would like to invite her to our Ning network.
Contact Gina Smith:
* Her Website is: http://www.ginasmith.com
* Location: United States
One-Line Bio: I am an author and a journalist specializing in tech and biotech -- I consult, write and love to hear from you all via email.
Biography: Gina Smith is a career technology and science journalist and author.
She is the New York Times Best-Selling Author (with Steve Wozniak) of iWOZ: From Geek to Cult Icon: How I Invented the Personal Computer, Co-founded Apple and Had Fun Along the Way.
Her previous book: The Genomics Age, explained DNA and stem cell science to investors and interested lay people. Barron's named it one of the top 20 books of 2005. Gina was on air as ABC News' first technology correspondent. She appeared several times weekly on Good Morning America and World News Tonight with Peter Jennings from 1995 to 2000.
From 1990 to 2000, she authored Inside Silicon Valley, an award-winning column in the San Francisco Sunday Chronicle. In that time period she also cohosted and solo hosted On Computers with Gina Smith (later Connected with Gina Smith on ABC), a syndicated tech-help talk show. She does lots of other things -- freelance writing and..."
Helge: Learned about this on Twitter and would like to invite her to our Ning network.
Friday, August 15, 2008
BIOTECHNICAL AND MICROBIOLOGICAL PRODUCTION METHOD AND EQUIPMENT
(WO/2008/081082) BIOTECHNICAL AND MICROBIOLOGICAL PRODUCTION METHOD AND EQUIPMENT: Background for the invention
Helge: I found this information on Internet. Would you Elias like to comment? What are the practical implications?
In utilizing and studying microbes in industry or medicine or in environmental cleaning, the used microbiological and bacteriological methods in most cases call for the culturing of cells or equivalent in a nutrient substrate before being able to show them, clarifying the effects of their action or getting to a desired production result. This production result may be a cell growth, e.g. for feed or protein, or the formation of one or several desired metabolic products.
LIQUID OR GAS FORM
These products can be in liquid or gas form or they can be separated from a production liquid into solid form by precipitation. The production result of a microbiological reaction can also be the cleaning of environment, like soil or water, or the elimination of a harmful substance from an organism.
NUTRIENT SUBSTRATES
Nutrient substrates contain vital nutrients for microbes and they are designed to be as suitable as possible for the microbes and other organisms to be studied. Plant and animal cells have been started to generally be cultivated with similar methods as microbes.
Helge: I found this information on Internet. Would you Elias like to comment? What are the practical implications?
| ||||||||||||
| IPC: | C12M 1/04 (2006.01), C12M 1/12 (2006.01), C12P 1/04 (2006.01), C12P 39/00 (2006.01), C12Q 1/02 (2006.01) | |||||||||||
| Applicant: | HAKALEHTO, Eino, Elias [FI/FI]; Kasarmikatu 12 C 1, FIN-70110 Kuopio (FI). | |||||||||||
| Inventor: | HAKALEHTO, Eino, Elias; Kasarmikatu 12 C 1, FIN-70110 Kuopio (FI). | |||||||||||
| Priority Data: |
| |||||||||||
In utilizing and studying microbes in industry or medicine or in environmental cleaning, the used microbiological and bacteriological methods in most cases call for the culturing of cells or equivalent in a nutrient substrate before being able to show them, clarifying the effects of their action or getting to a desired production result. This production result may be a cell growth, e.g. for feed or protein, or the formation of one or several desired metabolic products.
LIQUID OR GAS FORM
These products can be in liquid or gas form or they can be separated from a production liquid into solid form by precipitation. The production result of a microbiological reaction can also be the cleaning of environment, like soil or water, or the elimination of a harmful substance from an organism.
NUTRIENT SUBSTRATES
Nutrient substrates contain vital nutrients for microbes and they are designed to be as suitable as possible for the microbes and other organisms to be studied. Plant and animal cells have been started to generally be cultivated with similar methods as microbes.
Conventionally, nutrient substrates are divided into general nutrient substrates and selective nutrient substrates. In the former many different microbes can widely be cultivated whereas selective nutrient substrates choose or enrich selective species or strains. Studied microbes may be for example single cell bacteria or yeasts, or filamentous molds, or algae or protozoa.
MICROBE CULTIVATION
Microbe cultivations and studies may be related to projects for example in medicine, health care, pharmaceutical industry, food, chemistry or cosmetics industries or forestry industry. They may also be part of the control of building mold damage or the follow-up of environmental condition to find out the quality of water, air or other environmental quality.
FINNOFLAG AND ELIAS HAKALEHTO
Normally these cultivations take place in thermostatically controlled cabinets (thermal cabinets or incubators) or rooms, which thermostated cabinets are located in laboratories or equivalent. Often there is need to collect microbe samples or equivalent in the field or as part of field experiments or on site for example in production processes, different locations in hospitals or canteens. Large quantities of microbe cells are generally tried to be cultivated in different kinds of bioreactors, fermentors. Microbiological production reactions often also take place in these. In studies performed by Finnofiag Oy (Kuopio and Siilinjarvi, Finland), it has been shown that microbes can efficiently be cultivated in controlled environments in a cultivation case in a way that air or gas is led into the sampling and cultivation syringes in the case (Finnish patent no FI 106561).
FERMENTATION
In the biotechnical industry fermentation has conventionally been used for cultivating microbes or carrying out a production method by them. Although "fermentation" has originally meant anaerobic fermentation, this concept nowadays includes all microbe action that is carried out in bioreactors. This action may happen just as well in the presence of oxygen, aerobically, or without oxygen, anaerobically. In this application the term "reactor" means bioreactor.
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Biofilms
A biofilm is a structured community of microorganisms encapsulated within a self-developed polymeric matrix and adherent to a living or inert surface. Biofilms have a large and varied role in human activities from being responsible for a number of diseases in humans and animals to also being invaluable in the treatment of domestic sewage and industrial wastes. (Cambridge Journals) The study of biofilms represents a radical new way of understanding the microbiology of virtually everything around us, from problems that afflict industry to serious public health issues. (Montana State University).
oajsopjqowhndklsjfnhweifjekwjfsjloq Image by http://i.treehugger.com/files/th_images/biofilm.jpg
So the basic questions to ask are: When do biofilms cause problems to humanity? And when are biofilms helpful?
The propensity of biofilms to attach can cause many problems for a wide range of industries. An example of these problems is the contamination that biofilms cause in the pulp and paper manufacturing, and the water and treatment distribution. Biofilms are responsible for billions of dollars in lost industrial productivity, as well as product and capital equipment damage each year. That is why some companies have already started programs of R&D in this area. An example of one of these companies is Finnoflag OY which is developing a product called PMEU that allows the detection of microbes in the wood processing and food industries.
kSHOWHDILKNFEKNEFKN mkw Image by http://www.siblarch.net/images/Storbranna3%202006.JPG
Although biofilms sound really harmful, they also have some benefits. For example: they may be used for the self-purification of streams and rivers, in the treatment of waste and pollution and/or the generation of electricity. This is made possible by the protective slimy matrix that prevents attack from the immune system and antibiotics, as well as toxic contaminants while breaking down waste or effluent. (European Research Comission).
It is really good that some companies have already started the R&D of products to combat biofilms, or to enhance their beneficial properties but much more investment should still be done in this area.
So the basic questions to ask are: When do biofilms cause problems to humanity? And when are biofilms helpful?
The propensity of biofilms to attach can cause many problems for a wide range of industries. An example of these problems is the contamination that biofilms cause in the pulp and paper manufacturing, and the water and treatment distribution. Biofilms are responsible for billions of dollars in lost industrial productivity, as well as product and capital equipment damage each year. That is why some companies have already started programs of R&D in this area. An example of one of these companies is Finnoflag OY which is developing a product called PMEU that allows the detection of microbes in the wood processing and food industries.
Biofilms can also cause many infections in human beings, and can be really dangerous. Biofilm infections form preferentially on foreign surfaces as well as dead or damaged tissue. These infections develop gradually and may be slow to produce overt symptoms. Once established, however, biofilm infections persist. They are rarely resolved by host defense mechanisms, even in individuals with healthy innate and adaptive immune reactions. (Montana State University). A company in the USA called QuoNova has started to attack the problem of biofilms as a health problem and they are developing products that allow combating biofilms in wounds and in cystic fibrosis in lungs.
Although biofilms sound really harmful, they also have some benefits. For example: they may be used for the self-purification of streams and rivers, in the treatment of waste and pollution and/or the generation of electricity. This is made possible by the protective slimy matrix that prevents attack from the immune system and antibiotics, as well as toxic contaminants while breaking down waste or effluent. (European Research Comission).
It is really good that some companies have already started the R&D of products to combat biofilms, or to enhance their beneficial properties but much more investment should still be done in this area.
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Bioremediation
Of all the different technologies that have been explored as a solution for the waste cleaning problem, Bioremediation has come out as the most attractive approach to clean many environmental pollutants. This technology uses naturally occurring microorganisms to degrade toxic substances into less-toxic or no-toxic materials. The microorganisms break down contaminants by using them as a food source. Bioremediation seems to be a cost effective, natural process that can be applicable to many common organic wastes and that can be helpful in the elimination of different waste in a lot of areas.
But how does it work?Microorganisms must be active and healthy in order for bioremediation to take place. Bioremediation technologies assist microorganisms' growth and increases microbial populations by creating optimum environmental conditions for them to detoxify the maximum amount of contaminants (Bioremediation Inc.).
Generally, bioremediation technologies can be classified as in situ or ex situ. In situ bioremediation involves treating the contaminated material at the site while ex situ involves the removal of the contaminated material to be treated elsewhere.
Bioremediation can be applied in a lot of areas: water and soil cleaning (Aster Bio), elimination of textile (African Journal of Biotechnology) and paper effluents…
Image by http://www.innovations-report.de/
I hope this field keeps growing and that the areas of application of this technology increase. There has to be inversion in the current studies for developing products that make easier to find the waste and develop the potential microorganism that will be able to clean the pollutant, so let’s hope that more companies do R&D in this field.
Sunday, June 8, 2008
World Water Week, Stockholm, August 17 - 23, 2oo8
In the fast growing urban areas of the developing world, clean, efficient infrastructure and management of sanitation and waste facilities will require considerable up-front financial investments.
The economic, social and environmental benefits down the road will far outweigh this initial expenditure.
The World Water Week will take place in Stockholm, August 17 - 23, 2oo8. For a staggering 2,6 billion people, lack of access to adequate sanitation is a major and daily threat to their health and well-being.
This bears tremendous social and environmental costs, of which premature deaths, degradation of living quarters and the environment, and reduced access to education are but the few.
Parallell global trends - population and economic growth, increasing energy demand, changing diets, etc. - increase the amount of water required for development.
While increased agricultural production for food and bioenergy represent interesting new sources of income for rural farmers all over the world, these opportunities must take into account the water-constrained biophysical reality of the planet.
Reducing fossil fuel use will increase demand for bioenergy production. While the second generation of bioethanol may be produced on wastelands or from cellulose, croplands may also be converted for their production.
This increases competition for land and water resources. Climate change mitigation will increase the demand for biomass-based carbon sequestration.
Source: www.worldwaterweek.org
The economic, social and environmental benefits down the road will far outweigh this initial expenditure.
The World Water Week will take place in Stockholm, August 17 - 23, 2oo8. For a staggering 2,6 billion people, lack of access to adequate sanitation is a major and daily threat to their health and well-being.
This bears tremendous social and environmental costs, of which premature deaths, degradation of living quarters and the environment, and reduced access to education are but the few.
Parallell global trends - population and economic growth, increasing energy demand, changing diets, etc. - increase the amount of water required for development.
While increased agricultural production for food and bioenergy represent interesting new sources of income for rural farmers all over the world, these opportunities must take into account the water-constrained biophysical reality of the planet.
Reducing fossil fuel use will increase demand for bioenergy production. While the second generation of bioethanol may be produced on wastelands or from cellulose, croplands may also be converted for their production.
This increases competition for land and water resources. Climate change mitigation will increase the demand for biomass-based carbon sequestration.
Source: www.worldwaterweek.org
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
Industry Biotech
The so called “White Biotechnology” is the use of living cells—from yeast, moulds, bacteria and plants—and enzymes to synthesize products that are easily degradable, require less energy and create less waste during their production (Embo).
Some examples of industrial biotechnology are: Bio-based polymers (can be used to create more environmental friendly plastic), biological processes for vitamin production, or the use of enzymes for industrial textiles. The existing scope of the Industrial Biotechnology includes:
· Biological feedstock as a renewable resource
· Industrial processes using biological systems
· Biological remediation technologies
This means that Industrial Biotech will have an impact in the raw materials, the industrial production, and the waste management.
The application of biotechnology to industrial production is shows a lot of potential but still many products are not yet economically viable to be launched to the market. Research & Development in this area is still reduced, and a lot of investment is needed to make the break through between scientific discoveries to product launching.
Some examples of industrial biotechnology are: Bio-based polymers (can be used to create more environmental friendly plastic), biological processes for vitamin production, or the use of enzymes for industrial textiles. The existing scope of the Industrial Biotechnology includes:
· Biological feedstock as a renewable resource
· Industrial processes using biological systems
· Biological remediation technologies
This means that Industrial Biotech will have an impact in the raw materials, the industrial production, and the waste management.
Industrial Biotechnology can be really helpful to diminish the environmental problems present in our world. Some of the environmental benefits due to the use of Industrial Biotech are shown in the following table: 
osufpowejofjowjfojgojre Image by http://www.europabio.org/TPWhite/2Bio4EU_industrial_OW_Apr07.pdf
As shown before, biotechnology can be applied in areas diverse areas such as textile, paper and cleaning industries, and will have positive environmental impacts. Enzymes offer a biological route and often cleaner solution for industry than the traditional chemical processes to make products.
As shown before, biotechnology can be applied in areas diverse areas such as textile, paper and cleaning industries, and will have positive environmental impacts. Enzymes offer a biological route and often cleaner solution for industry than the traditional chemical processes to make products.
The application of biotechnology to industrial production is shows a lot of potential but still many products are not yet economically viable to be launched to the market. Research & Development in this area is still reduced, and a lot of investment is needed to make the break through between scientific discoveries to product launching.
Want to know more about this topic?
The European Forum for Industrial Biotechnology 2008 will take place from the 15-17 September in Brussels, Belgium. If you are able to go, don’t miss it! It sounds really promising.
The European Forum for Industrial Biotechnology 2008 will take place from the 15-17 September in Brussels, Belgium. If you are able to go, don’t miss it! It sounds really promising.
Monday, June 2, 2008
Bioheapleaching?
Sounds like a really complicated term and until yesterday I had no idea of what it meant. It looks like some Finnish and Australian companies have been developing a new technology that might be a key factor for the exploitation of mines, and it might start a revolution on mining. It sounds like microbes again are opening new frontiers in another field.
Pacific Ore Limited is an Australian based company that has developed and patented a bacterial leach process for the extraction of base metals fro
m sulphide ores stacked in pre-prepared heaps. On the other hand, Talvivaara Mining Company Plc. is currently developing and exploiting polymetallic deposits, in Sotkamo, Finland, with the use of its new bioheapleaching. According to MineWeb:“Talvivaara aims to become an internationally significant base metals producer with its primary focus on nickel and zinc using a technology known as bioheapleaching to extract metal out of low grade ore. Bioheapleaching makes extraction of metals from low grade ore economically viable.” HERE IT COMES THE IMAGETHERE SHOULD BE MORE SPACE Image by http://www.warwick.ac.uk
Both companies are doing breakthrough developments in the biotechnology area, applying the use of bacteria to the mining field.
But how does bioheapleaching works?
Microbes are used in extracting minerals because they have the ability to oxidise ferrous iron to ferric iron, and sulphur to sulphates. The resulting oxidising conditions dissolve the target metals out of the ore into a solution, from which they can be recovered using conventional methods (HighTech Finland).
IMAGE SHOULD GO HERE Image by http://www.pacificore.com.au/?page=29The technology enables cost effective and environmentally friendly exploitation of the resource using locally occurring bacteria. Pacific Ore claims that this technology has many advantages such as:
· Reducing the environmental impact
· Being simpler to operate
· It is well suited to remote locations
· Producing high value products
The time will let us know if this technology is as useful and advantageous as it is presented, meanwhile let’s wait for new discoveries introducing the use of microbes to technology.
· Reducing the environmental impact
· Being simpler to operate
· It is well suited to remote locations
· Producing high value products
The time will let us know if this technology is as useful and advantageous as it is presented, meanwhile let’s wait for new discoveries introducing the use of microbes to technology.
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Biofuels made from bacteria a great advance in alternative energy
This whole year a lot of research and discoveries where done in the field of bacteria-based biofuels. This form of producing biofuels present and advantage since bacteria grow faster that common crops and it can be continuously harvest, plus it contains a higher concentration of fat that can be burned to energy.
At the end of the year 2007, researchers from Finland, Iceland and Taiwan published a paper: “Bioprospecting Thermophilic Microorganisms from Icelandic Hot Springs for Hydrogen and Ethanol Production” where they explain about their scientific exploration of the hot springs in Iceland. In this exploration they identified bacteria that can be candidates to be used as biofuels since they hold potential for producing hydrogen an ethanol fuels from wastewater. Later on, at the beginning of this year, researchers at the UCLA discovered that by modifying the E. Coli bacteria they could start producing biofuels. The following text was published by the ScienceDaily:
“The research team modified key pathways in E. coli to produce several higher-chain alcohols from glucose, a renewable carbon source, including isobutanol, 1-butanol, 2-methyl-1-butanol, 3-methyl-1-butanol and 2-phenylethanol.
This strategy leverages the E. coli host's highly active amino acid biosynthetic pathway by shifting part of it to alcohol production. In particular, the research team achieved high-yield, high-specificity production of isobutanol from glucose.
This new strategy opens an unexplored frontier for biofuels production, both in coli and in other microorganisms.”
At the end of April researchers at the University of Texas at Austin developed a microbe that secrete glucose and cellulose, and that can be turned into ethanol and other biofuels. The name of this microbe is: cynobacterieum or blue-green algae. Researchers at the UT at Austin think these bacteria could have a great potential:
"The cyanobacterium is potentially a very inexpensive source for sugars to use for ethanol and designer fuels," says Nobles, a research associate in the Section of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics. "The huge expense in making cellulosic ethanol and biofuels is in using enzymes and mechanical methods to break cellulose down. Using the cyanobacteria escapes these expensive processes."
Image by http://science.kennesaw.edu/Finally Arizona State University, BP Energy and Science Foundation of Arizona are currently building “photobioreactors” to grow the cynobacteria. With this research they hope they can prove that bacteria can be raised on commercial scale. The Science Daily published the following:
“Instead of needing fertilizer, which is costly and requires energy to produce, researchers hope to feed the bacteria the carbon dioxide released from electric power plants.
That is an increasingly popular idea in the energy industry, where carbon-dioxide emissions are getting increased scrutiny for their contribution to global climate change.”
These discoveries could lead to mass production of biofuels, since both bacteria algae have high energy potential, require little space to grow and can thrive in marginal water.
These investigations have become a competition between enterprises-universities researchers since having an exclusive license of these technologies could implicate a huge competitive advantage to the company that discovers it. This will be the key to produce a renewable resource-based fuel and address the issues of climate change and future energy needs.
“Instead of needing fertilizer, which is costly and requires energy to produce, researchers hope to feed the bacteria the carbon dioxide released from electric power plants.
That is an increasingly popular idea in the energy industry, where carbon-dioxide emissions are getting increased scrutiny for their contribution to global climate change.”
These discoveries could lead to mass production of biofuels, since both bacteria algae have high energy potential, require little space to grow and can thrive in marginal water.
These investigations have become a competition between enterprises-universities researchers since having an exclusive license of these technologies could implicate a huge competitive advantage to the company that discovers it. This will be the key to produce a renewable resource-based fuel and address the issues of climate change and future energy needs.
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
George Soros: rocketing oil price is a bubble - Telegraph
George Soros: rocketing oil price is a bubble - Telegraph: George Soros says, "Rocketing oil price is a bubble."
By Edmund Conway, Economics Editor | Last Updated: 12:53am BST 27/05/2008
Speculators are largely responsible for driving crude prices to their peaks in recent weeks and the record oil price now looks like a bubble, George Soros has warned.
In an interview with The Daily Telegraph, Mr Soros said that although the weak dollar, ebbing Middle Eastern supply and record Chinese demand could explain some of the increase in energy prices, the crude oil market had been significantly affected by speculation."
What are the implications on biorefinery and biodiesel projects if oil price drops down to normal levels?
By Edmund Conway, Economics Editor | Last Updated: 12:53am BST 27/05/2008
Speculators are largely responsible for driving crude prices to their peaks in recent weeks and the record oil price now looks like a bubble, George Soros has warned.
- There is a video on the The Telegraph site.
In an interview with The Daily Telegraph, Mr Soros said that although the weak dollar, ebbing Middle Eastern supply and record Chinese demand could explain some of the increase in energy prices, the crude oil market had been significantly affected by speculation."
What are the implications on biorefinery and biodiesel projects if oil price drops down to normal levels?
Bioenergy Today
From today until the 29th of May Sweden will be hosting the 3rd edition of the World Bioenergy Conference in the city of Jönköping. Today’s conferences will cover the topics about US-Sweden bioenergy cooperation and Brazil-Sweden bioenergy cooperation. These conferences are of great importance since US and Brazil are the world largest producers of ethanol and Brazil is considered as the world's first sustainable biofuels economy and the biofuel industry leader. Let’s hope that these conferences will reduce the criticism that some sceptics have about ethanol who argue that it takes too much fossil fuel to produce this alternative fuel. For more information on the conference visit:
http://www.elmia.se/en/World-Bioenergy/
http://www.elmia.se/en/World-Bioenergy/
Monday, May 26, 2008
Definiton of Biotouch
Hi Biotouch-bloggers, below is Juha Mentus definition of his blog Industy Microbiologist, but we need a more "generic definition" for BIOTOUCH.
Please, post new ideas that could be used to define the content of the BIOTOUCH blog.
This blog contains novel ideas for the development of paper industry microbiology. Traditional methods, despite their important role in the selection of harmful microbes from process and product samples, does not fulfill the needs of modern HACCP and process stability control. Faults in the process management as well as in the QC of products can cause hazardous situations for the economy of production as well as for the safety of employers, customers and environment.
Helge suggests a small revision, but I guess this isn't complete yet:
This blog contains novel ideas for the development of biotechnology and microbiology. Traditional methods, despite their important role in the selection of harmful microbes from process and product samples, does not fulfill the needs of modern HACCP and process stability control. Faults in the process management as well as in the QC of products can cause hazardous situations for the economy of production as well as for the safety of employers, customers and environment.
We should include aspects of risk management in eg. water treatment and fresh water supply, etc. I also spoke with Elias over the phone about how to present a biorefinery innovation project to investors and sponsors.
I'm happy for your comments. Macarena will make the changes in "settings" when we have a good definition that helps to profile BIOTOUCH. Also, send pictures to Macarena or me to be added to the posts to visualize our messages.
Best regards,
Helge
Please, post new ideas that could be used to define the content of the BIOTOUCH blog.
This blog contains novel ideas for the development of paper industry microbiology. Traditional methods, despite their important role in the selection of harmful microbes from process and product samples, does not fulfill the needs of modern HACCP and process stability control. Faults in the process management as well as in the QC of products can cause hazardous situations for the economy of production as well as for the safety of employers, customers and environment.
Helge suggests a small revision, but I guess this isn't complete yet:
This blog contains novel ideas for the development of biotechnology and microbiology. Traditional methods, despite their important role in the selection of harmful microbes from process and product samples, does not fulfill the needs of modern HACCP and process stability control. Faults in the process management as well as in the QC of products can cause hazardous situations for the economy of production as well as for the safety of employers, customers and environment.
We should include aspects of risk management in eg. water treatment and fresh water supply, etc. I also spoke with Elias over the phone about how to present a biorefinery innovation project to investors and sponsors.
I'm happy for your comments. Macarena will make the changes in "settings" when we have a good definition that helps to profile BIOTOUCH. Also, send pictures to Macarena or me to be added to the posts to visualize our messages.
- Personal pictures needed for interviews
- Process pictures
- Product pictures of PMEU and how it's used
Best regards,
Helge
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