Novel plastics and textiles from waste with the use of microbes

[ Back to EurekAlert! ] Public release date: 16-Mar-2012
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Contact: Merja Penttila
merja.penttila@vtt.fi
358-407-000-163
Academy of Finland

New biotechnological and chemical methods will facilitate efficient production of chemicals, materials and fuels from renewable natural resources. The Academy of Finland Centre of Excellence (CoE) in White Biotechnology Green Chemistry Research focuses on the research and development of microbial cells, or cell factories, for producing new useful compounds from sugars in plant biomass. These compounds can be used, for example, for manufacturing bioplastics or in medical applications.

"By means of gene technology, we can modify microbial metabolism and thereby produce organic acids for a wide range of industrial applications. They can be used, among other things, for manufacturing new plastic and textile materials, or packaging technologies," explains Merja Penttil, Research Professor and Director of the Centre of Excellence from VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland.

New methods play a key role when various industries are developing environmentally friendly and energy-efficient production processes. Use of renewable natural resources, such as agricultural or industrial waste materials, to replace oil-based raw materials will make industries less dependent of fossil raw materials and, consequently, reduce carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere.

The CoE also develops highly sensitive measuring methods and investigates microbial cell functions at molecular level. "We need this information to be able to develop efficient bioprocesses for the future. For instance, we build up new micro- and nanoscale instruments for measuring and controlling microbial productivity in bioreactors during production."

Alternatives for oil

The metabolism of microbes is modified so that they will convert plant biomass sugars into sugar acids and their derivatives. These compounds can potentially serve as raw materials for new types of polyesters, whose properties such as water solubility and extremely rapid degradation into natural substances can be used, for example, in medicine. By modifying sugar acids, it is also possible to produce compounds that may replace oil-based aromatic acids in the manufacture of thermosetting plastics and textiles.

"Sugar acids can be used to produce biodegradable technical plastics, including polyamides, or functional components that increase the ability of cellulose to absorb water. Novel materials could replace the currently available non-biodegradable absorbent components in hygiene products. Sugar acids are also a source of hydroxy acids, such as glycolic acid, whose oxygen-barrier properties make it suitable for food packaging," explains Professor Ali Harlin, the head of the CoE Green Chemistry team.

In order to be able to replace, in the future, industrial production that is based on petrochemicals with new production processes based on waste biomass, such new processes must be extremely efficient. "A major challenge is how make the production organisms used in bioprocesses, that is, the microbes, to utilise the sugars of the biomass and to convert them into desired compounds in the most effective manner. This development work calls for multidisciplinary competence ranging from biosciences to engineering."

###

More information
Research Professor Merja Penttil, VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, tel. +358 40 7000 163, merja.penttila(at)vtt.fi

Academy of Finland
Communications Manager Riitta Tirronen
tel. +358 9 7748 8369, riitta.tirronen(at)aka.fi


[ Back to EurekAlert! ] [ | E-mail | Share Share ]

?


AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.


[ Back to EurekAlert! ] Public release date: 16-Mar-2012
[ | E-mail | Share Share ]

Contact: Merja Penttila
merja.penttila@vtt.fi
358-407-000-163
Academy of Finland

New biotechnological and chemical methods will facilitate efficient production of chemicals, materials and fuels from renewable natural resources. The Academy of Finland Centre of Excellence (CoE) in White Biotechnology Green Chemistry Research focuses on the research and development of microbial cells, or cell factories, for producing new useful compounds from sugars in plant biomass. These compounds can be used, for example, for manufacturing bioplastics or in medical applications.

"By means of gene technology, we can modify microbial metabolism and thereby produce organic acids for a wide range of industrial applications. They can be used, among other things, for manufacturing new plastic and textile materials, or packaging technologies," explains Merja Penttil, Research Professor and Director of the Centre of Excellence from VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland.

New methods play a key role when various industries are developing environmentally friendly and energy-efficient production processes. Use of renewable natural resources, such as agricultural or industrial waste materials, to replace oil-based raw materials will make industries less dependent of fossil raw materials and, consequently, reduce carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere.

The CoE also develops highly sensitive measuring methods and investigates microbial cell functions at molecular level. "We need this information to be able to develop efficient bioprocesses for the future. For instance, we build up new micro- and nanoscale instruments for measuring and controlling microbial productivity in bioreactors during production."

Alternatives for oil

The metabolism of microbes is modified so that they will convert plant biomass sugars into sugar acids and their derivatives. These compounds can potentially serve as raw materials for new types of polyesters, whose properties such as water solubility and extremely rapid degradation into natural substances can be used, for example, in medicine. By modifying sugar acids, it is also possible to produce compounds that may replace oil-based aromatic acids in the manufacture of thermosetting plastics and textiles.

"Sugar acids can be used to produce biodegradable technical plastics, including polyamides, or functional components that increase the ability of cellulose to absorb water. Novel materials could replace the currently available non-biodegradable absorbent components in hygiene products. Sugar acids are also a source of hydroxy acids, such as glycolic acid, whose oxygen-barrier properties make it suitable for food packaging," explains Professor Ali Harlin, the head of the CoE Green Chemistry team.

In order to be able to replace, in the future, industrial production that is based on petrochemicals with new production processes based on waste biomass, such new processes must be extremely efficient. "A major challenge is how make the production organisms used in bioprocesses, that is, the microbes, to utilise the sugars of the biomass and to convert them into desired compounds in the most effective manner. This development work calls for multidisciplinary competence ranging from biosciences to engineering."

###

More information
Research Professor Merja Penttil, VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, tel. +358 40 7000 163, merja.penttila(at)vtt.fi

Academy of Finland
Communications Manager Riitta Tirronen
tel. +358 9 7748 8369, riitta.tirronen(at)aka.fi


[ Back to EurekAlert! ] [ | E-mail | Share Share ]

?


AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.


Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2012-03/aof-npa031612.php

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Six Steps to Lowering Risk for Colorectal Cancer | GantDaily.com

By Scott Gilbert, Penn State

March is National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month.?Penn State Hershey Colon and Rectal Surgery and?Penn State Hershey Cancer Institute offers the reminder that colorectal cancer is preventable and treatable ? and often curable ? when detected early.

Colorectal cancer, or cancer of the colon and rectum, is the third most commonly diagnosed cancer and the second leading cause of cancer death in men and women combined in the United States. This year, more than 143,000 new cases of colorectal cancer will be diagnosed, and nearly 52,000 people will die from the disease. Although colorectal cancer may occur at any age, more than 90 percent of people are diagnosed after age 40. And the risk increases with age.

Here?s how to lower the risk:

1. Get regular colorectal cancer screenings beginning at age 50. Those with a personal or family history of colorectal cancer or colorectal polyps, or a personal history of another cancer or inflammatory bowel disease, should talk to their doctor about earlier screening.

2. Eat between 25 to 30 grams of fiber each day from fruits, vegetables, whole grain bread and cereals, nuts and beans.

3. Eat a low-fat diet.

4. Eat foods such as leafy green vegetables, which have folate.

5. Drink alcohol only in moderation. Alcohol and tobacco in combination are linked to colorectal cancer and other gastrointestinal cancers. Those who use tobacco should quit. Those who don?t should not start the habit.

6. Exercise for at least 20 minutes three to four days each week. Moderate exercise such as walking, gardening, or climbing steps may help reduce the risk.

To find out if you are at risk, visit?PennStateHershey.org/colorectal and click on Assess Your Risk.

-->

Source: http://gantdaily.com/2012/03/16/six-steps-to-lowering-risk-for-colorectal-cancer/

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How to counter Real Estate Investment Scams

Regarding the advertisements in books or magazines, or viewing websites can be very Corning with the enticing information offered about real estate investing. Taking the advertisement as gospel true can though be very frustrating in the real life. The systems place huge promises and one question that erupts is of whether the systems are practical and really verifiable. Before first-time real estate, investors place their money in the systems, it is vital for them to realize the possibility of engaging with a real estate investment scam. A quick look of the Dean graziosi review displays several beneficiaries who share their excitement after Dean?s system perfectly worked for them.

His program has financial statements to show that the program is legitimate. The references from real beneficiaries, therefore, build confidence to those who want information that can help them in their efforts of real estate investing. Most of the information offered in the scam systems cannot be translated into reality to earn money in real estate investing. Dean graziosi offers information that has been tested and therefore, useful and based on facts. It also offers examples to get real success deals done. Dean does not promise heaven in earth, and the adventure is not a walk in the park. Scams don?t mention any failures whatsoever. Scam systems censor some information, but this is not the case with Dean?s system. First time real estate investors need to learn from the testimonials from real people that Dean offers to avoid falling victim of a scam.

?

Source: http://www.framcos7.org/how-to-counter-real-estate-investment-scams/

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Mobile Miscellany: week of March 12th, 2012

Mobile Miscellany: week of March 12th, 2012
Not all mobile news is destined for the front page, but if you're like us and really want to know what's going on, then you've come to the right place. This past week, we've seen T-Mobile expand its network coverage and take an argument to the FCC regarding interoperability requirements of the 700MHz band. These stories and more await after the break. So buy the ticket and take the ride as we explore the "best of the rest" for this week of March 12th, 2012.

Continue reading Mobile Miscellany: week of March 12th, 2012

Mobile Miscellany: week of March 12th, 2012 originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 17 Mar 2012 19:06:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments


Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/7p_hQD4M0NI/

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Hana Law Firm ? [Legal Clinic] Free Elder Law Clinic on March 17 ...

[Legal Clinic] Free Elder Law Clinic on March 17, 2012

Hana Law Firm is hosting a free legal clinic for individuals who are interested in preparing Advance Health Care Directive and Durable Power of Attorney.

Advance Health Care Directive allows you to make very important decisions such as End-of-Life decisions, relief form paid, organ donation, etc.

Durable Power of Attorney names and authorizes an agent to make financial decisions on behalf of you even when you become incapacitated.

Date: ?March 17, 2012

Time:? 9 am to 11:30 am

Place: ?8150 Knott Ave. Buena Park, CA 90620

Open to Public (non-Buena Park residents included).

The article attached here is written in Korean, but contact either Hana Law Firm at (714) 739-0111 or Buena Park Senior Center at (714) 236-3870 for more information.

Click for full-size image

Source: http://hanafirm.com/?p=284

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Get Great Advice On Home Improvement Projects | Articles For ...

Most people will find that when making home repairs and overall improvements, the process never exactly meets the planning. You may think something will only take a day and a little effort, but you?re likely to find that things get a bit more complicated. Work to streamline the improvement process by reading these tips.

Desire to know more about best cordless drill, then read the advices below now.

If you have popcorn on your ceiling, get rid of it. The popcorn ceiling look was very popular in the 60?s and 70?s but now it just looks dated. You can find solutions that will soften the texture allowing you to scrape it away. It?s a simple change but it can really bring your house firmly into the new century.

Although hardwood floors are popular for the first floor, try to add carpet to the second floor rooms. This makes it more comfortable with stepping out of bed, as carpet is plush and comfortable for feet. Also, make sure to pick out a carpet with top of the line quality.

If you are buying tools and equipment for a home improvement project, don?t cheap out on the essentials. For example, a cheaply-built ladder will often fall apart while being used and low-quality paintbrushes may shed bristles into the paint, leaving ugly marks on the walls. Aim for middle-grade equipment if you are on a budget, otherwise, you may be in for some nasty accidents.

Spend some time in your prospective neighborhood driving and walking through. You should have some idea about the kind of maintenance your new neighbors apply to their homes. If the area seems run down with overgrown yards and untidy homes, you will want to rethink moving into the area.

Building a screened in porch on the back or front of ones house can provide an additional room for one to relax in. An individual or whole family can enjoy the view of the outdoors while staying free from mosquitoes and most other bugs. A screened in porch can be a worthwhile home improvement project.

Improving your home yourself in anyway can be a fun, rewarding experience, but this can also be a disaster. Before starting any projects, make sure you research what you?re doing first. Getting halfway through any home improvement project only to find you?re doing something wrong is a nightmare waiting to happen.

Don?t become disillusioned when your home improvement project takes longer, more money than you expected, or doesn?t turn out as planned. If you?ve prepared correctly you should have a cushion of money to cover the additional cost, or pay to hire someone to fix the mistakes you?ve made, so relax.

Start making plans early. Look online and in home improvement magazines and see what ideas jump out at you. If you know you want to remodel your kitchen, start looking at kitchens right away so that you?re not rushed when it comes time to choose one. This way you can make sure you find the perfect look.

If you are renovating a small space, and you have the ability, install larger windows. Even if you cannot expand the window size, use a style of window that has more glass than wooden frame. More glass in the window will mean it lets in more natural light, which makes a small room seem much brighter and larger.

Always measure long and you will eliminate any errors in your cuts. If you are doing a wood floor, and you cut your pieces too short, there is no adding back after they are cut. So when cutting your flooring in tricky areas, measuring a little long will give you enough to trim so you do not have waste.

Instead of installing electricity based heating system in your home, consider going with a large wood burning fireplace. With the proper piping and the right size, a wood burning fireplace is more cost effective and heats better. If the electricity ever goes out, you are still able to keep warm in the winter.

If one has a staircase that is awkward to use or has family members with balance issues they should install a hand rail. It is a simple home improvement job to do with a finished product or to make by hand. One will be thankful they did it when it saves them from falling.

Adding accessories to your room can be a great way to make a space feel like your own. Infuse your own personality into your room by carefully choosing some accessories to your liking. Make sure not to go overboard with decorations because it can make a small room feel rather cramped.

In the end you need to be sure that you merge your skill level, functionality and even affordability when considering home improvement options. Your home is one of your greatest assets and can serve you and your family for generations to come if you take care to improve it and upkeep it wisely.

If you are looking for ways to improve your home today, then you have to read up more about Canon PowerShot S95 reviews today.

Source: http://www.articlesforcanada.ca/get-great-advice-on-home-improvement-projects.html

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Video: Artist helps skiers chart their course

>>> you're looking at the weather in california squaw valley . while much of this country is basking in record warmth, skiers are loving the snow which is making for a great spring break for a lot of lucky families on the slopes. which brings us to the the work of an artist whose work you may be familiar with without realizing it. he is one of a kind in ski areas across north america . nbc's kevin tibbles has the story of this monet of the mountains.

>> reporter: if you have ever skied or simply stood awe struck by a mountain's imagestry, you may be familiar with the intricate hand-painted panoramas of jim nieheus.

>> i wanted people to look at the runs and see the different variations of the slopes.

>> reporter: skiers the world over can thank him for never getting lost. his paintings are used as trail maps from here in winter park , colorado, to resorts around the world.

>> jim 's trail maps are as integral to skiing as snow. everyone recognizes his style.

>> reporter: for a quarter century, he has been heading up to where the air is thin and the vistas breath taking. he'll photograph the mountain from the ground and up high before getting down to work. michelangelo got close to heaven painting the ceiling of the sistine chapel . jim neiheus does it.

>> he taught himself to paint as a child when his mother bought him a kit when i was home sick from school.

>> i hope they not only look how they get down, but maybe they'll look and see a little bit of the beauty that's there and stop and admire what they're skiing in.

>> reporter: his fans worry what would happen should he ever hang up his brush.

>> with jim 's maps, each one celebrates the mountains as a piece of art, an organic natural piece of art. i think we lose a little bit of soul when we start only looking at the satellite images.

>> reporter: combining a love of nature and art to help countless skiers chart a course down the mountain. kevin tibbles, nbc news, winter park , colorado.

Source: http://video.msnbc.msn.com/nightly-news/46753638/

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Korea A Health care Journey and Health care Tourism Hotspot ...

The place of Korea has produced into a modern, industrialized and technologically leading-edge financial system that exports its items to shoppers throughout the entire world. Professional medical treatment in Korea has produced alongside the other higher-tech sectors below and at the moment the clinical institution gives treatment that is amid the greatest in the entire world. As a pure extension of the export-driven financial system and the result-oriented clinical treatment sectors that exist below at this time, people from about the planet have started to journey to Korea for high quality, affordable treatment and this is a prime case in point of a new development using maintain in produced and acquiring nations about the entire world.

The authorities of nero Korea, exclusively the Korea Health Sector Improvement Institute (KHIDI), has taken a main part in building a world wide recognition of Korea?s standing in the clinical neighborhood. They have concluded several initiatives that, taken with each other, produce a system for international purchaser satisfaction in the clinical business and a delivery framework inside of which clinical providers have to get the job done. This has made a standardized presenting of excellent clinical treatment whose concept has started to resonate with shoppers in the US.

As the Professional medical Travel business has matured more than the past several a long time, a lot of gurus concur that we are on the cusp of a substantial scale adoption of clinical journey by corporations download gratuito di Google Chrome in the sort of modified or expanded personnel advantage options.

HealthGlobe has worked carefully with KHIDI to create several offerings that produce an easy way to combine a Korea Professional medical Travel Profit Solution into any ERISA-based mostly self-funded group health and fitness system. Amongst the offerings that have been produced is an affiliation system for Korean firms. In this article we will explore the self-funded group health and fitness system type, the increasing development of adoption of clinical journey added benefits by group health and fitness ideas and what differentiates an affiliation system type from a standalone system style and design.

It is crucial to position out that the system layouts discussed in this article have been adopted by several emule employers previously, which includes substantial multinational corporations, and are in the process of becoming executed by several a lot more self-funded teams at this time. This experience in the business has resulted in an presenting that has been produced and then iteratively refined more than time to increase its relevance to the corporate customer. The ongoing get the job done with employers from a lot of different business teams proceeds to provide revolutionary alter to this system building an evolving presenting that is in the long run constructed by the purchaser, not the supplier.

Posted in Blog |

Source: http://www.firemash.com/?p=1132

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Source: http://kydaotb.posterous.com/korea-a-health-care-journey-and-health-care-t

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burberry outlet uk Food and Drink Cooking Supplies | Angelica ...

If you are thinking purchasing new cookware,manolos, you probably are surprising how to acquaint the highest sagacious purchase plus still win all the pieces and features you need Price is always a major factor in deciding which cookware set is right for you. Choosing the utter cookware set involves much more than color plus the availability of nifty glass stoppers namely you tin perceive through If you are a solemn cook,burberry outlet uk,alternatively simply absence the best knob as the spend you longing need to be more practical within making your decision.
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Source: http://fgie718tu.allianceblogger.com/2012/03/14/burberry-outlet-uk-food-and-drink-cooking-supplies/

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Source: http://immateriality-quincentenary.blogspot.com/2012/03/burberry-outlet-uk-food-and-drink.html

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Doqnloading Quality Digital Music Files

Mar 15 2012

People who have gone online for the first time just recently take for granted the speed with which they can upload and download files. Bit for those older people who have used the Internet since its early beginnings, cable Internet connections and high speed modems were not yet available. The Internet functioned through dialup connections, which means the digital data had to go through telephone cables. These cables were not meant for high speed connections, which necessitated digital compression technology. Large bitmap images became gifs and jpegs, and movie snippets were shown in grainy movs, avis, and mpegs. In order to share music online, songs from compact discs became smaller wmas, mp3s, and real audio files.

From the word compression, this implies that the size of the files became smaller. This was necessary so that in order to?share music music community members can download files from the Internet in a fairly reasonable amount of time. It took about thirty minutes to download a typical song?a length of time that modern high-speed Internet users would certainly find interminable?but it was better than the 10 or more hours needed had the songs remained uncompressed. But because of the decrease in file size, a certain amount of audio details had to be lost.

With the modern availability of high-speed connections, you can now download bigger music files from the online music community. With two songs of the same time duration, the bigger file size usually determines which has better quality. Other determining include sampling frequency and bitrate. By examining these factors, you can determine the quality of the music you download from the Internet.

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categoriesGeneral Business | divengrabber | 15 March 2012 |

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