Toxic cyanobacterial (often referred to as blue-green algae) blooms, and their increasing glob...more

Toxic cyanobacterial (often referred to as blue-green algae) blooms, and their increasing global occurrence, pose a serious threat to human health, domestic animals and livestock. The frequency and severity of bloom events continue to rise, most probably as a direct result of increased nutrient loading of water systems worldwide increased nutrient loading (nitrogen and phorphorus) of water systems worldwide. Government agencies are under tremendous pressure to cope with escalating demands for water analysis, specifically for the toxins produced by the cyanobacteria. A quantitative-PCR (Q-PCR) approach was developed for the early detection of blooms formed by microcystin-producing cyanobacteria. This molecular analysis method to detect the presence of a cyanotoxin producing gene in water samples offers early cyanotoxin detection with improved speed, sensitivity and reduced cost as compared to conventional alternatives.

Microbial enzymes are routinely used across many economic industrial sectors for the development...more

Microbial enzymes are routinely used across many economic industrial sectors for the development of environmentally-friendly processes. Enzymes with enhanced thermal stability and activity are highly sought after for use under industrial processing conditions (e.g., elevated temperature and density). Genetic engineering approaches were applied to create variants of a new Xanthomonas campestris pectate lyase. These variants with improved thermotolerance and increased activity hold high market potential for the industrial processing of pectinaceous compounds.

The Fischer-Tropsch synthesis is an important process to convert coal, natural gas and biomass t...more

The Fischer-Tropsch synthesis is an important process to convert coal, natural gas and biomass to a variety of hydrocarbon products and oxygenates of different chain length. These products mainly find use as transportation fuels including petrol jet fuel and diesel as well as speciality waxes.

In this modified Fischer-Tropsch process valuable nitrogen or phosphorous containing products of varying chain length are produced via co-feeding of suitable gases such as ammonia.  These nitrogen-containing products include amines, but also nitriles, amides and formamides.  

Amines and nitriles are important base chemicals and they are typically produced from oxygenates precursors which themselves are derived from olefins.  This process therefore eliminates the use of a two step process. Similarly phosphorous-containing compounds can be produced.  Moreover, the formation of oxygenates, including carboxylic acids which are undesired products of the synthesis, can be fully suppressed with the modified process. Notably this can be achieved with no or tolerable loss of catalyst activity.