Understanding Biotechnology

What is Biotechnology

Overview of Biotechnology

History of Biotechnology

Why do we do biotechnology?

Biotechnology for the environment

Biotechnology for food and agriculture

Biofuels

Scientists are also looking at using other sources for environmentally friendly ways to run cars. For example, Brazil has experimented with plant-based fuels since the 1970s, when the country switched its fuel supply to a cheaper home grown product: sugar cane ethanol. At one point, 91% of cars driven in Brazil were running on biofuels.

Scientists have also harnessed a group of naturally‑occurring bacteria to generate electricity. The bacteria, from a family of microorganisms called Geobacteraceae, break down organic material in mud — anything from decaying plant and animal matter to toxic organic pollutants — to obtain energy. In the process, they produce a stream of electrons that can be captured to generate electricity.

Biodegradable plastics

Superglue

They've discovered that the key binding agent in the super-strong glues of the common blue mussel, Mytilus edulis, is iron in seawater. The researchers are using this knowledge to develop safer alternatives for surgical and household glues, as well as looking at how to combat the mussels' glue to prevent damage to shipping vessels and the accidental transport of invasive species.

The 800 mussels in their laboratory apparently have an uncanny ability to stick to almost anything, even Teflon®.

Sunscreen lotion

Sugarcane as a biofactory

For this reason, Australian researchers are trying to produce new sugarcane varieties that convert excess carbon such as sucrose into other products.

Sugar to replace petroleum

These new carbon building blocks could form the basis of many manufacturing processes and remove the waste and pollution that result from other manufacturing materials, such as petroleum.

The researchers are aiming to increase the plant's ability to produce sucrose. This project is identifying key genes in the sucrose accumulation process, and then using them to develop new high-sucrose sugarcane varieties.

Another project aims to produce commercial amounts of the biodegradable plastic polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) in genetically‑modified sugarcane, with the aim of producing plants that could make versatile, sustainable, environmentally-friendly plastics and chemicals. This will allow sugarcane to be used in place of non-renewable resources such as petroleum-based plastics.

For more information on this research, go to: http://www.crcsugar.com

Sugar byproducts for medicine?

Many sugarcane byproducts are derived from the bagasse or leftover fibre after milling, either in the form of fibrous material (pulp, paper), chemicals (furfural) or through utilisation as a fuel (electricity). Other products can be made from molasses (cane juice), typically after fermentation, including rum, ethanol, acetic acid and glycerol. All of these products and processes have been around for many years.

Cooperative Research Centre for Sugar Industry Innovation through Biotechnology (CRC SIIB) researchers are studying these extracts to seek out potential compounds that may have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory or anticancer activity.

While sugar consumption worldwide is high, Australia has to compete with countries that have lower production costs. For the industry to survive, it needs to pursue research such as this, aimed at diversifying its products and finding new markets for them.

New technologies always have the potential to transform industries. Instead of competing with other sugar producers in the future, our sugar industry might be competing with oil companies.