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Biotechnology for Sustainable Futures

Biotechnology for Sustainable Futures. Associate Professor Ian Menz Dean, School of Biological Sciences. How can Biotechnology support sustainable futures?. Economic Sustainability More efficient processes New industries Community Sustainability Increased food production

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Biotechnology for Sustainable Futures

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  1. Biotechnology for Sustainable Futures Associate Professor Ian Menz Dean, School of Biological Sciences

  2. How can Biotechnology support sustainable futures? • Economic Sustainability • More efficient processes • New industries • Community Sustainability • Increased food production • Water and Energy supply • Waste recycling • Improved health outcome

  3. The Chinese “Blue (marine) Economy” • Adelaide’s sister city, Qingdao, in Shandong Province is centre of the Blue Economy • In 2012 the output of the Chinese Blue economy was RMB5 trillion ~ AUD$1 trillion • Many opportunities, to develop, SA economy economy

  4. Food Production • Aquaculture • Breeding and Genetics • Diet • Disease and health CleanSeas, Yellowtail King Fish

  5. Marine Bioproducts an Ocean of untapped resources • Marine microalgae • only 10 % of some 40,000 species isolated and cultured • World’s fastest-growing plants: can double biomass daily • Marine microorganisms • constitute as much as 10% of the total living biomass carbon of the biosphere • only 3000 marine species have been described over an estimated 1.5 million species • < 5% culturable and < 1% potentially useful compounds screened • Overall • nearly 300,000 marine species described, estimated as only a small percentage of total number of species (Zhang et al., 2011)

  6. Marine Bioproducts • Therapeutics • antibiotics • antivirals • anticancer • anti dementia

  7. Marine Bioproducts Gather Great Ocean Group (GGOG) S.E. Australia/Qingdao China Sodium Alginate, Carrageenan, Agar, Mannitol, Alginic acid, Iodine • Industrial materials • Food Additives • Fertiliser • Feed • Cosmetics • detergents

  8. Protein haze in white wine • Which wine would you drink? • Caused by grape pathogen related (PR) proteins

  9. Plant Defence (Immune) Responses Chisolm et al. (2006) Cell 124: 803-814

  10. The current haze solution • Bentonite fining, is used to transform, cloudy to clear. • However, it is: • non selective • increases tank time • can lead to loss of volume and quality • creates waste • cost the industry $1 billion per year

  11. Protein Crystallography

  12. X-ray diffraction at the Australian synchrotron

  13. Understanding the properties of proteins that cause haze in white wine

  14. Looking for future solution • Haze proteins are resistant to proteases typically used in the processing of food and beverages • Currently examining aspartic proteases from the grape fungal pathogen Botrytis (noble rot) for there ability to cleave the haze proteins.

  15. Biotechnology and Sustainability An enabling science Applicable to many sectors Can transform practices to make them sustainable (economic, environmental, resource, etc.) Primed for expansion due to economic and political factors.

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