An engine which uses air as fuel
Tata Motors and technology inventor, MDI of France, sign agreement
France, India (rushprnews) June 25, 2007- Tata Motors, in keeping with its role as the leading company in India for automotive R&D, has signed an agreement, in yet another exciting engineering and development effort, with MDI of France for application in India of MDI’s path-breaking technology for engines powered by air.
The MDI Group is headed by Mr. Guy Negre, who founded the company in the 1990s in pursuit of his dream to pioneer an engine using just compressed air as fuel – which may be the ultimate environment-friendly engine yet. Besides, the engine is efficient, cost-effective, scalable, and capable of other applications like power generation.
The agreement between Tata Motors and MDI envisages Tata’s supporting further development and refinement of the technology, and its application and licensing for India.
Commenting on the agreement, Mr. Guy Negre has said, “MDI has for many years been engaged in developing environment-friendly engines. MDI is happy to conclude this agreement with Tata Motors and work together with this important and experienced industrial group to develop a new and cost-saving technology for various applications for the Indian market that meets with severe regulations for environmental protection. We are continuing the development with our own business concept of licensing car manufacturers in other parts of the world where the production is located close to the markets. We have also developed this new technology for other applications where cost competitiveness combined with respect for environmental questions has our priority.”
About MDI
MDI is a small, family-controlled company located at Carros, near Nice (Southern France) where Mr. Guy Negre and Mr. Cyril Nègre, together with their technical team, have developed a new engine technology with the purpose of economising energy and respect severe ecological requirements – at competitive costs.
About Tata Motors
Tata Motors is India’s largest automobile company, with revenues of US$ 5.5 billion in 2005-06. With over 4 million Tata vehicles plying in India, it is the leader in commercial vehicles and the second largest in passenger vehicles. It is also the world’s fifth largest medium and heavy truck manufacturer and the second largest heavy bus manufacturer. Tata cars, buses and trucks are being marketed in several countries in Europe, Africa, the Middle East, South Asia, and South East Asia and in Australia. Tata Motors and Fiat Auto have announced the formation of an industrial joint venture in India to manufacture passenger cars, engines and transmissions for the Indian and overseas markets. Tata Motors already distributes Fiat-branded cars in India. The company’s international footprint include Tata Daewoo Commercial Vehicle Co. Ltd. in South Korea; Hispano Carrocera, a bus and coach manufacturer of Spain in which the company has a 21% stake; a joint venture with Marcopolo, the Brazil-based body-builder of buses and coaches; and a joint venture with Thonburi Automotive Assembly Plant Company of Thailand to manufacture and market pickup vehicles in Thailand. Tata Motors has research centres in India, the UK, and in its subsidiary and associate companies in South Korea and Spain.
———
For further information, please contact
MDI Group
Mr. Cyril Negre
cyril.negre@mdi.lu
www.mdi.lu
Tata Motors
Debasis Ray
Head (Corporate Communications)
Tata Motors Limited
Phone: 00 91 22 66657209; E-Mail: debasis.ray@tatamotors.com
www.tatamotors.com
-END-
RUSH PR NEWS press release newswire services www.rushprnews.com
anne howard writer and publicist www.annehowardpublicist.com
Tuesday, July 3, 2007
Sunday, July 1, 2007
Itronics Inc. CEO Updates the Wall Street Reporter Investor Community On His Company's Profitable Green Technology, Growth Prospects, and Exposure to
NEWS RELEASE
NEW YORK, June 22, 2007 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- Wall Street Reporter Magazine has just published an exclusive interview with Dr. John Whitney, President and Chief Executive Officer of Itronics Inc. (OTCBB:ITRO), describing how he's generating multiple revenue streams from the company's unique silver halide recycling technology.
"Itronics is a photochemical recycling company; we've created technology that takes the liquids used to develop print and x-rays and converts those into a line of high quality fertilizers," he tells Wall Street Reporter senior analyst Todd Santorelli. "The liquids are hazardous because of the silver content and so our technology removes all of the silver, which we refine and sell."
The 9-minute interview is now available at http://wallstreetreporter.com in streaming audio, MP3, and text format -- all free of charge.
Highlights include detailed discussions of the following topics:
-- How the company's premium fertilizers (2-3 times more effective
than existing formulations) play into the Itronics strategy. "Our
driver for the next few years will be the fertilizers
themselves," Dr. Whitney tells WSR. "The reduction in the amount
of fertilizer that's needed is a big bonus for the environment.
It's huge."
-- The continued importance of photochemical handling and treatment
solutions given growth in photographic print markets. Even though
filmless technologies have replaced analog cameras, Dr. Whitney
says, prints still require halide processing. "We're seeing
growth of about 5-7% in that area."
-- The long collective tenure of the Itronics management team, many
members of which have worked together for over a decade to first
develop and then commercialize the technology.
-- Guidance on the company's ability to continue to operate
profitably and build its revenue streams. "Last year, we reported
our first gross profit since we started the fertilizer division,"
Dr. Whitney says. "That's the first time we've made a gross
profit in the first quarter of any year, and that's continuing.
As our sales increase -- we're expecting to double sales this
year -- our profitability will increase."
"As far as we know, we're the only company in the world that has this technology," he explains. "It's a green story. The generators of the photographic liquids benefit from our technology. The farmers that use the fertilizer also benefit from our technology."
About Wall Street Reporter
Wall Street Reporter (Est. 1843) helps smart investors connect with exciting companies, through our website, magazines and conferences. We're probably best known for our exclusive interviews with industry-leading CEOs and the world's top investment experts.
Wall Street Reporter produces in-depth, unbiased, unfiltered interviews that deliver a first-hand, straight-from-the-source perspective. This enables our audience to make intelligent and informed investment decisions.
About Itronics Inc.
Itronics, through its subsidiary, Itronics Metallurgical, Inc., is the only company in the world with a "Beneficial Use Photochemical, Silver, and Water Recycling" facility that extracts more than 99 percent of the silver and virtually all the other toxic heavy metals from used photoliquids and converts the resulting liquids into environmentally beneficial, chelated, multinutrient liquid fertilizer products sold under the GOLD'n GRO trademark, and 5 troy ounce, 0.999 pure, Silver Nevada Miner numismatic bars. The environmentally friendly liquid fertilizers can be used for lawns and houseplants, and are available, along with GOLD'n GRO liquid fertilizer injectors, at the Company's "e-store" catalog at www.goldngro.com. The popular Silver Nevada Miner bars are available at the Company's "e-store" catalog at www.itromet.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
Statements in this press release relating to plans, strategies, economic performance and trends, projections of results of specific activities or investments, and other statements that are not descriptions of historical facts may be forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Forward-looking information is inherently subject to risks and uncertainties, and actual results could differ materially from those currently anticipated due to a number of factors, which include, but are not limited to, risk factors inherent in doing business. Forward-looking statements may be identified by terms such as "may," "will," "should," "could," "expects," "plans," "intends," "anticipates," "believes," "estimates," "predicts," "forecasts," "potential," or "continue," or similar terms or the negative of these terms. Although we believe that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, we cannot guarantee future results, levels of activity, performance or achievements. The company has no obligation to update these forward-looking statements.
CONTACT: Wall Street Reporter Magazine
Jack Marks, CEO & Publisher
212-363-2600 ext 260
www.wallstreetreporter.com
Itronics Inc.
Dr. John Whitney, CEO & President
775-689-7696
www.itronics.com
NEW YORK, June 22, 2007 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- Wall Street Reporter Magazine has just published an exclusive interview with Dr. John Whitney, President and Chief Executive Officer of Itronics Inc. (OTCBB:ITRO), describing how he's generating multiple revenue streams from the company's unique silver halide recycling technology.
"Itronics is a photochemical recycling company; we've created technology that takes the liquids used to develop print and x-rays and converts those into a line of high quality fertilizers," he tells Wall Street Reporter senior analyst Todd Santorelli. "The liquids are hazardous because of the silver content and so our technology removes all of the silver, which we refine and sell."
The 9-minute interview is now available at http://wallstreetreporter.com in streaming audio, MP3, and text format -- all free of charge.
Highlights include detailed discussions of the following topics:
-- How the company's premium fertilizers (2-3 times more effective
than existing formulations) play into the Itronics strategy. "Our
driver for the next few years will be the fertilizers
themselves," Dr. Whitney tells WSR. "The reduction in the amount
of fertilizer that's needed is a big bonus for the environment.
It's huge."
-- The continued importance of photochemical handling and treatment
solutions given growth in photographic print markets. Even though
filmless technologies have replaced analog cameras, Dr. Whitney
says, prints still require halide processing. "We're seeing
growth of about 5-7% in that area."
-- The long collective tenure of the Itronics management team, many
members of which have worked together for over a decade to first
develop and then commercialize the technology.
-- Guidance on the company's ability to continue to operate
profitably and build its revenue streams. "Last year, we reported
our first gross profit since we started the fertilizer division,"
Dr. Whitney says. "That's the first time we've made a gross
profit in the first quarter of any year, and that's continuing.
As our sales increase -- we're expecting to double sales this
year -- our profitability will increase."
"As far as we know, we're the only company in the world that has this technology," he explains. "It's a green story. The generators of the photographic liquids benefit from our technology. The farmers that use the fertilizer also benefit from our technology."
About Wall Street Reporter
Wall Street Reporter (Est. 1843) helps smart investors connect with exciting companies, through our website, magazines and conferences. We're probably best known for our exclusive interviews with industry-leading CEOs and the world's top investment experts.
Wall Street Reporter produces in-depth, unbiased, unfiltered interviews that deliver a first-hand, straight-from-the-source perspective. This enables our audience to make intelligent and informed investment decisions.
About Itronics Inc.
Itronics, through its subsidiary, Itronics Metallurgical, Inc., is the only company in the world with a "Beneficial Use Photochemical, Silver, and Water Recycling" facility that extracts more than 99 percent of the silver and virtually all the other toxic heavy metals from used photoliquids and converts the resulting liquids into environmentally beneficial, chelated, multinutrient liquid fertilizer products sold under the GOLD'n GRO trademark, and 5 troy ounce, 0.999 pure, Silver Nevada Miner numismatic bars. The environmentally friendly liquid fertilizers can be used for lawns and houseplants, and are available, along with GOLD'n GRO liquid fertilizer injectors, at the Company's "e-store" catalog at www.goldngro.com. The popular Silver Nevada Miner bars are available at the Company's "e-store" catalog at www.itromet.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
Statements in this press release relating to plans, strategies, economic performance and trends, projections of results of specific activities or investments, and other statements that are not descriptions of historical facts may be forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Forward-looking information is inherently subject to risks and uncertainties, and actual results could differ materially from those currently anticipated due to a number of factors, which include, but are not limited to, risk factors inherent in doing business. Forward-looking statements may be identified by terms such as "may," "will," "should," "could," "expects," "plans," "intends," "anticipates," "believes," "estimates," "predicts," "forecasts," "potential," or "continue," or similar terms or the negative of these terms. Although we believe that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, we cannot guarantee future results, levels of activity, performance or achievements. The company has no obligation to update these forward-looking statements.
CONTACT: Wall Street Reporter Magazine
Jack Marks, CEO & Publisher
212-363-2600 ext 260
www.wallstreetreporter.com
Itronics Inc.
Dr. John Whitney, CEO & President
775-689-7696
www.itronics.com
Go green and get rich
Saving the planet is good for everyone
There's a maxim used around the offices of General Electric to describe the corporation's loving embrace of eco-friendliness: "green is green."
In other words, being kind to the environment isn't just for the alpaca-poncho-and-sandal crowd - business can rake in huge piles of money at it.
The GE brass are convinced that unless we clean up our act, the world is headed in the opposite direction and the global economy will go straight down the high-flow toilet. And if GE can reach new levels of profitability helping out, all the better.
"It feels good," admitted Jeff Fulgham, chief marketing manager for GE Water and Process Technologies, who was in town last week for a conference.
Everybody wins, he explained. When GE sells a customer green technology, the customer saves money through efficiency, the environment stays a little greener, and GE gets a little richer.
In fact, the corporation's green technology - from fuel-efficient jet engines to wind-generated power - was worth $10 billion in sales in 2005. But the biggest area of opportunity for the corporation, Fulgham said, is connected to a commodity that most Canadians take for granted: water.
Canada is home to 0.5% of the world's population, but 9% of the world's fresh water supply, so it's easy to assume that we have nothing to worry about.
But there's a growing crisis around the globe, and it's slowly making its way here. In the southern U.S., about a third of the nation is in the grip of a protracted drought that has forced cities to take brutal conservation measures like forbidding children to play with hoses at home on hot days.
For the past decade, the drought has been creeping northward. Presently, two billion people around the globe - one third of humanity - are affected by water scarcity, and that figure is expected to climb dramatically.
And with oilsands companies sucking up ever-increasing quantities of water in northern Alberta to keep their plants humming to feed the world's ravenous appetite for fuel, it won't be long until we reach what Fulgham calls the "tipping point" where there simply isn't enough water available to keep up with demand and we're faced with a full-blown ecological catastrophe.
No water, critical to the oilsands extraction process, means our economy, and ultimately the entire Canadian economy, will grind to a halt.
The solution, Fulgham says, is to reuse the contaminated wastewater wallowing in the oilsands projects' massive tailings ponds, rather than continue draining the Athabasca and Peace basins.
ECONOMICAL
The technology is available and it's getting cheaper. It won't be long, he says, before it's more economical to treat old wastewater than to draw fresh water and pollute it.
And the oilsands are a drop in the environmental bucket for companies like GE.
China alone plans $125 billion worth of water treatment projects in the next decade.
Massive developments in parched parts of the world, such as Dubai, are going to have to make every drop of water count.
And even in water-rich places like Canada, water is going to become increasingly expensive. As it stands now, Canadians pay about one tenth of the rates that consumers in places like Germany do to get water out of their taps.
Corporations, governments and even individual homeowners will be forced to be as efficient and green as possible.
And GE, which sold $2.3 billion worth of water conserving technology last year, will be there to help.
Who knew there was so much profit to be made by doing the right thing?
There's a maxim used around the offices of General Electric to describe the corporation's loving embrace of eco-friendliness: "green is green."
In other words, being kind to the environment isn't just for the alpaca-poncho-and-sandal crowd - business can rake in huge piles of money at it.
The GE brass are convinced that unless we clean up our act, the world is headed in the opposite direction and the global economy will go straight down the high-flow toilet. And if GE can reach new levels of profitability helping out, all the better.
"It feels good," admitted Jeff Fulgham, chief marketing manager for GE Water and Process Technologies, who was in town last week for a conference.
Everybody wins, he explained. When GE sells a customer green technology, the customer saves money through efficiency, the environment stays a little greener, and GE gets a little richer.
In fact, the corporation's green technology - from fuel-efficient jet engines to wind-generated power - was worth $10 billion in sales in 2005. But the biggest area of opportunity for the corporation, Fulgham said, is connected to a commodity that most Canadians take for granted: water.
Canada is home to 0.5% of the world's population, but 9% of the world's fresh water supply, so it's easy to assume that we have nothing to worry about.
But there's a growing crisis around the globe, and it's slowly making its way here. In the southern U.S., about a third of the nation is in the grip of a protracted drought that has forced cities to take brutal conservation measures like forbidding children to play with hoses at home on hot days.
For the past decade, the drought has been creeping northward. Presently, two billion people around the globe - one third of humanity - are affected by water scarcity, and that figure is expected to climb dramatically.
And with oilsands companies sucking up ever-increasing quantities of water in northern Alberta to keep their plants humming to feed the world's ravenous appetite for fuel, it won't be long until we reach what Fulgham calls the "tipping point" where there simply isn't enough water available to keep up with demand and we're faced with a full-blown ecological catastrophe.
No water, critical to the oilsands extraction process, means our economy, and ultimately the entire Canadian economy, will grind to a halt.
The solution, Fulgham says, is to reuse the contaminated wastewater wallowing in the oilsands projects' massive tailings ponds, rather than continue draining the Athabasca and Peace basins.
ECONOMICAL
The technology is available and it's getting cheaper. It won't be long, he says, before it's more economical to treat old wastewater than to draw fresh water and pollute it.
And the oilsands are a drop in the environmental bucket for companies like GE.
China alone plans $125 billion worth of water treatment projects in the next decade.
Massive developments in parched parts of the world, such as Dubai, are going to have to make every drop of water count.
And even in water-rich places like Canada, water is going to become increasingly expensive. As it stands now, Canadians pay about one tenth of the rates that consumers in places like Germany do to get water out of their taps.
Corporations, governments and even individual homeowners will be forced to be as efficient and green as possible.
And GE, which sold $2.3 billion worth of water conserving technology last year, will be there to help.
Who knew there was so much profit to be made by doing the right thing?
Friday, June 22, 2007
Headhunter receives new Patent for Method of Wastewater Treatment
www.megayachtnews.com
Press Release:
Jun 21, 2007
Fort Lauderdale Florida USA, Thursday, June 14, 2007:
After nearly two years under review, on February 6, 2007, the United States Patent and Trademark office recognized the efforts of designers and engineers at Headhunter Inc of Fort Lauderdale Fl. with patent on a new method for treating wastewater. Among the many unique features of this new method is a patent on using cross-flow filtration for separation of solids in the process.
TIDALWAVE HMX® compact sewage treatment systems are U.S. Coast Guard certified Type II Marine Sanitation Devices that are also IMO Approved for worldwide compliance with Annex IV Regulation 3(1)(a)(i) of Marpol73/78, which provides regulations for the prevention of pollution by sewage from ships. These units are accepted in accordance with Resolution MEPC.2(VI) which outlines the performance standards required. Standard models are available to treat up to 50,000 US Gallons per day (189 cubic meters per day). These systems provide PLC controlled, state of the art processing of onboard sewage. Designed for quick starts and stops with the push of a button, the TIDALWAVE HMX system uses chemical oxidation, hydro-maceration and patented crossflow separation techniques to thoroughly destroy influent biomass. The optional Electrocatalytic system generates sodium hypochlorite onboard from seawater or brine, thus eliminating consumables during operation. The four-stage treatment system provides trouble free treatment of black and gray water with a sterile effluent for disposal. The PLC controller allows the treatment technique to be customized after installation for varying hydraulic and organic loading conditions, or to meet varying performance standards in different areas. These systems are provided in marine grade aluminum or steel construction with a durable, flexible ceramic, epoxy coating for superior corrosion protection.
To date nearly 100 HMX systems have been installed on yachts, drilling ships like Global Sante Fe’s Arctic IV, and a few very large fixed offshore structures for the production of natural gas in Brazil. Captain John Beadon of the M/Y Montrevel has had an TW-HMX 512 installed on a charter yacht since early 2004. A recent email to Headhunter is an unexpected testament to the reliability of the system, Captain Beadon wrote “Dear Mark,……As we have done about 11,000 hours during the last 3 years, is there anything on the unit that you suggest replacing other than the spares that you will be pricing? We are out of the water in Genoa, launching end Feb. Regards, John” The systems were conceived specifically for the marine industry where small spaces, light weight, and reliability above all else is the design criteria.
Headhunter Vice President of Sales mark Mellinger reports, “Everyone in the marine industry is familiar with the reverse osmosis process for creating fresh water from seawater, now Headhunter has mastered the application of this technique as applied to the wastewater treatment process. Further to this we have created a process, a recipe, that can be varied to meet the new IMO standards once they are ratified. We are very excited.”
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Triton · 757 SE 17th Street #1119 · Fort Lauderdale, FL 33316 · www.the-triton.com
or email editorial@the-triton.com
Copyright© 2007 The Triton. All rights reserved.
Press Release:
Jun 21, 2007
Fort Lauderdale Florida USA, Thursday, June 14, 2007:
After nearly two years under review, on February 6, 2007, the United States Patent and Trademark office recognized the efforts of designers and engineers at Headhunter Inc of Fort Lauderdale Fl. with patent on a new method for treating wastewater. Among the many unique features of this new method is a patent on using cross-flow filtration for separation of solids in the process.
TIDALWAVE HMX® compact sewage treatment systems are U.S. Coast Guard certified Type II Marine Sanitation Devices that are also IMO Approved for worldwide compliance with Annex IV Regulation 3(1)(a)(i) of Marpol73/78, which provides regulations for the prevention of pollution by sewage from ships. These units are accepted in accordance with Resolution MEPC.2(VI) which outlines the performance standards required. Standard models are available to treat up to 50,000 US Gallons per day (189 cubic meters per day). These systems provide PLC controlled, state of the art processing of onboard sewage. Designed for quick starts and stops with the push of a button, the TIDALWAVE HMX system uses chemical oxidation, hydro-maceration and patented crossflow separation techniques to thoroughly destroy influent biomass. The optional Electrocatalytic system generates sodium hypochlorite onboard from seawater or brine, thus eliminating consumables during operation. The four-stage treatment system provides trouble free treatment of black and gray water with a sterile effluent for disposal. The PLC controller allows the treatment technique to be customized after installation for varying hydraulic and organic loading conditions, or to meet varying performance standards in different areas. These systems are provided in marine grade aluminum or steel construction with a durable, flexible ceramic, epoxy coating for superior corrosion protection.
To date nearly 100 HMX systems have been installed on yachts, drilling ships like Global Sante Fe’s Arctic IV, and a few very large fixed offshore structures for the production of natural gas in Brazil. Captain John Beadon of the M/Y Montrevel has had an TW-HMX 512 installed on a charter yacht since early 2004. A recent email to Headhunter is an unexpected testament to the reliability of the system, Captain Beadon wrote “Dear Mark,……As we have done about 11,000 hours during the last 3 years, is there anything on the unit that you suggest replacing other than the spares that you will be pricing? We are out of the water in Genoa, launching end Feb. Regards, John” The systems were conceived specifically for the marine industry where small spaces, light weight, and reliability above all else is the design criteria.
Headhunter Vice President of Sales mark Mellinger reports, “Everyone in the marine industry is familiar with the reverse osmosis process for creating fresh water from seawater, now Headhunter has mastered the application of this technique as applied to the wastewater treatment process. Further to this we have created a process, a recipe, that can be varied to meet the new IMO standards once they are ratified. We are very excited.”
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Triton · 757 SE 17th Street #1119 · Fort Lauderdale, FL 33316 · www.the-triton.com
or email editorial@the-triton.com
Copyright© 2007 The Triton. All rights reserved.
Drexel Researcher Develops Sensor to Test for E. coli in 10 Minutes
The latest outbreak of E. coli cases — now in 12 Western states and involving 6 million pounds of fresh and frozen meat — shows a need for better detection in food processing exists.
Dr. Raj Mutharasan, a professor of chemical engineering at Drexel University, has developed over the past five years sensor technology that can test for E. coli bacteria in just 10 minutes. He is working with a company that has licensed Drexel’s technology to commercialize the device and expects it to be in the hands of food-safety experts soon.
The sensor could also have wide applications in medical diagnostic testing (prostate cancer) and monitoring for biothreat agents (anthrax). In medical testing, the sensor can be used to analyze the four most widely tested fluids: blood, urine, sputum and spinal fluid.
The standard detection process of E. coli bacteria in food processing requires about 24 hours and involves a trip to a laboratory. Mutharasan’s sensor can be contained in a handheld device that is accurate and easy to use.
No direct test for minute amounts of proteins exists on the market. A study published in the April 1, 2007, issue of Analytical Chemistry using Mutharasan’s sensor detected E. coli in ground beef at some of the lowest concentrations ever reported.
Unlike salmonella, for example, no Food and Drug Admistration requirement to test food for E. coli exists. Requirements are in place, however, to ensure proper food-manufacturing practices are met to help avoid contamination, says Dr. Stanley Segall, Drexel professor emeritus of food science and nutrition.
E. coli outbreaks have increased in recent years because reporting systems have been more efficient and effective and food production has become more centralized, with distribution spanning the country in rapid time frames, Segall says.
The near-prototype sensor Mutharasan has developed contains a sensitivity of four cells per milliliter of solution. The sensor uses E. coli antibodies to detect the bacteria in a way similar to how our bodies work. Those antibodies are affixed to a narrow sliver of glass. A ceramic layer, attached to the other end of the glass, generates voltage in response to applied mechanical stress.
The sensor affixed with antibodies against E. coli can detect as low as four cells per milliliter of solution. A voltage is applied to a ceramic layer, causing it to expand and contract, vibrating the glass sliver. The sensor detects changes in the glass sliver’s resonate frequency (the point where vibration is the greatest) and determines the presence and concentration of E. coli bacteria.
Because the same principles of resonate frequency apply, the sensor can test liquid and solid samples. The sensor can be equipped with a range of antibodies to detect many pathogens or it can be homozygous with a single antibody, enabling the sensor to detect even the smallest amounts of the harmful bacteria.
Source: Drexel University
Dr. Raj Mutharasan, a professor of chemical engineering at Drexel University, has developed over the past five years sensor technology that can test for E. coli bacteria in just 10 minutes. He is working with a company that has licensed Drexel’s technology to commercialize the device and expects it to be in the hands of food-safety experts soon.
The sensor could also have wide applications in medical diagnostic testing (prostate cancer) and monitoring for biothreat agents (anthrax). In medical testing, the sensor can be used to analyze the four most widely tested fluids: blood, urine, sputum and spinal fluid.
The standard detection process of E. coli bacteria in food processing requires about 24 hours and involves a trip to a laboratory. Mutharasan’s sensor can be contained in a handheld device that is accurate and easy to use.
No direct test for minute amounts of proteins exists on the market. A study published in the April 1, 2007, issue of Analytical Chemistry using Mutharasan’s sensor detected E. coli in ground beef at some of the lowest concentrations ever reported.
Unlike salmonella, for example, no Food and Drug Admistration requirement to test food for E. coli exists. Requirements are in place, however, to ensure proper food-manufacturing practices are met to help avoid contamination, says Dr. Stanley Segall, Drexel professor emeritus of food science and nutrition.
E. coli outbreaks have increased in recent years because reporting systems have been more efficient and effective and food production has become more centralized, with distribution spanning the country in rapid time frames, Segall says.
The near-prototype sensor Mutharasan has developed contains a sensitivity of four cells per milliliter of solution. The sensor uses E. coli antibodies to detect the bacteria in a way similar to how our bodies work. Those antibodies are affixed to a narrow sliver of glass. A ceramic layer, attached to the other end of the glass, generates voltage in response to applied mechanical stress.
The sensor affixed with antibodies against E. coli can detect as low as four cells per milliliter of solution. A voltage is applied to a ceramic layer, causing it to expand and contract, vibrating the glass sliver. The sensor detects changes in the glass sliver’s resonate frequency (the point where vibration is the greatest) and determines the presence and concentration of E. coli bacteria.
Because the same principles of resonate frequency apply, the sensor can test liquid and solid samples. The sensor can be equipped with a range of antibodies to detect many pathogens or it can be homozygous with a single antibody, enabling the sensor to detect even the smallest amounts of the harmful bacteria.
Source: Drexel University
Friday, June 15, 2007
USA: Milliken launches new antimicrobial-charged fabric technology
LAS VEGAS: The one of largest privately-held textile and chemical manufacturers in the world, Milliken® & Company has announced a new antimicrobial-charged fabric technology called BioSmart™ that harnesses the sanitising power of EPA-registered chlorine bleach and helps to reduce the spread of infection-causing bacteria and viruses, including emerging antibiotic-resistant microbes, said Travis Greer, senior technologist for Milliken’s Apparel and Specialty Fabrics division in a release.
The product made with BioSmart are key to effective infection prevention strategies and programs in the workplace, in community settings and at home and extends the capabilities of EPA-registered chlorine base sanitisers – proven hygienic agents that do not promote resistant microbes, to maintain an effective antimicrobial barrier against contamination.
The technology can be applied to synthetics, cotton and poly/cotton fabrics and are ideal for industries where bacterial contamination is a concern, including food processing and services, healthcare, public safety, hospitality, sports apparel, activewear and military.
BioSmart fabrics are non-irritating to the skin and have passed the ISO skin irritation and skin sensitivity tests an it is both durable and effective for the life of most garments as the fabric technology literally recharges after every washing, thus providing a longer shelf life and optimising value for manufacturers, laundries and consumers alike.
In addition, BioSmart fabrics are odorless, dry quickly and wick moisture and is currently available in butcher coats and other garments for the food safety and processing industries through G&K Services.
BioSmart is a patent-pending textile technology that binds chlorine molecules to the surface of fabrics.
Founded in 1865, Milliken & Company is a privately held textile and chemical company that employs approximately 10,000 associates worldwide and operates nearly 50 manufacturing facilities in the US and eight countries.
The product made with BioSmart are key to effective infection prevention strategies and programs in the workplace, in community settings and at home and extends the capabilities of EPA-registered chlorine base sanitisers – proven hygienic agents that do not promote resistant microbes, to maintain an effective antimicrobial barrier against contamination.
The technology can be applied to synthetics, cotton and poly/cotton fabrics and are ideal for industries where bacterial contamination is a concern, including food processing and services, healthcare, public safety, hospitality, sports apparel, activewear and military.
BioSmart fabrics are non-irritating to the skin and have passed the ISO skin irritation and skin sensitivity tests an it is both durable and effective for the life of most garments as the fabric technology literally recharges after every washing, thus providing a longer shelf life and optimising value for manufacturers, laundries and consumers alike.
In addition, BioSmart fabrics are odorless, dry quickly and wick moisture and is currently available in butcher coats and other garments for the food safety and processing industries through G&K Services.
BioSmart is a patent-pending textile technology that binds chlorine molecules to the surface of fabrics.
Founded in 1865, Milliken & Company is a privately held textile and chemical company that employs approximately 10,000 associates worldwide and operates nearly 50 manufacturing facilities in the US and eight countries.
Sunday, June 3, 2007
Applied Biosystems/ U.S. Department of Defense Contract for Prototype Instrument System to Identify Infectious Diseases Terminated
System Met Technical Milestones; Parties Could Not Agree on Further Development and Commercialization
FOSTER CITY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Applied Biosystems (NYSE:ABI), an Applera Corporation business, announced today that its contract with the U.S. Department of Defense surrounding the development of a prototype instrument system to improve the way infectious diseases are identified for epidemiological and biosecurity purposes has been terminated for the convenience of the government. Though Applied Biosystems had successfully completed all technical milestones required to date in the contract, the action was taken by the government after Applied Biosystems and the U.S. Air Force were unable to agree on an approach for further development and commercialization of an instrument system that could be derived from an AB prototype instrument. Applied Biosystems anticipates no material financial impact from the contract termination.
Applied Biosystems expects that its biosecurity strategy will continue to focus on delivering early warning systems for detecting and tracking emerging natural and man-made pathogens in the environment, in agriculture, and in the animal and human food supply.
About Applera Corporation and Applied Biosystems
Applera Corporation consists of two operating groups. The Applied Biosystems Group serves the life science industry and research community by developing and marketing instrument-based systems, consumables, software, and services. Customers use these tools to analyze nucleic acids (DNA and RNA), small molecules, and proteins to make scientific discoveries and develop new pharmaceuticals. Applied Biosystems' products also serve the needs of some markets outside of life science research, which we refer to as "applied markets," such as the fields of: human identity testing (forensic and paternity testing); biosecurity, which refers to products needed in response to the threat of biological terrorism and other malicious, accidental, and natural biological dangers; and quality and safety testing, for example in food and the environment. Applied Biosystems is headquartered in Foster City, CA, and reported sales of over $1.9 billion during fiscal 2006. The Celera Group is primarily a molecular diagnostics business that is using proprietary genomics and proteomics discovery platforms to identify and validate novel diagnostic markers, and is developing diagnostic products based on these markers. Celera maintains a strategic alliance with Abbott Laboratories for the development and commercialization of molecular, or nucleic acid-based, diagnostic products, and it is also developing new diagnostic products outside of this alliance. Through its genomics and proteomics research efforts, Celera is also discovering and validating therapeutic targets, and it is seeking to develop therapeutic products based on these discovered targets through strategic partnerships.
Information about Applera Corporation, including reports and other information filed by the company with the Securities and Exchange Commission, is available at http://www.applera.com, or by telephoning 800.762.6923.
Information about Applied Biosystems is available at http://www.appliedbiosystems.com/.
FOSTER CITY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Applied Biosystems (NYSE:ABI), an Applera Corporation business, announced today that its contract with the U.S. Department of Defense surrounding the development of a prototype instrument system to improve the way infectious diseases are identified for epidemiological and biosecurity purposes has been terminated for the convenience of the government. Though Applied Biosystems had successfully completed all technical milestones required to date in the contract, the action was taken by the government after Applied Biosystems and the U.S. Air Force were unable to agree on an approach for further development and commercialization of an instrument system that could be derived from an AB prototype instrument. Applied Biosystems anticipates no material financial impact from the contract termination.
Applied Biosystems expects that its biosecurity strategy will continue to focus on delivering early warning systems for detecting and tracking emerging natural and man-made pathogens in the environment, in agriculture, and in the animal and human food supply.
About Applera Corporation and Applied Biosystems
Applera Corporation consists of two operating groups. The Applied Biosystems Group serves the life science industry and research community by developing and marketing instrument-based systems, consumables, software, and services. Customers use these tools to analyze nucleic acids (DNA and RNA), small molecules, and proteins to make scientific discoveries and develop new pharmaceuticals. Applied Biosystems' products also serve the needs of some markets outside of life science research, which we refer to as "applied markets," such as the fields of: human identity testing (forensic and paternity testing); biosecurity, which refers to products needed in response to the threat of biological terrorism and other malicious, accidental, and natural biological dangers; and quality and safety testing, for example in food and the environment. Applied Biosystems is headquartered in Foster City, CA, and reported sales of over $1.9 billion during fiscal 2006. The Celera Group is primarily a molecular diagnostics business that is using proprietary genomics and proteomics discovery platforms to identify and validate novel diagnostic markers, and is developing diagnostic products based on these markers. Celera maintains a strategic alliance with Abbott Laboratories for the development and commercialization of molecular, or nucleic acid-based, diagnostic products, and it is also developing new diagnostic products outside of this alliance. Through its genomics and proteomics research efforts, Celera is also discovering and validating therapeutic targets, and it is seeking to develop therapeutic products based on these discovered targets through strategic partnerships.
Information about Applera Corporation, including reports and other information filed by the company with the Securities and Exchange Commission, is available at http://www.applera.com, or by telephoning 800.762.6923.
Information about Applied Biosystems is available at http://www.appliedbiosystems.com/.
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