Agave as a biofuel feedstock in Australia

The opportunity for commercial production of Agave in Australia stems from the substantial carbohydrate and fibre content of Agave, the nature of carbohydrates stored, the pre‐existence of an Agave ethanol‐producing industry in Mexico, demand for biofuel feedstocks, impressive water‐use efficiencies of plants with the CAM pathway, and legislation mandating the ethanol content of fuel in Australia, where an estimated 748 ML will be required for blending with petrol by 2010–2011, compared with about 440 ML in 2009. Agave has potential as a crop for areas of seasonally limited rainfall in Australia, a judgement based upon desktop analyses and agronomic experience of growing Agave in Australia before 1915. Development of a viable Australian Agave farming system requires production be located in suitable regions, efficient propagation methods, mechanized production, and viable business plans at grower, processor and marketing levels. Growers and processors agree that Agave will not be grown commercially until plants are grown, maintained and harvested in Australia, product is produced and tested, and yield and risks are evaluated. To this end, Agave were imported into Australia from Mexico and a tissue culture propagation technique developed. A trial crop of Agave tequilana was planted in northern Queensland and CO₂ exchange, nitrogen and water dynamics, carbohydrate content, and system inputs and outputs are being monitored. The experience will be used to fine‐tune the farming system, assess production costs and develop robust life‐cycle assessments. Processing of plants from trials will test harvesting and transport infrastructure and will provide material to processors for testing. Samples will be provided to potential producers of value‐added products. An Australian Agave industry should provide opportunities for stimulating agronomic, scientific and commercial exchange between Australia and Mexico. Successful integration of Agave into Australian agriculture will require a biofuels‐focussed breeding programme in collaboration with Mexican researchers.     

Pongamia pinnata: An Untapped Resource for the Biofuels Industry of the Future

Pongamia pinnata (L.) Pierre is a fast-growing leguminous tree with the potential for high oil seed production and the added benefit of the ability to grow on marginal land. These properties support the suitability of this plant for large-scale vegetable oil production required by a sustainable biodiesel industry. The future success of P. pinnata as a sustainable source of feedstock for the biofuels industry is dependent on an extensive knowledge of the genetics, physiology and propagation of this legume. In particular, research should be targeted to maximizing plant growth as it relates to oil biosynthesis. This review assesses and integrates the biological, chemical and genetic attributes of the plant, providing the basis for future research into Pongamia’s role in an emerging industry.     

An assessment of biomass for bioelectricity and biofuel,and for greenhouse gas emission reduction in Australia

We provide a quantitative assessment of the prospects for current and future biomass feedstocks for bioenergy in Australia, and associated estimates of the greenhouse gas (GHG) mitigation resulting from their use for production of biofuels or bioelectricity. National statistics were used to estimate current annual production from agricultural and forest production systems. Crop residues were estimated from grain production and harvest index. Wood production statistics and spatial modelling of forest growth were used to estimate quantities of pulpwood, in‐forest residues, and wood processing residues. Possible new production systems for oil from algae and the oil‐seed tree Pongamia pinnata, and of lignocellulosic biomass production from short‐rotation coppiced eucalypt crops were also examined. The following constraints were applied to biomass production and use: avoiding clearing of native vegetation; minimizing impacts on domestic food security; retaining a portion of agricultural and forest residues to protect soil; and minimizing the impact on local processing industries by diverting only the export fraction of grains or pulpwood to bioenergy. We estimated that it would be physically possible to produce 9.6 GL yr^?1 of first generation ethanol from current production systems, replacing 6.5 GL yr^?1 of gasoline or 34% of current gasoline usage. Current production systems for waste oil, tallow and canola seed could produce 0.9 GL yr^?1 of biodiesel, or 4% of current diesel usage. Cellulosic biomass from current agricultural and forestry production systems (including biomass from hardwood plantations maturing by 2030) could produce 9.5 GL yr^?1 of ethanol, replacing 6.4 GL yr^?1 of gasoline, or ca. 34% of current consumption. The same lignocellulosic sources could instead provide 35 TWh yr^?1, or ca. 15% of current electricity production. New production systems using algae and P. pinnata could produce ca. 3.96 and 0.9 GL biodiesel yr^?1, respectively. In combination, they could replace 4.2 GL yr^?1 of fossil diesel, or 23% of current usage. Short‐rotation coppiced eucalypt crops could provide 4.3 GL yr^?1 of ethanol (2.9 GL yr^?1 replacement, or 15% of current gasoline use) or 20.2 TWh yr^?1 of electricity (9% of current generation). In total, first and second generation fuels from current and new production systems could mitigate 26 Mt CO₂‐e, which is 38% of road transport emissions and 5% of the national emissions. Second generation fuels from current and new production systems could mitigate 13 Mt CO₂‐e, which is 19% of road transport emissions and 2.4% of the national emissions lignocellulose from current and new production systems could mitigate 48 Mt CO₂‐e, which is 28% of electricity emissions and 9% of the national emissions. There are challenging sustainability issues to consider in the production of large amounts of feedstock for bioenergy in Australia. Bioenergy production can have either positive or negative impacts. Although only the export fraction of grains and sugar was used to estimate first generation biofuels so that domestic food security was not affected, it would have an impact on food supply elsewhere. Environmental impacts on soil, water and biodiversity can be significant because of the large land base involved, and the likely use of intensive harvest regimes. These require careful management. Social impacts could be significant if there were to be large‐scale change in land use or management. In addition, although the economic considerations of feedstock production were not covered in this article, they will be the ultimate drivers of industry development. They are uncertain and are highly dependent on government policies (e.g. the price on carbon, GHG mitigation and renewable energy targets, mandates for renewable fuels), the price of fossil oil, and the scale of the industry.     

Recent advances on sources and industrial applications of lipases

Lipases are the industrially important biocatalysts, which are envisioned to have tremendous applications in the manufacture of a wide range of products. Their unique properties such as better stability, selectivity and substrate specificity position them as the most expansively used industrial enzymes. The research on production and applications of lipases is ever growing and there exists a need to have a latest review on the research findings of lipases. The present review aims at giving the latest and broadest overall picture of research and development on lipases by including the current studies and progressions not only in the diverse industrial application fields of lipases, but also with regard to its structure, classification and sources. Also, a special emphasis has been made on the aspects such as process optimization, modeling, and design that are very critical for further scale‐up and industrial implementation. The detailed tabulations provided in each section, which are prepared by the exhaustive review of current literature covering the various aspects of lipase including its production and applications along with example case studies, will serve as the comprehensive source of current advancements in lipase research. This review will be very useful for the researchers from both industry as well as academia in promoting lipolysis as the most promising approaches to intensified, greener and sustainable processes. © 2017 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog., 34:5–28, 2018     

Australian wheat production expected to decrease by the late 21st century

Climate change threatens global wheat production and food security, including the wheat industry in Australia. Many studies have examined the impacts of changes in local climate on wheat yield per hectare, but there has been no assessment of changes in land area available for production due to changing climate. It is also unclear how total wheat production would change under future climate when autonomous adaptation options are adopted. We applied species distribution models to investigate future changes in areas climatically suitable for growing wheat in Australia. A crop model was used to assess wheat yield per hectare in these areas. Our results show that there is an overall tendency for a decrease in the areas suitable for growing wheat and a decline in the yield of the northeast Australian wheat belt. This results in reduced national wheat production although future climate change may benefit South Australia and Victoria. These projected outcomes infer that similar wheat‐growing regions of the globe might also experience decreases in wheat production. Some cropping adaptation measures increase wheat yield per hectare and provide significant mitigation of the negative effects of climate change on national wheat production by 2041–2060. However, any positive effects will be insufficient to prevent a likely decline in production under a high CO₂ emission scenario by 2081–2100 due to increasing losses in suitable wheat‐growing areas. Therefore, additional adaptation strategies along with investment in wheat production are needed to maintain Australian agricultural production and enhance global food security. This scenario analysis provides a foundation towards understanding changes in Australia's wheat cropping systems, which will assist in developing adaptation strategies to mitigate climate change impacts on global wheat production.     

基于MSIASM和能源消费碳排放的中国四大直辖市社会代谢分析

通过社会代谢多尺度综合评估(Multi-Scale Integrated Assessment of Societal Metabolism,MSIASM)方法,采用生物-经济压力和不同组织尺度下的体外能代谢率、能源密度指标,并将能源消费碳排放融入评估框架,评价了中国四大直辖市2004年至2010年的社会代谢及其综合发展状况。研究中能源消费碳排放的加入较好补充了MSIASM在生态评估方面的弱势。研究结果显示,四大直辖市整体社会代谢发展良好,体外能代谢率和生物-经济压力稳步上升,能源密度和单位能耗碳排放不断降低,总体呈现良性发展态势。从各个直辖市的社会经济系统各部门表现来看,各城市体现了自己的突出特点。在深入到行业尺度研究体外能代谢率、能源密度后,整体显示出控制工业部门和交通运输部门的能耗增长对于提高经济生产能源效率的突出作用,同时应继续加大金融和计算机等低能耗高经济生产率行业的发展力度。     

Potential products from the highly diverse and endemic macroalgae of Southern Australia and pathways for their sustainable production

Macroalgae provide a substantial and renewable resource that can be sustainably utilized for economic and social benefit. A US$7 billion global industry already exists for macroalgae, but the huge majority of this is based on the production of species belonging to approximately six genera, within eight countries, for the manufacture of foods, industrial biomaterials and agricultural products. However, seaweed-derived functional products spanning numerous chemical classes have been identified with valuable therapeutic and industrial applications. This review focuses on the breadth of valuable bioproducts that could be produced from the seaweeds of Southern Australia—a hotspot for seaweed diversity, and the pathways available for their sustainable commercial production. This region contains among the highest level of recorded macroalgal diversity and endemism in the world, with approximately 1,200 described species, of which 62 % are considered endemic. Whilst a number of these species have been shown to be rich sources of higher-value functional products, and most of them still await exploration in this field, the seaweed industry of Southern Australia is largely limited to the harvest of beach-cast biomass for the manufacture of lower-value commodities such as fertilizer and animal feed. There is potential for the development of a substantial industry based on human functional products from seaweeds in Southern Australia. However, a number of challenges and knowledge gaps—including environmental, technological, agronomic, political, and cultural factors—are identified in this review, which must be addressed before sustainable expansion can be achieved. Furthermore, numerous strategic approaches and areas of suggested foci are underscored for research bodies and industry alike. Particular emphasis is given to the need for comprehensive surveying and bioprospecting of the resource; a focus on advanced downstream processing capabilities for improving production efficiency and enhancing product value; the use of biorefinery approaches to improve utilisation efficiency; and pursuing means of improving the sustainability of supply chains.     

中国重组抗体药物发展的策略探讨

随着重组抗体药物展示出良好的治疗效果和市场效益,抗体药物的研发逐渐成为生物医药产业发展的主要方向。但是目前国内动物细胞表达水平普遍较低和发酵工艺落后的现状制约了我国抗体药物产业化的发展。本文主要综述了国际抗体药物产业的发展态势,重点比较二氢叶酸还原酶和谷氨酰胺合成酶表达体系、连续灌注和流加培养发酵模式的各自优势,结合我们抗体药物表达、发酵方面的经验,对当前我国抗体药物产业化发展策略进行了探讨,提出抗体药物产业化模式应根据企业对抗体产率、产能和市场经济学的多重考虑选择发酵工艺和发酵规模,应用谷氨酰胺合成酶/CHO-K1表达系统和连续灌注培养工艺可能更适应目前中国抗体产业化的需要。     

Triple bottom line study of a lignocellulosic biofuel industry

Growing concerns about energy security and climate change have prompted interest in Australia and worldwide to look for alternatives of fossil fuels. Among the renewable fuel sources, biofuels are one such alternative that have received unprecedented attention in the past decade. Cellulosic biofuels, derived from agricultural and wood biomass, could potentially increase Australia's oil self‐sufficiency. In this study, we carry out a hybrid life‐cycle assessment (LCA) of a future cellulose‐refining industry located in the Green Triangle region of South Australia. We assess both the upstream and downstream refining stages, and consider as well the life‐cycle effects occurring in conventional industries displaced by the proposed biofuel supply chains. We improve on conventional LCA method by utilising multi‐region input–output (IO) analysis that allows a comprehensive appraisal of the industry's supply chains. Using IO‐based hybrid LCA, we evaluate the social, economic and environmental impacts of lignocellulosic biofuel production. In particular, we evaluate the employment, economic stimulus, energy consumption and greenhouse gas impacts of the biofuel supply chain and also quantify the loss in economic activity and employment in the paper, pulp and paperboard industry resulting from the diversion of forestry biomass to biofuel production. Our results reveal that the loss in economic activity and employment will only account for 10% of the new jobs and additional stimulus generated in the economy. Lignocellulosic biofuel production will create significant new jobs and enhance productivity and economic growth by initiating the growth of new industries in the economy. The energy return on investment for cellulosic biofuel production lies between 2.7 and 5.2, depending on the type of forestry feedstock and the travel distance between the feedstock industry and the cellulose refinery. Furthermore, the biofuel industry will be a net carbon sequester.     

A spatial assessment of potential biomass for bioenergy in Australia in 2010, and possible expansion by 2030 and 2050

This paper provides spatial estimates of potentially available biomass for bioenergy in Australia in 2010, 2030 and 2050 (under clearly stated assumptions) for the following biomass sources: crop stubble, native grasses, pulpwood and residues (created either during forest harvesting or wood processing) from plantations and native forests, bagasse, organic municipal solid waste and new short‐rotation tree crops. For each biomass type, we estimated annual potential availability at the finest scale possible with readily accessible data, and then aggregated to make estimates for each of 60 Statistical Divisions (administrative areas) across Australia. The potentially available lignocellulosic biomass is estimated at approximately 80 Mt per year, with the major contributors of crop stubble (27.7 Mt per year), grasses (19.7 Mt per year) and forest plantations (10.9 Mt per year). Over the next 20–40 years, total potentially available biomass could increase to 100–115 Mt per year, with new plantings of short‐rotation trees being the major source of the increase (14.7 Mt per year by 2030 and 29.3 Mt per year by 2050). We exclude oilseeds, algae and ‘regrowth’, that is woody vegetation naturally regenerating on previously cleared land, which may be important in several regions of Australia (Australian Forestry 77 , 2014, 1; Global Change Biology Bioenergy 7 , 2015, 497). We briefly discuss some of the challenges to providing a reliable and sustainable supply of the large amounts of biomass required to build a bioenergy industry of significant scale. More detailed regional analyses, including of the costs of delivered biomass, logistics and economics of harvest, transport and storage, competing markets for biomass and a full assessment of the sustainability of production are needed to underpin investment in specific conversion facilities (e.g. Opportunities for forest bioenergy: An assessment of the environmental and economic opportunities and constraints associated with bioenergy production from biomass resources in two prospective regions of Australia, 2011a).     

Improving the batch-to-batch reproducibility in microbial cultures during recombinant protein production by guiding the process along a predefined total biomass profile

In industry Escherichia coli is the preferred host system for the heterologous biosynthesis of therapeutic proteins that do not need posttranslational modifications. In this report, the development of a robust high-cell-density fed-batch procedure for the efficient production of a therapeutic hormone is described. The strategy is to guide the process along a predefined profile of the total biomass that was derived from a given specific growth rate profile. This profile might have been built upon experience or derived from numerical process optimization. A surprisingly simple adaptive procedure correcting for deviations from the desired path was developed. In this way the batch-to-batch reproducibility can be drastically improved as compared to the process control strategies typically applied in industry. This applies not only to the biomass but, as the results clearly show, to the product titer also.     

我国抗体药物产业化发展的策略探讨

随着重组抗体药物展示出良好的治疗效果和市场效益,抗体药物的研发逐渐成为生物医药产业发展的主要方向。但是目前国内动物细胞表达水平普遍较低和发酵工艺落后的现状制约了我国抗体药物产业化的发展。主要综述了国际抗体药物产业的发展态势,重点比较二氢叶酸还原酶和谷氨酰胺合成酶表达体系、连续灌注和流加培养发酵模式的各自优势,结合我们抗体药物表达、发酵方面的经验,对当前我国抗体药物产业化发展策略进行了探讨,提出抗体药物产业化模式应根据企业对抗体产率、产能和市场经济学的多重考虑选择发酵工艺和发酵规模,应用谷氨酰胺合成酶/CHO-K1表达系统和连续灌注培养工艺可能更适应目前中国抗体产业化的需要。     

Sex allocation and sex‐specific parental investment in an endangered seabird

Biased offspring sex ratio is relatively rare in birds and sex allocation can vary with environmental conditions, with the larger and more costly sex, which can be either the male or female depending on species, favoured during high food availability. Sex‐specific parental investment may lead to biased mortality and, coupled with unequal production of one sex, may result in biased adult sex ratio, with potential grave consequences on population stability. The African Penguin Spheniscus demersus, endemic to southern Africa, is an endangered monogamous seabird with bi‐parental care. Female adult African Penguins are smaller, have a higher foraging effort when breeding and higher mortality compared with adult males. In 2015, a year in which environmental conditions were favourable for breeding, African Penguin chick production on Bird Island, Algoa Bay, South Africa, was skewed towards males (1.5 males to 1 female). Males also had higher growth rates and fledging mass than females, with potentially higher post‐fledging survival. Female, but not male, parents had higher foraging effort and lower body condition with increasing number of male chicks in their brood, thereby revealing flexibility in their parental strategy, but also the costs of their investment in their current brood. The combination of male‐biased chick production and higher female mortality, possibly at the juvenile stage as a result of lower parental investment in female chicks, and/or at the adult stage as a result of higher parental investment, may contribute to a biased adult sex ratio (ASR) in this species. While further research during years of contrasting food availability is needed to confirm this trend, populations with male‐skewed ASRs have higher extinction risks and conservation strategies aiming to benefit female African Penguin might need to be developed.     

Widening gap between expectations and practice in Australian minesite rehabilitation

The basic methods for rehabilitating degraded land left after mining are reasonably well‐understood and there are examples across Australia of these being currently implemented. But there are many other situations where further research will be needed to achieve rehabilitation objectives. In addition, a number of mines are yet to embark on any sustained program of rehabilitation and there is a disappointing number of cases of mines ceasing operations before rehabilitation is completed leaving sites in a badly degraded state. Overall there appear to be surprisingly few examples in Australia of post‐ mining rehabilitation that has reached a successful conclusion. In part, this may be simply a matter of time and the problem will be resolved as more mines reach the end of their working lives. But there is an apparent trend for mines to be placed into ‘care and maintenance’ or sold to other entities, to avoid the costs of rehabilitation. Thus, we are concerned there is a widening gap between what should be possible and what is being done in practice. We review some of the experiences of rehabilitating post‐mining landscapes in Australia and conclude that problems have arisen because of (i) the inherently difficult task of restoring ecosystems at highly modified mine sites, (ii) institutional and management weaknesses and (iii) loose regulatory frameworks that allow a high level of company self‐regulation. A key problem is that the importance of rehabilitation appears to rank below that of production in the minds of many mine managers and is not accorded the level of priority that the community expects. The scale of the mining industry and its capacity to cause environmental damage means that there is a need to improve the way mine rehabilitation is currently undertaken. We suggest that this might be achieved by improving research programs as well as better institutional and regulatory arrangements. The present situation represents a major ecological and financial risk to the nation as a whole and regulatory authorities need to develop more rigorous approaches to ensure effective rehabilitation standards are achieved.     

Characterization of TAP Ambr 250 disposable bioreactors,as a reliable scale‐down model for biologics process development

Demands for development of biological therapies is rapidly increasing, as is the drive to reduce time to patient. In order to speed up development, the disposable Automated Microscale Bioreactor (Ambr 250) system is increasingly gaining interest due to its advantages, including highly automated control, high throughput capacity, and short turnaround time. Traditional early stage upstream process development conducted in 2 ‐ 5 L bench‐top bioreactors requires high foot‐print, and running cost. The establishment of the Ambr 250 as a scale‐down model leads to many benefits in process development. In this study, a comprehensive characterization of mass transfer coefficient (k_La) in the Ambr 250 was conducted to define optimal operational conditions. Scale‐down approaches, including dimensionless volumetric flow rate (vvm), power per unit volume (P/V) and k_La have been evaluated using different cell lines. This study demonstrates that the Ambr 250 generated comparable profiles of cell growth and protein production, as seen at 5‐L and 1000‐L bioreactor scales, when using k_La as a scale‐down parameter. In addition to mimicking processes at large scales, the suitability of the Ambr 250 as a tool for clone selection, which is traditionally conducted in bench‐top bioreactors, was investigated. Data show that cell growth, productivity, metabolite profiles, and product qualities of material generated using the Ambr 250 were comparable to those from 5‐L bioreactors. Therefore, Ambr 250 can be used for clone selection and process development as a replacement for traditional bench‐top bioreactors minimizing resource utilization during the early stages of development in the biopharmaceutical industry. © 2017 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog., 33:478–489, 2017     

福建南靖金线莲产业发展的优势、问题及对策

通过对福建南靖金线莲产业进行调研, 分析其产业发展优势及存在问题, 提出今后的发展对策, 以期为南靖金线莲发展提供参考。调研表明: 南靖具有发展金线莲产业的天然优势,产业已成规模,产生了一定的经济、社会效益,但也存在产业集群度低、标准化战略缺失、科技投入不足、产业链延伸不够等问题。笔者认为,发展南靖金线莲应培育产业集群,走联合发展道路;实施区域品牌战略,推进标准化进程;开发产品,拓展产业链;加大科技投入,提升产业水准。     

Moving from the bench towards a large scale,industrial platform process for adeno-associated viral vector purification

In recent years, there has been a strong interest in the development and production of gene therapy products, especially those utilizing adeno-associated virus (AAV) particles. This is evident with the growing number of clinical successes and agency approvals for AAV therapeutics. Due to this increased investment in this technology, a need exists for scalable commercial production methods to ensure adequate product supply as research in AAV shifts from bench-scale development to clinical production. The purpose of this review is to summarize current scalable purification techniques that can be employed during the commercial manufacturing of AAV as well as highlight certain development considerations, such as adventitious agent removal and process development using the principals of quality by design.     

Benefits and risks of biotic exchange between Eucalyptus plantations and native Australian forests

Australia is unique in having two highly diverse plant genera, Eucalyptus and Acacia, that dominate the vegetation on a continent‐wide scale. The recent shift in plantation forestry away from exotic Pinus radiata to native Eucalyptus species has resulted in much more extensive exchange of biota between native forest and plantation ecosystems than exchange in the past with plantations of exotic species. Growing numbers of hectares are being planted to Eucalyptus globulus across Australia, and plantations are providing resources and corridors for native biota. The present paper focuses on both the benefits and risks of having large‐scale forestry plantations of native species that are closely related to dominant native taxa in local forests. At least 85 species of insects have been recorded as pests of Eucalyptus plantations around Australia; the vast majority of these have been insects using the same host species, or closely related taxa, in native forests. Plantations of native species may also benefit from closely related local forests through the presence of: (i) the diverse array of ectomycorrhizal fungi favourable for tree growth; (ii) natural enemies harboured in native habitats; and (iii) recruitment of other important mutualists, such as pollinators. Exchanges work in two directions: plantations are also likely to influence native forests through the large amount of insect biomass production that occurs in outbreak situations, or through the introduction or facilitation of movements for insects that are not native to all parts of Australia. Finally, older plantations in which trees flower may exchange genes with surrounding forest species, given the high degree of hybridization exhibited by many Eucalyptus species. This is an aspect of exchange for which few data have been recorded. In summary, because of Australia’s unique biogeography, plantation forestry using eucalypt species entails exchanges with natural habitats that are unparalleled in scale and diversity in any other part of the world. More exchanges are likely as plantations occupy greater area, and as the time under cultivation increases.