Archive for July, 2011

India: CIFT signs MOU with Uniloids Biosciences for chitin and chitosan processing technology

Posted On: July 22, 2011

The Central Institute of Fisheries Technology (CIFT) in India has signed an MoU with the Hyderabad based Uniloids Biosciences. The MoU will provide Uniloids Biosciences access to technology developed at CIFT, to convert process waste to Chitin and Chitosan,considerably versatile and promising biomaterials with wide use in various industries such as pharma, food processing and cosmetics.

Also, Uniloids Biosciences will receive support from Zonal Technology Management Business Planning and Development Unit, an agribusiness unit and the Fish Processing Division and Quality Assurance and Management Division for commercializing the technology.

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From Issue 15 • Categories: Tags: Aquapreneur, biomaterials, bioprocessing, Central Institute of Fisheries Technology, chitin, chitosan, functional ingredients, marine biotechnology, marine ingredient, marine ingredients, seafood byproducts, Uniloids Biosciences • No Comments

Seaweed may provide new source of functional ingredients

Posted On: July 22, 2011

Seaweed and other macroalgae could rival milk products as sources of functional ingredients such as heart healthy bioactive peptides, according to a new study. 

The review of almost 100 scientific studies, published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, reports that some seaweed proteins have the same effects as the bioactive peptides found in milk products and dairy products, and work to reduce blood pressure in a similar way to ACE inhibitor drugs.

“Due to the environment in which they grow, macroalgae produce unique and interesting biologically active compounds,” said Maria Hayes and colleagues from Teagasc Food Research Centre, Ireland and the University of London, UK.

“The variety of macroalga species and the environments in which they are found and their ease of cultivation make macroalgae a relatively untapped source of new bioactive compounds, and more efforts are needed to fully exploit their potential for use and delivery to consumers in food products,” they added.

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From Issue 15 • Categories: Tags: Aquapreneur, Bioactive peptides, DHA, EPA, functional ingredients, macroalgae, marine ingredients, Marine organisms, nutraceutical, seaweed, Teagasc Food Research Centre • No Comments

US Launches National Initiative for Aquaculture

Posted On: July 14, 2011

The leader of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration visited Carlsbad Monday to launch a national initiative for creating jobs and increasing seafood production by fostering public-private partnerships in fish farming.

Agency officials said the so-called Aquaculture Technology Transfer Initiative will support projects that show promise for creating jobs while maintaining environmental protections.

It’s a tricky balance for NOAA, which didn’t announce any money for the project and faces opposition from some environmental groups that oppose aquaculture as a source of ocean pollution.

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From Issue 15 • Categories: Tags: aquaculture, Aquapreneur, fish farming, NOAA, seafood • No Comments

Japanese IHI Corp. plans algae biofuel R&D firm

Posted On: July 13, 2011

Heavy machinery maker IHI Corp. plans to establish a research and development company for algae biofuel in early August in conjunction with a university venture, eyeing commercial production in fiscal 2020.

Algae biofuel has been drawing attention because unlike fuels made from agricultural crops such as sugarcane and corn, it doesn’t lead to an increase in food prices, IHI said.

IHI will invest ¥400 million over two years in the joint company IHI NeoG Algae, expecting it to release sample products that may be used as an alternative to jet fuel in three years, it said.

It currently costs about ¥1,000 to produce 1 liter of oil from algae, but the joint company aims to reduce that to ¥100.

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From Issue 15 • Categories: Tags: algae, Aquapreneur, biofuel, bioprocessing, microalgae, seaweed, sustainable • No Comments

Cancer vaccine firm Immunophotonics hopes for clinical trials involving chitin-derived Protectin drug

Posted On: July 12, 2011

A Missouri biotech company developing a laser-guided cancer vaccine therapy is raising money to get into clinical trials by the end of the year. Immunophotonics has so far focused its laser-assisted immunotherapy, called inCVAX, primarily on breast cancer treatment. The two-step device and drug process attacks late-stage metastatic cancer. It first injects a tumor with laser fibers and heats it to break it down into its component parts. Then the chitin-derived drug, Protectin, is injected to activate the immune system to recognize and purge the cancerous areas.

The company wants to raise about $1 million, according to filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Immunophotonics co-founder and CEO Tomas Hode said that the drug has shown long-term immunity against cancer in tests on animals. The drug could also cost less than other vaccines under development, Hode said.

“It’s a personal vaccine where we use the patient’s own tumor cells,” he said. “We don’t need to do any extraction; everything happens inside the body.”

Off-shore facilities in Peru and the Bahamas are already testing inCVAX primarily for breast cancer treatment and melanoma treatment — both of which typically have easily accessible tumors. Hode said the results have been promising. Protectin, which is derived from a type of glucose called chitin derived from crustacean shells, appears to be nontoxic and without major side effects to patients so far.

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From Issue 15 • Categories: Tags: Aquapreneur, biomaterials, chitin, chitosan, Immunophotonics, marine ingredients, pharmaceutical, Protectin, seafood byproducts • No Comments

Aquapharm Biodiscovery renews deal with Croda/Sederma, harnessing Aquapharm’s collection of marine micro-organisms for cosmetics

Posted On: July 12, 2011

Leading Scottish marine biotechnology company, Aquapharm Biodiscovery Ltd, has reached a crucial new stage in the development of next generation cosmetics harnessing its unique collection of marine micro-organisms.

Aquapharm, which signed a three year R&D agreement with Croda, a global leader in speciality chemicals for the personal care market in 2008, has struck a renewed deal to work with Croda’s highly respected cosmetics subsidiary, Sederma, to advance a shortlist of naturally sourced candidates identified during the collaboration towards the market.

Prof. Simon Best, CEO of Aquapharm, explains: “I’m delighted that Sederma and Aquapharm will continue to build on the foundations established through our successful collaboration with Croda; it confirms the rich potential of our marine microbe collection as a source of next generation cosmetic ingredients for skincare application. We are now on course to see the first of our products launched to market as early as 2013.”

Dr Keith Layden, President, Croda Enterprise Technology, says: “Aquapharm is one of the UK’s most promising biotech firms, breaking new ground with its pioneering research into marine natural products. Our collaboration thus far has led to many exciting new developments which promise to deliver novel and sustainable solutions for the personal care industry.

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From Issue 15 • Categories: Tags: Aquapharm Biodiscovery, Aquapreneur, commercialize, cosmeceuticals, Croda, functional ingredients, marine bacteria, marine ingredients, marine microbe, marine organism, Sederma • No Comments

Paine & Partners to Acquire Scanbio of Norway

Posted On: July 8, 2011

Paine & Partners, LLC (“Paine & Partners”), a global private equity investment firm, today announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Scanbio Marine Group (“Scanbio”), a leading producer of fish protein concentrate, fish meal and fish oil from fresh and ensiled fish by-products from Scanbio AS, which is owned by Rolf Eide, Per Arne Eide, Nordic secondary direct fund Verdane Capital IV (“Verdane Capital Advisors”) and certain other shareholders.

The transaction is expected to close in the third quarter of 2011.  Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Scanbio is headquartered in Trondheim, Norway, and its fish protein concentrate, fish meal and fish oil are produced from white and pelagic fish and salmon by-products and are primarily sold into the aquaculture fish feed, animal feed and bio-fuel markets.  Scanbio’s business addresses the growing global market demand for protein ingredients for animal feed sourced from the sustainable processing of fish by-products.

Following the Paine & Partners transaction, Carl Eide will assume the position of Chief Executive Officer of Scanbio.  Per Arne Eide will retire as Chief Executive Officer, but will remain involved with the company and will have a seat on the Scanbio Board of Directors.

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From Issue 15 • Categories: Tags: Aquapreneur, fish oil, fish protein, fish protein concentrate, fish protein hydrolysate, functional ingredients, marine biotechnology, marine ingredients, Paine & Partners, Scanbio, seafood byproducts • No Comments

Speedy algal wound response revealed

Posted On: July 7, 2011

Scientists have uncovered a biochemical pathway that enables a remarkable marine alga to rapidly heal itself after it has been wounded. The work could provide clues about how to make new synthetic adhesives that work under water.

Dasycladus vermicularis is a green alga found in warm tropical waters. Intriguingly, it is unicellular – the entire organism, which can be more than 2cm long, is a single cell. This makes it especially vulnerable to external damage, with the danger that much of its contents would leak out. To avoid this, the organism has evolved a way of rapidly plugging any breach with a tough biopolymer consisting of cross-linked protein and carbohydrate molecules. Within seconds of any damage the wound starts sealing, and within minutes it is completely healed.

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From Issue 15 • Categories: Tags: algae, Aquapreneur, bioadhesives, Dasycladus vermicularis, functional ingredients, green alga, marine biotechnology, marine drugs, marine ingredients, microalgae • No Comments

The 3rd “Rendez-vous de Concarneau”: “Where Industry meets Science in Marine Biotechnology” 30-31 August 2011, France

Posted On: July 7, 2011

The ‘Rendez-vous de Concarneau’ constitutes a series of workshops aiming at promoting relationships and strengthening bridges between Industry and academic research, and further at providing technology and knowledge transfer among stakeholders within European marine biotechnologies.

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From Issue 15 • Categories: Tags: Aquapreneur, functional ingredients, marine bioprospecting, marine biotech cluster, marine biotechnology, marine drugs • No Comments

AE Biofuels acquires biotechnology company Zymetis and patented marine organism Z-microbe

Posted On: July 7, 2011

AE Biofuels, Inc. has completed the acquisition of Zymetis, Inc., a Maryland-based industrial biotechnology company that develops products for the renewable chemicals and advanced fuels industries. Zymetis, Inc. will continue as a wholly-owned subsidiary of AE Biofuels.