Biotechnology has tremendous potential for unique, efficient,
eco-friendly and economically viable options for waste treatment and
degradation of hazardous waste into relatively less harmful products.
Following biotechnological products help in the protection of
environment.
(i) Biosurfactants These are surface active substances
synthesised by several microorganisms like bacteria and yeast.
These have the property to reduce surface tension, stabilise
emulsions and promote foaming.
Biosurfactants have the potential to solubilise hydrocarbon
contaminants and increase their availability for microbial
degradation. In some bacterial species such as Pseudomonas
neruginosa, biosurfactants are also involved in a group motility
behaviour called swarming motility.
(ii) Superbug It is a modified strain of oil eating bacteria which
was developed by Prof. Anand Mohan Chakraborty. The
process of working through which GMOs cleanup several
environmental contaminants is known as bioremediation. A
more general approach to cleanup oil spills is by the addition of
fertilisers to facilitate the decomposition of crude oil by bacteria.
(iii) Mycofiltration It is the process of using fungal mycelia to filtre
the toxic waste.
(iv) Phytoremediation It refers to the natural ability of certain
plants called hyperaccumulators to bioaccumulate, degrade
or render harmless contaminants in soil water or air, e.g.,
mustard plants, pigweeds, etc.
(v) Biosensors These are referred to engineered organisms
(usually a bacterium) that are capable of reporting some
environmental phenomena like presence of heavy metals or
toxins.
(vi) Biofuels There are a wide range of fuels, which are in someway
derived from biomass. Biofuels are gaining increased public and
scientific attention driven by factors such as high fuel prices,
need for increased energy security and concern over greenhouse
gas emission from fossil fuels.
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