[sci.bio.technology] Gas industry and biotech

wfink@jarthur.Claremont.EDU (wfink) (10/11/90)

Does anyone have any information concerning intersections between the gas
industry and biotechnology?  We are working on a project exploring this
and any leads would be greatly appreciated.
  random ideas so far: bioremediation of hazardous waste
  bacterial production of CHx
  biofiltration?
  etc.
                               Thanks!
                                  Ruth Fink-Winter

scott@scotty (Scott Howard) (10/12/90)

What exactly do you wish to know?
I work on an extremely thermophillic methanogen 
(Comes from a Hydrothermal Vent, Grows like Wildfire)
and most of my funding comes from the Office of Naval
Research. Other sources of funding include the DOE,
the NSF, the Gas Research Institute, and the German
Government.

wfink@jarthur.Claremont.EDU (wfink) (10/17/90)

To: scott@scotty
Subject: Re: Gas industry and biotech
Newsgroups: sci.bio.technology
In-Reply-To: <1990Oct11.184247.4230@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu>
References: <9021@jarthur.Claremont.EDU>
Organization: Transexual, Transylvania
Cc: 
Bcc:
[Sorry to post this; my mailer doesn't recognize your address]

Well, we are working on a project for SoCalGas.  We are looking for economic
impacts of biotech, generic biotech, etc, but are primarily interested in 
connections to the gas industry.  Even a possible list of subjects to
investiaate would be helpful; right now we are still looking for data sources.
  Subjects that have come up as possibly of interest:
    bioremediation of hazardous waste sites
    biofiltration of H20
    biomass
    ?

Current resources include the DIALOG and MELVYL databases, random conference
flyers sent to us (we may attend the AIChE conference in November), gov docs,
journals, and random library research.
   Any suggestions?  I am trying to be specific, but feel free to ask any
clarifying questions you want.  The proposal we were given was *very* vague.
                             --RFW

scott@scotty (Scott Howard) (10/17/90)

I guess I'd start off by contacting the Office of Naval 
Research and the Gas Research people in Georgia.

You'd think that the EPA and DOE would be naturals for
this sort of thing, but the funding from them has dried
up since Reagan directed one to make bombs and the other
to clean up the mess that they created by making bombs...

The ONR has a very active interest in supporting Bioconversion
and Methanogenesis, with active programs designed to support
graduate students and to buy the equipment and coffee that keeps
them going.

Good luck! Hope this helps.