TIE: Evaluation of Biosurfactants Produced by Anaerobes and their Performance in Cleansing and Environmental Remediation

哥伦比亚大学somassundaran本提案是哥伦比亚大学（I /UCRC的微粒和表面活性剂研究基地）与印度理工学院（IIT）在马德拉斯的合作项目。此次联合研究的目标与本中心在“绿色倡议”领域的目标非常一致。这个TIE项目概述了在厌氧条件下生产商业表面活性剂途径的发展研究，这是独一无二的，因为文献中报道的大多数生物表面活性剂生产商都是好氧生物。所提出的工作对于理解和优化结构/活性关系将是非常有价值的。对生物表面活性剂的全面评价将使其作为清洁剂和表面改性剂的应用成为可能；因此，为目前由石油来源产生的表面活性剂开辟了一种环保、可再生的来源。鉴于表面化学（哥伦比亚大学）和印度理工学院（土木和环境工程一般领域）在密闭多孔介质中微生物生长领域的经验之间预期的良好协同作用，拟议的工作可以有效地完成。这个TIE项目的信息将对参与的学生产生广泛的影响，并对以下行业有用：土壤清洁、溢油清理、化妆品、涂料和矿物加工。这个项目将启动一个美国-印度网络；此外，学生和研究交流将是加分项。哥伦比亚大学的小组将继续在表面科学和胶体科学方面培训女研究生和本科生。

PROGRAM DIRECTOR'S RECOMMENDATIONIIP-0942962Columbia UniversitySomassundaranThis proposal is a collaborative (TIE) project between Columbia University (a research site of the I/UCRC for Particulates and Surfactants) and the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Madras. The objectives of this joint research are very much in line with this Center's goals in the "green initiative" area. This TIE project outlines research for the development of a pathway for producing commercial surfactants under anaerobic conditions, which is unique as most of the biosurfactant producers reported in literature are aerobic organisms. The proposed work will be extremely valuable for understanding of and optimization of structure/activity relationships. The thorough evaluation of the biosurfactants will make their use as cleansers and surface modification agents a viable application; thus, opening an environmentally-friendly, renewable source for surfactants currently generated from petroleum sources. The proposed work can be accomplished effectively given the expected good synergies between surface chemistry (Columbia University) and experiences in the area of microbial growth in confined, porous media in IIT (within the general area of civil and environmental engineering).The information from this TIE project will have a broad impact on participating students, and should be useful to may industries: soil cleaning, oil spill cleaning, cosmetics, coating and mineral processing. This project will start a USA-India network; and, student and research exchange will be a plus. The Columbia group will continue to train women graduate and undergraduate students in the surface and colloidal science.