Category Archives: Chemistry

Recreational Fishermen Noticed Fish Kill; Chemical Spilled Used in Security Paper

The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has told Appvion that it failed to report a chemical spill and is asking the company to investigate, explain and plan to prevent future similar releases.

In a letter dated Sept. 17, 2020, the DEP stated, "On August 27, 2020 the [DEP} responded to a report of a fish kill in the Frankstown Branch of the Juniata River. During an investigation of the incident, dead fish were observed over a 4.5 mile stretch of the river that extended upstream to an area approximately 500 feet below the Appvion industrial wastewater treatment plant outfall pipe."

Fishermen noticed

Recreational fishing social media websites noted the kill, with a moderator of paflyfish.com posting on Aug. 28, "Reported fish kill on the Frankstown Branch reported on FB ... Major fish kill being reported on the Frankstown Branch. Roaring Spring Paper Mill apparently had a chemical spill. No further details forthcoming. Please post more info as it becomes available."

Another fisherman posted, "I spoke to the person that made the report. No reported brown trout found dead and only warmwater species. I'm not saying this makes it any better, but just noting it was misreported with no wild trout OBSERVED to be affected."

Permit limit exceeded

The DEP stated that it contacted Robert Stasik, environmental manager for the Spring Mill plant, regarding the alleged spill.

"After contacting Mr. Stasik, Environmental Manager with Appvion Inc., the Department was notified of a chemical spill at the paper mill that entered the treatment plant on August 19, 2020. Mr. Stasik also mentioned that [a daily maximum permit limit] was exceeded on August 20, 2020."

The DEP subsequently conducted an investigation and noted that "Appvion failed to immediately report a spill of approximately 3,700 gallons of the chemical Chlorostain to their wastewater treatment process in violation of [the company's] NPDES permit."

NPDES stands for "National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System."

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), a NPDES permit is issued under the The Clean Water Act, which prohibits discharging "pollutants" into a "water of the United States" without a NPDES permit.

A NPDES permit sets limits on what can be discharged, monitoring and reporting requirements, and other provisions to ensure that the discharge does not hurt water quality or people's health.

According to the product sheet from the company that makes it, chlorostain is manufactured especially for use in the production of security papers. This product cannot be detected as applied. However, when paper treated with Chlorostain is exposed to a commercial ink eradicator, an orange-brown stain develops. Chlorostain is often printed on check papers with the words "fraud" or "void", which appear immediately when an ink eradicator is applied.

The DEP report notes that chemical's official description sheet states that the substance is toxic to humans but does not indicate its effects if spilled into an aquatic environment.

Appvion produces thermal, carbonless and security papers at the Spring Mill plant. The company's headquarters is in Appleton, Wisc.

Investigation

Following news of the fish kill on Aug. 26, Frederick Clark, a water quality specialist with the DEP conducted an investigation, including a check of the affected streams.

Clark reported, "In the afternoon of August 26, 2020 I examined the stream from the Loop Road Bridge in Frankstown Township, Blair County, about 150 feet upstream of the elementary school and observed 8 dead fish. The fish were 6-12 inches long and included carp, catfish and white suckers. The fish appeared partially decomposed. The water in the stream was clear with a light reddish-brown tint. There was no noticeable sheen or odor, except for the smell of decaying fish."

Clark investigated further upstream and at the pipe where the plant discharges into the Frankstown Branch of the Juniata River, where he noted, "The discharge had its normal dark reddish-brown tint and mild odor. I did not see any dead fish at the outfall but did start to observe dead and decayed fish starting about 500 feet downstream, near the end of Cottage Lane. There were about 10 dead fish along the bank, some partially decayed or eaten and sometimes just skin or bones."

Further upstream from the outfall, Clark noted, "the water is clear and there were no signs of fish fatalities."

Clark called Stasik, who reported, that there "was an incident last Wednesday August 19, 2020. About 3,700 gallons of a chemical called Chlorostain overflowed from a holding tank and was conveyed to the industrial waste treatment plant. This incident was not previously reported to the [DEP]."

Stasik told Clark that when he was notified of the spill in the late afternoon of the Aug. 19, he (Stasik) "instructed his operator to perform field checks of the effluent at points within the treatment plant for ammonia. He did this because a similar Chlorostain spill in 2016 caused a permit exceedance for ammonia."

Stasik told Clark that "none of the ammonia checks conducted on the 19th showed abnormally high results and the ammonia level of the effluent was below the permit daily maximum."

Stasik also reported that "none of the ammonia checks conducted on the 19th showed abnormally high results and the ammonia level of the effluent was below the permit daily maximum."

DEP's conclusion

The DEP concluded that "Appvion failed to immediately report a spill of approximately 3,700 gallons of the chemical Chlorostain to their wastewater treatment process in violation of NPDES permit" and "In addition, Appvion indicated that they violated [an] effluent limit on August 20, 2020 and August 21, 2020 in violation ... of [its] NPDES permit."

The letter from DEP requests that Appvion "investigate these violations and submit a written report" to the DEP by Oct. 2, 2020.

The report is to include:

a detailed timeline of the events leading up to and immediately after the spill took place

an explanation the cause of the violations

a description of any actions taken

any measures put into place or planned to prevent future violations.

Clark reported that Stasik said "that based on his observation of the treatment plant and the ammonia testing results, he did not believe the chemical spill had an adverse impact on the plant or the plant effluent and that is why he did not report the incident to the DEP" and that "the company is investigating ways to prevent another overflow of the chemical storage tank such as changing the valving or installing a high-level alarm."

The Herald's information regarding this event came from documents provided by the Pa. DEP when requested.

Appvion did not return calls from the Herald requesting comment.

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Appvion Accused of Spilling Chemical Into Frankstown Branch - Morrisons Cove Herald

Washington, D.C.

Today, 11 community, scientist, environmental, and environmental justicegroups represented by Earthjustice sued the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) over a weak national emission rule for hundreds of chemical facilities whose pollution is linked to cancer. The Miscellaneous Organic Chemical Manufacturing, or MON rule, regulates toxic emissions for about 200 chemical plants across the country. These plants emit over 7,400 tons a year of dangerous air pollutants,includingatleast 2,000 pounds of ethylene oxide, an aggressive carcinogen. EPA updated the rule earlier this year after the national air toxics assessment showed this pollution is contributing tocancer risk hot spots in the United States.

Industrial plants covered by the MON rule handle chemicals used in the production of solvents, plastics, and pesticides. During this process, potent carcinogens, like ethylene oxide,1,3-butadiene, benzene, formaldehyde, and other toxic fumes that people breathe, are dumped into neighboring communities.The MON rule leaves people in surrounding areas exposed to cancer risks of 200-in-1 million, twice the level EPA admits is unacceptable under the Clean Air Act.

EPAs recognizes that communities are facing a blatantly unacceptable cancer threat from breathingtoxic airevery day, yet it does little to fixthis problem,saidEmmaCheuse, Earthjustice attorney. Its unjust and wrong that the agency isagainrefusing to set standards that fully protectchildren and families livingnext topetrochemicalsources. Now, in the middle of arespiratory pandemic, communitieshave totake EPA to court toensure that chemical plants use up-to-date pollution controls, and common-sensefencelinemonitoring for the toxic air theyrelease into nearby neighborhoods.

MON facilities are located around the U.S., but especially concentrated in Texas and Louisiana, and disproportionately affect Black, Latino, and low-income communities. Other states with MON facilities include West Virginia, Illinois, and South Carolina. EPA's MON rule allows periodic, uncontrolled releases of chemical pollution, while communities need around-the-clock protection from toxic air. This rule allows facilities to spew fugitive emissions into communities without monitoring, and permits facilities to do so repeatedly, even if pollution levels are too high.

Our neighborhoods are not sacrifice zones for petrochemical companies. EPAs national air toxics standards must be the strongest necessary to prevent cancers that EPA itself says the pollution from these chemical plants can cause. Those of us in Louisiana have seen first-hand the type of harm this type of pollution can do to communities, saidSharon Lavigne, founder of RISE St. James.

As communities push for monitoring and stronger rules for chemical plants, the petrochemical industry is expanding in places like Cancer Alley in Louisiana, which is already facing elevated cancer levels due to industrial fumes. In fact, Formosa Plastics petrochemical complex in St. James Parish is still on the table while RISE St. James and their partners are fighting its illegal permits in Louisiana state court. The complex would include 14 plants just one mile from an elementary school in a predominantly Black neighborhood. A weak MON chemical plant rule is disastrous for the health of St. James Parish, particularly if plans for the Formosa complexare allowed toproceed.

EPAhas known of the pollution and extreme health harms associated with MON plants for years; still, it chose inaction. According to federal law, EPA was supposed to review and update the national MON standards by 2014, but years later, the agency had still failed to meet the deadline. Communities affected by these emissions represented by Earthjustice, forced EPA to finish the rule through litigation and in 2017 a court ordered EPA to review and update this rule.

Earthjustice is representing RISE St. James, Louisiana Environmental Action Network, Louisiana Bucket Brigade, TX Environmental Justice Advocacy Services (t.e.j.a.s.), Air Alliance Houston, Ohio Valley Environmental Coalition, Blue Ridge Environmental Defense League, Environmental Justice Health Alliance for Chemical Policy Reform, Environmental Integrity Project, Union of Concerned Scientists, and the Sierra Club.These groups have also filed a petition for reconsideration with EPA.RISE St. James, Louisiana Bucket Brigade, and allied groups, represented by Earthjustice, are alsofighting the illegal and dangerous air permitsLouisiana issued to Formosa Plastics, andchallenging another rule(ethylene production) that would apply to Formosa Plastics and similar petrochemical facilities as illegally weak.

It is morally reprehensiblethat EPA is treatingcertain communitiesasdisposable andleft to suffer unacceptable cancer threats from exposure to petrochemical pollution.We will continue to fight to ensure thatEPAs national air toxics standardsare as strong as possibleto save lives andpreventillnessesthatEPA should not allow communities to face just because they live near chemical plants, saidMichele Roberts, national co-coordinator of the Environmental Justice Health Alliance for Chemical Policy Reform.

Todays suit is a step toward righting a grievous wrong. This administrationsweak MON rule does little to protect our health and instead leaves our communities at serious risk of cancer, both by the enormous emissions it allows and by pretending to be protective when in fact its just the opposite. We are all at risk from these emissions, but Black people in Louisiana are in the bullseye. Its past time to change this situation, and we are filing suit today to do justthat,saidAnneRolfes, LA Bucket Brigade.

We cannot applaud EPA for doingwhat it thinks isthe bare minimum, because the agency is not even doing what it knows is needed to protect peoples health, based on the best available science. EPA also cannot avoid ensuring that facilities use up-to-date pollution controls, and practices, including real-timefencelinemonitoring, to protect public health. People in Texas deserve the strongest protection available for our health,saidJuan Parras,t.e.j.a.sExecutive Director.

The EPA rule does not go far enough to reduce toxic air pollution and goes too far in allowing loopholes, including an unlimited number of so-called unforeseeable accidents known as force majeure. The problem is notactsof God, it is acts of man, saidLouis Zeller, Executive Director of the Blue Ridge Environmental Defense League.

EPA missed an opportunity in the MON rule to use its authority under the Clean Air Act to reduce the chemical burden on environmental justice communities exposed to the highest emissions of hazardous pollutants, including ethylene oxide. The science supports stronger action to limit emissions and expand monitoring for communities who continue to experience oppression due to social, health, and environmental disparities exacerbated by a global pandemic. EPA may be willing to abandon its mission and leave communities behind, but we wont allow it, saidGenna Reed, Union of Concerned Scientists.

The EPA knows how many plastic/petrochemical and other factories are spewing their pollution onto communities predominantly populated by people of color. The EPA knows that people living near these plants are going to have a dramatically increased risk of cancer because of the pollution. Butit is clear that thisEPA doesnt care at all about harm to our communities. It really is a travesty that we have to sue our Environmental Protection Agency for environmental protections that the agency itself knows should be in place,saidVivianStockman, Executive Director at Ohio Valley Environmental Coalition,based in Huntington, WV.

Many communities face the insult of hosting more than one of these dangerous chemical facilities, yet USEPA still fails to strengthen the standards needed to protect communities from toxic air emissions they are releasing, which can cause particular harm to children and to women at risk of breast cancer, saidJane Williams, Chair of the Sierra Club National Clean Air Team.

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Groups Sue Over Weak Emission Standards for Chemical Plants Linked to Cancer - Earthjustice

New York, NY, Oct. 13, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) will spotlight the roles that chemical engineers play in addressing societal and industrial challenges when the organizations 2020 Annual Meeting is held as a virtual event, November 1620.

Originally scheduled to take place in San Francisco, California, the conference is the largest AIChE meeting to date to be held virtually. Thousands of chemical engineering researchers, practitioners, entrepreneurs, and innovators from around the world will gather for the online conference, where they will engage with a program highlighting the professions latest developments and the myriad opportunities to apply chemical engineering expertise to help solve problems in energy, manufacturing, health care, and resource sustainability to name some of the topics on the agenda.

In addition to exploring growth areas in chemical engineering research and application, the Virtual Annual Meeting features new topical conferences that underline the imperative for workforce equity and inclusion across industry, academia, and all of societys enterprises. New topical conferences address the Evolving Role of Gender Dynamics, as well as Engineering for Inclusion. With global challenges necessitating a diverse workforce equipped with new skills, a Bridging the Skills Gap in Chemical Engineering track will offer skills training and highlight the value that diverse perspectives bring to projects and organizations of all kinds.

In the technical realm, a new conference will look at the challenges surrounding waste plastics. Additional program sessions amplify the Annual Meetings recent emphasis on the role of chemical engineers as innovators. These include conferences on Chemical Engineers in Medicine, Microbes at Biomedical Interfaces and Entrepreneurship in Chemical Engineering. The Synthetic and Renewable Fuels track explores the role of hydrogen in biofuels, while the Applications of Data Science to Molecules and Materials conference highlights advances at the nexus of data science and chemical engineering. The Next-Gen Manufacturing conference incorporates topics such as Industry 4.0, smart manufacturing, and cybersecurity.

At the associated Virtual Annual Student Conference (November 1316), chemical engineering undergraduates worldwide will take part in online career workshops, scholarly competitions, and networking events. Highlights include a welcome keynote address by Udit Batra, Chief Executive Officer of Waters Corporation; a research poster session; a recruitment fair; and the 22nd running of AIChEs signature Chem-E-Car Competition. Also, at the Virtual K-12 STEM Showcase, chemical engineering undergraduates and professionals will exhibit chemical engineering principles to an online audience.

With its emphasis on technical innovation and the professional growth of chemical engineers, AIChEs Annual Meeting is the foremost educational forum for chemical engineers working in research and development. Organizers expect more than 5,000 professional engineers, scientists, and business leaders to attend the meeting to acquire insight into developments in the fields growth areas and to connect with other professionals. The online platform is anticipated to extend participation to new audiences.

FEATURED LECTURES AND SPECIAL EVENTS

Meet the Leaders: Engineering for Inclusion (Monday, November 16). Inclusive workplaces are prerequisites for competing in a globalized world. Panelists at this plenary session will present success stories and unmet needs in the efforts to achieve equity in the workforce. Participants include Christine S. Grant (North Carolina State University), Jennifer Lopez-Reed (Eli Lilly), Gary S. May (University of California, Davis), and Lori Ryerkerk (Celanese).

The P. V. Danckwerts Lecture (November 16) will be presented by Massimo Morbidelli, Professor and Dean at the Polytechnic University of Milan and Emeritus Professor at ETH Zurich, who will discuss digitalization in the manufacturing of biopharmaceuticals. The lecture is co-sponsored by AIChE, Elsevier, the Institute of Chemical Engineers (IChemE), and the European Federation of Chemical Engineering (EFCE).

The Andreas Acrivos Award for Professional Progress in Chemical Engineering Lecture (Tuesday, November 17) will be given by AIChEs 2019 Acrivos Award recipient, Michael S. Strano, Carbon P. Dubbs Professor of Chemical Engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Stranos lecture is entitled Two Sides of the Same Leaf: Fluids Under Extreme Confinement and the Nanotechnology of Living Plants.

The James E. Bailey Award Lecture (November 17) is sponsored by AIChEs Society for Biological Engineering, and recognizes contributions in biological engineering. The 2020 lecturer is Cato T. Laurencin, University Professor and Van Dusen Distinguished Endowed Professor, and Chief Executive Officer of the Connecticut Convergence Institute for Translation in Regenerative Engineering at the University of Connecticut. A pioneer in regenerative engineering, Laurencin will describe the status and future prospects of tissue engineering.

The John M. Prausnitz AIChE Institute Lecture (Wednesday, November 18) will be delivered by Michael F. Doherty, the Duncan and Suzanne Mellichamp Chair in Process Systems Engineering at the University of California, Santa Barbara. AIChEs 72nd Institute Lecturer, Doherty will discuss innovation at the frontiers of chemical engineering practice and science.

The Presidential Lecture (November 18) will be delivered by Frances H. Arnold, the Linus Pauling Professor of Chemical Engineering, Bioengineering and Biochemistry at the California Institute of Technology. In her talk, Engineering by Evolution: Bringing New Chemistry to Life, Arnold the 2018 Nobel Laureate in Chemistry will discuss her work in creating new enzyme catalysts and expanding the chemistry of life to include reactions that nature may not have explored.

The William R. Schowalter Lecture (Thursday, November 19) is named in honor of Schowalter, a pioneer in fluid mechanics. The lecture will be given Alice P. Gast, President of University College London, who will discuss Schowalters legacy in her talk On the Shoulders of Giants: Lessons in Leadership and Collaboration from Bill Schowalter.

The IACChE James Y. Oldshue Lecture (November 19) will be presented by Arturo Hernndez-Maldonado, Professor of Chemical Engineering at the University of Puerto Rico at Mayagez. He will discuss advances in the design of porous materials for the adsorption of water contaminants. The Oldshue lecture is presented in alternate years by AIChE and the Inter-American Confederation of Chemical Engineering (IACChE).

For information about virtual conference registration and a schedule of events, visit http://www.aiche.org/annual.

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About AIChE

AIChE is a professional society of more than 60,000 chemical engineers in 110 countries. Its members work in corporations, universities, and government using their knowledge of chemical processes to develop safe and useful products for the benefit of society. Through its varied programs, AIChE continues to be a focal point for information exchange on the frontiers of chemical engineering research in such areas as energy, sustainability, biological and environmental engineering, nanotechnology, and chemical plant safety and security. More information about AIChE is available at http://www.aiche.org.

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Global Chemical Engineering Community Will Gather Online for Conference Offering an Expansive Technical Program and Prominent Lecturers, Nov. 1620 -...

RANDOLPH, NJ- While 2019 was a struggle in the win / loss column for the Randolph Field Hockey team, it wasa building block for the abundance of youth they sent out onto the field. Having lost only three seniors to graduation from that 3-14-2 season, the girls will return most of their team intact for 2020; one year older, stronger, and more experienced.

Being very young and inexperienced last year really hurt us, said coach Gina Adickes. I am hoping with having a lot of returners and promising newcomers we will be very competitive in our pod, as well as prepared for our post season.

Three key returners were named captain for this season in four year varsity starter Sidney Lusardi ( Senior ), three year varsity starter Sarah Bona ( Junior ) and second year starter Jordan Saybe ( Junior ).

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Sidney is our most experienced player having been on varsity all four years, said Adickes. She has seen us make it to the state finals, so I expect her to want to get there again and win in her final year.

Lusardi herself echoes Adickes sentiments and understands the responsibility she has to teach the younger players.

Being a four-year varsity player, Ive had the opportunity to see how the team and program have changed over the years with the people entering and leaving it, said Lusardi. Ive met some truly amazing leaders who have had a great influence on me. I take my knowledge of the game Ive learned and share it with others to create an environment that encourages growth - and challenging yourself to do better and have fun.

Coach Adickes also used some flattering words to describe Bona, a player who she also expects strong leadership from this season.

Sarah is our most gifted player, I can put her anywhere, and she will get the job done, said Adickes. She is our tough cookie. She tells you how it is and that can be scary for some kids, but she knows what it takes to win a section championship so the girls should feed off that.

Bona also commented on the chemistry and the bonds that the team feels they have entering the season.

Since we have so many returning players from last year, our team chemistry has improved greatly, said Bona. We are a very close team on and off the field, and I feel that this will help us with our results this season. I am excited to see how we play moving forward.

While Lusardi and Bona will spend most of their time helping to power the offense, the Lady Rams third captain ( Saybe ) will be protecting the house and anchoring the defense.

Jordan is our most steady player, and she will be directing our back field, said Adickes. She has improved so much this year that her skills motivate the team. She is more of the silent captain but has so much power in her nonverbal's.

As the last line of defense, the Rams will see Amanda Klopper in net, who returns from last year as well. About Klopper, Adickes stated, I expect her to be more consistent on the field and more vocal, and since this is year two on varsity, I have high hopes for her.

Adickes further went on to describe her team, stating, Joelle Yurchuk and Riley Novack are two freshman that hold a lot of promise for this coming season. Two sophomore additions on the forward line are Anna stock and Sydney Jenish.

Team chemistry and having so many returners were identified by Adickes as the key strengths of her squad. As for weakness, she says there are still some big holes on the field that she hopes those players who are stepping into those roles will improve each game.

We were a very young team last year and with some of our key players looking even better this season we should have a very competitive year, said Adickes. Other key returners, some of whom are playing in new positions, are Bridget Byrnes, Olivia Pentz, Stephanie Goldberg, Gianna Drake and Katie Lachanski.

The Lady Rams coaches have preached hard work, effort and focus to make sure the team is prepared, especially since this will be a shortened season due to Covid-19. It paid dividends in the teams first game, an 8-0 victory over Morris Hills.

Throughout preseason, coach has been stressing the idea of continuous effort and no garbage reps, said Bona. What she means by that, is we should go through every drill, play, and activity with 100% effort to help build skills and chemistry working as a team.

Lusardi has confidence that this will be a season to remember.

Seeing how much everyone has improved, I expect us to go really far this season, said Lusardi. Every player knows the basics, and we have really great team chemistry, which is the foundation to the great team I know we are, and I believe our record is going to show this year.

Bona led the team in the season opening win with 3 goals and 2 assists. Pentz and Dickson added two goals, while Drake and Stock tallied a goal each.

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Randolph Field Hockey Returns Largely Intact; Hopes To Capitalize on Team Chemistry - TAPinto.net

Rowan University paleontologist Dr. Paul Ullmann is the lead author on new research into the preservation of ancient biomolecules, such as dinosaur proteins.

The molecules include preserved blood vessels and blood material, pigment cells and proteins that have been observed in recent years by a number of researchers working in the emerging field of molecular paleontology.

Published in the journal Scientific Reports Sept. 23, the research is reminiscent of that in the mega movie franchise Jurassic Park, in which scientists extract a bit of DNA from a mosquito lodged in a piece of solidified amber and, from it, recreate a world of dinosaurs.

Though Ullmann and his team do not seek to reanimate extinct dinosaurs, they used an array of molecular biology techniques to identify preservation of the protein collagen in a 67 million year old bone of the duck-billed dinosaur Edmontosaurus.

When you perform molecular biology tests on certain fossils, you can recover original, ancient molecules, said Ullmann, an assistant professor in Rowans Department of Geology. We havent succeeded with DNA, like in Jurassic Park, but my colleagues and I have recovered ancient proteins.

Ullmann said big questions remain, including how its even possible that genetic material can be viable for millions of years in fossilized dinosaur bones.

Thats part of what were trying to figure out, he said.

Researchers for the article, Molecular tests support the viability of rare earth elements as proxies for fossil biomolecule preservation, included Dr. Ken Lacovara, dean of Rowans School of Earth and Environment and Rowan Assistant Professor Dr. Kristyn Voegele.

Scientists are just beginning to understand the processes that lead to the preservation of minute bits of ancient flesh trapped inside fossils, Lacovara said. This work sheds light on the conditions that make these amazing discoveries possible.

Groundbreaking research

Ullmann said the project began eight years ago when he and Voegele were doctoral students under Lacovara at Drexel University. To investigate how groundwater chemistry influences the decay of molecules in bones, Ullmann began studying a vast dinosaur bonebed in South Dakota. Part of his work involved firing a laser at slices of the bones to determine their elemental chemistry, which hinted that the bones had been little altered over the millennia, and that led his team to predict they might contain ancient molecules.

Ullmann said he and other paleontologists have not only identified ancient proteins in fossilized bones but demonstrated that they derive from the animals themselves and not environmental contamination.

For the first time, weve identified a chemical signature, or indicator, for molecular preservation in fossil bones, Ullmann said. In the end, the real benefit of our work is that scientists can use this tool to make more ancient molecule discoveries, which then have numerous and diverse applications, everything from learning about the physiology and biology of dinosaurs to pathways of molecular evolution.

Like bar codes on fossils

While Ullmanns research never sought to reanimate long-extinct species, he said comparisons to the Jurassic Park storyline are easy to make.

Molecular recovery is an idea that is gaining real traction in paleontology, the most famous of which is the notion that we can use ancient DNA to resurrect animals like dinosaurs and the wooly mammoth, he said.

Which isnt very likely.

The real promise of molecular paleontology, Lacovara said, is that its like having bar codes on fossils. As this technology develops, paleontologists will be able to test hypotheses about ancient creatures in the same way that biologists use molecular fingerprints to study living animals today.

These discoveries are advancing scientific knowledge of how molecules evolve over time and how extinct animals responded to past climate change, Ullmann said. The technological advancements required to recognize molecular fragments in fossils may one day see applications in everything from medicine to materials engineering.

To learn more, take a deeper dive into the research in a fascinating Q&A with Ullmann.

See more here:
Rowan-led research identifies chemical tool for finding proteins in fossil bones - Rowan Today

By making better, greener alternatives to petrochemistry, Zymergen sees a huge economic and environmental opportunity

Smoke from wildfires previewed the apocalyptic future some warn of if we cant control climate ... [+] change. Biomanufacturing upstart Zymergen aims to use biology to make the $3 trillion chemicals and materials industry more sustainable.

As the smoke from a dozen wildfires darkened San Francisco, Josh Hoffman took his two children outside to see the surreal morning sky. It looked like a dystopian scene from Blade Runner 2049.

Josh Hoffman, CEO and co-founder of Zymergen.

My kids were scared because the sun never rose, and when it did it looked like a dying planet, says the CEO of Zymergen, a biomanufacturing company. In the apocalyptic skies, Hoffman saw the end of times that so many warn about if we dont get a handle on climate change. Its not going to be solved with gentle nudges to use a little bit less power. We need real technology-based innovation.

Warmer, drier conditions, increased drought, and a longer fire season...these are just a few potential results of climate change. But by making better, greener alternatives for the $3 trillion petrochemistry-based chemicals and materials industry, Zymergen sees a huge economic and environmental opportunity.

Investors see the opportunity, too. In September, Zymergen announced one of the largest deep tech investments of 2020 $300 million to accelerate its pipeline of high-performance chemicals and materials. The investment includes initial Series D funding led by Baillie Gifford, Baron Capital Group, Perceptive Advisors, and a number of current investors. Zymergen expects to raise additional capital in Q4 as part of the Series D round.

Hoffman says about 60% of Zymergens cash is going to new pipeline and platform developments, and another 20% is going to sales and marketing for existing products such as Hyaline, a bioelectronic film that will probably end up in your next smartphone, laptop, watch, or television. Hoffman says to expect two more product announcements in the next 18 months.

Were doing what you'd expect for a company at our stage, he says.

To appreciate Zymergens rapid progress and the potential for synthetic biology companies to sustainably transform the $3 trillion chemical and materials industry, you only have to go back 10-15 years to see where the field began.

In the early 2000s, many of the brightest minds in synthetic biology (Jay Keasling, George Church, and Chris Somerville, to name a few) started companies and institutes to apply their new biotechnology toolkit to the biggest, most important problem they could think of: reducing carbon emissions by replacing gasoline with biofuels. Upstarts like Solazyme, Amyris AMRS , and Gevo GEVO went head-to-head with Big Oil by trying to make biofuels that were cost-competitive with dirty fossil fuels pumped out of the ground.

A 42-gallon barrel of crude oil can create a number of petroleum products, including gasoline, ... [+] distillate, jet fuel and many other products.

In retrospect, this was about the hardest problem they could choose. Besides just overcoming the technological challenges of using biology to make a commodity chemical, these early innovators were also up against an industry with trillions in infrastructure, decades of experience, and deeply entrenched interests. Synthetic biology continues to fight the good fight in companies such as Joule, Sapphire Energy, Synthetic Genomics, Qteros, and many others. But in todays world of cheap oil, where the United States spends ten times more on fossil fuel subsidies than education, biofuels remain economically challenging.

This led the synthetic biology industry to seek different ways to compete with a barrel of oil. It turned its attention to the smaller non-fuel part of the barrel that yields products like perfumes, skis, running shoes, toothpaste, and even medicines. These so-called high-value compounds represent much of the value of petroleum. This is where Zymergen sees the opportunity.

I think you're going to see a huge drop in demand for oil, Hoffman says. First, he believes companies like Zymergen will succeed in using biology to make better high-value products than you can get from oil. He also believes there will be a drop in the demand for fuel as Tesla TSLA and other electric cars become mainstream and affordable. And here Hoffman is quick to point out that tech companies like Tesla are winning on performance, not sustainability.

Its not that Tesla is a great electric car. Its just a great car, he says.

In the chemical industry, Hoffman says that people have been cracking hydrocarbons and putting the resulting building blocks together to make chemicals and materials for 150 years. He says product innovation in the industry has slowed to almost nothing, and heres why: If you crack a hydrocarbon, you will get around 15 intermediates, maybe a couple of hundred base monomers, and a limited number of polymers. But biology gives you many more building blocks with untapped properties. Zymergen thinks of petrochemistry like a black & white silent film, and biology like multichannel, live streaming, interactive entertainment.

Hoffman sees giants like Dupont and BASF as two of Zymergens future competitors (Zymergens Hyaline film is already competing with Dupont). He says biomanufacturing has better economics than petrochemistry.

We don't have to build a $200 million plant to bring a product to market, he says, instead using reusable bio-based fermentation that makes capital expenditures much lower.

Also, he says biomanufacturing processes are safer. Every time a hurricane hits the Gulf, you hear about chemical plants blowing up or spills sickening people and animals. When you make stuff with biology, its a winery, not a refinery. In biomanufacturing, you might spill some corn sludge on the ground, but people don't die.

John Warner joined Zymergen as a Distinguished Research Fellow in July.

n a move that signals and validates Zymergens sustainability aims, the company announced in July that world-renowned green chemistry leader John Warner joined Zymergen as a Distinguished Research Fellow to lead outreach, ideation, and commercial explorations around sustainability and green chemistry. As much as anyone, Warner embodies the Zymergen ethos to partner with biology.

Biology outperforms humans hands down, not only in the things it makes but also how it makes things,

Warner says. He says that making many of humankinds best products requires heating to high temperatures, putting under high pressure, and/or using harsh chemicals. Biology does most everything at room temperature and pressure, with water as the solvent, he says.

Warner says when you do chemistry in a multi-ton reactor, there is no expectation that its going to be compatible with the environment. But if you start your reaction in a living organism as with the engineered fermentation approach of Zymergen and other synthetic biology companies he says, Thats an interesting starting point.

As far as transforming the $3 trillion chemical and materials industry, Warner says that never in history did a new technology have an easy time replacing the old technology.

The status quo has a way of holding on to itself, Warner says, and replacing petrochemical processes with bio-based processes is the most difficult of the twelve pillars laid out in his groundbreaking 1998 book, 12 Principles for Green Chemistry. But, he continues, successful companies recognize the status quo, find a way of innovating, and they succeed in the future because of that balance of defeating the inherency of the status quo to move forward.

To hear Josh Hoffman talk about it, Zymergen doesnt simply want to move forward. It wants to take the tiger by the tail.

We get to make better products, and we get products that aren't torching the planet, he says. I'm pretty psyched about that.

Subscribe to my weekly synthetic biology newsletter. Thank you to Kevin Costa for additional research and reporting in this article. Im the founder of SynBioBeta, and some of the companies that I write about are sponsors of the conferences I run and the newsletter that I write.

Originally posted here:
With $300 Million In New Funding, Zymergen Aims To Sustainably Transform The $3 Trillion Chemical And Materials Industry - Forbes