My Note -
I sent this (email immediately below) to bloomberg and cnn – just to feel better about it. I don’t expect they will read it, however – I think the answers that could work which I found yesterday and those other people are offering need to get on the menu for the recovery team decision-makers in the Gulf – so after emailing this, I’m looking up the University of Mississippi, engineering dept.
- cricketdiane, 05-01-10
***
Do you know -
What is this process? Why did they drill and then cap a producing well? Are they running around the Gulf, drilling and then capping rather than pumping it to harvest the crude? How do they place a “cement” cap 5000 feet underwater?
And – there was a senior editor from PopSci on bloomberg just now who explained that the companies, and engineers in the Gulf are going to do the plan as planned without trying anything else in the interim. Not only was his attitude really shitty, for lack of a better word – we can see already what there “plans” are producing and burning off 100 gallons at a time where 210,000 gallons per day are pouring into the Gulf waters is a sad note in the history of engineering and innovation in America.
Just wanted to say – notwithstanding Mr. Bjorn Carey being very informative, his patronizing and exclusionary attitude about solutions which could work long before the ones they are using or planning to use – is unacceptable. Is that also the attitude shared by the oil companies, recovery companies, engineer teams in the area and others making the decisions about fixing the problem? Is there any way they could have some other choices on their menu or are we to watch them continue for five weeks or three months to destroy the economies and wealth of the sea throughout the Gulf Coast and Gulf of Mexico. How about finding out -
Thanks,
cricketdiane
***
The University of Mississippi, School of Engineering -
http://www.engineering.olemiss.edu/
(I’ll track this on my blog as I do it – )
Go to
Alumni & Friends
Go to
Engineering Publications
http://www.engineering.olemiss.edu/alumni/olemiss_engineer/
Go to -
(get a cup of coffee – this is going to take awhile)
spring 2009 (at bottom of list)
go to page (2)
It says -
From the Dean’s Office
call them..
***
Go To
Faculty & Staff (on bar under logo)
- although there is a comments and suggestions email link at the bottom of the page, it is most likely a webmaster and may or may not get anything to the department. Use it or don’t – these are not generally checked regularly and immediately.
under the list for faculty & staff
Go to
Civil Engineering
Dr. Douglas Shields, Jr.
(click on their name to double check that they are appropriate – they are)
and
Dr. Madhu Rao Suryadevara
(email them)
be honest and forthright about concerns – don’t dick around with this, it is too important. They might be able to access the teams out in the Gulf and they might not but at the very least they know what is happening there, the danger it poses and are aware of the engineering that would be involved in whatever you are suggesting as solutions. (my note to others who might be intending to offer solutions to teams in the Gulf to clean up the oil, recover the oil, cap the oil, or stop the continuing introduction of spewing oil from these subsea pipes. – Don’t expect a response from these sources, and don’t expect to stop at that point if you have any idea that could work.)
***
Go to
Texas A & M – engineering and physics departments
google search offers first on the list -
department of engineering physics – but it isn’t directly a Texas A & M page
Go to it
In the list at the bottom of the page – see Graduate Study – Texas A & M
see – Hydrology
see – Other Engineering Fields
Down the page – Note
Tarleton State University
and
ABET (American Board of Engineering and Technology)
find them
***
Go back to google search using terms -
Texas A & M – engineering and physics departments
choose second or third entry that has in the web address (http) the word
“tamiu”
go to it
Department of Engineering, Mathematics and Physics
http://www.tamiu.edu/coas/depts/dmps/
Go to middle bar link – “Professional Links”
Click “Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics”
Click left bar link – “About SIAM”
Go to
Officers, Board and Council (SIAM)
http://www.siam.org/about/board.php
Go to (on separate tab)
ABET (American Board of Engineering and Technology)
Go to (on separate tab or window)
Society of Civil Engineers
***
listening to General Honore right now on CNN – and he’s right, we need something done right now (2.48 pm) – thanks, Ali Velshi and producers at CNN
Northern Command has deployed a forward command Brig Gen Bosilica? with national guard – who is making the engineering decisions?
***
On page of officers, board and council (SIAM)
see – Morgot Gerritsen
Department of Energy Resources Engineering
School of Earth Sciences (Stanford University)
- although this listing is on the “Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics” website
email her and anybody else that might be appropriate on this list or email them all – only with ideas, information and request that they will help to manage the engineering solutions available to the teams in the Gulf who are making those decisions – do not expect any money, do not expect any fame, and damn sure don’t expect anybody to acknowledge your idea, is your goal to help or for something else? – if it is something else – don’t do it this way . . .
- cricketdiane
***
Go to – (open tab with Society of Civil Engineers)
Go to “Professional Development”
Conferences (in middle of page)
http://www.asce.org/AggregateContent.aspx?id=761
**
Go to – righthand side of page – blogs
http://www.asce.org/Content.aspx?id=2147486078
Bridging the Gap — A Young Engineer’s Perspective
Our Failing Infrastructure: Government Relations Blog
Leadership and Management in Engineering
interact here – with these above
fuss here – with this one – but don’t cuss -
***
Go back to Texas A & M Department of Engineering, Mathematics and Physics
Click Faculty/Staff in left sidebar – Click “Faculty Senate”
(and)
Go to
ABET (open in tab)
they are an accreditation team for engineering programs in universities, but look who is here -
(by the way, this stuff really matters to them, so do not treat them with contempt – they are just like us, but they really care about what they do and what engineering means to the public safety, well-being and the critical nature of engineering to all of us.)
Click Workshops, Webinar and IDEAL on left sidebar -
Go to entry
Faculty Workshop on Sustainable Assessment Processes
Get this from middle of the page –
The leader of this workshop is Gloria Rogers, Ph.D., who has been active in disseminating information on program improvement and institutional effectiveness for 20 years. She has authored or co-authored over 30 publications, made over 80 invited presentations and seminars at national and regional conferences, and given presentations or workshops on over 90 college campuses, 23 of which were outside U.S. borders. She has also served as an external evaluator on 17 NSF-funded projects and currently serves on advisory committees for the National Science Foundation, American Association of Colleges & Universities, and Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. Rogers is currently the Managing Director, Professional Services, at ABET. (note this)
Go to
Gloria Rogers Launches New Program Assessment Blog
(from right sidebar)
**
Note -
Governor Bobby Jindal is currently in a press gig on CNN describing the efforts being made. Do not email the Governors’ offices in these states – they are very, very busy and do not have any ability to facilitate possible solutions any one bit different from what is already being done. They are making other arrangements right now and cannot afford to be flooded with extra crap.
- cricketdiane
***
On
Go back to Texas A & M Department of Engineering, Mathematics and Physics
Click Faculty/Staff in left sidebar – Click “Faculty Senate”
Dr. Arturo Limon -
email Senate president about concerns and ask if there are efforts underway by Texas A&M – president of faculty senate at Texas A&M is -
Dr. William W. Riggs
(and click on past presidents – copy entire list)
***
Secretary Salazar is now on CNN – amazing man – very intelligent and genuinely cares about what is happening in the Gulf 3.24 pm – CNN Live
I’m glad he’s on the team working to fix this
- cricketdiane
**
Go back to Texas A & M Department of Engineering, Mathematics and Physics
at the middle bar – click on faculty and staff
http://www.tamiu.edu/coas/depts/dmps/profile_master/index.shtml
see – list
Professor and Chair
Dr. Rafic A. Bachnak
Dr. Juan Homero Hinojosa, Professor of Physics
Dr. Young-Man Kim, visiting Assistant Professor of Engineering
Dr. Chen-Han Sung, Professor of Mathematics, Computer Science and Industrial Engineering
email them – (alumni pages will have other member of the engineering teams of faculties and current professionals, graduates and others that are concerned who could possibly get placement of solutions by interacting with engineering teams and academics in the area with the Gulf oil spill currently ongoing.)
***
(also)
from ABET site -
Click “Washington Accord” in text
http://www.washingtonaccord.org/
International Engineering Accords
There are six international agreements governing mutual recognition of engineering qualifications and professional competence.
View the complete Engineering Technologist Mobility Forum Agreement in PDF Format.To view a list of other ETMF documents click here.
- Download (219 KB PDF)
The agreement
As a result of an agreement by the Sydney Accord signatories to explore mutual recognition for experienced engineering technologists, representatives of the engineering profession in each of the signatories to the Sydney Accord met in Sydney in November 1999, and Thornybush South Africa in June 2001.
http://www.washingtonaccord.org/ETMF/
See Members on left sidebar
- Canada – Represented by Canadian Council of Technicians and Technologists (2001)
- Hong Kong China – Represented by The Hong Kong Institution of Engineers (2001)
- Ireland – Represented by Engineers Ireland (2001)
- New Zealand – Represented by Institution of Professional Engineers NZ (2001)
- South Africa – Represented by Engineering Council of South Africa (2001)
- United Kingdom – Represented by Engineering Council UK (2001)
Online Registers
(found here)
http://www.washingtonaccord.org/ETMF/signatories.cfm
***
Go to
IEA Interim Meetings 2010 (on left sidebar)
of Washington Accord page at
http://www.washingtonaccord.org/ETMF/
which will go here -
http://www.washingtonaccord.org/IEAM2010.cfm
yielding this – (email with specific request that Intnl Engineering members be brought into the solutions side of this situation in the Gulf, please. They may or may not include it in their concerns but it won’t be because they don’t know they were invited to participate in creating workable solutions that can be used.)
***
I’m going to try a search for (ON GOOGLE) — “Houston Petroleum Producers Coalition”
(wanna see how you go around the world in about ten minutes?)
see google search – Houston Petroleum Producers Coalition
Go to
Landman Association – Houston Association of Professional Landmen
Landmen Oil and Gas Mineral Rights, Energy Association Landmen Association
at
www.hapl.org
Houston Association of Professional Landmen
2640 Fountain View, Suite 209,
Houston, TX 77057
phone – (713) 622-6868
(don’t cuss them – but they do have friends in the politicians, party members and oil industries that did this)
and on the left sidebar
Go to
Business Directory
and
Industry Links
***
Professional Associations
Government Websites
- Texas County Clerks Offices
- Texas General Land Office
- Louisiana Department of Natural Resources
- Louisiana Clerks of Court
- SONRIS (Louisiana)
- Railroad Commission of Texas
- Oklahoma Corporation Commission
- Minerals Management Service
Industry Associations
Oil & Gas History Websites
(from)
***
(email all of them)
Go to
left sidebar of
Houston Association of Professional Landmen
rollover – HAPL Committees
Go to
“Directory” that appears on the list that appears on rollover
which goes to
where you will find this -
Committee Members
| # | Name | Company | Phone |
| 1 | Dick, Carolyn | ConocoPhillips Company | (432) 688-6011 |
| 2 | Eisterhold, Ben | ConocoPhillips Company | (832) 486-2624 |
| 3 | Haag, Garrett | ConocoPhillips Company | (832) 486-2782 |
| 4 | Hough, William | Anadarko Petroleum Corp | (832) 636-3037 |
| 5 | Schnell, Karen | Yuma Exploration and Production Company, Inc. | (713) 968-7068 |
| 6 | Womack, Jack | Crew Land Research, Ltd. | (713) 784-5263 |
E-mail this committee to a friend (requires login).
***
(I’m taking a break – call the jackasses listed above and email anybody else on the lists above that might help solve the problem. Try not to be shitty to any of them even if they work with the petroleum industry because they might accidentally give a damn, too – unlikely, but possible.)
***
(Back – I had to go eat something.)
The goal of this is to “fix it” and to encourage, inspire and insist that other ways of doing it are considered and utilized – and not just whatever they are already doing or planning to do that isn’t working – in the Gulf of Mexico crude oil recovery, clean-up, and capping off the wells that are pouring oil into the waters of the Gulf (5000 feet down on the seabed in a canyon – 41 miles from shore)
Every one of these people above – either knows somebody that is involved with the decision-making process in some way, is involved in an association or professional organization that is involved with it and was involved with the initial engineering and understandings of safety about it which were given to the public and politicians making the decisions to drill for oil in the Gulf of Mexico (and elsewhere) – and accredited or gave their seal of approval to the engineering that went into it and to what engineering principles and ethics and safety considerations will go into it in the future
- cricketdiane
***
Go to
http://www.abet.org/mut_reco.shtml
|
|||
|
|||
***
These associations can be looked up individually online – each of them have directories of members, conferences that are coming up soon which need to be alerted to this situation in the Gulf and that their abilities will likely be needed to fix it and prevent this kind of disaster in the future – they are capable of understanding what can be designed to resolve the issues that have already occurred with existing equipment to make it safer and possibly get involved in the teams that are working there in the Gulf now in order to give back up resources to their efforts – both academic research that is most recent and other international teams, knowledge and resources specific to it.
- cricketdiane
***
But, I haven’t even started doing anything yet -
chemical engineering
Kuwait and Persian Gulf resources that have successfully resolved these kinds of things in their region before this
desalination pumps in the Gulf area that could be utilized to some measure
BP’s backup Cambridge team
physics groups that know a thing or two more about this than I do
***
And from my Encyclopedia Britannica – under the heading “Enzyme” on page 897; vol. 6 -
“Any systematic classification of enzymes should be based on a common property or quality that varies sufficiently to be useful as a distinguishing feature. In this regard, three properties of enzymes could serve as a basis for enzyme classification -
the exact chemical nature of the enzyme,
the chemical nature of the substrate,
the nature of the reaction catalyzed.
(etc. – it goes on to say)
Adequate information about the detailed chemical structures of more than a few enzymes does not yet exist.” (1978, it does now.)
“Although some enzymes consist only of protein, many are complex proteins; i.e., they have a protein component and a so-called cofactor. A complete enzyme is called a holoenzyme; if the cofactor is removed, the protein, no longer enzymatically active, is called the apoenzyme.”
A cofactor may be a metal – such as iron, copper, or magnesium – a moderately sized organic molecule called a prosthetic group, or a special type of substrate molecule known as a coenzyme. The cofactor may aid in the catalytic function of an enzyme, as do metals and prosthetic groups, or take part in the enzymatic reaction, as do coenzymes.”
Lookup online -
Coenzymes and apoenzyme research for petroleum / subsea cleanup applications that may have been researched or already made available for use – either oceanographic crude oil or ocean water regeneration studies
***
Enzymes are usually very specific as to which reactions they catalyze and the substrates that are involved in these reactions. Complementary shape, charge and hydrophilic/hydrophobic characteristics of enzymes and substrates are responsible for this specificity. Enzymes can also show impressive levels of stereospecificity, regioselectivity and chemoselectivity.[21]
on wikipedia entry for enzyme which came up when I searched for apoenzyme
Induced fit model
Diagrams to show the induced fit hypothesis of enzyme action.
In 1958, Daniel Koshland suggested a modification to the lock and key model: since enzymes are rather flexible structures, the active site is continually reshaped by interactions with the substrate as the substrate interacts with the enzyme.[29] As a result, the substrate does not simply bind to a rigid active site; the amino acid side chains which make up the active site are molded into the precise positions that enable the enzyme to perform its catalytic function. In some cases, such as glycosidases, the substrate molecule also changes shape slightly as it enters the active site.[30] The active site continues to change until the substrate is completely bound, at which point the final shape and charge is determined.[31]
- Providing an alternative pathway. For example, temporarily reacting with the substrate to form an intermediate ES complex, which would be impossible in the absence of the enzyme.
- Reducing the reaction entropy change by bringing substrates together in the correct orientation to react. Considering ΔH‡ alone overlooks this effect.
- Increases in temperatures speed up reactions. Thus, temperature increases help the enzyme function and develop the end product even faster. However, if heated too much, the enzyme’s shape deteriorates and only when the temperature comes back to normal does the enzyme regain its shape. Some enzymes like thermolabile enzymes work best at low temperatures.
Interestingly, this entropic effect involves destabilization of the ground state,[33] and its contribution to catalysis is relatively small.[34]
(and)
An example of an enzyme that contains a cofactor is carbonic anhydrase, and is shown in the ribbon diagram above with a zinc cofactor bound as part of its active site.[48] These tightly bound molecules are usually found in the active site and are involved in catalysis. For example, flavin and heme cofactors are often involved in redox reactions.
Enzymes that require a cofactor but do not have one bound are called apoenzymes or apoproteins. An apoenzyme together with its cofactor(s) is called a holoenzyme (this is the active form). Most cofactors are not covalently attached to an enzyme, but are very tightly bound. However, organic prosthetic groups can be covalently bound (e.g., thiamine pyrophosphate in the enzyme pyruvate dehydrogenase). The term “holoenzyme” can also be applied to enzymes that contain multiple protein subunits, such as the DNA polymerases; here the holoenzyme is the complete complex containing all the subunits needed for activity.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enzyme
(just for my own knowledge, and then at top of entry – go to “Biocatalyst”)
On Situation Room – with Wolf Blitzer, he is talking to Senator Bill Nelson from Florida right now – yep, they are starting to realize what the problem is with the idea of another five weeks of oil pumping into the Gulf at the rate of 210,000 gallons a day – Hmmm. . . he says Florida’s residents along the Gulf are in a panic – I don’t doubt it. He says this was an “exploratory well” that exploded and caused this.
Now, where did I see that oil slick cleanup stuff -
Go to Engineers Australia
http://www.engineersaustralia.org.au/
also on another tab would be open this
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biocatalysis
and under the circumstances, you just gotta see this -
Tampa Bay Water Desalination Project
The Tampa Bay Water Desalination project was originally a private venture led by Poseidon Resources.
This project was delayed by the bankruptcy of Poseidon Resources’ successive partners in the venture, Stone & Webster, then Covanta (formerly Ogden) and its principal subcontractor Hydranautics.
Poseidon’s relationship with Stone & Webster through S & W Water LLC ended in June 2000 when Stone & Webster declared bankruptcy and Poseidon Resources purchased Stone & Webster’s stake in S & W Water LLC.
Poseidon Resources partnered with Covanta and Hydranautics in 2001, changing the consortium name to Tampa Bay Desal.
Through the inability of Covanta to complete construction bonding of the project, the Tampa Bay Water agency was forced to purchase the project from Poseidon on May 15, 2002, and underwrite the project financing under its own credit rating.
Tampa Bay Water then contracted with Covanta Tampa Construction, which produced a project that did not meet required performance tests, and Covanta Tampa Construction filed bankruptcy in October 2003 to prevent losing the contract with Tampa Bay Water, which resulted in nearly six months of litigation between Covanta Tampa Construction and Tampa Bay Water.
The plant was not fully operational until 2007[24]. The plant currently runs at the capacity of 25 million gallons per day[52]. (my note – it has pumps – really, really big pumps.)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desalination
(and you’ve just gotta see this right quick too)
found by google search using these terms -
coenzymes crude oil ocean
EIA Energy Kids – Oil (petroleum)
– 3:59pmAbout 53% of the crude oil and petroleum products used in the United States in … Most of the energy we get from the ocean is extracted from the ground. …
tonto.eia.doe.gov/kids/energy.cfm?page=oil_home-basics
and from this about halfway down the page – check it out -
http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/kids/energy.cfm?page=oil_home-basics
Technology Helps Reduce Drilling’s “Footprint”
Exploring and drilling for oil may disturb land and ocean habitats. New technologies have greatly reduced the number and size of areas disturbed by drilling, sometimes called “footprints.”2 Satellites, global positioning systems, remote sensing devices, and 3-D and 4-D seismic technologies make it possible to discover oil reserves while drilling fewer wells.
The use of horizontal and directional drilling makes it possible for a single well to produce oil from a much bigger area. Today’s production footprints are also smaller those 30 years ago because of the development of movable drilling rigs and smaller “slimhole” drilling rigs.
When the oil in a well becomes uneconomic to produce, the well must be plugged below ground, making it hard to tell that it was ever there. As part of the “rigs-to-reefs” program, some old offshore rigs are tipped over and left on the sea floor to become artificial reefs that attract fish and other marine life. Within six months to a year after a rig is toppled, it becomes covered with barnacles, coral, sponges, clams, and other sea creatures.
Eight Percent of the Oil in the Sea Comes from Tank Vessel Spills
If oil is spilled into rivers or oceans, it can harm wildlife. When we talk about “oil spills,” people usually think about oil that leaks from a ship that is involved in an accident. Although this type of spill can cause the biggest shock to wildlife because so much oil is released at one time, a study by the National Research Council says only 8% of all oil in the sea comes from ship or barge spills.3 The amount of oil spilled from ships dropped significantly during the 1990s partly because new ships were required to have a “double-hull” lining to protect against spills.
The Greatest Share of Oil in the Sea Comes from Natural Seeps
While oil spills from ships are the most well-known source of oil in ocean water, more oil actually gets into water from natural oil seeps coming from the ocean floor.
Leaks also happen when we use petroleum products on land. For example, gasoline sometimes drips onto the ground when people are filling their gas tanks, when motor oil gets thrown away after an oil change, or when fuel escapes from a leaky storage tank. When it rains, the spilled products get washed into the gutter and eventually flow to rivers and into the ocean. Another way that oil sometimes gets into water is when fuel is leaked from motorboats and jet skis.
When a leak in a storage tank or pipeline occurs, petroleum products can also get into the ground, and the ground must be cleaned up. To prevent leaks from underground storage tanks, all buried tanks are supposed to be replaced by tanks with a double lining.
1. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Climate Change State of Knowledge.
2. U.S. Department of Energy, Environmental Benefits of Advanced Oil and Gas Exploration and Production Technology (October 1999).
3. National Academies Press, Oil in the Sea III, Chapter 3 (2002).
(from)
http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/kids/energy.cfm?page=oil_home-basics
(talk about something that is evidently wrong about the impacts which are very evidently now being experienced in the Gulf of Mexico and along every one of the Gulf Coast states – just had to share the perspective found on that page, which is interesting under the circumstances . . . )
***
Go back to
Engineers Australia site (on tab)
Code of Ethics Review – have your say
(and clicking on tab at bottom link “groups” of page – gives this)
Centre for Engineering Leadership and Management
CELM was created as a strategic response to the demands of the complex and changing business environment in which engineers work. CELM complements the work of the Colleges and Societies and contributes to the growth, strength, standing and influence of the engineering profession.
http://www.engineersaustralia.org.au/app_templates/corepagelets/mainsite/colleges/groups.cfm
Engineering Associates
The National Committee of Engineering Associates Australia (NCEAA) is committed to promoting, developing, supporting, engaging and representing Engineering Associates and their role withing the engineering team.
I found this -
-
QLD | 05 May 10
-
Engineering Leadership Conference 2010
http://www.engineersaustralia.org.au/groups/engineering-associates/engineering-associates_home.cfm
Contact Us
Please address all correspondence in the first instance to
Mr Bill Chaffey
Committee Administrator
Phone: ( 02) 62706558
Fax: ( 02) 62732358
associates@engineersaustralia.org.au
11 National Circuit
http://www.engineersaustralia.org.au/ieaust/index.cfm?2A9323DA-A43A-EE04-4E3A-3F39703FED04#NCEAA
from a page with a list of committee members – I could email them and ask how the cleanups there were done and exploratory wells capped when this happened off the coast of Australia.
Hmmm . . . need to think about it – maybe there is another way to find the answers.
***
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biocatalysis
Biocatalysis is the use of natural catalysts, such as protein enzymes, to perform chemical transformations on organic compounds. Both enzymes that have been more or less isolated or enzymes still residing inside living cells are employed for this task.[1][2][3]
The key word for organic synthesis is selectivity which is necessary to obtain a high yield of a specific product. There are a large range of selective organic reactions available for most synthetic needs. However, there is still one area where organic chemists are struggling, and that is when chirality is involved, although considerable progress in chiral synthesis has been achieved in recent years.
Enzymes display three major types of selectivities:
- Chemoselectivity: Since the purpose of an enzyme is to act on a single type of functional group, other sensitive functionalities, which would normally react to a certain extent under chemical catalysis, survive. As a result, biocatalytic reactions tend to be “cleaner” and laborious purification of product(s) from impurities emerging through side-reactions can largely be omitted.
- Regioselectivity and Diastereoselectivity: Due to their complex three-dimensional structure, enzymes may distinguish between functional groups which are chemically situated in different regions of the substrate molecule.
- Enantioselectivity: Since almost all enzymes are made from L-amino acids, enzymes are chiral catalysts. As a consequence, any type of chirality present in the substrate molecule is “recognized” upon the formation of the enzyme-substrate complex. Thus a prochiral substrate may be transformed into an optically active product and both enantiomers of a racemic substrate may react at different rates.
These reasons, and especially the latter, are the major reasons why synthetic chemists have become interested in biocatalysis. This interest in turn is mainly due to the need to synthesise enantiopure compounds as chiral building blocks for drugs and agrochemicals.
Another important advantage of biocatalysts are that they are environmentally acceptable, being completely degraded in the environment. Furthermore the enzymes act under mild conditions, which minimizes problems of undesired side-reactions such as decomposition, isomerization, racemization and rearrangement, which often plague traditional methodology.
( . . . )
The racemic mixture has now been transformed into a mixture of two different compounds, making them separable by normal methodology. The maximum yield in such kinetic resolutions is 50%, since a yield of more than 50% means that some of wrong isomer also has reacted, giving a lower enantiomeric excess.
(etc.)
External links
- The University of Exeter – Biocatalysis Centre
- Applied Biocatalysis centre- Graz;
- Center for Biocatalysis and Bioprocessing – The University of Iowa
- TU Delft – Biocatalysis & Organic Chemistry (BOC)
- KTH Stockholm – Biocatalysis Research Group
- MIT Short Course – Principles and Applications of Biocatalysis
***
so , from that list -
TU Delft – Biocatalysis & Organic Chemistry (BOC)
and maybe -
KTH Stockholm – Biocatalysis Research Group
(My Note – I’m going this direction with it because I don’t think they are going to do anything differently than they have planned to use the tent system I suggested to capture the oil as it is being spewed out – nor anything anybody else comes up with in all likelihood – so the best choice, is for me to pursue how to fix that much oil being in the Gulf at that rate and in that volume of ocean water / along the beaches / in the bayous and marshes / and throughout the intercoastal waterways as quickly as possible)
I’ve been listening to the news as I’ve been going through this – if you didn’t catch that as I went along.
((( – cricketdiane
***
Go to -
TU Delft – Biocatalysis & Organic Chemistry (BOC)
(also just had a thought – Who is the lead chemical engineer on site at the oil spill decision-making team in the Gulf or wherever their decisions are being made – in fact, now that I think about it – where is their command decisions central location?)
Also – just took a moment and submitted an article -
Crude Oil overtaking the Gulf of Mexico at 210,000 gal/day due to engineered blow-out preventer failure
Crude oil is currently overtaking the waters in the Gulf of Mexico as a direct result of a blow-out preventer failure engineered to never allow this to happen again. There is an immediate need for legitimate and practical efforts by the engineering community to help resolve the resulting issues of ecological damage, reclamation of the health of the ocean water in the Gulf, recovery and capping the crude source on the subsea bed along with solutions for the reclamation of coastal areas.
I haven’t written the accompanying article. There are many across the internet written by Associated Press and others.
We need your help. Haven’t the solutions developed and applied in Australia been successful in situations such as this? Could you come help – these people aren’t going to listen to us, but they might listen to you.
We need -
Crude oil is currently overtaking the waters in the Gulf of Mexico as a direct result of a blow-out preventer failure engineered to never allow this to happen again. There is an immediate need for legitimate and practical efforts by the engineering community to help resolve the resulting issues of ecological damage, reclamation of the health of the ocean water in the Gulf, recovery and capping the crude source on the subsea bed along with solutions for the reclamation of coastal areas. (that’s the part I’m writing about it and I mean it sincerely – we need your expertise to help us in America, no matter what the officials involved in running the recovery might say. The things they are doing are not working and not even designed to work in a situation of this massive a release of crude and this dynamic type of ocean environment and in this volume of unique oceanographic currents, fisheries and marine space generally.)
http://www.engineersaustralia.org.au/news/submit-a-news-item.cfm
submitted article today, 04-30-10, 6 pm
***
on their website – and clicked an inclusion for these folks – but I don’t know that they will – it was not exactly a news article -
-
Who Is This News Item Relevant To?
- Divisions and Overseas Chapters
NATIONAL (ie All Divisions)
National Committees and Panels
Technical Societies
Interest Groups
TU Delft – Biocatalysis & Organic Chemistry (BOC)
http://www.bt.tudelft.nl/live/pagina.jsp?id=d99c1746-87a1-40c0-b4f3-ec5493b41763&lang=en
The research in the Biocatalysis and Organic Chemistry group is directed towards the development of atom-efficient, low-waste processes for the synthesis of high added value chemicals, such as pharmaceuticals and chiral intermediates. Within the framework of green chemistry the aim is to respond to the public need towards the 12 principles of green chemistry (for explanations see ‘links’).
Catalysis is one of our guiding principles to achieve selectivity and waste minimization. Biocatalytic as well as biomimetic catalytic methods are investigated. Other research themes are the use of non-conventional media (ionic liquids for e.g. biocatalysis), the immobilization of enzymes, e.g. via the technique of cross-linked aggregates (CLEAS’s), the application of catalytic cascade reactions, and the use of renewable resources. Furthermore the evolution of enzymes by means of DNA-shuffling is explored to search for reaction-designed biocatalysts both in collaboration with an industrial partner and together with other groups in the Department.
***
(from pp. 898, vol 6 – entry “enzyme), Encyclopedia Britannica, 1978)
The Nature of Enzyme-Catalyze Reactions -
The nature of catalysis.
In a chemical reaction – for example, one in which substance A is converted into product B – a point of equilibrium eventually is reached at which no further chemical change occurs; i.e., the rate of conversion of A to B equals the rate of conversion of B to A.
The so-called thermodynamic-equilibrium constant expresses this chemical equilibrium. A catalyst may be defined as a substance that accelerates a chemical reaction but is not consumed in the process.The amount of catalyst has no relationship to the quantity of substance altered; very small amounts of enzymes are very efficient catalysts.
Because the presence of an enzyme accelerates the rate of conversion of a compound to a product; it accelerates the approach to equilibrium; it does not however, influence the equilibrium point attained.
The molecules in the watery medium of the cell (or molecular configuration, my note) are in constant thermal motion but, because they are more or less stable compounds, they would react only occasionally to form products in the absence of enzymes.
There exists an energy barrier to the reaction of a molecule. The energy required to overcome the barrier to reaction is called the energy of activation. A reaction proceeds to equilibrium only if the molecules have sufficient energy of activation to form an activated complex, from which products can be derived.
Enzymes greatly increase the chances for reactions by their ability to make large numbers of specific molecules more reactive (i.e., unstable) by forming intermediate compounds with them.
The unstable intermediates quickly break down to form stable products, and the enzymes, unchanged by the reaction, are able to catalyze the formation of additional products.
***
And, I found this part here -
The expertise in the field of catalysis is reflected by the membership of the Netherlands Institute for Catalysis NIOK and the NRSC-Catalysis (Top Research School Catalysis Controlled by Chemistry and Design).
Group leader
prof.dr. Isabel W.C.E. Arends
Permanent staff
dr.ir. Fred van Rantwijk (associate professor)
dr. Ulf Hanefeld (associate professor)
dr.ir. Joop A. Peters (associate professor)
prof.dr. Roger A. Sheldon (em. professor)
Key words
Enzymes in organic synthesis, Enzyme immobilization, Biocatalysis, Enzymes in novel media, Green chemistry, Oxidation catalysis, Catalysis in water, Homogeneous catalysis, Heterogeneous catalysis, Asymmetric catalysis, Directed evolution, DNA-shuffling, Molecular recognition, Magnetic Resonance Imaging.
Contact Information
Department of Biotechnology
Julianalaan 136
2628 BL Delft
The Netherlands
Tel: +31 (0)15 27 82683
Web: www.bt.tudelft.nl/boc
(from)
http://www.bt.tudelft.nl/live/pagina.jsp?id=d99c1746-87a1-40c0-b4f3-ec5493b41763&lang=en
(and on left sidebar – click on the word – “people”)
to go here -
http://www.tnw.tudelft.nl/live/pagina.jsp?id=078fb682-fe95-46df-b1d1-5fa4ce5cc460&lang=en
(email them and see if they know anything that could help in the enzymes they have been studying or if they know who does have some success to show in this area.)
Scientists
- prof.dr. I.W.C.E. (Isabel) Arends
email: I.W.C.E.Arends@tudelft.nl
tel: +31 15 2784423 - dr. U. (Ulf) Hanefeld
email: U.Hanefeld@tudelft.nl
tel: +31 15 2789304 - dr. F. (Frank) Hollmann
email: f.hollmann@tudelft.nl
tel: +31 15 2781957 - dr. L.G. (Linda) Otten
email: L.G.Otten@tudelft.nl
tel: +31 15 2789969 / 2781634 - dr. K. (Kristina) Djanashvili
email: K.Djanashvili@tudelft.nl
tel: +31 15 2785092 - dr.ir. J.A. (Joop) Peters
email: J.A.Peters@tudelft.nl
tel: +31 15 2785892 - dr.ir. F. (Fred) van Rantwijk
email: F.vanRantwijk@tudelft.nl
tel: +31 15 2781634 - prof.dr. R.A. (Roger) Sheldon (em. professor)
email: R.A.Sheldon@tudelft.nl
tel: +31 15 2782675 - dr.ir. L. (Leendert) Maat
email: L.Maat@tudelft.nl
tel: +31 15 2784361
PhD students and postdocs
see the list research projects of the BOC group
***
(also found this – )
might have some leads to possible solutions and resources for solutions to cap the undersea pipes -
Enterprise Offshore Port System, LLC, an affiliate of Enterprise Products Partners L.P. (NYSE:EPD EPD
expected progeny difference. ), has also elected to dissociate from TOPS effective April 16, 2009.
In August 2008, affiliates of TEPPCO, Enterprise and Oiltanking Holding Americas, Inc. formed a joint venture to design, construct, own and operate a new Texas offshore crude oil port and pipeline system to facilitate delivery of waterborne crude oil to refining centers along the upper Texas Gulf Coast. The TOPS project includes an offshore port, two onshore storage facilities with approximately 5.1 million barrels of total crude oil storage capacity, and an associated 160-mile pipeline system with the capacity to deliver up to 1.8 million barrels per day Barrels per day (abbreviated BPD, bbl/d, bpd, bd or b/d) is a measurement used to describe the amount of crude oil (measured in barrels) produced or consumed by an entity in one day. of crude oil. The total cost of the project had been estimated at $1.8 billion.
TEPPCO Partners, L.P., is a publicly traded energy logistics partnership with operations that span much of the continental United States United States territory, including the adjacent territorial waters, located within North America between Canada and Mexico. Also called CONUS. . TEPPCO owns and operates an extensive network of assets that facilitate the movement, marketing, gathering and storage of various commodities and energy-related products. The partnership s midstream network is comprised of approximately 12,500 miles of pipelines that gather and transport refined petroleum products, crude oil, natural gas, liquefied petroleum gases (LPGs) and natural gas liquids, including one of the largest common carrier pipelines for refined petroleum products and LPGs in the United States. TEPPCO s storage assets include approximately 27 million barrels of capacity for refined petroleum products and LPGs and about 14 million barrels of capacity for crude oil. TEPPCO also owns a marine business that operates primarily on the United States inland and Intracoastal Waterway systems, and in the Gulf of Mexico Noun 1. Gulf of Mexico – an arm of the Atlantic to the south of the United States and to the east of Mexico
Golfo de Mexico
Atlantic, Atlantic Ocean – the 2nd largest ocean; separates North and South America on the west from Europe and Africa on the east . For more information, visit TEPPCO s website (www.teppco.com). Texas Eastern Products Pipeline Company, LLC, the general partner of TEPPCO Partners, L.P., is owned by Enterprise GP Holdings (
(from here – )
***
And took a google search for biochemical engineering university Louisiana
giving -
The Chemical Engineering Department at Louisiana State University
http://www.che.lsu.edu/ourdepartment/general_info.htm
It says -
The Chemical Engineering Department at Louisiana State University is a leader in research, teaching and service in a field that is crucial to the economy of the Gulf South. It is the largest and most active chemical engineering department at both the undergraduate and graduate levels in the State. The Department has received international recognition for its contributions to chemical engineering research, education and service, and the doctoral program received a “commendation for excellence” from the previous review by the Board of Regents.
The Department of Chemical Engineering developed from the Audubon Sugar School, which officially became part of the University in 1897.
(These folks definitely can help)
**
Along left sidebar of TU Delft
TU Delft – Biocatalysis & Organic Chemistry (BOC)
(click on Biotechnology) – which goes here -
http://www.tnw.tudelft.nl/live/pagina.jsp?id=57b749a1-b9e1-4f0a-ac27-514b9a07d13a&lang=en
and on another tab where I had the TEPPCO thing -(I’m watching 11 Alive Atlanta and NBC Nightly News to see what their coverage of this is like – not bad)
I’m going to find this -
NIOK | Netherlands Institute for Catalysis Research
NIOK, which stands for ‘Nederlands Instituut voor Onderzoek in de Katalyse’ (Netherlands Institute for Catalysis Research), is a virtual institute consisting of Dutch University Groups active in all areas of catalysis. It is a nationwide graduate school (‘Onderzoekschool’) which fosters the advancement of both higher education and research and stimulates collaboration between scientists of different disciplines and Universities. NIOK acts as the platform and sparring partner for national and international contacts on catalysis with academia, industry and government. It was established in 1991 by the major catalysis groups of seven Dutch Universities.
Later, NIOK was recognised by the Royal Netherlands Academy of Sciences (KNAW) and it is supported by an industrial advisory board VIRAN which consists of members from Dutch and multinational industries involved in many aspects of catalytic processes.
(found here)
http://www.niok.eu/en/introduction/
***
(and)
Biotechnology
Welcome to the Department of Biotechnology.
Head of the department
prof.dr. J.H. de Winde
Introduction
The department of Biotechnology concentrates on the multidisciplinary fields of Biocatalysis, Metabolic Engineering & Fermentation Technology, Environmental Biotechnology and Bioprocess Technology as well as the exciting developments in the area of Life Science & Technology – in particular, genomics and metabolomics.
Biotechnology research activities consist of the following research groups:
- Analytical Biotechnology
- Biocatalysis and Organic Chemistry
- Bioprocess Technology
- Bioseparation Technology
- Environmental Biotechnology
- Enzymology
- Industrial Microbiology
- Complex Fluids Theory
- Biotechnology and Society
Intensive collaboration with industry and other national research groups has led to the establishment of two national research centres, both coordinated by the Department of Biotechnology:
- The Kluyver Centre for Genomics of Industrial Fermentation
- Bio-based Sustainable Industrial Chemistry (B-BASIC)
The department is home to the accredited Graduate Research School Biotechnological Sciences Delft Leiden (BSDL) which organizes annual, International Advanced Courses for PhD and postgraduate training.
[Short URL of this website: www.bt.tudelft.nl]
(from)
http://www.tnw.tudelft.nl/live/pagina.jsp?id=57b749a1-b9e1-4f0a-ac27-514b9a07d13a&lang=en
**
(and from this on left sidebar – National Academy of Engineering Members)
http://www.che.lsu.edu/ourdepartment/general_info.htm
gives this -
http://www.che.lsu.edu/ourdepartment/nae.htm
National Academy of Engineering Members
The Department is proud to have three graduates elected as members of the National Academy of Engineering (NAE), along with one Professor Emeritus. Election to the NAE is the highest professional distinction bestowed to an engineer in the United States.
- Nai Y. Chen (MS 1954)
Elected NAE Member in 1990 - Marcelian F. Gautreaux, Jr. (BS 1950, MS 1951, PhD 1958)
Elected NAE Member in 1977 - P.L. Thibaut Brian (BS 1951)
Elected NAE Member in 1975 - Danny D. Reible, ChE Professor Emeritus
Elected NAE Member in 2004
(and this from message of department chair)
Our department is undergoing significant changes with several faculty retirements and additions. We added two new faculty (Professor Judy Wornat and Associate Professor Jerry Spivey) in 2003. Cain Chair # 1 Professor Jose Romagnoli, from the University of Sydney, joined us in Fall 2005 as did Assistant Professor James Henry, from Texas A&M University. In August 2006, we welcomed Associate Professor John Flake from Georgia Tech. In Fall 2007, we welcomed two more new Assistant Professors – Michael Benton from the University of Wisconsin, Madison and Francisco Hung from North Carolina State University. In the Fall of 2009, Prof. K Nandakumar joined the department as Cain Chair #2.
Our teaching and research laboratories are undergoing major improvements. For example, our refurbished Unit Operations Laboratory is one of the finest in the nation. Our graduate program is one of the highest rated programs in the University and is growing. Our undergraduate curriculum is undergoing restructuring to meet the changing requirements of the industrial and academic employers of our graduates.
In order to obtain the full story about these changes, to learn about the research conducted by our faculty, to get information about our graduate and undergraduate degree programs, to catch up on the latest news and to find out about lectures and events hosted by our department, we invite you to explore our web site. As always, please feel free to contact us or visit our beautiful campus in picturesque Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
Kalliat T Valsaraj
Department Chair and
Charles and Hilda Roddey Distinguished Professor in Chemical Engineering Ike East Professor
http://www.che.lsu.edu/faculty/valsaraj/greetings.htm
***
I just had to stop and look this up -
from Encyclopedia Britannica, vol. 16, pp. 280 – 281, entry, “Saudi Arabia”
Remember – this is a 1978 entry because that is the set of Enclycopedia I have – It says, -
“Other institutes include the Higher Institute of Technology, (. . . ), the College for the Arabic Language, the Technical Institute – etc. all at Riyadh; the University of Petroleum and Minerals (Petromin) at Dhahran; (etc.) and the Saudi Arabian Institute for Higher Education, (at Mecca) and the School of Applied Arts – (at Medina – and schools of industrial education at Riyadh, Jidda, Medina and ad-Dammam. (roughly paraphrased)
and on down the page -
“The urbanization resulting from oil-related activity already pushed much of Arabia’s traditionalism back from a present reality to a receding memory. The now omnipresent automobile has brought about a reduction in effective physical distances within the kingdom. Similar has been the effect of the airplane and satellite communication. This is not to say, however, that Saudi society has become homogenized, for social distances have not been similarly reduced.” (which means I can’t ask them anything, but our government, oil industries and government agencies / State Department can ask them for specific help in this spilling oil in the Gulf of Mexico.)
On page 281 -
“The Eastern province (Saudi Arabia), where the oil industry is centered, has been most affected, and the changes that have been wrought there are phenomenal. Dhahran is a pleasant suburban community in the American style, with even a golf course, though the “greens” are black, consisting of hardened crude oil spread over a smoothed desert surface. (etc.)”
“Saudi Arabia’s historic isolation is at an end. Change is clearly the norm. The powerful traditional religious mores and convictions remain, and are all-pervading. But the pull of new ideas and new material values is also strong and is increasing. (etc.)”
But, that was from 1978.
They might help with information – there have been this kind of economic and ecological damage where they are working with crude oil also. – my note
(but, I can’t ask them.)
***
Anyway – before going back to the online research for solutions that will take the oil out of the waters, out of the marine lines and restore the beaches and wetlands – I flipped over in the same volume 16, of my Encylopedia Britannica to see the entry, “slime mold” on page 892 – at the very end of its entries because at one time, I had seen something about a type of slime mold used in oil crude cleanup / recovery research somewhere and was thinking about that – so, here is what I was checking right quick -
Groups Resembling Slime Molds
Often included in discussions of slime molds, at at times classified with them, these organisms are now considered unrelated to any of the above groups. They are included here for completeness.
Order Labyrinthulales (Net SLime Molds).-
Marine, terrestrial, or freshwater parasites or saprobes (organisms obtaining food from dead organic matter) with spindle-shaped cells that congregate in networks of mucous filaments or tubes. (etc.)
Swarm cells, where known, have 2 flagella inserted at the side, one of which bears fine, lateral, filamentous processes (tinsel flagellum); hence completely unlike swarm cells in the slime molds. The order includes the genus Labyrinthula, and 3 other doubtful genera, with about a dozen species.
(and)
Order Myxobateriales (Slime Bacteria) -
Rod-shaped bacterial cells often held together as a slowly moving pseudoplasmodium in a common mucous sheet. Fruiting structures consist of clumps of aggregated cells forming globular masses, ridges, or branched tree-like structures. Eleven genera with about 60 species. Myxococcus and Chondromyces are the largest genera.
And generally about slime molds -
The slime molds are opsimorphic organisms, which means that they have in common a clear distinction in time between growth in terms of increase in mass or of cell number and development. The active stages are amoeboid, whether as single cells, as it ( . . . ), or a true plasmodium, as in ( . . . )
Otherwise, the active stages are quite different, and the term slime mold is more a convenient, if misleading designation than a term inferring relationship. In their possession of true plasmoidal stages, swarm cells with two flagella at the anterior end, the Myxomycetes and Plasmodiophorales seem to be related. (etc.)
On the page before, I noticed a couple things interesting to the problems at hand and I’m going to look it up online later -
“A unique group of organisms, the Myxobacteria, form thin, spreading amoeboid colonies consisting of bacteria-like cells embedded in a slimy sheet. The whole colony can act as a unit, very much as does the acrasian aggregation stage in building a fruiting structure, in some cases forming simple spheres, in other cases complicated treelike forms. All evidence, however, points to the Myxobacteria being either true bacteria or closely related to them and, hence, distinct from any slime mold.” pp. 890
Class Myxomycophyta (Mycetozoa)
Class Myxomycetes *(true slime molds)
pp. 891
Encyclopedia Britannica, 1978; vol. 16, pp. 890-892, Entry – “Slime Mold”
***
And from this page -
http://www.tnw.tudelft.nl/live/pagina.jsp?id=72253f8a-e321-4958-b714-083e0b111e7a&lang=en
Environmental Biotechnology (EBT)
The Environmental Biotechnology group aims at developing and improving mixed culture bioprocesses for waste treatment and product formation. For this purpose, microbial ecosystems are studied at all levels ranging from molecule to full-scale bioprocesses.
The research is based on the exploration of microbial and biochemical cycling of elements in nature. We study the organisms involved in the conversions of Sulfur, Nitrogen, Phosphate and Iron compounds. These conversions are used in the development of processes for water air and gas treatment. The process engineering focus is on biofilm and gradient systems. The microbiological focus is on the development of molecular ecology approaches for studying the ecophysiology of mixed microbial cultures. A special line of research is the development of processes for production of chemicals by mixed microbial cultures.
The Environmental Biotechnology group collaborates with the Bioprocess Technology group (prof. Sef Heijnen) and the Bioseparation Technology group (prof. Luuk van der Wielen). The group is strongly involved in the research of the Delft Centre for Life Science and Technology (programme 3) and in the research and education of the Graduate Research School BSDL (sector 3).
Group Leader
prof.dr.ir. Mark C.M. van Loosdrecht
Staff
dr. Gerard Muyzer (Associate Professor)
dr. Cristian Picioreanu (Assistant Professor)
dr.ir. Robbert Kleerebezem (Assistant Professor)
prof.dr.ir. Mike S.M. Jetten (part-time)
prof.dr. J. Gijs Kuenen (emeritus professor)
prof.dr. D. Brdanovic (endowed professor)
dr.ir. Cees van Sluis (guest)
Key-words
biofilms, DGGE, DNA-microarrays, environmental microbiology, functional genomics, metabolic modelling, sulfur bacteria, system biology
Contact Information
Department of Biotechnology
Julianalaan 67
2628 BC Delft
The Netherlands
Tel: +31 (0)15 278 2342
Web: www.bt.tudelft.nl/ebt
***
Now- I’m going to start looking for the specific and exact research which has been being done that could be used to fix this in the Gulf -
- cricketdiane
***
When you look at the destruction, it’s hard to imagine how everyone survived, writes ESPN.com’s Matt Mosley. 
