drinking-water system removes pathogens

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two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (2D PAGE). The latter is a technique used to separate proteins by both their isoelectric point and by their mass (second dimension). Vivascience describes the Vivapure columns as easy-to-use protein purification tools based on membrane adsorbers. It says that the spin column format allows a single sample to be processed with- in 15 minutes and is just as conve- nient for processing several samples simultaneously using standard lab- oratory equipment. The ion exchange columns are available in a range of weak and strong anion and cation exchangers. The Mini spin columns have bind- ing capacities of up to 4 mg protein and are suitable for processing sam- ple volumes up to 0.4 mL. For high throughput applications, or higher protein binding capacities, the company offers Vivawell 96-well plates and 8-strips. Results published in Proteome Science (see website below) show that the Vivapure prefractionation protocol leads to the detection of three times as many protein spots on 2D PAGE, when analyzing a fis- sion yeast lysate proteome. Contact: Vivascience AG, Feodor-Lynen-Strasse 21, 30625 Hannover, Germany.Tel: +49 511 524 875 0, Fax: + 49 511 524 875 19, Email: [email protected], Web: www.proteomesci.com/home. Shell scientist honoured at AIChE conference Jose Bravo of Shell Global Solutions (US) Inc was honoured at the recently-held annual meet- ing of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) for his achievements in the field of separations technology for the process industry. Many separation technologies, including distillation, crystalliza- tion, adsorption, stripping, extrac- tion and membrane processes, are used by the process industry. AIChE says that Bravo’s seminal work in these technologies has helped to improve the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of refinery plants worldwide. The AIChE annual meeting cov- ered advances in chemical engineer- ing fundamentals, and develop- ments in emerging technologies such as bioengineering, nanotech- nology and sustainability. Contact: Shell Global Solutions (US) Inc, PO Box 4327, Houston, TX 77210, USA. Tel: +1 281 544 8844, Fax +1 281 544 8930. Drinking-water system removes pathogens Two US-based filtration compa- nies have launched a drinking- water system that is certified as a microbiological purifier for residential, healthcare facili- ties and light commercial applications. The Purefecta Drinking Water Purifier, which removes bacteria, viruses and protozoa, is the first product to come from a collabora- tion between filtration, separation and purification technologies com- pany Pall Corp and water treatment firm Kinetico Inc. The companies claim that it is the only multi-barrier drinking- water system available to con- sumers that meets the stringent US EPA Guide Standard and Protocol for Testing Microbiological Purifiers (OPP Task Force Report, 1987). According to Pall, its ability to remove contaminants exceeds other drinking-water systems, such as filter pitchers, counter-top and tap mounts, and ‘under-the-sink’ systems. It is certified by the leading water quality product performance agen- cies to remove greater than 99.99999% of bacteria, greater than 99.999% of protozoa and greater than 99.99% of viruses from water. Polio virus, rotavirus, Cryptosporidium, Giardia, and Klebsiella terigena are among the long list of pathogens it can remove. Purefecta uses a multi-barrier process to produce ‘bio-pure’ (microbiologically purified) water. It combines Kinetico’s reverse osmosis (RO) technology with Pall’s extremely precise membrane technology that filters out micro- biological contaminants. The membranes were originally devel- oped to remove bacteria and virus- es to serve the critical needs of the medical and biopharmaceutical industries for ultrapure water. The combined technologies are incor- porated into a non-electric, seven- stage process. Contacts: Pall Corp, 2200 Northern Boulevard, East Hills, NY 11548, USA. Tel: +1 516 484 5400, Fax: +1 516 484 3649. Kinetico Inc, 10845 Kinsman Road, PO Box 193, Newbury, OH 44065, USA.Tel: +1 440 564 9111, Fax: +1 440 564 9541. Desalination research facility to be built In the USA, Long Beach, Los Angeles and the Federal Government, in an exclusive pub- lic sector partnership, are to build a 1.14-million-litre (300 000-gallon) per day proto- type seawater desalination facility at the Haynes Generating Station. Research at the facility will focus mainly on further development of membrane technology that is known as the ‘Long Beach Method’. Already, two different and independent analyses of the method have shown it to be 20–30% more energy efficient than more traditional desalination meth- ods says Long Beach Water Department. In addition to energy consumption, researchers will address many other technical, eco- nomic and environmental factors associated with the desalination of seawater. “Long Beach is committed to developing seawater desalination in a cost-effective, environmental- ly sensitive manner,” said Kevin Wattier, general manager of the Long Beach Water Department. “This project will provide us the information that is needed to move forward with a full-scale NEWS 3 Membrane Technology January 2004 In Brief US President signs nanotechnology research and development act In the USA, Secretary of Energy Spencer Abraham has applauded the signing of the 21st Century Nanotechnology Research and Development Act by President Bush. The act authorizes funding for nanotechnology research and development over four years and puts into law programmes and activities supported by Bush’s National Nanotechnology Initiative. Nanomaterials — typi- cally on the scale of billionths of a metre — offer different chemical and physical properties than the same materials in bulk form, and have the potential to form the basis of new technologies. Possibilities include catalysts and membranes that can be used in hydrogen-powered fuel cells. H 2 O Innovation issues shares for debt settlement Canadian water treatment tech- nology and membrane filtration company H 2 O Innovation (2000) Inc is concluding a debt settle- ment by issuing common shares. It is issuing a total of 1 224 661 common shares at a price of C$0.17 in payment of the debt for an amount of a little over C$208 192. The shares issued will be restricted from trading for a four-month period, according to regulatory authorities. The com- pany says that this transaction will enable it to decrease its current liabilities, improve its working capital ratio and reduce its annual charge of interests. Fresenius reaches milestone in dialyzer production German dialysis products and ser- vices company Fresenius Medical Care AG says that 2003 will be the first year that its annual production output of dialyzers has exceeded 50 million. Over the past several years, the company has expanded its manufacturing base and capacity in all major markets, such as Europe and North America, and recently also in the Asia-Pacific region. Over the past two years Fresenius has introduced its next-generation polysulphone high-flux dialyzer membrane technologies.

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Page 1: Drinking-water system removes pathogens

two-dimensional polyacrylamidegel electrophoresis (2D PAGE).The latter is a technique used toseparate proteins by both theirisoelectric point and by their mass(second dimension).

Vivascience describes theVivapure columns as easy-to-useprotein purification tools based onmembrane adsorbers. It says thatthe spin column format allows asingle sample to be processed with-in 15 minutes and is just as conve-nient for processing several samplessimultaneously using standard lab-oratory equipment.

The ion exchange columns areavailable in a range of weak andstrong anion and cation exchangers.The Mini spin columns have bind-ing capacities of up to 4 mg proteinand are suitable for processing sam-ple volumes up to 0.4 mL. For highthroughput applications, or higherprotein binding capacities, thecompany offers Vivawell 96-wellplates and 8-strips.

Results published in ProteomeScience (see website below) showthat the Vivapure prefractionationprotocol leads to the detection ofthree times as many protein spotson 2D PAGE, when analyzing a fis-sion yeast lysate proteome.

Contact:Vivascience AG, Feodor-Lynen-Strasse21, 30625 Hannover, Germany. Tel: +49511 524 875 0, Fax: + 49 511 524 87519, Email: [email protected], Web:www.proteomesci.com/home.

Shell scientisthonouredat AIChEconferenceJose Bravo of Shell GlobalSolutions (US) Inc was honouredat the recently-held annual meet-ing of the American Institute ofChemical Engineers (AIChE) forhis achievements in the field ofseparations technology for theprocess industry.

Many separation technologies,including distillation, crystalliza-tion, adsorption, stripping, extrac-tion and membrane processes, areused by the process industry.AIChE says that Bravo’s seminal

work in these technologies hashelped to improve the efficiencyand cost-effectiveness of refineryplants worldwide.

The AIChE annual meeting cov-ered advances in chemical engineer-ing fundamentals, and develop-ments in emerging technologiessuch as bioengineering, nanotech-nology and sustainability.

Contact:Shell Global Solutions (US) Inc, PO Box4327, Houston, TX 77210, USA. Tel: +1281 544 8844, Fax +1 281 544 8930.

Drinking-watersystem removespathogensTwo US-based filtration compa-nies have launched a drinking-water system that is certified as a microbiological purifier for residential, healthcare facili-ties and light commercial applications.

The Purefecta Drinking WaterPurifier, which removes bacteria,viruses and protozoa, is the firstproduct to come from a collabora-tion between filtration, separationand purification technologies com-pany Pall Corp and water treatmentfirm Kinetico Inc.

The companies claim that it isthe only multi-barrier drinking-water system available to con-sumers that meets the stringent USEPA Guide Standard and Protocolfor Testing MicrobiologicalPurifiers (OPP Task Force Report,1987). According to Pall, its abilityto remove contaminants exceedsother drinking-water systems, suchas filter pitchers, counter-top andtap mounts, and ‘under-the-sink’systems.

It is certified by the leading waterquality product performance agen-cies to remove greater than99.99999% of bacteria, greaterthan 99.999% of protozoa andgreater than 99.99% of virusesfrom water. Polio virus, rotavirus,Cryptosporidium, Giardia, andKlebsiella terigena are among thelong list of pathogens it canremove.

Purefecta uses a multi-barrierprocess to produce ‘bio-pure’(microbiologically purified) water.

It combines Kinetico’s reverseosmosis (RO) technology withPall’s extremely precise membranetechnology that filters out micro-biological contaminants. Themembranes were originally devel-oped to remove bacteria and virus-es to serve the critical needs of themedical and biopharmaceuticalindustries for ultrapure water. Thecombined technologies are incor-porated into a non-electric, seven-stage process.

Contacts:Pall Corp, 2200 Northern Boulevard, EastHills, NY 11548, USA. Tel: +1 516 4845400, Fax: +1 516 484 3649.

Kinetico Inc, 10845 Kinsman Road, POBox 193, Newbury, OH 44065, USA. Tel:+1 440 564 9111, Fax: +1 440 5649541.

Desalinationresearch facilityto be builtIn the USA, Long Beach, LosAngeles and the FederalGovernment, in an exclusive pub-lic sector partnership, are tobuild a 1.14-million-litre(300 000-gallon) per day proto-type seawater desalination facilityat the Haynes GeneratingStation.

Research at the facility will focusmainly on further development ofmembrane technology that isknown as the ‘Long BeachMethod’. Already, two differentand independent analyses of themethod have shown it to be20–30% more energy efficient thanmore traditional desalination meth-ods says Long Beach WaterDepartment. In addition to energyconsumption, researchers willaddress many other technical, eco-nomic and environmental factorsassociated with the desalination ofseawater.

“Long Beach is committed todeveloping seawater desalinationin a cost-effective, environmental-ly sensitive manner,” said KevinWattier, general manager of theLong Beach Water Department.“This project will provide us theinformation that is needed tomove forward with a full-scale

NEWS

3Membrane Technology January 2004

I n B r i e fUS President signs nanotechnology research anddevelopment actIn the USA, Secretary of EnergySpencer Abraham has applaudedthe signing of the 21st CenturyNanotechnology Research andDevelopment Act by PresidentBush. The act authorizes fundingfor nanotechnology research anddevelopment over four years and puts into law programmesand activities supported by Bush’s National NanotechnologyInitiative. Nanomaterials — typi-cally on the scale of billionths of ametre — offer different chemicaland physical properties than thesame materials in bulk form, andhave the potential to form thebasis of new technologies.Possibilities include catalysts andmembranes that can be used inhydrogen-powered fuel cells.

H2O Innovation issues sharesfor debt settlementCanadian water treatment tech-nology and membrane filtrationcompany H2O Innovation (2000)Inc is concluding a debt settle-ment by issuing common shares.It is issuing a total of 1 224 661common shares at a price ofC$0.17 in payment of the debtfor an amount of a little overC$208 192. The shares issued willbe restricted from trading for afour-month period, according toregulatory authorities. The com-pany says that this transaction willenable it to decrease its currentliabilities, improve its workingcapital ratio and reduce its annualcharge of interests.

Fresenius reaches milestone indialyzer productionGerman dialysis products and ser-vices company Fresenius MedicalCare AG says that 2003 will be thefirst year that its annual productionoutput of dialyzers has exceeded 50million. Over the past several years,the company has expanded itsmanufacturing base and capacity inall major markets, such as Europeand North America, and recentlyalso in the Asia-Pacific region. Overthe past two years Fresenius hasintroduced its next-generationpolysulphone high-flux dialyzermembrane technologies.