BIO+ Symposium

The department initiated in 2004 the holding of a symposium to showcase researches in BIO+ areas. The symposium has since then become a yearly gathering that aims to:

• promote the networking of BIO+ researchers
  
• promote discussions on future collaborations among researchers
  
• activate discussions between industry and researchers in the academe on how research efforts can be made more relevant to industry’s needs
  
• convince industry to tap the expertise of academic researchers
  

Current Research Programs

BIOdiesel Research
A major concern with biodiesel is its high price due to its high production cost. Without tax holidays or government subsidies, current biodiesel production is economically unattractive. The cost of feedstock oil contributes to at least 70% of the biodiesel price.

Plant-Based Biodiesel
At USC Department of Chemical Engineering, biodiesel research is geared towards the optimization of biodiesel production by investigating several low-cost raw materials, developing process routes and recovering valuable co-products. While current projects mainly focus on plant-based sources for biodiesel, other oil sources such as waste oils from the community and industry are also considered. (Key Researchers: Engr. Andrea Chielou May E. Rayat, Engr. Ramelito C. Agapay)

Biodiesel from Microbial Feedstocks
The utilization of microbial feedstocks as the source of lipids for biodiesel production is also explored. While the transesterification process is relatively well established already, the process of extracting lipids from microbial feedstocks has not been studied in detail. Also, no work has been done that looked into the possible integration of the extraction and transesterification processes to produce FAME at a more competitive cost. The research focuses mainly on the development of a suitable process for extraction of lipids from microbial feedstocks and on the subsequent transesterification of the oil to fatty acid methyl ester (FAME). (Key Researcher: Dr. Evelyn B. Taboada)

BIOplastics Research
The research program aims towards rational conversion of renewable agricultural feedstocks and wastes to biodegradable polymers. The general scientific aim is to obtain fundamental insights in the biological and technological mechanisms that currently restrict the microbial production of bulk and specialty biopolymers, with a particular focus on polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs). At present, the low price of plastic polymers from non-renewable petrochemicals provides a major challenge. To make microbial biopolymers become a competitive alternative, substantial cost-saving improvements have to be made in every step in its production. Several improvements can be made in the pre-treatment of raw materials for substrates, in the fermentation process, and in the recovery and purification of the biopolymer. These improvements can only be evaluated in the framework of the integrated process thereby necessitating a multidisciplinary approach. (Key Researcher: Dr. Evelyn B. Taboada)

Anti-Microbial Products Research
High-yielding varieties of root crops for specific uses have been developed in the country. These developed varieties generally possess special characteristics that render them suitable for processing to food products; however, they are found to be susceptible to pests and diseases. The non-resistance of these hybrid varieties to pests and diseases has not been fully addressed; consequently, the supply of these hybrid root crops becomes limited and processed products output is diminished. Pursuant to this challenge, various endemic microorganisms, with wide spectrum of activities against pathogenic and disease-causing microorganisms in root crops, are studied. The antimicrobial compounds produced by these resistant microorganisms are purified, characterized, and investigated as to how it can be made suitable for use in agriculture. (Key Researchers: Dr. Evelyn B. Taboada, Engr. May V. Tampus)

Hydrolytic Enzymes Research
Hydrolytic enzymes or hydrolases are the largest group of biocatalysts used in the industries. They catalyze decomposition (e.g. hydrolytic cleavage of C-O, C-N, C-C, and P-O) or combination reactions (e.g. esterification), or added to valuable commodities to enhance their properties. These enzymes possess unique characteristics depending upon their sources, and have varied substrate specificities according to their types e.g. glycosylases, peptidases, or esterases. They are usually obtained from microorganisms that have to be cultured in large quantities in order to produce them (the catalyst) in substantial amounts. This fermentation process and the succeeding purification process often mean an expensive product. To minimize product cost, indigenous sources such as tubers (e.g. sweet potato) and plants, or waste materials such as peels from fruits and coconut byproducts are studied as alternative sources of such enzymes. (Key Researcher: Engr. Ramelito C. Agapay)

BIOremediation Research
The green macro-algae Ulva sp. are found abundant in the Philippine intertidal zones. They could over-proliferate to result in the so-called ‘green tides’ in many protected areas. Taxonomic studies of these species including ecological profiling have been carried out. The studies focused on the morphology, occurrence, and effect of these macro-algae on marine ecology, particularly on important marine species such as corrals, algae, fishes, etc. that constitute the biodiversity of the marine environment.

Ulva sp. biomass has been used in some countries as bio-filters to remove nitrogen and phosphorus - pollutant chemicals often found in waste streams from domestic, aquaculture, and agricultural sources. In the Philippines where the channelling and release of domestic, agricultural, and aquaculture wastewaters to the seas is still a predominant practice, the idea of tapping the ability of Ulva sp. as biofilter and bioaccumulator for N and P appears a feasible remediation alternative.

In this research program, the investigation aims at tapping the bioaccumulation potential of Ulva sp. for treating wastewater effluents. And since these macro-algae become rich in nitrogen and phosphorus through bioaccumulation, they are potentially good sources for natural products such as amino acids and proteins. Part of the research program is therefore the investigation of the macro-algae’s further utilization as fertilizer and as livestock or aquaculture feed. (Key Researchers: Dr. Evelyn B. Taboada, Engr. Patrick U. Tan)