Food

The ability to quickly and reliably detect minute changes in environmental conditionsincluding the presence of chemical biological or other physical threats within a low-cost miniaturized package would have broad impact across a variety of application. The presence or absence of specific chemicals and toxic gases in air harmful compounds in foods and water and early alert of trace amounts of explosives or chemical and biological warfare agents all require reliable and sensitive detection technologies.

Background: Production of alternative fuels such as biodiesel is on the rise around the world and in the U.S. due to a strong and growing desire to reduce dependency on petroleum-derived diesel fuel. The acceptance of biodiesel has been slowed due to its higher cost relative to petroleum-derived diesel. The higher cost of biodiesel is directly related to the cost of feedstock used for biodiesel production which is often derived from crops also used for food.

Edible films are widely used for a number of applications in the food industry including to coat food surfaces separate different components casings pouches or wraps. They are used in the pharmaceutical and dietary supplement industries to deliver medications appetite suppressants and vitamins. Additionally experts in the packaging and aforementioned industries envision even greater use of these films in the future.

Heightened awareness of the dangers of chemical insecticides combined with passage of the Federal Food Quality Protection Act restricting usage of these insecticides has further increased the need for alternative insect control measures. Use of biological insecticides in particular nematodes are consequently becoming an increasingly viable alternative to control insect pest populations. Rutgers researchers have created an apparatus and methods for in vivo mass production of insecticidal nematodes. In the method nematodes are cultured within a natural insect host.

Background: In recent years the interest in alternative fuel has grown rapidly. There are many different alternatives on the market from corn oil to algae. The largest advantages of algae biofuel are that it is a renewable source of energy and that algae may be grown autotrophically using energy from the sun. Autotrophic growth helps reduce or avoid the “food v. fuel” debate related to corn ethanol and vegetable oil biodiesel. There has been particular interest in algae such as microalgae that naturally accumulate oil since this oil is readily converted into biodiesel.

Summary: More and more chemicals of various origins are being discharged into our local water streams ending up at waste and water treatment facilities. These chemicals comprising of pharmaceuticals personal care products and other various industrial chemicals are currently not removed by typical wastewater treatment practices. Further current regulations from the Food and Drug Administration do not require testing or removing these chemicals even as their amounts aggregate in our drinking water.

Current state-of-the-art sensors detect viable bacteria in suspensions of interest (such as food water or body fluids) on the basis of changes in the composition of the suspension brought about by bacterial metabolism (such as pH electrical conductivity O2/CO2 levels etc.) Examples of such sensors include the BactecTM BacT/AlertTM and ESPTM systems for Blood Culture the RABITTM system for food and water quality (microbial load) measurements etc. If the load of viable bacteria happen to be low these systems take a long time (many hours to days) to detect these bacteria.

Background: Fresh produce has been associated with microbial outbreaks around the world thought to be caused in part by improper sanitation of fresh produce. Current disinfection methods rely on harsh chemicals which may alter the flavor of the fresh food or potentially cause an allergic reaction for some consumers. Furthermore the chemicals employed in sanitation may have a significant environmental impact. Technology Description: Researchers at the University of California Davis and Drexel University have developed a unique method for disinfecting produce.

Skim milk powder which consists of lactose protein and other small nutrients provides a means for storing and moving surplus skim milk. It conventionally has been used for protein fortification of formulated food products. However the use of skim milk powder in many food applications is limited because its high lactose content can potentially jeopardize the quality of the final product through lactose crystallization. Milk protein concentrate provides an alternative dried milk protein product.

Background: This invention relates to systems and methods for the production of linear and branched-chain hydrocarbons such as triterpenes. In particular the invention relates to transgenic plants for use in the production of triterpenes as an alternative source for biofuels and petrochemicals. Technology Description: Terpenes are a large and diverse class of organic compounds and triterpenes are one type of terpenes consisting of six isoprene units and having the molecular formula C30H48. Linear branched-chain triterpenes have direct commercial value in numerous fields.