A quick look at nanotechnology in agriculture, food and bioenergy
Nanotechnology is one of those typical science fields that evoke fantasies of humans losing control over their own creations. The idea that molecular machines may invade every aspect of our lives, including our guts and stomachs, makes us uncomfortable. Just like genetically modified organisms do. Luckily, besides the scientists who are developing nanotech-applications, there is just as big an army of intelligent people who critically assess the potential dangers and advantages of this new world. In fact, nanotechnologists themselves are often the first to point out the risks (see for example the Nano Risk and Benefit Database at Rice University or the Center for Responsible Nanotechnology, to name just two.)
The ability to create materials and operate machines that have useful properties at the nano-scale (about a billionth of a meter, or roughly the size of molecules) has the potential for dramatic changes in realms as diverse as energy production, medical science, and biotechnology, among many others. Increasingly, governments, companies and NGOs around the world recognize the possibilities arising from these new technologies, and many have noted the particular applicability of nanotechnologies to the needs of the developing world - including leaders in the developing nations themselves.
Nanotechnologies are becoming mature. They're gradually leaving the realms of theory and of the lab to enter the stage of useful applications. In agriculture, they portend various applications aimed at reducing pesticide and water use, improving plant and animal breeding, and creating nano-bioindustrial products, from renewable nano-fibres that make materials much stronger, to plant-based dyes and paints that can change change their color and act as sensors.
These applications are commonly known as “agrifood nanotechnology.” However, while it is clear that agrifood nanotechnology is expected to become a driving economic force in the long-term, less certain is precisely what to expect in the near-term. Some of the key questions include:
Many of the anticipated applications deal with biofuels, bioenergy and the biobased economy at large. Drawing on the report and on an overview of nano-biotech research in France, we list some of those future applications:
ethanol :: biodiesel :: biomass :: bioenergy :: biofuels :: energy :: sustainability :: biotechnology :: nanotechnology :: bio-nanotech :: agrifood nanotechnology :: bioeconomy ::
Nanotechnology and cellulosic ethanol
Dependence on fossil fuels can potentially be decreased through nanoscience. A research program at Purdue University focuses on applying nanotechnology and principles of polymer science to improve processing of cornstalks to ethanol, an important biofuel. The researchers are using nanoscience to break apart cornstalks into nanomaterials for easier and cheaper transport of biomass for ethanol production.
Transportation of biomass to fuel production plants is currently costly and inefficient. This “nano-processing” step may ultimately make it possible to reduce ethanol production costs significantly as well as to decrease fossil fuel use during transport.
At the University of Marseille, France, microbiologist Marcel Asther works on the fabrication of enzymatic nano-particles that make the breakdown of ligno-cellulose more efficient. This way, any kind of cellulose-rich biomass becomes a potential biofuel feedstock.
These projects can be categorized as “medium” benefit to the environment, given their ability to replace fossil fuel. However, the life cycle issues (that is, energy, carbon dioxide emissions, and chemical use) associated with these processing steps need to be considered in full.
Nano-catalysts and nano-channels for biodiesel from waste fats
At Iowa State University, researches developed a nanotechnology that accurately controls the production of tiny, uniformly shaped silica particles that can transform (waste) fats and oils into biodiesel efficiently. The particles are basically honeycombs of relatively large channels that can be filled with a catalyst that reacts with soybean oil to create biodiesel. The particles can also be loaded with chemical gatekeepers that encourage the soybean oil to enter the channels where chemical reactions take place. The results include faster conversion to biodiesel, a catalyst that can be recycled and elimination of the wash step in the production process.
The particles can also be used as a catalyst to efficiently convert animal fats into biodiesel by creating a mixed oxide catalyst that has both acidic and basic catalytic sites. Acidic catalysts on the particle can convert the free fatty acids to biodiesel while basic catalysts can convert the oils into fuel. And the particles themselves are environmentally safe because they are made of calcium and sand.
Nanotech and water & irrigation management
Nano-sensors are being developed that can measure water stress on plants in an individualised and localised manner. Each plant, root system or plot of land can then be given the exact amount of water it needs, thus rationalising the use of this precious resource.
Nanotech and biomass waste detection/management
Many agro-industrial processes consist of mechanically separating and treating fibres, such as cotton. Losses during these processing steps are high, in the case of cotton up to 25%. Nanotechnologists such as Margaret Frey, are developing nano-fibres based on the cellulose contained in this waste. The waste is detected and captured during the cotton processing steps, before it actually becomes 'waste'. The resulting fibres are a thousand times smaller and can be used in high-tech micro-fabrics.
Similar projects are under way that intervene in various processing stages used to transform other agricultural products, all of them potentially resulting in efficiency increases and new products being derived from existing biomass streams.
Cellulose nano-crystals and fibre-enhanced bioplastics
Several researchers are developing nanocrystals based on plant-matter (cellulose), that can be used to strengthen bioplastics, in ceramics and in biomedical applications such as artificial joints and disposable medical equipment. Using cellulosic nanocrystals to strengthen plastics has advantages over the glass that is often used as glass-fibre: glass is heavier, harder on processing machinery and therefore more expensive to work with, and it stays in the ground for centuries. The cellulose nanocrystals will break down quickly in a landfill.
Nano-bio-sensors and environmental sensors
A whole range of intelligent nano-sensors is being developed that can be used to detect pests, diseases, or micro-organisms that damage plants. The sensors come in different forms, but can generally be applied on an individual plant level, just as they can be applied en masse. The applications are opening up an entirely new era of 'nano-phytopathology' and pest management. The advantages are myriad: problems can be detected much earlier, managed much more locally and focused, which results in lower losses and lower costs.
Besides detecting growth-threatening factors, other nano-sensors are being developed that detect and signal all possible local environmental factors: from nutrient deficiency to water stress and temperature sensitivity.
Nanotechnology and micro-dosing of nutrients, fertilisers, pesticides
Almost all large fertiliser and pesticide producers are investing heavily in nanotechnologies that allow these products to be applied in doses that are adapted to each individual plant, over a carefully registered period of time. The same advantages as with the nano-sensors hold: much more rational use of fertilisers and pesticides, lower costs, lower environmental damage.
These are just a small number of examples. A lot of research is going into developing nanotech applications in livestock production - from intelligent drugs for cattle, to smart chickenfeed - which will eventually amount to less environmental stress from these sectors. The developments are important if one wants to calculate the future potential of biomass for energy. With increasing rationalisation in the livestock sector - which consumes a lot of biomass and limits land resources - more land will become available for energy crops. Studies that estimate the global potential for the production of biofuels explicitly take into account successful high-tech developments in agriculture and livestock production (earlier post). Nanotechnology in agrifood is definitely one of those factors that substantiate the predictions that high amounts of bioenergy can be produced in the distant future.
When it comes to the commercialisation of all these applications, Jennifer Kuzma and Peter VerHage estimate that of the 160 projects analysed in the database, some 30 will be on the market within five years, whereas the majority (55%) will be commercialised over the medium term, within 5 to 15 years. The nanoproducts that will see a rapid introduction are those used in food packaging. One example: intelligent plastic films with nano-fibres embedded in them that detect when packaged food is no longer valid for consumption. The majority of the research involves nano-bio-sensors and the biological treatment of foodstuffs.
Another interesting view of the database shows that 47% of the projects deal with the post-harvest stage, 39% deals with applications in direct consumer products, 27% deal with trade, transport and commerce of agricultural products, and some 25% deal with pre-harvest technologies.
More information:
Le Magazine Agricole Grandes Cultures: Dossier: Nanotechnologie, une révolution en marche - Dec. 6, 2006
Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies: Agrifood Nanotechnology Research and Development.
The ability to create materials and operate machines that have useful properties at the nano-scale (about a billionth of a meter, or roughly the size of molecules) has the potential for dramatic changes in realms as diverse as energy production, medical science, and biotechnology, among many others. Increasingly, governments, companies and NGOs around the world recognize the possibilities arising from these new technologies, and many have noted the particular applicability of nanotechnologies to the needs of the developing world - including leaders in the developing nations themselves.
Nanotechnologies are becoming mature. They're gradually leaving the realms of theory and of the lab to enter the stage of useful applications. In agriculture, they portend various applications aimed at reducing pesticide and water use, improving plant and animal breeding, and creating nano-bioindustrial products, from renewable nano-fibres that make materials much stronger, to plant-based dyes and paints that can change change their color and act as sensors.
These applications are commonly known as “agrifood nanotechnology.” However, while it is clear that agrifood nanotechnology is expected to become a driving economic force in the long-term, less certain is precisely what to expect in the near-term. Some of the key questions include:
- What individual products are moving rapidly through the pipeline?
- What impact will these products have on the farming, food and bioenergy production chain?
- When these products arrive in the grocery store, in the fuel tank or on the farm, is there any reason to be concerned or excited about putting them in our bodies or using them in our environment?
Many of the anticipated applications deal with biofuels, bioenergy and the biobased economy at large. Drawing on the report and on an overview of nano-biotech research in France, we list some of those future applications:
ethanol :: biodiesel :: biomass :: bioenergy :: biofuels :: energy :: sustainability :: biotechnology :: nanotechnology :: bio-nanotech :: agrifood nanotechnology :: bioeconomy ::
Nanotechnology and cellulosic ethanol
Dependence on fossil fuels can potentially be decreased through nanoscience. A research program at Purdue University focuses on applying nanotechnology and principles of polymer science to improve processing of cornstalks to ethanol, an important biofuel. The researchers are using nanoscience to break apart cornstalks into nanomaterials for easier and cheaper transport of biomass for ethanol production.
Transportation of biomass to fuel production plants is currently costly and inefficient. This “nano-processing” step may ultimately make it possible to reduce ethanol production costs significantly as well as to decrease fossil fuel use during transport.
At the University of Marseille, France, microbiologist Marcel Asther works on the fabrication of enzymatic nano-particles that make the breakdown of ligno-cellulose more efficient. This way, any kind of cellulose-rich biomass becomes a potential biofuel feedstock.
These projects can be categorized as “medium” benefit to the environment, given their ability to replace fossil fuel. However, the life cycle issues (that is, energy, carbon dioxide emissions, and chemical use) associated with these processing steps need to be considered in full.
Nano-catalysts and nano-channels for biodiesel from waste fats
At Iowa State University, researches developed a nanotechnology that accurately controls the production of tiny, uniformly shaped silica particles that can transform (waste) fats and oils into biodiesel efficiently. The particles are basically honeycombs of relatively large channels that can be filled with a catalyst that reacts with soybean oil to create biodiesel. The particles can also be loaded with chemical gatekeepers that encourage the soybean oil to enter the channels where chemical reactions take place. The results include faster conversion to biodiesel, a catalyst that can be recycled and elimination of the wash step in the production process.
The particles can also be used as a catalyst to efficiently convert animal fats into biodiesel by creating a mixed oxide catalyst that has both acidic and basic catalytic sites. Acidic catalysts on the particle can convert the free fatty acids to biodiesel while basic catalysts can convert the oils into fuel. And the particles themselves are environmentally safe because they are made of calcium and sand.
Nanotech and water & irrigation management
Nano-sensors are being developed that can measure water stress on plants in an individualised and localised manner. Each plant, root system or plot of land can then be given the exact amount of water it needs, thus rationalising the use of this precious resource.
Nanotech and biomass waste detection/management
Many agro-industrial processes consist of mechanically separating and treating fibres, such as cotton. Losses during these processing steps are high, in the case of cotton up to 25%. Nanotechnologists such as Margaret Frey, are developing nano-fibres based on the cellulose contained in this waste. The waste is detected and captured during the cotton processing steps, before it actually becomes 'waste'. The resulting fibres are a thousand times smaller and can be used in high-tech micro-fabrics.
Similar projects are under way that intervene in various processing stages used to transform other agricultural products, all of them potentially resulting in efficiency increases and new products being derived from existing biomass streams.
Cellulose nano-crystals and fibre-enhanced bioplastics
Several researchers are developing nanocrystals based on plant-matter (cellulose), that can be used to strengthen bioplastics, in ceramics and in biomedical applications such as artificial joints and disposable medical equipment. Using cellulosic nanocrystals to strengthen plastics has advantages over the glass that is often used as glass-fibre: glass is heavier, harder on processing machinery and therefore more expensive to work with, and it stays in the ground for centuries. The cellulose nanocrystals will break down quickly in a landfill.
Nano-bio-sensors and environmental sensors
A whole range of intelligent nano-sensors is being developed that can be used to detect pests, diseases, or micro-organisms that damage plants. The sensors come in different forms, but can generally be applied on an individual plant level, just as they can be applied en masse. The applications are opening up an entirely new era of 'nano-phytopathology' and pest management. The advantages are myriad: problems can be detected much earlier, managed much more locally and focused, which results in lower losses and lower costs.
Besides detecting growth-threatening factors, other nano-sensors are being developed that detect and signal all possible local environmental factors: from nutrient deficiency to water stress and temperature sensitivity.
Nanotechnology and micro-dosing of nutrients, fertilisers, pesticides
Almost all large fertiliser and pesticide producers are investing heavily in nanotechnologies that allow these products to be applied in doses that are adapted to each individual plant, over a carefully registered period of time. The same advantages as with the nano-sensors hold: much more rational use of fertilisers and pesticides, lower costs, lower environmental damage.
These are just a small number of examples. A lot of research is going into developing nanotech applications in livestock production - from intelligent drugs for cattle, to smart chickenfeed - which will eventually amount to less environmental stress from these sectors. The developments are important if one wants to calculate the future potential of biomass for energy. With increasing rationalisation in the livestock sector - which consumes a lot of biomass and limits land resources - more land will become available for energy crops. Studies that estimate the global potential for the production of biofuels explicitly take into account successful high-tech developments in agriculture and livestock production (earlier post). Nanotechnology in agrifood is definitely one of those factors that substantiate the predictions that high amounts of bioenergy can be produced in the distant future.
When it comes to the commercialisation of all these applications, Jennifer Kuzma and Peter VerHage estimate that of the 160 projects analysed in the database, some 30 will be on the market within five years, whereas the majority (55%) will be commercialised over the medium term, within 5 to 15 years. The nanoproducts that will see a rapid introduction are those used in food packaging. One example: intelligent plastic films with nano-fibres embedded in them that detect when packaged food is no longer valid for consumption. The majority of the research involves nano-bio-sensors and the biological treatment of foodstuffs.
Another interesting view of the database shows that 47% of the projects deal with the post-harvest stage, 39% deals with applications in direct consumer products, 27% deal with trade, transport and commerce of agricultural products, and some 25% deal with pre-harvest technologies.
More information:
Le Magazine Agricole Grandes Cultures: Dossier: Nanotechnologie, une révolution en marche - Dec. 6, 2006
Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies: Agrifood Nanotechnology Research and Development.
1 Comments:
An example of a far-reaching nanohealth application is synthetic bone graft substitutes using nanotechnology coatings. They are setting up to revolutionize the huge bone graft industry. http://www.nanocoatings.com.au
Small Times reports that nanotechnology medical applications are expected to climb immensely:
U.S. demand for nanotechnology medical products will increase over 17 percent per year to $53 billion in 2011, says The Freedonia Group, Inc., a Cleveland-based industry research firm. Afterwards, the increasing flow of new nanomedicines, nanodiagnostics, and nanotech-based medical supplies and devices into the US market will boost demand to more than $110 billion in 2016…
Freedonia says that several medical supplies and devices will emerge as key applications for nanotechnology, but that the greatest short-term impact of nanotechnology in health care will be in therapies and diagnostics for cancer and central nervous system disorders.
Foresight Nanotech institute predict that demand for nanotech-based medical applications will continue to grow until humans are able to repair the entire body all the way down to the molecular level.
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