Straw waste becomes an important source of Biosurfactant

Scientists have found a way to use rice straw, one of the world's most abundant natural resources, to produce a substance that can replace synthetic chemicals used in many household products, such as soap Rice straw can be used to produce a biosurfactant as a non-toxic alternative to most petroleum based synthetic materials, according to an innovative research project recently carried out by the University of Portsmouth An alternative non-toxic component the biotechnology project aims to solve one of the most pressing environmental problems on earth and find ways to reduce the amount of synthetic chemicals used in daily life The project is led by the enzyme innovation center of the University of Portsmouth, and cooperates with amity University of India and Indian Institute of technology The purpose of this study is to find a kind of natural substance that can replace the chemical synthetic surfactant The substance can be used as the natural surfactant, mainly used in the production of cleaning products, drugs, sunscreen, cosmetics, pesticides and other products The surfactant is hydrophilic and lipophilic, which helps to reduce the surface tension of the liquid and improve the cleaning effect and permeability of the product Dr pattanathu Rahman, an expert in microbial biotechnology at the University of Portsmouth and head of teegene biotechnology in the UK, has cooperated with Dr Sam joy since 2015 to produce biosurfactants using enzyme technology Researchers believe that this environmentally friendly manufacturing method can provide high-quality raw materials for the manufacturing industry "Surfactants are widely used, including detergents, fabric softeners, insecticides, shampoos, toothpastes, paints, laxatives and cosmetics," Dr Rahman said We need to develop technology to produce enough biosurfactants to replace chemical synthetic surfactants The research shows that with the development of agricultural byproducts, such as rice straw, we are further away from our goal The project's researchers point out that biosurfactants made from straw or other agricultural byproducts may have many positive effects on the ecosystem 1 People are very concerned about the impact of chemical surfactants used in household products The final destination of these surfactants is river and sea 2 Rice straw is a natural by-product of rice planting, with millions of tons in the world every year 3 Farmers often burn these by-products of rice, but produce emissions harmful to the environment Using these by-products to produce another product may be an effective recycling solution 4 The use of biosurfactants produced by agricultural by-products also has economic advantages "In the field of using biosurfactants, the purity required for biosurfactants is very high," says Dr Rahman As a result, they can be very expensive However, the production methods we have make it more economical and cost-effective It's a very promising technology with great potential in many industries " Research shows that biosurfactants are potential substitutes for chemically synthesized surfactants By 2023, the market value of biosurfactants will reach US $2.8 billion Because biosurfactants have low toxicity, biodegradability and other characteristics, which can help the products meet the requirements of European surfactant directive, they have attracted much attention in recent years According to Rahman, the development of biosurfactant technology will bring new technological ideas to the production of soap and other clean products "Most people think soap is an effective way to remove bacteria from the skin," he explained But finding a way to use "bacteria" to make soap is a new idea and will help with most of the waste disposal and optimization solutions, with the potential to create new jobs "