1. ABRUEM Delegation Visit to Ulster University 13th June 2016
Microbial Biosurfactants Technology and Potential Applications in Industry
Ibrahim Banat Professor of Microbial Biotechnology
University of Ulster, UK.
C5 Amsterdam Jan 2012

2. Biosurfactants
Surfactants that are produced by bio-organisms are called biosurfactants
Organisms that produce surfactants may belong to:
Yeasts
Bacteria
Filamentous fungi
Plants & Animals!

3. Biosurfactants’ Characteristics
Surface active agents produced mostly by microorganisms.
They allow oil, fats and hydrocarbons to disperse into water.
They do this by reducing surface and interfacial tension at the ‘oil/water’ interface.
They can also reduce the surface tension in (liquid/gas), (liquid/liquid) and (liquid/solid) systems.
Functional properties include emulsification, separation, wetting foaming, mobilisation, thickening and viscosity reduction.
Oil
H2O B

4. Surfactants and Emulsifiers
The name surfactant = ‘surface active’ compounds
Emulsifiers are surfactants which promote the formation of an emulsion of two immiscible liquids
They are compounds that act on surfaces & interfaces’
Widely used in every sector of industry
Almost all are chemically synthesized,
Recently attention has been directed
towards biological surfactants

5. Estimated current Biosurfactant use by Sector
Detergent applications 45%
Personal care 17%
Textile 10%
Industrial cleaners 8%
Oilfield chemicals 7%
Food processing 4.5%
Others 8.5%

6. Future Potentials
Biosurfactants have great potential industrial applications in oil, bioremediation, biomedicine, agriculture, pharmaceutical, cosmetic, health and food industries

7. Recent Project, EU FP7 & H2020
EU project BIOSURFING: New-to-nature biosurfactants by metabolic engineering: production & application:£311,718 Completed.
Unilever TSB: Downstream processing of microbially derived biosurfactants £132,099. Completed.
EU project KILL.SPILL: Oceans of tomorrow Integrated biotechnological solutions for combating marine oil spills £259,449. In progress
EU H2020 MARISURF: Novel, Sustainable Marine Bio-Surfactant/Bio-Emulsifiers for Commercial Exploitation. £549,433. In progress

8. Collaboration with Brazil
Research Group on Industrial Biosurfactants
CREATION COORDINATOR
Dr. Leonie Asfora Sarubbo
INSTITUTIONS
Catholic University of Pernambuco (UNICAP), Brazil
Advanced Institute of Technology and Innovation (IATI),
TEAM OF RESEARCHERS (Catholic University of Pernambuco)
Dr. Valdemir Alexandre dos Santos
Dr. Juliana Moura de Luna
Dr. Raquel Diniz Rufino

9. On going Research Projects In Collaboration With The Brazilian Group
Development of industrial processes for the production of biosurfactants (CNPq).
Characterization and application of low-cost biosurfactants in removing heavy oils and metals generated by the oil industry (FACEPE / CAPES).
Low cost biosurfactants production for use in the removal of environmental contaminants generated by the oil industry and derivatives (ANEEL).
Center for Research in Industrial Biosurfactants (NPBI) (FACEPE/CAPES)

10. Recent Publications with the Brazilian Group
CAMPOS, J. M.; SARUBBO, L. A.; LUNA, J. M.; RUFINO, R.D.; BANAT, I.M. Use of (bio)surfactants in foods. In: Biotechnological production of natural ingredients for food industry. BICAS, J.L.; MARÓSTICA, M.R.; PASTORE, G.M. (Eds). Bentham Science Publishers. 1 ed. 2015, v. 1. Ch. 12, pp
SARUBBO, L.A.; ROCHA JUNIOR, R.B.; LUNA, J.M.; RUFINO, R.D.; SANTOS, V.A.; BANAT, I.M. (2015). Some aspects of heavy metals contamination remediation and role of biosurfactants. Chemistry and Ecology, v. 31, p
CAMPOS, J.M.; STAMFORD, T.L.M.; LUNA, J.M.; RUFINO, R.D.; BANAT, I.M., SARUBBO, L. A. (2013). Microbial biosurfactants as additives for food industries. Biotechnology Progress 29:1097–1108.

11. Funding Institutions for the Brazilians
State of Pernambuco Foundation for the Assistance to Science and Technology (FACEPE), Brazil.
Research and Development Program of the Brazilian National Electrical Energy Agency (ANEEL), Brazil.
National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq), Brazil.
Federal Agency for the Support and Evaluation of Graduate Education (CAPES). Brazil.

12. Of course any help or suggestions you can offer to enhance this collaboration are welcome Thank you

13. Amphiphilic Molecules
These molecules have a hydrophilic group at one end which interacts with the aqueous environment and a hydrophobic alkyl chain at the other end.

14. Future applications of Biosurfactants
Biosurfactants have an established application in detergents and surface cleaners – while the use of these sustainable ‘green’ products in food industry for surface cleaning or formulation is a subject of research.
Roles bacterial biofilms disruption on surfaces would be valuable in food hygiene sector.
Biosurfactants are efficient emulsifiers and could substitute petrochemically derived products.
Some biosrufactants have anti microbial activity that may be used to preserve food products or biomedical applications.