Algae Economy

  Jyothi Kiran, Tuesday, January 27, 2009 | Category: Industry         Comments (0)

Algae is the new weed in vogue. Toted as the answer to the looming energy crisis, this new biofuel seems to be the all green solution everybody is looking for. And several startups, biofuel companies, governments and investors are already pouring millions of dollars into it.

There are many crops that are currently used for oil production such as soy, palm, corn and jatropha but as the worldchanging website reports, unlike these crops algae contain as much as 50% oil. Once algae is grown, harvested and pressed to extract the oil, the remaining residue can be processed into ethanol, or burned directly in a power plant. The oil can then be processed into biodiesel using the ethanol (or methanol from another source). The National Renewable Energy Lab also believes jet fuel from certain strains of algae is possible.

In India,  Growdiesel has created a detailed business model for Indian Railways to cultivate 40000 Ha of its spare land with Jatropha, convert Jatropha oil to biodiesel & use the biodiesel to run rail engines.

Nualgi eco friendly way to treat sewage water

  Jyothi Kiran, Tuesday, January 27, 2009 | Category: Products         Comments (0)

Every weed has its day. So it seems with Algae being the new carbon neutral material that is gaining increasing attention by the day.

Nualgi NanoBiotech showcased its patented product Nualgi at the Proto.in Startup event in Bangalore. Rated as one among the top 10 startup companies at the event, Sampat Kumar of Nualgi spoke about its eco friendly benefits. 

A stimulant for cleaning up polluted water, Nualgi starts its cleaning act within 15 minutes of usage. Nualgi comes in the form of  powder and costs Rs. 275 per kilogram. You can clean up 8 1/2 acres with 10 kgs of Nualgi says Sampat Kumar, who hopes to market the product to the government and other interested parties. 

Used for treating sewage water, generation of plankton, live food in aquaculture products to boost the growth of prawns and fishes, the product promises to be eco friendly by saving mass kill of fish and doing its little bit to save from global warming.

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Small Ideas with Big Impact at Proto.in

  Jyothi Kiran, Thursday, January 22, 2009 | Category: Events         Comments (0)

Got an idea? Think it is going to impact the world in a big way? Then you got to be at the proto.in Startup Event.
Proto.in is where all the action is going to be this Jan 23 and 24 at the NIMHANS Convention Centre in Bangalore.

What’s proto.in? It is a platform that brings together entrepreneurs and investors. As the blog says it celebrates entrepreneurship, by encouraging and showcasing it where it matters the most - at the startup level. It provides a platform for startups from within and around the Indian subcontinent to participate, share, discuss and draw strength from the growing entrepreneurial community, in an effort to create world-class products and product leaders from the region.

So, nevermind how big or small your idea is, check it out for the sheer energy of being amidst a galaxy of innovative folks and ideas, who will share their dreams, passion, heartbreaks and the spirit of entrepreneurship.

A Tiny Robot in Your Blood Goes Click-Click

  Jyothi Kiran, Thursday, January 22, 2009 | Category: Research         Comments (0)

Innerspace photographers come to the aid of surgeons and this is not science fiction anymore. The new photographer is a tiny robot in your blood stream relaying images to the surgeon. Scientists at the Monash University of Australia have come up with a motorised robot small enough to be injected into the human bloodstream.

Soon, the remote controlled bot could carry sensor equipment for observation work, relaying images back to the surgeon. or, it could become a tiny surgeon, cutting away blood clots, reaming out clogged arteries or repairing damaged tissue. The microbot measures just a quarter of a millimetre, or “two or three human hairs wide,” says lead scientist James Friend from the Nanophysics laboratory at Monash University, Australia.

Energy Farming Summit 2009 in Delhi

  Jyothi Kiran, Tuesday, January 20, 2009 | Category: Events         Comments (0)

The Energy Farming Summit 2009 is projecting a brand new integrated farming model - to provide a solution to the three major problems in the face of mankind today namely Fuel, Food & Global Warming. The focus of the event is a workshop on the  “Economic Viability of establishing a Decentralized Energy Farm & Biorefinery” and the Launch of “Growdiesel Mission 2020” The event is scheduled to take place in during 12 and 13 of April 2009 in New Delhi India.

For event details log on to the growdiesel website.

Gold Nanoparticles for Drug Delivery System

  Jyothi Kiran, Monday, January 12, 2009 | Category: Industry         Comments (0)

When traditional folks told interesting stories about aristocrats eating gold, I thought they were just speaking figuratively. And, Of course everybody has seen Shah Rukh Khan in the Sona Chandi ad of Chavanprash advocating the health benefits of gold and silver. 

Gold is an all time favourite metal in both folklore and in the scientific community because of its unique properties. It does not harm healthy tissues during medical treatment as in chemotherapy. And now, researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have devised a novel way to use gold particles for delivering drugs effectively. Using tiny gold particles and infrared light, the new technology helps deliver multiple medicines to be released in a controlled fashion.

“With a lot of diseases, especially cancer and AIDS, you get a synergestic effect with more than one drug” reports professor Kimberly Hamad-Schifferli in the ACS Nano journal. >>Related Info

Bangalore Declared as Nanocity of India

  Jyothi Kiran, Wednesday, December 17, 2008 | Category: Culture         Comments (0)

Move over Silicon cities. it is now the turn of Nano cities. Bangalore is now called the nano city of India, joining the likes of San Jose, CA; Boston, MA; San Francisco, CA;Oakland, CA; and Middlesex-Essex, MA•

What makes a city nanocity? Firstly, it should have investments, infrastructure and R&D to support the new technology and it should have institutes, companies and business involving nanotechnology. Nanotechnology companies work in 3 main sectors namely materials, medicine and health, and tools and instruments.

Bangalore was declared the “nano city of India” at the ‘Bangalore Nano 2008′ conference-cum-exposition by Vice President Hamid Ansari.  According to Silicon India, the declaration came after the Karnataka government announced that it would take measures to encourage research and development in nanoscience and facilitate development of the nanotechnology industry in the state. 

Does Bangalore city have the infrastructure to become the nanocity of India? Read more

Hotmail founder Sabir Bhatia’s nano city is not in Bangalore but in Haryana. He has tied up with Parsvnath developers and says, “India lacks large, planned commercial & residential districts with modern concepts and quality facilities. We will make Nano City a world-class destination.” Bhatia’s dream city is expected to be ready by 2010.