ENVIRONMENTAL BIOTECHNOLOGY RESEARCH - AN OVERVIEW

Cleanup and treatment of hazardous wastes incur major aperational cost s for the U.S. Air Force. Bioremediation can provide a cost-effective alternative to traditional technologies for a wide range of natural or ganic compounds such as jet fuel. Bioventing and natural attenuation a re emerging as treatments of choice in many instances. Synthetic organ ic chemicals are much more resistant to biodegradation. However, recen t advances in biotechnology allow the development of strains able to u se nitro- and chloro-substituted organic compounds as their sole sourc e of carbon and energy. Current basic research is focused on expanding the range of synthetic chemicals amenable to biodegradation. At the s ame time, development of appropriate bioreactors and models for scale up are essential for practical application of the technology.