Current Drilling Technologies Put Oil Workers at Risk
Oil reserves naturally harbor a type of anaerobic bacteria known as sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRBs). These SRBs produce the foul-smelling and life-threatening hydrogen sulfide (H2S) gas to which drill workers are exposed on a daily basis. Despite large sums of money spent on safeguards each year, exposure to deadly H2S gas creates the greatest risk to life for those working in the oil industry. Effective new technologies are essential to increase safety for oil and gas personnel worldwide.
Biofouling and Biocorrosion Cost
Billions of Dollars Every Year
The maintenance associated with biofouling and biocorrosion of ships’ hulls (including biofilms, barnacles and diatoms) costs the U.S. Navy over $6 billion per year. Overall, the cost to industry has been estimated to be at least $200 billion per year in the United States alone. Damage resulting from bacteria and biofilms touches nearly every industry in every corner of the globe. Microbion is developing new technologies to address these critical problem areas.
Industrial Water Filtration Systems are Plagued by Biofilm and Bacteria Overgrowth
Large-scale membrane microfiltration, the new standard in water treatment, can be highly susceptible to overgrowth of biofilms and bacteria, forcing efficiencies downward and elevating maintenance costs for cities and industries worldwide, particularly in the area of desalinization. As the world faces a decline in global water sources, it has become paramount to discover new anti-biofilm technologies to help control the growing problem of membrane biofouling. As our understanding of anti-biofilm technologies grows, Microbion expects to make substantial headway in lessening the global impact of biofilms and their economic and safety-related consequences.
Agricultural Crops Are Devastated by Bacteria, Fungus and Biofilms Every Year
Bacteria and biofilms plague crops worldwide, destroying industry and subsistence farming alike. For example, the bacterial biofilm-induced “Fire Blight” routinely devastates apple and pear industries from New Zealand to the United States. In the 2000 Fire Blight epidemic, $42 million worth of damage occurred in Michigan alone. Beyond fruit trees, blights affect many other crops as well. Finding a solution to these disasters is critical to ensuring a sustainable future for the global agricultural industry.
