Jan 22 2014
Tauriga Sciences, Inc. ("Tauriga" or "the Company"), a diversified company focused on generating profitable revenues through license agreements and the development of a proprietary technology platform in the nano-robotics space, and its strategic partner Bacterial Robotics LLC ("Bacterial Robotics"), today announced the completion of a confidential whitepaper to engineer and construct a Polychlorinated Biphenyl ("PCB") remediating bacterial robot ("BactoBot™") for the nuclear industry ("NuclearBot™").
Tauriga is planning to add a PCB-degrading, genetically-enhanced organism to its developing line of water remediating technologies and products.
The delivered plan calls for a proprietary reactor that harnesses the NuclearBot to deliver the fastest and most efficient pathway to PCB degradation. To achieve this goal, through synthetic biology, the genes from one organism with low industrial survival rates will be transferred into a robust organism. Since the two species belong to the same genus, Bacterial Robotics does not expect any cross-species genetic incompatibility.
PCBs are a family of highly poisonous and polluting compounds present in industrial chemicals such as coolants, insulating and hydraulic fluids, and plasticizers. PCBs are stable in soils and sediments, where they represent a long-term health and environmental hazard. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency ("US EPA") has a zero tolerance policy for the release of PCBs into the environment. Although PCBs can be slowly degraded by naturally occurring bacteria in water, soil, and sediments, the remediation speed and application diversity are severely limited. We intend to develop a profitable product that increases the speed of PCB remediation while decreasing deployment limitations.
PCBs show toxic and mutagenic effects by interfering with hormones in the body. Potential health effects include cancers and skin, sexual, skeletal diseases, and mental developmental issues.
The Current Challenges for the Nuclear Industry are:
As in many other industries, thermo-nuclear facilities are burdened with the responsibility of handling PCB-contaminated fluids. Nuclear facilities face a double hazard. First, PCBs can leak into cooling fluids and wastewater than can be potentially discharged into the environment with wastewater effluents. Secondly, PCBs have a high concentration in hydraulic fluids. The cost of storage and/or disposal of these highly concentrated PCBs climb exponentially if they are radioactive, for example the highly radioactive hydraulic fluids from the reactor Control Rod Drive Mechanism (CRDM).
For wastewater effluents, nuclear plants currently utilize a series of ionic exchange resins that are used to adsorb PCBs before discharge into the environment to prevent the PCBs leaking into environmental water and soil. Also, monitoring of effluents is practiced to control the efficacy of pre-discharge fluids. For hydraulic fluids, long-term storage in drums is used to contain PCBs.
The engineering team will be comprised of:
- Strain Development Expert -- Pablo Pomposiello Miravent, PhD, Chief Consulting BactoBot Engineer, Bacterial Robotics LLC
- Reactor Prototyping and Testing Expert -- Professor, major USA research university
- Product Development Expert -- Jason E. Barkeloo, Chief Executive Officer, Bacterial Robotics LLC
- Electrofluidics Expert -- Dr. Jason C. Heikenfeld, Director of Novel Devices Laboratory ("NDL"), University of Cincinnati
- Chemistry Expert -- Dr. Stella M. Sung, Chief Operating Officer, Tauriga Sciences Inc., Chemistry Ph.D. Harvard University
- Effluent Analysis -- A Major U.S. Based Nuclear Power Plant (PWR)
Tauriga's COO, Dr. Stella M. Sung commented, "The completion of the NuclearBot whitepaper represents an important piece of tangible progress derived from the strategic alliance with Bacterial Robotics. In constructing this product and intellectual development plan, the PCB related problems afflicting the nuclear industry were carefully considered and the proposed solution incorporates a sophisticated synthetic biology-based plan that includes the incorporation of naturally occurring PCB remediating genes into a highly metabolic strain of bacteria. If successful in this project, the Company believes that the addressable market is quite large and certainly global."
Bacterial Robotics, LLC, CEO, Jason E. Barkeloo, added, "The Bacterial Robotics team is fascinated by the opportunity to build upon its Pilus Energy product development success. Such a solution could prevent health and environmental problems. A successful product could result in significantly profitable business opportunities for both companies."
Bacterial Robotics and Tauriga Sciences entered into a comprehensive Joint Venture Partnership ("JVP") on October 29, 2013. With respect to this JVP, Tauriga will be the majority and controlling owner of the resulting PCB-remediating NuclearBot product and commercialization entity. During the product development process, which includes commercial pilot testing, the Company anticipates the filing of new domestic and international patents. All future intellectual property pertaining to the NuclearBot will be owned by the JVP.
This previously announced JVP between Tauriga Sciences Inc. and Bacterial Robotics LLC is completely separate from the Company's proposed acquisition of Pilus Energy LLC ("Pilus Energy"). However, the PCB-remediating NuclearBot complements the Pilus Energy wastewater-to-value intellectual property portfolio.
On November 25, 2013, the Company signed a definitive agreement to acquire Cincinnati, Ohio based Pilus Energy LLC ("Pilus Energy"), a developer of alternative cleantech energy platforms using proprietary microbial solutions that generate electricity while consuming polluting organic molecules from wastewater. Upon consummation of the proposed reverse merger, which was unanimously ratified by Tauriga's board of directors, Pilus Energy will become a wholly-owned subsidiary of Tauriga.
About Tauriga Sciences, Inc.:
Tauriga Sciences, Inc. (TAUG) is a diversified company focused on generating profitable revenues through license agreements and the development of a proprietary technology platform in the nano-robotics space. The mission of the Company is to acquire and build a diversified portfolio of cutting edge technology assets that is capital efficient and of significant value to the shareholders. The Company's business model includes the acquisition of licenses, equity stakes, rights on both an exclusive and non-exclusive basis, and entire businesses. Management is firmly committed to building lasting shareholder value in the short, intermediate, and long terms. The Company's new corporate website can be found at (www.tauriga.com).
About Pilus Energy LLC
A developer of alternative cleantech energy solutions, Pilus Energy is developing microbial solutions that clean polluting molecules from wastewater. In the process, the technology generates electricity and produces economically important gases and chemicals. Pilus Energy licenses a low-cost, scalable electrogenic bioreactor platform and wastewater-to-value BactoBots. Pilus Energy will also derive additional revenues from carbon and renewable energy credits (REC). For more information, please visit Pilus Energy's web site, (www.pilusenergy.com).
About Bacterial Robotics LLC
A pioneer in the emerging synthetic biology industry, Bacterial Robotics is headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio (USA). The Company specializes in identifying markets for developing and deploying BactoBots(TM) and ViruBots(TM); microscopic organism-based robots that produce, build, sense, and perform functions. Please visit the corporate website at http://bacterialrobotics.com for more information. Please note that the Bacterial Robotics corporate website is currently in the process of being upgraded, which should be complete within the next few weeks.
Source: http://www.taurgiasciences.com