CAMBRIDGE PRIZE LECTURE DEVELOPING NEW STRAINS OF YEAST*

Genetic engineering or recombinant DNA technology is now routinely applied to the construction and development of new strains of brewing yeast. This is a direct consequence of the power of the technology which facilitates the modification, introduction and stable maintenance of specific genes in brewing yeast, without compromising the intrinsic brewing properties of the yeast itself. The way in which gene technology has been applied to the development of new strains of Bass yeast is briefly illustrated by the provision of plasmid-based systems for ensuring the stable maintenance of recombinant genes, the construction of amylolytic and β-glucanolytic yeast and the design and development of genetic systems for enhancing the value of waste brewers yeast. Commercial and regulatory issues are discussed.     

Chromium remediation or release? Effect of iron(II) sulfate addition on chromium(VI) leaching from columns of chromite ore processing residue

Chromite ore processing residue (COPR), derived from the so-called high lime processing of chromite ore, contains high levels of Cr(III) and Cr(VI) and has a pH between 11 and 12. Ferrous sulfate, which is used for remediation of Cr(VI) contamination in wastewater and soils via reduction to Cr(III) and subsequent precipitation of iron(III)/chromium(III) hydroxide, has also been proposed for remediation of Cr(VI) in COPR. Instead, however, addition of FeSO4 to the infiltrating solution in column experiments with COPR greatly increased leaching of Cr(VI). Leached Cr(VI) increased from 3.8 to 12.3 mmol kg(-1) COPR in 25 pore volumes with 20 mM FeSO4, reaching solution concentrations as high as 1.6 mM. Fe(II) was ineffective in reducing Cr(VI) to Cr(III) because it precipitated when it entered the column due to the high pH of COPR, while Cr(VI) in solution was transported away with the infiltrating solution. The large increase in leaching of Cr(VI) upon infiltration of sulfate, either as FeSO4 or Na2SO4, was caused by anion exchange of sulfate for chromate in the layered double hydroxide mineral hydrocalumite, a process for which scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive X-ray microanalysis provided direct evidence.