BIORESOURCE ENGINEERING SEMINAR

BIORESOURCE ENGINEERING SEMINAR

Item 1: Seminar by Claude Adjanahoun
Shipping Mangoes in Luffa

Mango (Mangifera indica, L.) is an attractive and delicious fruit that is commonly consumed in tropical and subtropical countries. In Senegal (West-Africa) it has been singled out as a particularly promising crop and is being given a lot of attention with respect to its potential at the national, regional, and international level. However losses due to poor handling of the fruit during transport from field to costumer remain a major difficulty that has, so far, received relatively little attention. The goal of this presentation is to present some of the work being done to find a solution for the mango industry in Senegal using Luffa [Luffa cylindrica (L.) Roem syn L. aegyptiaca Mill] as a packing material. Applications will also be investigated for other fruits and vegetables.

Claude is originally from Senegal but is now a Canadian. He completed a Bachelors degree in Commerce, with a concentration in Information Systems and a Minor in Educational Psychology at 黑料不打烊. He has been working at 黑料不打烊 University for 5 years, first at Continuing Education and then at the Research Grants Office (Office for Sponsored Research). He is now at the Planning and Institutional Analysis Unit as a Data Analyst.
Claude is also pursuing an MSc degree (thesis) in Bioresource Engineering under the supervision of Dr. Raghavan. He has a strong interest in post-production management of agricultural products, with a vision of improving food security in some little way in the developing world.


Item 2: Seminar by Yanti Mohd-Jusoh
Black Magic in Malaysia

Black magic or 鈥榯he art of devil鈥� is common in South-East Asia. Hatred, jealousy, revenge and ambition have been identified as some of the key factors that drive people towards its use. Due to modernization, the use of black magic is now starting to decrease throughout the world. However, black magic is still important to some people in Malaysia. In this presentation various types of black magical practices, their effects, and reasons for its persistence will be described.

Yanti comes from Malaysia. She holds a Bachelor degree in Chemical Engineering and a Master degree in Food Engineering. She used to work in the food industry and education sector. Currently, she is pursuing her PhD in the area of radio frequency technologies under the supervision of Professor Orsat from the Department of Bioresource Engineering.


Item 3: Seminar by Kartheek Anekella:
鈥淪hall we dance..!!鈥�

Several elements of India's diverse culture, such as its religions, Yoga, dance and cuisine, have had a profound impact around the world. Among the various cultural elements dance has a unique role - it is considered to be the expression of the innermost feelings of an individual. There are more than two hundred distinct Indian dances, often incorporating specific costumes and music, as well as hand and foot positions. A brief introduction to Indian classical dance will be presented.

Kartheek is doing his Master degree under the supervision of Professor Orsat. He is working on microencapsulation of probiotic Lactobacillus species and the preparation of non-dairy probiotic fruit juice powder. Kartheek completed his Bachelor degree in Biotechnology at Vellore Institute of Technology University in Tamil-Nadu, India.

Item 4: Seminar by Sammy Bajwa:
Bioconversion of Glycerol into Biofuels

The growth of the biodiesel industry has led to a new problem which is excess glycerol which is a by-product of the transesterification process. Several research groups throughout the world are working on methods to utilize the glycerol through either chemical or biological conversion. One of the approaches to glycerol bioconversion is anaerobic fermentation by bacteria to generate biofuels like ethanol, hydrogen etc. This presentation will focus on glycerol fermentation. Ongoing research will be reviewed.

Sammy completed his Bachelor degree in Food Technology at Guru Nanak Dev University, India in 2009.聽 He then started his Master degree under the supervision of Professor Ngadi in the winter 2010. Presently, Sammy is working on the production of ethanol and hydrogen by fermenting glycerol.

Item 5: Seminar by Salima Rhemtulla:
Bottled Water 鈥� Will it save us or destroy us?

Why do people pay thousands of times more for bottled water than for tap water? What is the difference between bottled water and our tap water? Ten years ago, 7 people died and 2400 fell ill in Walkerton, Ontario due to contaminated drinking water which contained a dangerous strain of E. coli bacteria. One question is: Is bottled water really safer or is it just marketing by bottled water companies that makes us believe that? Also, what happens to all of those bottles when we are done with them? What resources are expended to produce a bottle of water? Overall, is it worth it? These questions will be explored and some recommendations will be presented.

Salima is currently studying at 黑料不打烊 to attain a Master degree in Integrated Water Resources Management. She earned her Bachelor of Commerce degree in Finance and Risk Management at the University of Calgary in Alberta, and has worked for more than five years as a Joint Venture Auditor in the Oil and Gas Industry. Her love of travel and the environment, as well as learning about different cultures, has brought Salima to Montreal and she is very excited about her future role in helping to save the planet鈥檚 most valuable resource.