Environmental Wastewater Air Treatment Expert Witness

Expert Witness No.2788

Technical Accomplishments & Experience

Executive summary:  Senior consultant in the following major areas:

Classical Biochemistry, especially the purification and characterization of enzymes/proteins.

Applied Biotechnology, especially biocatalysis on surfaces (heterogeneous catalytic processes) using immobilized cells or immobilized enzymes to efficiently transform wanted or unwanted molecules to products (read "Green"); current projects include enzymatic production of chiral pharmaceutical intermediates; immobilized cells for wastewater purification, bioremediation, water pollution.

Regulatory compliance (OSHA, EPA, Homeland Security).

Expert witness for above areas

Biotechnology

Expert in applied industrial enzymology, biocatalysis & bioprocessing (biotransformations), especially low- waste systems; emphasis on practical aspects of research, development, scale-up, pilot plant and commercialization; most valuable in aiding clients to bring products to commercial level. Adept at working with both laboratory personnel & development engineers; hands on when needed.

Applied enzymology: Marriage of organic chemistry and enzymology… use of enzymes to make products in high yield with little waste (see examples below).

Pharmaceutical industry: Use of applied enzymology for the production of pharmaceutical intermediates; patent holder, peptide-based anti-microbial pharmaceuticals employed in wound dressing applications.

Industrial processes: Expert in continuous, heterogeneous biologically catalyzed processes (microbiological supports).

Commercialization: Multiple patent holder, biologically-based reactor development and commercialization (especially fixed-film reactors).

Laboratory Chemistry: Broad understanding of analytical methods (assay development) and physical biochemical processes: spectroscopy, electrophoretic and chromatographic separations, protein modification, ligand binding, enzyme assay and kinetics, thermodynamic calculations etc.

Recent projects include mostly “green” processes:

Preparation and application of immobilized whole cell hydantoinase suite of enzymes for industrial biotransformation process for production of enantiomerically-pure amino acids

Pilot-scale immobilization of pig liver esterase for production of anti-AIDS drug and subsequent project management for scale-up

Optimization of commercial vaccine production (Tetanus Toxoid) using DOE approach for optimizing coupling of peptide with microbial polysaccharide

Optimization of ethanol precipitation of plasma proteins for industrial plasma fractionation

Development and testing of novel hydrophobic enzyme support for lipase, esterase application in production of pharmaceuticals

Fermentation, E. coli producer strain, optimization of cell yield

Immobilization and application of genetically modified Pseudomonas sp lipase for enantioselective hydrolysis of pharmaceutical intermediates

Prior Responsibilities include:

Involved in research into novel, incompressible, high-throughput bioprocessing systems (food industry) using immobilized enzymes.

Invention and development of new method for enzyme stabilization applied to starch and sugar converting enzymes (glucoamylase, alpha amylase) for corn sugar production

Invention of novel magnetic support for enzyme immobilization

Use of thermodynamics of activation vs. deactivation (Arrhenius plot) to increase process
efficiency by 20-30%

Other bioprocessing, enzyme transformation and biochemical projects include:

Purification and characterization of numerous enzymes, especially those relating to carbohydrate conversions

Chemical modification of hydrocolloids for metal binding application (food and environmental applications)

Hydrocolloids for enzyme immobilization (food application)

Lipases for making synthetic cocoa butter

Lipases for mono- and diglyceride production and transesterification into value added products (especially involving ferulic acid)

Lipases (Cal B) for transesterification of ferulate for increased lipophilicity

Lactase /protease combination employed for whey treatment

Yeast alcohol oxidase for methanol oxidation

Horseradish peroxidase for enzyme stabilization

Glucose oxidase for production of D-glucono-δ-lactone

Glutaraldehyde as sterilant for food applications

Biochemical fuel cell

Microbiology, especially fermentative production of enzymes

Analytical chemistry, bioassays and separations science (especially chromatography; electrophoresis)

Biochemistry and biophysics combined as physical biochemistry, especially through the use of UV/Vis (Ultraviolet / Visible) Spectrophotometry

Separations technology for purification and analysis of numerous proteins, peptides, carbohydrates, and natural products used in commercial applications

Small molecule binding studies, ligands, inhibitors especially involving enzymes

Adsorbents, ion exchange and activated carbon

Environmental Biotechnology, Industrial Effluent Pretreatment, Bioremediation and Emissions Treatment

Nationally recognized consultant in biological and chemical treatment of hazardous waste, hazardous chemicals, water pollution.

Microbial ecology approach to bioremediation

Extensive field experience pilot plant direction, data analysis, scale-up estimation.

Developed structured adsorbent used as microbial support in bioremediation of industrial effluent, groundwater and vaporous emissions (patented/commercial).

Developed mixed media employed as plugging-free microbial support in bioreactor packing (patented/commercial).

Developed in situ-ex situ bioremediation method for detoxification of metals, especially hexavalent chromium, Cr(VI), by combining inorganic chemistry and microbial ecology (sulfate reducing bacterial consortia); patented.

Chemically modified natural polymers for use as heavy metal adsorbers.

Developed Biological Air Treater (BAT) for low-cost destruction of vaporous organics, air pollution (patented/commercial).

On-Site international experience (Taiwan, ROC; UK).

Designed and implemented numerous waste treatment and remediation strategies for diverse industrial effluents, impacted groundwaters, soils, and air emissions including…

MGP-impacted (contaminated) groundwater

Coal tar effluent

Wood-treater effluent and air emissions and impacted groundwater PAH’S (Polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons), naphthalene

Petroleum refinery waste streams…ROC wastewater, phenols

Halogenated hydrocarbons TCE, DCE, VC, Chlorinated benzenes, PCP

Dye intermediates Anilines, Chloroanilines, Aminonaphthalenes

Fuels, aromatics, solvents & residues BTEX, Acetone, PAHs

Denitrification, Nitrification Ammonia

Anaerobic microbial processes Sulfate reducing bacteria, Methanogens, Acidogens

Co-metabolic processes Dehalogenation, Cr(VI) reduction

Vaporous pollutants (biofiltration) using biologically-based, counter-current scrubber

Pollutant pre- and post-treatment with chemical and polymer precipitants and adsorbents

Complete wastewater recycling, Space Station / Mars Lander / Lunar Base (Gray water)

Marine (shipboard) pre-treatment, activated sludge and polishing, blackwater.

Supervised replacement of PCB (polychlorinated Biphenyl) -Transformer and replaced with non-toxic,biodegradable electrolyte-containing transformer

Food Safety and FDA

Food storage and handling
HACCP plans (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point)

SSOP (Sanitation Standard Operating Procedures; Regulatory requirements under the federal meat

Inspection act and the poultry products inspection act, especially 9cfr PART 416—Sanitation)

Regulatory, OSHA & EPA

Multiple private consulting projects to achieve compliance with Federal & State regulations, including

OSHA 1910.119, Process Safety Management (PSM)
EPA 112r, Risk Management Planning (RMP);
SARA Title III Emergency Planning and Community Right to Know Act (EPCRA);
Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plans (SWPPP).

Accomplishments &Experience

Experienced in all phases of commercialization business, from research to development to marketing and sales;

Successfully commercialized laboratory scale reactor (biological waste treatment) through rapid development phase into commercial product; business profitable at 13 months; ten-fold increase in sales.

Account manager, proposal generation, expert in managing numerous $100K to $600K projects from conception to commercialization.

Budgetary estimation.

Responsible for visiting outside customers to determine their actual needs and then partnering/ bridging with internal experts to achieve technical and commercial goals.

Technical marketing and sales, environmental area.

Excellent communication skills.

Professional recruiting (fourteen years).

Long-term experience in TQ approach to solving cross-disciplinary problems with teams of 2 to 10 individuals, on and off site.

Education

Postdoctoral Fellow under Prof. Quentin H. Gibson, Cornell University, 7/76 - 7/78.

Postdoctoral Fellow under Prof. Donald E. Hultquist, The University of Michigan, 1/76 - 6/76.

Ph.D., Biological Chemistry, The University of Michigan, 9/71 - 1/76.

BA, Chemistry (Honors), Queens College, The City University of New York 5/71.

Recent Training/Development/Presentations

HAZWOPPER Emergency response Refresher Training (40 hour initial training, 8 hour Haz. Waste Operations Management continuing yearly), 1991 to Current, 2008.

Invited speaker, Environmental Practice Specialty, American Society of Safety Engineers ASSE Headquarters, 1800 Oakton, Des Plaines, IL, USA. “Thoughts on International Trends (China) and Emerging Water Issues” April 13, 2007

Emergency Notification Release Reporting Training, EPCRA 304; CERCLA 103 (EPA Region 5), 1999

Risk Management Program Assistance (IEMA), 1999

Basic Ammonia Refrigeration, 1998

Statistical Design of Experiments (DOE), 1996.

Scorecard Training, 1996.

Convenor, Pollution Prevention Biotechnology, Summer Biotechnology Institute, Northwestern University Center for Biotechnology, 1995.

Sales Training Workshop (Institute for Business and Interpersonal Strategies) 1995.
Customer Linked Commercialization & Customer Partnering, 1994.

Employment History

Industrial

Independent Consultant, President of Louis DeFilippi, LLC, 1999 to present.

Independent Consultant, Sole proprietorship, 1995 to 1996 and 1997 to 1999

Project Leader, AlliedSignal Aerospace Sector, Extended Consultation Assignment (Space Station / Mars Lander / Lunar Base), Life Support Systems, ‘96 to ‘97.

Manager Biochemical Technology (Technical Marketing and Sales), AlliedSignal Environmental Systems and Services, ‘94-‘95.

Research Scientist, AlliedSignal Research & Technology, ‘85-‘94.

Research Specialist, Biochemistry, Signal-UOP Research Center, ‘82-‘85.

Senior Research Biochemist, Biotechnology Department, UOP Research Center, ‘78-‘82.

Academic

Adjunct Professor (Evening Faculty Member), Columbia College, Dept. of Science, ‘84-‘85.

Postdoctoral and Teaching Fellow (General biochemistry), Cornell University, Department of Biochemistry, Molecular and Cell Biology, ‘77-‘78.

Teaching Assistant (General biochemistry, Medical Technology & Nursing) The University of Michigan, ‘71-‘75.

Honors

Special (Team) Recognition Award, AlliedSignal, April, ‘95.

Special (Individual) Recognition Award, AlliedSignal, May, ‘92.

Rackham Dissertation Grant, The University of Michigan, ‘74-‘75.

Graduated (BA, Queens College) with honors, ‘71.

Elected to Beta Delta Chi, Chemistry Honor Society, Queens College, CUNY, ‘71.

New York State Regents Scholarship, ‘67-‘71.

Society Memberships

American Chemical Society

Water Environment Federation

Patents and Publications

Available upon request