T he cell therapy industry (CTI) is no longer a cottage industry; it is a distinct and sustainable component of the global healthcare sector (1). Today, CTI prospects are strong, with annual revenues exceeding US$1 billion/year, supported by improving investor sentiment and public support (1–3). The next phase of CTI growth — toward a multibillion-dollar global industry — will depend on the bio...

Industry throughout the world is faced with a common problem that of the disposal of waste materials from manufacturing processes. In the case of the dairy industry, one such 'waste' which is produced in enormous quantities is the whey resulting from cheese and casein manufacture. In the 1996/97 season alone it is estimated that around five billion litres of whey were produced in New Zealand. I...

Iron occurs mainly as oxide ores, though it is also found in smaller quantities as its sulfide and carbonate. These other ores are usually first roasted to convert them into the oxide. On a world scale the most important ore is haematite (Fe2O3), but in New Zealand the starting materials are magnetite (Fe3O4) and titanomagnetite (Fe2TiO4). The oxides are reduced with carbon from coal, through t...