Fingerprinting bacterial strains using ion mobility spectrometry

Ion mobility spectrometry (IMS) is currently in widespread use for the detection and identification of narcotic and explosive compounds without prior sample clean-up or concentration steps. IMS analysis is rapid, less than a minute, and sensitive, with detection limits in the nanogram to picogram range, depending on the target analyte. Our studies indicate that this technique has potential for detection of specific components of bacterial cells and for identification and differentiation of bacterial strains and species within a minute, and with no specialized test kits or reagents required. When microgram quantities of whole bacterial cells are thermally desorbed, complex positive or negative ion patterns (plasmagrams) are obtained. These plasmagrams differ reproducibly for different strains and species and for different conditions of growth, and can be used for the classification and differentiation of specific strains and species of bacteria, including pathogens. Methods for improved ion peak detection, most notably sequential sample desorption at stepped increases in temperature (programmed temperature ramping), are described.     

Surface free energy and bacterial retention to saliva-coated dental implant materials--an in vitro study

The aim of the present investigation was to compare the in vitro bacterial retention on saliva-coated implant materials (pure titanium grade 2 (cp-Ti) and a titanium alloy (Ti–6Al–4V) surfaces), presenting similar surface roughness, and to assess the influence of physico-chemical surface properties of bacterial strain and implant materials on in vitro bacterial adherence. Two bacterial strains (one hydrophilic strain and one hydrophobic strain) were used and the following were evaluated: bacterial cell adherence, SFE values as well as the Lifshitz-van-der Waals, the Lewis acid base components of SFE, the interfacial free energy and the non-dispersive interactions according to two complementary contact angle measurement methods: the sessile drop method and the captive bubble method.

Our results showed similar patterns of adherent bacterial cells on saliva-coated cp-Ti and saliva-coated Ti–6Al–4V. These findings could suggest that bacterial colonization (i.e. plaque formation) is similar on saliva-coated cp-Ti and Ti–6Al–4V surfaces and indicate that both materials could be suitable for use as transgingival abutment or healing implant components. The same physico-chemical properties exhibited by saliva-coated cp-Ti and TA6V, as shown by the sessile drop method and the captive bubble method, could explain this similar bacterial colonisation. Therefore, higher values of total surface free energy of saliva-coated cp-Ti and saliva-coated TA6V samples (γ_SV ≈65 mJ/m²) were reported using the captive bubble method indicating a less hydrophobic character of these surfaces than with the sessile drop method (γ_S ≈44.50 mJ/m²) and consequently possible differences in oral bacterial retention according the theory described by Absolom et al.

The number of adherent hydrophobic S. sanguinis cells was two-fold higher than that of hydrophilic S. constellatus cells. Our results confirm that physico-chemical surface properties of oral bacterial strains play a role in bacterial retention to implant materials in the presence of adsorbed salivary proteins.     

细菌纤维素纳米纤维稳定乳液的性能

采用超声和高压均质两种方式分散的细菌纤维素(BC)悬浮液制备了BC纳米纤维稳定的水包油型Pickering乳液, 并考察了纤维用量、 pH值和机械分散方式对乳液稳定性的影响. 结果表明, 乳液的稳定性随纳米纤维用量的增加而增加; 碱性条件比酸性条件制备的乳液稳定性高, 且在pH=12时达到最高. 用高压均质方式分散的BC稳定乳液的效果优于采用超声方式分散的BC的效果, 这是由于高压均质后的纤维较短, 可以提供更多的纳米纤维稳定乳液. 计算结果表明, BC纳米纤维在液体石蜡/水界面上的三相接触角为72.5°, 说明BC适合稳定水包油型乳液.     

紫外、氦氖激光等复合诱变产果胶酶细菌ZH1的研究

ZH₁菌株是从自然界分离筛选而来的,该菌株产果胶酶的最适pH为7.0;最适温度33℃;培养36h达产酶高峰,酶活力为73.5μ/mL,将ZH₁作为出发菌株,经紫外线诱变、硫酸二乙酯诱变,亚硝基胍和紫外线复合诱变及氦氖激光等多次反复诱变,选育得到一株产果胶酶性稳定且酶活明显提高的突变株ZHg,其酶活为301m/mL,比出发菌株ZH₁产果胶酶能力提高3.1倍.     

Brazilian integrated sugarcane-soybean biorefinery: Trends and opportunities

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Electrochemical assays for microbial analysis: how far they are from solving microbiota and microbiome challenges

Bacterial sensors are indispensable in environmental monitoring, analysis of food and drink safety, prevention and treatment of pathogenic infections, antibiotic resistance screening, in combatting biocorrosion, and in biodefense. Recent discoveries within Human Microbiome project disclosed vital bacteria's role in human health and disease prognosis and treatment; they also placed in focus new analytical tools for bacterial analysis. Here, I discuss several basic concepts underlying the electrochemical bacterial biosensors: metabolic sensors, biosensors for DNA and RNA extracted from bacterial cells, and whole bacterial cell sensors, and their contribution to practically sought solutions for bacterial analysis. Current analytical issues and perspectives are outlined.     

Inelastic behaviour of bacterial cellulose hydrogel: In aqua cyclic tests

Hydrogels are finding increasingly broad use, especially in biomedical applications. Their complex structure – a low-density network of microfibrils – defines their non-trivial mechanical behaviour. The focus of this work is on test-based quantification of mechanical behaviour of a bacterial cellulose (BC) hydrogel exposed to cyclic loading. Specimens for the tests were produced using Gluconacetobacter xylinus ATCC 53582 and tested in aqua under uniaxial cyclic loading conditions in a displacement-controlled regime. Substantial microstructural changes were observed in the process of deformation. A combination of qualitative microstructural observations with quantitative force-displacement relations allowed identification of main deformation mechanisms, confirming inelastic behaviour of the BC hydrogel under a loading-unloading-reloading regime. Elastic deformation was accompanied by non-elastic (viscoplastic) deformation in both tension and compression. This study also aims to establish a background for micromechanical modelling of overall properties of BC hydrogels.     

Spectral Studies on the Binding Behavior of Cationic Dyes and Surfactants with Bacterial Polysaccharide of Klebsiella K43

The binding behavior of acidic capsular polysaccharide (SPS), isolated from Klebsiella serotype K43, with oppositely charged dyes and surfactants have been studied by way of absorbance and emission spectroscopic measurements. Each repeating unit of the SPS consists of three D-mannose, one D-galactose, and one D-glucuronic acid residue. The anionic polysaccharide exhibited chromotropic character and induced strong metachromasy in the cationic dye, pinacyanol chloride (PCYN) through the formation of a 1:1 stoichiometric complex. Evaluation of thermodynamic parameters, viz., changes in free energy (ΔG), enthalpy (ΔH), and entropy (ΔS), for the formation of dye-polymer complex and studies on the effect of different cosolvents were also evaluated to shed light on the binding nature as well as the extent of stability of the dye-polymer complex. Fluorescence of the cationic dye acridine orange (AO) was quenched with the progressive addition of SPS, which was found to be of Stern-Volmer type. Cationic surfactants in their pure form as well as in the mixed state with nonionic surfactant (Tween-20), replaced the dye bound to the polymer matrices; thus the original band intensities of the dyes could be reverted. Such studies revealed the involvement of both electrostatic as well as hydrophobic interactions between the dye-polymer as well as surfactant-polymer aggregates.     

Synthesis of L-Rhamnose and N -Acetyl-D-Glucosamine Derivatives Entering in the Composition of Bacterial Polysaccharides by Use of Glucansucrases

Transglucosylation reactions using sucrose as glucosyl donor and either N-acetyl-D-glucosamine, L-rhamnose, or methyl α -L-rhamnopyranoside as acceptors were carried out with recombinant glucansucrases from families 70 and 13 of glycoside-hydrolases. Depending on the enzyme specificity, various carbohydrate structures were synthesized and characterized including α -D-glucopyranosyl-(1 → 6)-N-acetyl-D-glucosamine, α -D-glucopyranosyl-(1 → 4)-N-acetyl-D-glucosamine, α -D-glucopyranosyl-(1 → 1)-β -L-rhamnopyranoside, α -D-glucopyranosyl-(1 → 4)-α -D-glucopyranosyl-(1 → 1)-β -L-rhamnopyranoside, methyl α -D-glucopyranosyl-(1 → 4)-α -L-rhamnopyranoside, and methyl α -D-glucopyranosyl-(1 → 3)-α -L-rhamnopyranoside. Disaccharides were obtained with yields going up to 64%. The structural diversity generated as well as the obtained yields appear to be related to enzyme active site architecture, which can be modulated and improved by enzyme engineering. Several of the obtained disaccharides enter in the composition of surface polysaccharides of pathogenic bacteria, among which is Shigella flexneri. Our results outline the potential of glucansucrases in the chemo-enzymatic synthesis of complex carbohydrates of biological interest whose chemical synthesis may be seen as a limitation.     

A concise review of nanoscopic aspects of bioleaching bacteria–mineral interactions

Bioleaching is a technology for the recovery of metals from minerals by means of microorganisms, which accelerate the oxidative dissolution of the mineral by regenerating ferric ions. Bioleaching processes take place at the interface of bacteria, sulfide mineral and leaching solution. The fundamental forces between a bioleaching bacterium and mineral surface are central to understanding the intricacies of interfacial phenomena, such as bacterial adhesion or detachment from minerals and the mineral dissolution. This review focuses on the current state of knowledge in the colloidal aspect of bacteria–mineral interactions, particularly for bioleaching bacteria. Special consideration is given to the microscopic structure of bacterial cells and the atomic force microscopy technique used in the quantification of fundamental interaction forces at nanoscale.