Microcalorimetric measurements of the metabolic activity by bacteria and fungi in some Brazilian soils amended with different organic matter

The effect of bacterial and fungal activities on organic matter degradation in Brazilian soils was studied by a microcalorimetric method. Bacteria and fungi isolated from tropical soils and added to: Rhodic eutrudox (R), Typic eutrudox (V) and Quartzipsamment (Q) soils amended separately with moisture (control) (A) and 25% of cattle manure (E), municipal refuse compost (L), earthworm casts (H) or 23 μg of trifluralin (T) were investigated. The number of colony forming units in soil suspension was quantified by microscopy and inoculated in respective soil. All processes were measured at intervals of 7 days over a period of 35 days. The exothermic thermal effect (μJ) per cm³ of bacteria or fungi per gram of dry soil, respectively, for each substrate was: [(9±1), (4±1)] RA; [(478±24), (105±5)] RE; [(121±6), (71±4)] RL; [(121±6), (71±4)] RH; [(8±1); (3±1)] RT; [(10±1), (9±1] VA; [(347±17), (261±13)] VE; [(71±4), (28±1)] VL; [(22±1), (33±2)] VH; [(7±1), (10±1)] VT; [(19±1), (12±1)] QA; [(1301±65), (46±2)] QE; [(89±4), (9±1)] QL; [(130±7), (11±1)] QH; [(32±2), (8±1)] QT. The calorimetric values are higher for bacteria than for fungi. In general, the results showed higher activities in the soil amended with cattle manure than with other additives.     

Transport of surface-modified iron nanoparticle in porous media and application to arsenic(III) remediation

The surface-modified iron nanoparticles (S-INP) were synthesized, characterized and tested for the remediation of arsenite (As(III)), a well known toxic groundwater contaminant of concern. The S-INP material was fully dispersed in the aqueous phase with a particle size distribution of 2–10 nm estimated from high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM). X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) revealed that an Fe(III) oxide surface film was present on S-INP in addition to the bulk zero-valent Fe⁰ oxidation state. Transport of S-INP through porous media packed in 10 cm length column showed particle breakthroughs of 22.1, 47.4 and 60 pore volumes in glass beads, unbaked sand, and baked sand, respectively. Un-modified INP was immobile and aggregated on porous media surfaces in the column inlet area. Results using S-INP pretreated 10 cm sand-packed columns containing ∼2 g of S-INP showed that 100 % of As(III) was removed from influent solutions (flow rate 1.8 mL min⁻¹) containing 0.2, 0.5 and 1.0 mg L⁻¹ As(III) for 9, 7 and 4 days providing 23.3, 20.7 and 10.4 L of arsenic free water, respectively. In addition, it was found that 100% of As(III) in 0.5 mg/L solution (flow rate 1.8 mL min⁻¹) was removed by S-INP pretreated 50 cm sand packed column containing 12 g of S-INP for more than 2.5 months providing 194.4 L of arsenic free water. Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) showed S-INP had transformed to elongated, rod-like shaped corrosion product particles after reaction with As(III) in the presence of sand. These results suggest that S-INP has great potential to be used as a mobile, injectable reactive material for in-situ sandy groundwater aquifer treatment of As(III).     

Photocatalytic activity and biodegradation of polyhydroxybutyrate films containing titanium dioxide

This study aims to evaluate the photocatalytic activity and biodegradation of polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) films containing titanium dioxide (TiO₂). Nanosized TiO₂ photocatalysts were immobilized onto PHB film to overcome the difficulty of the recovery process. PHB is a suitable base material as it is naturally biodegradable and is produced from renewable resources. The photocatalytic degradation of organic compounds, photocatalytic sterilization activity and biodegradation rate in garden soil of PHB-TiO₂ composite films were investigated. After an hour under solar illumination, 96% of methylene blue solution was decolorized. The antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli (E. coli) using PHB-TiO₂ composite film exhibited enhanced photocatalytic sterilization activity over time. As for the ability to biodegrade, PHB-TiO₂ composite films placed on soil surface with no direct solar illumination showed slower degradation rate compared to those receiving direct solar illumination. Interestingly, the latter composite films showed faster degradation rates compared to pure PHB films indicating that the degradation is mainly due to photocatalytic activity. PHB-TiO₂ composite films buried in soil generally showed slower degradation rates compared to pure PHB films and were dependent on the soil microbial activity.     

Physicochemical aspects of microbial adhesion — Influence of antibody adsorption on the deposition ofStreptococcus sobrinus in a parallel-plate flow chamber

Deposition of the oral bacteriumStreptococcus sobrinus HG977 onto glass (water contact angle 0°) and onto FEP-Teflon (fluoroethylenepropylene; water contact angle 110°) was studied in a parallel-plate flow chamber in the presence and absence of polyclonal antibodies (pAb) and monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) adsorbed onto the cells. The zeta potentials of the bacteria ranged from −7.1 to −8.5 mV at pH 6.8 and were not affected by the presence of pAb or mAbs. Hydrophobicity (by water contact angles) increased from 30° (no antibodies) to 88° in the presence of pAb adsorbed onto the bacterial cell surface. The untreatedS. sobrinus had a greater tendency to adhere to glass (44.5 × 10⁶ cm⁻²) than to FEP-Teflon (18.3 × 10⁶ cm⁻²), in accordance with thermodynamic modelling. After preincubation ofS. sobrinus with pAb, its clear preference for adhesion to glass disappeared as expected from its increased hydrophobicity. Although forS. sobrinus preincubated with OMVU10 no difference was found in hydrophobicity in comparison to the untreated bacteria, the number of bacteria adhering to glass decreased to 10.2 ¢ 10⁶ cm⁻². Formation of bacterial aggregates was found whenS. sobrinus, preincubated with pAb or OMVU10, adhered to glass and FEP. This was also observed when untreated bacteria adhered to glass coated with OMVU10, or to FEP coaled with OMVU10 or pAb. Adhesion in these experiments is therefore thought to occur via near-neighbour collection induced by the presence of pAb or mAbs. Low numbers of bacteria were removed from glass after draining the flow cell, whereas high numbers of untreated bacteria and bacteria preincubated with OMVU10 were removed from FEP.S. sobrinus cells preincubated with pAb were not removed but piled up. It was concluded that the adhesion of untreatedS. sobrinus andS. sobrinus preincubated with pAb is in accordance with thermodynamic modelling, based on the overall wettability of the cell surfaces, whereas the adhesion ofS. sobrinus preincubated with OMVU10 may be through localized interactions, not expressed in overall surface properties.     

大孔网状吸附剂在微生物制药分离纯化上的应用

本文介绍了20世纪末高分子吸附剂在β-内酰胺类，肽类、糖苷类，醌类，含氮杂环类，多烯类、蒽环类，大环内酯类，聚醚类和其它新抗生素，免疫抑制剂，酶抑制剂以及蛋白质类药物分离纯化上的应用发展状况。     

Synthesis and microbial transformation of β-amino nitriles

Rhodococcus equi A4, Rhodococcus erythropolis NCIMB 11540 and Rhodococcus sp. R312 were investigated towards their ability to produce β-amino amides and acids from β-amino nitriles. The microorganisms show comparable trends: five-membered alicyclic 2-amino nitriles were transformed significantly faster than the six-membered compounds and the products of trans-2-amino nitriles (amides and acids) were formed considerably faster than the cis-counterparts (amides). The trans-five membered nitriles gave the amides (1b, 5b) in excellent enantiomeric excess (94-99%), the biotransformation of trans-six membered substrates resulted in the formation of the acid (3c, 7c) in excellent ee (87-99%). The ee's of the cis-compounds were throughout lower. Fifteen new substances were synthesized and characterized in the course of this work.     

Investigation of the electrocatalytic oxidation of formate and ethanol at platinum black under microbial fuel cell conditions

In this communication, we discuss the electro-oxidation of the fermentation products formate and ethanol at platinum black modified electrodes under microbial fuel cell conditions, i.e., at neutral pH, room temperature, and in microbial culture solutions. The electrocatalytic oxidation was studied using cyclic voltammetry, chronoamperometry, and potentiostatic coulometry. Current densities up to 6 mA cm⁻² at 0.2 V oxidation potential and 97% coulombic efficiency were observed for the electro-oxidation of 100 mM solutions of formate in pH 7 buffer solution. Electrode deactivation could be successfully prevented using an oxidative potential reactivation procedure. Polymer coating, however, fully stopped the formate oxidation. As expected, the electro-oxidation of ethanol was less efficient—with a limiting current density being 600 μA cm⁻².Dedicated to Professor Dr. Alan M. Bond on the occasion of this 60th birthday.     

Agro-industrial waste enzymes: Perspectives in circular economy

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, approximately 1.3 billion tons of food is wasted each year, equivalent to approximately one-third of world production. Agri-food wastes are the source of proteins, carbohydrates, lipids, and other essential minerals that have been exploited for value-added products by the development of biorefineries and sustainable business as important elements of circular economies. The innovation and materialization of these types of processes, including the use of disruptive technologies on microbial bioconversion and enzyme technology, such as nanotechnology, metabolic engineering, and multi-omics platforms, increase the perspectives on the waste valorization process. Lignocellulolytic enzymes, pectinases, and proteases are mainly used as catalyzers on agri-food waste treatment, and their production in house might be the trend in near future for agro-industrial countries. Another way to transform the agri-food wastes is via aerobic or anaerobic microbial process from fungal or bacterial cultures; these processes are the key to produce waste enzymes.