WorldWideScience

Sample records for cellulosic wall residue

  1. Characterising the cellulose synthase complexes of cell walls

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Mansoori Zangir, N.

    2012-01-01

    One of the characteristics of the plant kingdom is the presence of a structural cell wall. Cellulose is a major component in both the primary and secondary cell walls of plants. In higher plants cellulose is synthesized by so called rosette protein complexes with cellulose synthases (CESAs) as

  2. Sticking to cellulose: exploiting Arabidopsis seed coat mucilage to understand cellulose biosynthesis and cell wall polysaccharide interactions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Griffiths, Jonathan S; North, Helen M

    2017-05-01

    The cell wall defines the shape of cells and ultimately plant architecture. It provides mechanical resistance to osmotic pressure while still being malleable and allowing cells to grow and divide. These properties are determined by the different components of the wall and the interactions between them. The major components of the cell wall are the polysaccharides cellulose, hemicellulose and pectin. Cellulose biosynthesis has been extensively studied in Arabidopsis hypocotyls, and more recently in the mucilage-producing epidermal cells of the seed coat. The latter has emerged as an excellent system to study cellulose biosynthesis and the interactions between cellulose and other cell wall polymers. Here we review some of the major advances in our understanding of cellulose biosynthesis in the seed coat, and how mucilage has aided our understanding of the interactions between cellulose and other cell wall components required for wall cohesion. Recently, 10 genes involved in cellulose or hemicellulose biosynthesis in mucilage have been identified. These discoveries have helped to demonstrate that xylan side-chains on rhamnogalacturonan I act to link this pectin directly to cellulose. We also examine other factors that, either directly or indirectly, influence cellulose organization or crystallization in mucilage. © 2017 INRA. New Phytologist © 2017 New Phytologist Trust.

  3. Cellulose-hemicellulose interaction in wood secondary cell-wall

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhang, Ning; Li, Shi; Hong, Yu; Chen, Youping; Xiong, Liming

    2015-01-01

    The wood cell wall features a tough and relatively rigid fiber reinforced composite structure. It acts as a pressure vessel, offering protection against mechanical stress. Cellulose microfibrils, hemicellulose and amorphous lignin are the three major components of wood. The structure of secondary cell wall could be imagined as the same as reinforced concrete, in which cellulose microfibrils acts as reinforcing steel bar and hemicellulose-lignin matrices act as the concrete. Therefore, the interface between cellulose and hemicellulose/lignin plays a significant role in determine the mechanical behavior of wood secondary cell wall. To this end, we present a molecular dynamics (MD) simulation study attempting to quantify the strength of the interface between cellulose microfibrils and hemicellulose. Since hemicellulose binds with adjacent cellulose microfibrils in various patterns, the atomistic models of hemicellulose-cellulose composites with three typical binding modes, i.e. bridge, loop and random binding modes are constructed. The effect of the shape of hemicellulose chain on the strength of hemicellulose-cellulose composites under shear loadings is investigated. The contact area as well as hydrogen bonds between cellulose and hemicellulose, together with the covalent bonds in backbone of hemicellulose chain are found to be the controlling parameters which determine the strength of the interfaces in the composite system. For the bridge binding model, the effect of shear loading direction on the strength of the cellulose material is also studied. The obtained results suggest that the shear strength of wood-inspired engineering composites can be optimized through maximizing the formations of the contributing hydrogen bonds between cellulose and hemicellulose. (paper)

  4. Cellulose-hemicellulose interaction in wood secondary cell-wall

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Ning; Li, Shi; Xiong, Liming; Hong, Yu; Chen, Youping

    2015-12-01

    The wood cell wall features a tough and relatively rigid fiber reinforced composite structure. It acts as a pressure vessel, offering protection against mechanical stress. Cellulose microfibrils, hemicellulose and amorphous lignin are the three major components of wood. The structure of secondary cell wall could be imagined as the same as reinforced concrete, in which cellulose microfibrils acts as reinforcing steel bar and hemicellulose-lignin matrices act as the concrete. Therefore, the interface between cellulose and hemicellulose/lignin plays a significant role in determine the mechanical behavior of wood secondary cell wall. To this end, we present a molecular dynamics (MD) simulation study attempting to quantify the strength of the interface between cellulose microfibrils and hemicellulose. Since hemicellulose binds with adjacent cellulose microfibrils in various patterns, the atomistic models of hemicellulose-cellulose composites with three typical binding modes, i.e. bridge, loop and random binding modes are constructed. The effect of the shape of hemicellulose chain on the strength of hemicellulose-cellulose composites under shear loadings is investigated. The contact area as well as hydrogen bonds between cellulose and hemicellulose, together with the covalent bonds in backbone of hemicellulose chain are found to be the controlling parameters which determine the strength of the interfaces in the composite system. For the bridge binding model, the effect of shear loading direction on the strength of the cellulose material is also studied. The obtained results suggest that the shear strength of wood-inspired engineering composites can be optimized through maximizing the formations of the contributing hydrogen bonds between cellulose and hemicellulose.

  5. The biosynthesis and wall-binding of hemicelluloses in cellulose-deficient maize cells: an example of metabolic plasticity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    de Castro, María; Miller, Janice G; Acebes, José Luis; Encina, Antonio; García-Angulo, Penélope; Fry, Stephen C

    2015-04-01

    Cell-suspension cultures (Zea mays L., Black Mexican sweet corn) habituated to 2,6-dichlorobenzonitrile (DCB) survive with reduced cellulose owing to hemicellulose network modification. We aimed to define the hemicellulose metabolism modifications in DCB-habituated maize cells showing a mild reduction in cellulose at different stages in the culture cycle. Using pulse-chase radiolabeling, we fed habituated and non-habituated cultures with [(3)H]arabinose, and traced the distribution of (3)H-pentose residues between xylans, xyloglucans and other polymers in several cellular compartments for 5 h. Habituated cells were slower taking up exogenous [(3)H]arabinose. Tritium was incorporated into polysaccharide-bound arabinose and xylose residues, but habituated cells diverted a higher proportion of their new [(3)H]xylose residues into (hetero) xylans at the expense of xyloglucan synthesis. During logarithmic growth, habituated cells showed slower vesicular trafficking of polymers, especially xylans. Moreover, habituated cells showed a decrease in the strong wall-binding of all pentose-containing polysaccharides studied; correspondingly, especially in log-phase cultures, habituation increased the proportion of (3)H-hemicelluloses ([(3)H]xylans and [(3)H]xyloglucan) sloughed into the medium. These findings could be related to the cell walls' cellulose-deficiency, and consequent reduction in binding sites for hemicelluloses; the data could also reflect the habituated cells' reduced capacity to integrate arabinoxylans by extra-protoplasmic phenolic cross-linking, as well as xyloglucans, during wall assembly. © 2015 Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences.

  6. Biomass enzymatic saccharification is determined by the non-KOH-extractable wall polymer features that predominately affect cellulose crystallinity in corn.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jia, Jun; Yu, Bin; Wu, Leiming; Wang, Hongwu; Wu, Zhiliang; Li, Ming; Huang, Pengyan; Feng, Shengqiu; Chen, Peng; Zheng, Yonglian; Peng, Liangcai

    2014-01-01

    Corn is a major food crop with enormous biomass residues for biofuel production. Due to cell wall recalcitrance, it becomes essential to identify the key factors of lignocellulose on biomass saccharification. In this study, we examined total 40 corn accessions that displayed a diverse cell wall composition. Correlation analysis showed that cellulose and lignin levels negatively affected biomass digestibility after NaOH pretreatments at pcorn samples indicated that cellulose and lignin should not be the major factors on biomass saccharification after pretreatments with NaOH and H2SO4 at three concentrations. Notably, despite that the non-KOH-extractable residues covered 12%-23% hemicelluloses and lignin of total biomass, their wall polymer features exhibited the predominant effects on biomass enzymatic hydrolysis including Ara substitution degree of xylan (reverse Xyl/Ara) and S/G ratio of lignin. Furthermore, the non-KOH-extractable polymer features could significantly affect lignocellulose crystallinity at pcorn.

  7. Approaching zero cellulose loss in cellulose nanocrystal (CNC) production: recovery and characterization of cellulosic solid residues (CSR) and CNC

    Science.gov (United States)

    Q.Q. Wang; J.Y. Zhu; R.S. Reiner; S.P. Verrill; U. Baxa; S.E. McNeil

    2012-01-01

    This study demonstrated the potential of simultaneously recovering cellulosic solid residues (CSR) and producing cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) by strong sulfuric acid hydrolysis to minimize cellulose loss to near zero. A set of slightly milder acid hydrolysis conditions than that considered as “optimal” were used to significantly minimize the degradation of cellulose...

  8. Brittle Culm1, a COBRA-Like Protein, Functions in Cellulose Assembly through Binding Cellulose Microfibrils

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Baocai; Liu, Xiangling; Yan, Meixian; Zhang, Lanjun; Shi, Yanyun; Zhang, Mu; Qian, Qian; Li, Jiayang; Zhou, Yihua

    2013-01-01

    Cellulose represents the most abundant biopolymer in nature and has great economic importance. Cellulose chains pack laterally into crystalline forms, stacking into a complicated crystallographic structure. However, the mechanism of cellulose crystallization is poorly understood. Here, via functional characterization, we report that Brittle Culm1 (BC1), a COBRA-like protein in rice, modifies cellulose crystallinity. BC1 was demonstrated to be a glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI) anchored protein and can be released into cell walls by removal of the GPI anchor. BC1 possesses a carbohydrate-binding module (CBM) at its N-terminus. In vitro binding assays showed that this CBM interacts specifically with crystalline cellulose, and several aromatic residues in this domain are essential for binding. It was further demonstrated that cell wall-localized BC1 via the CBM and GPI anchor is one functional form of BC1. X-ray diffraction (XRD) assays revealed that mutations in BC1 and knockdown of BC1 expression decrease the crystallite width of cellulose; overexpression of BC1 and the CBM-mutated BC1s caused varied crystallinity with results that were consistent with the in vitro binding assay. Moreover, interaction between the CBM and cellulose microfibrils was largely repressed when the cell wall residues were pre-stained with two cellulose dyes. Treating wild-type and bc1 seedlings with the dyes resulted in insensitive root growth responses in bc1 plants. Combined with the evidence that BC1 and three secondary wall cellulose synthases (CESAs) function in different steps of cellulose production as revealed by genetic analysis, we conclude that BC1 modulates cellulose assembly by interacting with cellulose and affecting microfibril crystallinity. PMID:23990797

  9. Brittle Culm1, a COBRA-like protein, functions in cellulose assembly through binding cellulose microfibrils.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lifeng Liu

    Full Text Available Cellulose represents the most abundant biopolymer in nature and has great economic importance. Cellulose chains pack laterally into crystalline forms, stacking into a complicated crystallographic structure. However, the mechanism of cellulose crystallization is poorly understood. Here, via functional characterization, we report that Brittle Culm1 (BC1, a COBRA-like protein in rice, modifies cellulose crystallinity. BC1 was demonstrated to be a glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI anchored protein and can be released into cell walls by removal of the GPI anchor. BC1 possesses a carbohydrate-binding module (CBM at its N-terminus. In vitro binding assays showed that this CBM interacts specifically with crystalline cellulose, and several aromatic residues in this domain are essential for binding. It was further demonstrated that cell wall-localized BC1 via the CBM and GPI anchor is one functional form of BC1. X-ray diffraction (XRD assays revealed that mutations in BC1 and knockdown of BC1 expression decrease the crystallite width of cellulose; overexpression of BC1 and the CBM-mutated BC1s caused varied crystallinity with results that were consistent with the in vitro binding assay. Moreover, interaction between the CBM and cellulose microfibrils was largely repressed when the cell wall residues were pre-stained with two cellulose dyes. Treating wild-type and bc1 seedlings with the dyes resulted in insensitive root growth responses in bc1 plants. Combined with the evidence that BC1 and three secondary wall cellulose synthases (CESAs function in different steps of cellulose production as revealed by genetic analysis, we conclude that BC1 modulates cellulose assembly by interacting with cellulose and affecting microfibril crystallinity.

  10. Brittle Culm1, a COBRA-like protein, functions in cellulose assembly through binding cellulose microfibrils.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Lifeng; Shang-Guan, Keke; Zhang, Baocai; Liu, Xiangling; Yan, Meixian; Zhang, Lanjun; Shi, Yanyun; Zhang, Mu; Qian, Qian; Li, Jiayang; Zhou, Yihua

    2013-01-01

    Cellulose represents the most abundant biopolymer in nature and has great economic importance. Cellulose chains pack laterally into crystalline forms, stacking into a complicated crystallographic structure. However, the mechanism of cellulose crystallization is poorly understood. Here, via functional characterization, we report that Brittle Culm1 (BC1), a COBRA-like protein in rice, modifies cellulose crystallinity. BC1 was demonstrated to be a glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI) anchored protein and can be released into cell walls by removal of the GPI anchor. BC1 possesses a carbohydrate-binding module (CBM) at its N-terminus. In vitro binding assays showed that this CBM interacts specifically with crystalline cellulose, and several aromatic residues in this domain are essential for binding. It was further demonstrated that cell wall-localized BC1 via the CBM and GPI anchor is one functional form of BC1. X-ray diffraction (XRD) assays revealed that mutations in BC1 and knockdown of BC1 expression decrease the crystallite width of cellulose; overexpression of BC1 and the CBM-mutated BC1s caused varied crystallinity with results that were consistent with the in vitro binding assay. Moreover, interaction between the CBM and cellulose microfibrils was largely repressed when the cell wall residues were pre-stained with two cellulose dyes. Treating wild-type and bc1 seedlings with the dyes resulted in insensitive root growth responses in bc1 plants. Combined with the evidence that BC1 and three secondary wall cellulose synthases (CESAs) function in different steps of cellulose production as revealed by genetic analysis, we conclude that BC1 modulates cellulose assembly by interacting with cellulose and affecting microfibril crystallinity.

  11. Longevity in vivo of primary cell wall cellulose synthases.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hill, Joseph Lee; Josephs, Cooper; Barnes, William J; Anderson, Charles T; Tien, Ming

    2018-02-01

    Our work focuses on understanding the lifetime and thus stability of the three main cellulose synthase (CESA) proteins involved in primary cell wall synthesis of Arabidopsis. It had long been thought that a major means of CESA regulation was via their rapid degradation. However, our studies here have uncovered that AtCESA proteins are not rapidly degraded. Rather, they persist for an extended time in the plant cell. Plant cellulose is synthesized by membrane-embedded cellulose synthase complexes (CSCs). The CSC is composed of cellulose synthases (CESAs), of which three distinct isozymes form the primary cell wall CSC and another set of three isozymes form the secondary cell wall CSC. We determined the stability over time of primary cell wall (PCW) CESAs in Arabidopsis thaliana seedlings, using immunoblotting after inhibiting protein synthesis with cycloheximide treatment. Our work reveals very slow turnover for the Arabidopsis PCW CESAs in vivo. Additionally, we show that the stability of all three CESAs within the PCW CSC is altered by mutations in individual CESAs, elevated temperature, and light conditions. Together, these results suggest that CESA proteins are very stable in vivo, but that their lifetimes can be modulated by intrinsic and environmental cues.

  12. Formation of wood secondary cell wall may involve two type cellulose synthase complexes in Populus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xi, Wang; Song, Dongliang; Sun, Jiayan; Shen, Junhui; Li, Laigeng

    2017-03-01

    Cellulose biosynthesis is mediated by cellulose synthases (CesAs), which constitute into rosette-like cellulose synthase complexe (CSC) on the plasma membrane. Two types of CSCs in Arabidopsis are believed to be involved in cellulose synthesis in the primary cell wall and secondary cell walls, respectively. In this work, we found that the two type CSCs participated cellulose biosynthesis in differentiating xylem cells undergoing secondary cell wall thickening in Populus. During the cell wall thickening process, expression of one type CSC genes increased while expression of the other type CSC genes decreased. Suppression of different type CSC genes both affected the wall-thickening and disrupted the multilaminar structure of the secondary cell walls. When CesA7A was suppressed, crystalline cellulose content was reduced, which, however, showed an increase when CesA3D was suppressed. The CesA suppression also affected cellulose digestibility of the wood cell walls. The results suggest that two type CSCs are involved in coordinating the cellulose biosynthesis in formation of the multilaminar structure in Populus wood secondary cell walls.

  13. Strong and Optically Transparent Films Prepared Using Cellulosic Solid Residue Recovered from Cellulose Nanocrystals Production Waste Stream

    Science.gov (United States)

    Qianqian Wang; J.Y. Zhu; John M. Considine

    2013-01-01

    We used a new cellulosic material, cellulosic solid residue (CSR), to produce cellulose nanofibrils (CNF) for potential high value applications. Cellulose nanofibrils (CNF) were produced from CSR recovered from the hydrolysates (waste stream) of acid hydrolysis of a bleached Eucalyptus kraft pulp (BEP) to produce nanocrystals (CNC). Acid hydrolysis greatly facilitated...

  14. Biomass Enzymatic Saccharification Is Determined by the Non-KOH-Extractable Wall Polymer Features That Predominately Affect Cellulose Crystallinity in Corn

    OpenAIRE

    Jia, Jun; Yu, Bin; Wu, Leiming; Wang, Hongwu; Wu, Zhiliang; Li, Ming; Huang, Pengyan; Feng, Shengqiu; Chen, Peng; Zheng, Yonglian; Peng, Liangcai

    2014-01-01

    Corn is a major food crop with enormous biomass residues for biofuel production. Due to cell wall recalcitrance, it becomes essential to identify the key factors of lignocellulose on biomass saccharification. In this study, we examined total 40 corn accessions that displayed a diverse cell wall composition. Correlation analysis showed that cellulose and lignin levels negatively affected biomass digestibility after NaOH pretreatments at p

  15. Biomass enzymatic saccharification is determined by the non-KOH-extractable wall polymer features that predominately affect cellulose crystallinity in corn.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jun Jia

    Full Text Available Corn is a major food crop with enormous biomass residues for biofuel production. Due to cell wall recalcitrance, it becomes essential to identify the key factors of lignocellulose on biomass saccharification. In this study, we examined total 40 corn accessions that displayed a diverse cell wall composition. Correlation analysis showed that cellulose and lignin levels negatively affected biomass digestibility after NaOH pretreatments at p<0.05 & 0.01, but hemicelluloses did not show any significant impact on hexoses yields. Comparative analysis of five standard pairs of corn samples indicated that cellulose and lignin should not be the major factors on biomass saccharification after pretreatments with NaOH and H2SO4 at three concentrations. Notably, despite that the non-KOH-extractable residues covered 12%-23% hemicelluloses and lignin of total biomass, their wall polymer features exhibited the predominant effects on biomass enzymatic hydrolysis including Ara substitution degree of xylan (reverse Xyl/Ara and S/G ratio of lignin. Furthermore, the non-KOH-extractable polymer features could significantly affect lignocellulose crystallinity at p<0.05, leading to a high biomass digestibility. Hence, this study could suggest an optimal approach for genetic modification of plant cell walls in bioenergy corn.

  16. Resonant Soft X-ray Scattering of Cellulose Microstructure in Plant Primary Cell Walls

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ye, Dan; Kiemle, Sarah N.; Wang, Cheng; Cosgrove, Daniel J.; Gomez, Esther W.; Gomez, Enrique D.

    Cellulosic biomass is the most abundant raw material available for the production of renewable and sustainable biofuels. Breaking down cellulose is the rate-limiting step in economical biofuel production; therefore, a detailed understanding of the microscopic structure of plant cell walls is required to develop efficient biofuel conversion methods. Primary cell walls are key determinants of plant growth and mechanics. Their structure is complex and heterogeneous, making it difficult to elucidate how various components such as pectin, hemicellulose, and cellulose contribute to the overall structure. The electron density of these wall components is similar; such that conventional hard X-ray scattering does not generate enough contrast to resolve the different elements of the polysaccharide network. The chemical specificity of resonant soft X-ray scattering allows contrast to be generated based on differences in chemistry of the different polysaccharides. By varying incident X-ray energies, we have achieved increased scattering contrast between cellulose and other polysaccharides from primary cell walls of onions. By performing scattering at certain energies, features of the network structure of the cell wall are resolved. From the soft X-ray scattering results, we obtained the packing distance of cellulose microfibrils embedded in the polysaccharide network.

  17. Extraction of cellulose nanofibers from Pinus oocarpa residues

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Manrich, Anny; Martins, Maria Alice, E-mail: anny@daad-alumni.de [EMBRAPA Instrumentacao, Sao Carlos, SP (Brazil); Moraes, Jheyce Cristina; Pasquoloto, Camila [Universidade Federal de Sao Carlos (UFSCar), SP (Brazil)

    2016-07-01

    Full text: Pinus oocarpa, which wood is moderately hard and tough, is planted in Brazil for reforestation and employed for timber production used in constructions. The wood residues, such as shavings, bark and sawdust represent 30% to 50% of the total volume of wood production, of which the sawdust is 10%{sup 1}. Cellulose nanofibers is nanomaterials having a diameter between 5 nm and 20 nm and a length of up to hundreds of nm. To obtain nanofibers from cellulose sources, such as sisal and sugarcane bagasse, is used chemical processes, in which the lignocellulosic material initially undergoes pre-treatments to promote partial separation of the cellulose, such as mercerisation and bleaching thus disposing lignin and hemicellulose components. Sequentially, by controlled acid hydrolysis, amorphous regions of the cellulose are removed, and crystalline cellulose is isolated in the form of cellulose nanofibers. In this work, nanofibers from sawdust of Pinnus oocarpa, containing 44.8 wt% of cellulose 20.6 wt% hemicellulose and 30.0 wt% insoluble lignin were isolated by mercerisation (NaOH 5%, 80°C, 120 min), followed by bleaching (NaOH + acetic acid + NaClO{sub 2}, 80 deg C, 240min) and acid hydrolysis (60 wt% sulfuric acid, 45 °C, 40min). Nanofibers obtained were characterized by DRX and SEM-FEG. Results showed that, for used conditions, fiber acid hydrolysis was not complete, therefore a biphasic suspension was formed. Crystallinity index achieved was not much higher than that from pinus fiber itself, increasing from 62% to 65% and signs of cellulose type II were observed. SEM images showed elongated fibers, which have diameter of 15 ± 5 nm and length of hundreds of nm, what means that they have a large L/D aspect ratio. Nanofiber extraction yield was very low (1.3 wt% of initial residue). All steps of the process are being reviewed aiming at better results. 1) Morais, S. A. L.; Nascimento E. A. e D. C. Melo, 2005, R. Árvore, 29, 3, 461-470. (author)

  18. Biomass Enzymatic Saccharification Is Determined by the Non-KOH-Extractable Wall Polymer Features That Predominately Affect Cellulose Crystallinity in Corn

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Leiming; Wang, Hongwu; Wu, Zhiliang; Li, Ming; Huang, Pengyan; Feng, Shengqiu; Chen, Peng; Zheng, Yonglian; Peng, Liangcai

    2014-01-01

    Corn is a major food crop with enormous biomass residues for biofuel production. Due to cell wall recalcitrance, it becomes essential to identify the key factors of lignocellulose on biomass saccharification. In this study, we examined total 40 corn accessions that displayed a diverse cell wall composition. Correlation analysis showed that cellulose and lignin levels negatively affected biomass digestibility after NaOH pretreatments at pbiomass saccharification after pretreatments with NaOH and H2SO4 at three concentrations. Notably, despite that the non-KOH-extractable residues covered 12%–23% hemicelluloses and lignin of total biomass, their wall polymer features exhibited the predominant effects on biomass enzymatic hydrolysis including Ara substitution degree of xylan (reverse Xyl/Ara) and S/G ratio of lignin. Furthermore, the non-KOH-extractable polymer features could significantly affect lignocellulose crystallinity at pbiomass digestibility. Hence, this study could suggest an optimal approach for genetic modification of plant cell walls in bioenergy corn. PMID:25251456

  19. Increase in cellulose accumulation and improvement of saccharification by overexpression of arabinofuranosidase in rice.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Minako Sumiyoshi

    Full Text Available Cellulosic biomass is available for the production of biofuel, with saccharification of the cell wall being a key process. We investigated whether alteration of arabinoxylan, a major hemicellulose in monocots, causes an increase in saccharification efficiency. Arabinoxylans have β-1,4-D-xylopyranosyl backbones and 1,3- or 1,4-α-l-arabinofuranosyl residues linked to O-2 and/or O-3 of xylopyranosyl residues as side chains. Arabinose side chains interrupt the hydrogen bond between arabinoxylan and cellulose and carry an ester-linked feruloyl substituent. Arabinose side chains are the base point for diferuloyl cross-links and lignification. We analyzed rice plants overexpressing arabinofuranosidase (ARAF to study the role of arabinose residues in the cell wall and their effects on saccharification. Arabinose content in the cell wall of transgenic rice plants overexpressing individual ARAF full-length cDNA (OsARAF1-FOX and OsARAF3-FOX decreased 25% and 20% compared to the control and the amount of glucose increased by 28.2% and 34.2%, respectively. We studied modifications of cell wall polysaccharides at the cellular level by comparing histochemical cellulose staining patterns and immunolocalization patterns using antibodies raised against α-(1,5-linked l-Ara (LM6 and β-(1,4-linked d-Xyl (LM10 and LM11 residues. However, they showed no visible phenotype. Our results suggest that the balance between arabinoxylan and cellulose might maintain the cell wall network. Moreover, ARAF overexpression in rice effectively leads to an increase in cellulose accumulation and saccharification efficiency, which can be used to produce bioethanol.

  20. Lactic Acid and Biosurfactants Production from Residual Cellulose Films.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Portilla Rivera, Oscar Manuel; Arzate Martínez, Guillermo; Jarquín Enríquez, Lorenzo; Vázquez Landaverde, Pedro Alberto; Domínguez González, José Manuel

    2015-11-01

    The increasing amounts of residual cellulose films generated as wastes all over the world represent a big scale problem for the meat industry regarding to environmental and economic issues. The use of residual cellulose films as a feedstock of glucose-containing solutions by acid hydrolysis and further fermentation into lactic acid and biosurfactants was evaluated as a method to diminish and revalorize these wastes. Under a treatment consisting in sulfuric acid 6% (v/v); reaction time 2 h; solid liquid ratio 9 g of film/100 mL of acid solution, and temperature 130 °C, 35 g/L of glucose and 49% of solubilized film was obtained. From five lactic acid strains, Lactobacillus plantarum was the most suitable for metabolizing the glucose generated. The process was scaled up under optimized conditions in a 2-L bioreactor, producing 3.4 g/L of biomass, 18 g/L of lactic acid, and 15 units of surface tension reduction of a buffer phosphate solution. Around 50% of the cellulose was degraded by the treatment applied, and the liqueurs generated were useful for an efficient production of lactic acid and biosurfactants using L. plantarum. Lactobacillus bacteria can efficiently utilize glucose from cellulose films hydrolysis without the need of clarification of the liqueurs.

  1. Physical and mechanical properties of microcrystalline cellulose prepared from local agricultural residues

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    El-Sakhawy, M.M.; Hassan, M.L.

    2005-01-01

    Microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) was prepared from local agricultural residues, namely, bagasse, rice straw, and cotton stalks bleached pulps. Hydrolysis of bleached pulps was carried out using hydrochloric or sulfuric acid to study the effect of the acid used on the properties of produced microcrystalline cellulose such as degree of polymerization (DP), crystallinity index (CrI), crystallite size, bulk density, particle size, and thermal stability. The mechanical properties of tablets made from microcrystalline cellulose of the different agricultural residues were tested and compared to commercial grade MCC. The use of rice straw pulp in different proportions as a source of silica to prepare silicified microcrystalline cellulose (SMCC) was carried out. The effect of the percent of silica on the mechanical properties of tablets before and after wet granulation was tested

  2. Physical and mechanical properties of microcrystalline cellulose prepared from local agricultural residues

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    El-Sakhawy, M M; Hassan, M L [Cellulose and Paper Dept., National Research Center, Dokki, Cairo (Egypt)

    2005-07-01

    Microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) was prepared from local agricultural residues, namely, bagasse, rice straw, and cotton stalks bleached pulps. Hydrolysis of bleached pulps was carried out using hydrochloric or sulfuric acid to study the effect of the acid used on the properties of produced microcrystalline cellulose such as degree of polymerization (DP), crystallinity index (CrI), crystallite size, bulk density, particle size, and thermal stability. The mechanical properties of tablets made from microcrystalline cellulose of the different agricultural residues were tested and compared to commercial grade MCC. The use of rice straw pulp in different proportions as a source of silica to prepare silicified microcrystalline cellulose (SMCC) was carried out. The effect of the percent of silica on the mechanical properties of tablets before and after wet granulation was tested.

  3. Characterization and evaluation of residue 'grits' of the cellulose industry

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Destefani, A.Z.; Santos, M.M.; Holanda, J.N.F.

    2010-01-01

    The cellulose industry generates huge amounts of solid waste residue called 'grits'. These wastes have been willing over time in landfills near the mills. However, this type of disposal is not environmentally friendly and can cause degradation and environmental pollution. In addition, environmental legislation increasingly severe and the high costs of landfill have led the search for new alternatives for final disposition of this abundant waste. In this context, this study is to characterize waste grits, generated by the cellulose industry in the region of Aracruz-ES. The residue samples were characterized in terms of chemical composition, X-ray diffraction, particle size distribution and thermal analysis (DTA and TGA). The characterization of the residual 'grits' demonstrated its potential as a feedstock for production of soil-cement bricks. (author)

  4. Cellulose synthesis inhibition, cell expansion, and patterns of cell wall deposition in Nitella internodes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Richmond, P.A.; Metraux, J.P.

    1984-01-01

    The authors have investigated the pattern of wall deposition and maturation and correlated it with cell expansion and cellulose biosynthesis. The herbicide 2,6-dichlorobenzonitrile (DCB) was found to be a potent inhibitor of cellulose synthesis, but not of cell expansion in Nitella internodal cells. Although cellulose synthesis is inhibited during DCB treatment, matrix substances continue to be synthesized and deposited. The inhibition of cellulose microfibril deposition can be demonstrated by various techniques. These results demonstrate that matrix deposition is by apposition, not by intussusception, and that the previously deposited wall moves progressively outward while stretching and thinning as a result of cell expansion

  5. Cellulosic ethanol production from agricultural residues in Nigeria

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Iye, Edward; Bilsborrow, Paul

    2013-01-01

    Nigeria′s Biofuels Policy introduced in 2007 mandates a 10% blend (E10) of bioethanol with gasoline. This study investigates the potential for the development of a cellulosic ethanol industry based on the availability of agricultural residues and models the number of commercial processing facilities that could be sited in the six Geo-political zones. The potential for cellulosic ethanol production from agricultural residues in Nigeria is 7556 km 3 per annum exceeding the mandate of 10% renewable fuel required and providing the potential for 12 large- and 11 medium-scale processing facilities based on the use of a single feedstock. Cassava and yam peelings provided in excess of 80% of the process residues available with enough feedstock to supply 10 large-scale facilities with a fairly even distribution across the zones. Sorghum straw, millet straw and maize stalks represented 75% of the potential resource available from field residues with the potential to supply 2 large- and 7 medium-scale processing facilities, all of which would be located in the north of the country. When a multi-feedstock approach is used, this provides the potential for either 29 large- or 58 medium-scale facilities based on outputs of 250 and 125 km 3 per annum respectively. - Highlights: • Nigeria′s Biofuels Policy mandates a 10% blend of bioethanol with gasoline. • Total bioethanol production from agricultural residues was 7556 km 3 per annum. • Process residues offer the greatest potential accounting for 62% of production. • Nigeria has the potential for 12 large- and 11 medium scale commercial. • The use of mixed feedstocks significantly increases the potential for production

  6. Utilization of cellulose and hemicellulose of pig faeces by Trichoderma viride

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Wit, de W.

    1980-01-01

    The purpose of this investigation was to study the microbiological degradation of the cellulose-hemicellulose-lignin complexes of the faeces of pigs. Cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin are components of the cell wall of plants and residues of plant material occur in large quantities in faeces

  7. Assessment of cellulose purification methods from the residue of enzymatic hydrolysis of sugarcane bagasse for the production of cellulose nanocrystals

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Camargo, Lais Angelice de; Farinas, Cristiane Sanchez; Marconcini, José Manoel; Mattoso, Luiz Henrique Capparelli; Pereira, Sandra Cerqueira

    2016-01-01

    Full text: Over the years, there is a growing trend in the reuse of residues from the agricultural industries due to social, environmental and economic demands. The production of Brazilian sugarcane in the 2014/15 season was more than 640 million tons, estimating that one third of this total is bagasse [1]. After enzymatic hydrolysis of bagasse in order to give the 2G ethanol, remains a solid fibrous residue which can be repurposed in other processes. This study evaluated four methods for the purification of the resulting solid fibrous residue from the enzymatic hydrolysis process of bagasse, with the intention of obtaining cellulose. Measurements of the crystallinity index (CI) of the cellulose contained in the samples were determined using X-ray Diffraction (XRD). The enzymatic hydrolysis of generates a fibrous solid residue with contents of lignin and cellulose. This residue was subjected to four purification methods: I) 100 mL of NaOH (5%, w/w) at 55 °C was added to 5 g of residue and 43 mL of H 2 O 2 (35%, v/v) under stirring for 1.5 hours; II) the same procedure was repeated on the resulting material from I; III) 105 mL of solution 10:1 (ν/ν) of CH 3 COOH and HNO 3 at 60 °C was added to 5 g of residue under stirring for 30 minutes; IV) reaction with a solution composed of 1 ml of CH 3 COOH and 2.5 g of NaClO 2 at 70 °C under stirring for 1 hour and after that time, the procedure was repeated twice and then the solution was kept under stirring for further 3 hours. The crystallinity indexes found for the purification procedures were: I) 81.7%; II) 83.2%; III) 52.1% e IV) 77.2%. The best result was found for the material subjected to the method II. This process (II) generated a material composed of high content of crystalline cellulose. References: [1] CONAB (National Supply Company), 2015. (author)

  8. The impact of alterations in lignin deposition on cellulose organization of the plant cell wall

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Liu, Jiliang; Kim, Jeong Im; Cusumano, Joanne C.; Chapple, Clint; Venugopalan, Nagarajan; Fischetti, Robert F.; Makowski, Lee

    2016-06-17

    Background: Coordination of synthesis and assembly of the polymeric components of cell walls is essential for plant growth and development. Given the degree of co-mingling and cross-linking among cell wall components, cellulose organization must be dependent on the organization of other polymers such as lignin. Here we seek to identify aspects of that codependency by studying the structural organization of cellulose fibrils in stems from Arabidopsis plants harboring mutations in genes encoding enzymes involved in lignin biosynthesis. Plants containing high levels of G-lignin, S-lignin, H-lignin, aldehyde-rich lignin, and ferulic acid-containing lignin, along with plants with very low lignin content were grown and harvested and longitudinal sections of stem were prepared and dried. Scanning X-ray microdiffraction was carried out using a 5-micron beam that moved across the sections in 5-micron steps and complete diffraction patterns were collected at each raster point. Approximately, 16,000 diffraction patterns were analyzed to determine cellulose fibril orientation and order within the tissues making up the stems. Results: Several mutations-most notably those exhibiting (1) down-regulation of cinnamoyl CoA reductase which leads to cell walls deficient in lignin and (2) defect of cinnamic acid 4-hydroxylase which greatly reduces lignin content-exhibited significant decrease in the proportion of oriented cellulose fibrils in the cell wall. Distinctions between tissues were maintained in all variants and even in plants exhibiting dramatic changes in cellulosic order the trends between tissues (where apparent) were generally maintained. The resilience of cellulose to degradative processes was investigated by carrying out the same analysis on samples stored in water for 30 days prior to data collection. This treatment led to significant loss of cellulosic order in plants rich in aldehyde or H-lignin, less change in wild type, and essentially no change in samples with

  9. How the deposition of cellulose microfibrils builds cell wall architecture

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Emons, A.M.C.; Mulder, B.M.

    2000-01-01

    Cell walls, the extracytoplasmic matrices of plant cells, consist of an ordered array of cellulose microfibrils embedded in a matrix of polysaccharides and glycoproteins. This construction is reminiscent of steel rods in reinforced concrete. How a cell organizes these ordered textures around itself,

  10. Chitinase-like (CTL) and cellulose synthase (CESA) gene expression in gelatinous-type cellulosic walls of flax (Linum usitatissimum L.) bast fibers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mokshina, Natalia; Gorshkova, Tatyana; Deyholos, Michael K

    2014-01-01

    Plant chitinases (EC 3.2.1.14) and chitinase-like (CTL) proteins have diverse functions including cell wall biosynthesis and disease resistance. We analyzed the expression of 34 chitinase and chitinase-like genes of flax (collectively referred to as LusCTLs), belonging to glycoside hydrolase family 19 (GH19). Analysis of the transcript expression patterns of LusCTLs in the stem and other tissues identified three transcripts (LusCTL19, LusCTL20, LusCTL21) that were highly enriched in developing bast fibers, which form cellulose-rich gelatinous-type cell walls. The same three genes had low relative expression in tissues with primary cell walls and in xylem, which forms a xylan type of secondary cell wall. Phylogenetic analysis of the LusCTLs identified a flax-specific sub-group that was not represented in any of other genomes queried. To provide further context for the gene expression analysis, we also conducted phylogenetic and expression analysis of the cellulose synthase (CESA) family genes of flax, and found that expression of secondary wall-type LusCESAs (LusCESA4, LusCESA7 and LusCESA8) was correlated with the expression of two LusCTLs (LusCTL1, LusCTL2) that were the most highly enriched in xylem. The expression of LusCTL19, LusCTL20, and LusCTL21 was not correlated with that of any CESA subgroup. These results defined a distinct type of CTLs that may have novel functions specific to the development of the gelatinous (G-type) cellulosic walls.

  11. Comparison and validation of Fourier transform infrared spectroscopic methods for monitoring secondary cell wall cellulose from cotton fibers

    Science.gov (United States)

    The amount of secondary cell wall (SCW) cellulose in the fiber affects the quality and commercial value of cotton. Accurate assessments of SCW cellulose are essential for improving cotton fibers. Fourier Transform Infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy enables distinguishing SCW from other cell wall componen...

  12. Functional Analysis of Cellulose and Xyloglucan in the Walls of Stomatal Guard Cells of Arabidopsis1[OPEN

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rui, Yue; Anderson, Charles T.

    2016-01-01

    Stomatal guard cells are pairs of specialized epidermal cells that control water and CO2 exchange between the plant and the environment. To fulfill the functions of stomatal opening and closure that are driven by changes in turgor pressure, guard cell walls must be both strong and flexible, but how the structure and dynamics of guard cell walls enable stomatal function remains poorly understood. To address this question, we applied cell biological and genetic analyses to investigate guard cell walls and their relationship to stomatal function in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana). Using live-cell spinning disk confocal microscopy, we measured the motility of cellulose synthase (CESA)-containing complexes labeled by green fluorescent protein (GFP)-CESA3 and observed a reduced proportion of GFP-CESA3 particles colocalizing with microtubules upon stomatal closure. Imaging cellulose organization in guard cells revealed a relatively uniform distribution of cellulose in the open state and a more fibrillar pattern in the closed state, indicating that cellulose microfibrils undergo dynamic reorganization during stomatal movements. In cesa3je5 mutants defective in cellulose synthesis and xxt1 xxt2 mutants lacking the hemicellulose xyloglucan, stomatal apertures, changes in guard cell length, and cellulose reorganization were aberrant during fusicoccin-induced stomatal opening or abscisic acid-induced stomatal closure, indicating that sufficient cellulose and xyloglucan are required for normal guard cell dynamics. Together, these results provide new insights into how guard cell walls allow stomata to function as responsive mediators of gas exchange at the plant surface. PMID:26729799

  13. Structure of cellulose microfibrils in primary cell walls from Collenchyma

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Thomas, L. H.; Forsyth, V. T.; Šturcová, Adriana; Kennedy, C. J.; May, R. P.; Altaner, C. M.; Apperley, D. C.; Wess, T. J.; Jarvis, M. C.

    2013-01-01

    Roč. 161, č. 1 (2013), s. 465-476 ISSN 0032-0889 R&D Projects: GA ČR GAP108/12/0703 Institutional support: RVO:61389013 Keywords : primary cell wall * cellulose microfibril structure * chain packing disorder Subject RIV: CD - Macromolecular Chemistry Impact factor: 7.394, year: 2013

  14. Macromolecular organization of xyloglucan and cellulose in pea epicotyls

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hayashi, T.; Maclachlan, G.

    1984-01-01

    Xyloglucan is known to occur widely in the primary cell walls of higher plants. This polysaccharide in most dicots possesses a cellulose-like main chain with three of every four consecutive residues substituted with xylose and minor addition of other sugars. Xyloglucan and cellulose metabolism is regulated by different processes; since different enzyme systems are probably required for the synthesis of their 1,4-β-linkages. A macromolecular complex composed of xyloglucan and cellulose only was obtained from elongating regions of etiolated pea stems. It was examined by light microscopy using iodine staining, by radioautography after labeling with [ 3 H]fructose, by fluorescence microscopy using a fluorescein-lectin (fructose-binding) as probe, and by electron microscopy after shadowing. The techniques all demonstrated that the macromolecule was present in files of cell shapes, referred to here as cell-wall ghosts, in which xyloglucan was localized both on and between the cellulose microfibrils

  15. Cellulose-Pectin Spatial Contacts Are Inherent to Never-Dried Arabidopsis Primary Cell Walls: Evidence from Solid-State Nuclear Magnetic Resonance1[OPEN

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Tuo; Park, Yong Bum; Hong, Mei

    2015-01-01

    The structural role of pectins in plant primary cell walls is not yet well understood because of the complex and disordered nature of the cell wall polymers. We recently introduced multidimensional solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy to characterize the spatial proximities of wall polysaccharides. The data showed extensive cross peaks between pectins and cellulose in the primary wall of Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana), indicating subnanometer contacts between the two polysaccharides. This result was unexpected because stable pectin-cellulose interactions are not predicted by in vitro binding assays and prevailing cell wall models. To investigate whether the spatial contacts that give rise to the cross peaks are artifacts of sample preparation, we now compare never-dried Arabidopsis primary walls with dehydrated and rehydrated samples. One-dimensional 13C spectra, two-dimensional 13C-13C correlation spectra, water-polysaccharide correlation spectra, and dynamics data all indicate that the structure, mobility, and intermolecular contacts of the polysaccharides are indistinguishable between never-dried and rehydrated walls. Moreover, a partially depectinated cell wall in which 40% of homogalacturonan is extracted retains cellulose-pectin cross peaks, indicating that the cellulose-pectin contacts are not due to molecular crowding. The cross peaks are observed both at −20°C and at ambient temperature, thus ruling out freezing as a cause of spatial contacts. These results indicate that rhamnogalacturonan I and a portion of homogalacturonan have significant interactions with cellulose microfibrils in the native primary wall. This pectin-cellulose association may be formed during wall biosynthesis and may involve pectin entrapment in or between cellulose microfibrils, which cannot be mimicked by in vitro binding assays. PMID:26036615

  16. The valine and lysine residues in the conserved FxVTxK motif are important for the function of phylogenetically distant plant cellulose synthases

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Slabaugh, Erin; Scavuzzo-Duggan, Tess; Chaves, Arielle; Wilson, Liza; Wilson, Carmen; Davis, Jonathan K.; Cosgrove, Daniel J.; Anderson, Charles T.; Roberts, Alison W.; Haigler, Candace H.

    2015-12-08

    Cellulose synthases (CESAs) synthesize the β-1,4-glucan chains that coalesce to form cellulose microfibrils in plant cell walls. In addition to a large cytosolic (catalytic) domain, CESAs have eight predicted transmembrane helices (TMHs). However, analogous to the structure of BcsA, a bacterial CESA, predicted TMH5 in CESA may instead be an interfacial helix. This would place the conserved FxVTxK motif in the plant cell cytosol where it could function as a substrate-gating loop as occurs in BcsA. To define the functional importance of the CESA region containing FxVTxK, we tested five parallel mutations in Arabidopsis thaliana CESA1 and Physcomitrella patens CESA5 in complementation assays of the relevant cesa mutants. In both organisms, the substitution of the valine or lysine residues in FxVTxK severely affected CESA function. In Arabidopsis roots, both changes were correlated with lower cellulose anisotropy, as revealed by Pontamine Fast Scarlet. Analysis of hypocotyl inner cell wall layers by atomic force microscopy showed that two altered versions of Atcesa1 could rescue cell wall phenotypes observed in the mutant background line. Overall, the data show that the FxVTxK motif is functionally important in two phylogenetically distant plant CESAs. The results show that Physcomitrella provides an efficient model for assessing the effects of engineered CESA mutations affecting primary cell wall synthesis and that diverse testing systems can lead to nuanced insights into CESA structure–function relationships. Although CESA membrane topology needs to be experimentally determined, the results support the possibility that the FxVTxK region functions similarly in CESA and BcsA.

  17. Structural characterization of a mixed-linkage glucan deficient mutant reveals alteration in cellulose microfibril orientation in rice coleoptile mesophyll cell walls

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Andreia Michelle Smith-Moritz

    2015-08-01

    Full Text Available The CELLULOSE SYNTHASE-LIKE F6 (CslF6 gene was previously shown to mediate the biosynthesis of mixed-linkage glucan (MLG, a cell wall polysaccharide that is hypothesized to be a tightly associated with cellulose and also have a role in cell expansion in the primary cell wall of young seedlings in grass species. We have recently shown that loss-of-function cslf6 rice mutants do not accumulate MLG in most vegetative tissues. Despite the absence of a structurally important polymer, MLG, these mutants are unexpectedly viable and only show a moderate growth compromise compared to wild type. Therefore these mutants are ideal biological systems to test the current grass cell wall model. In order to gain a better understanding of the role of MLG in the primary wall, we performed in-depth compositional and structural analyses of the cell walls of three day-old rice seedlings using various biochemical and novel microspectroscopic approaches. We found that cellulose content as well as matrix polysaccharide composition was not significantly altered in the MLG deficient mutant. However, we observed a significant change in cellulose microfibril bundle organization in mesophyll cell walls of the cslf6 mutant. Using synchrotron source Fourier Transform Mid-Infrared Spectromicroscopy for high-resolution imaging, we determined that the bonds associated with cellulose and arabinoxylan, another major component of the primary cell was of grasses, were in a lower energy configuration compared to wild type, suggesting a slightly weaker primary wall in MLG deficient mesophyll cells. Taken together, these results suggest that MLG may influence cellulose deposition in mesophyll cell walls without significantly affecting anisotropic growth thus challenging MLG importance in cell wall expansion.

  18. Cellulose is not just cellulose

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hidayat, Budi Juliman; Felby, Claus; Johansen, Katja Salomon

    2012-01-01

    are not regions where free cellulose ends are more abundant than in the bulk cell wall. In more severe cases cracks between fibrils form at dislocations and it is possible that the increased accessibility that these cracks give is the reason why hydrolysis of cellulose starts at these locations. If acid...... or enzymatic hydrolysis of plant cell walls is carried out simultaneously with the application of shear stress, plant cells such as fibers or tracheids break at their dislocations. At present it is not known whether specific carbohydrate binding modules (CBMs) and/or cellulases preferentially access cellulose...

  19. Viscoelastic properties of microfibrillated cellulose (MFC) produced from agricultural residue corn stover

    Science.gov (United States)

    The rheological properties of microfibrillated cellulose (MFC) produced from agricultural residue corn stover were investigated. The corn stover MFC gels exhibited concentration-dependent viscoelastic properties. Higher corn stover MFC concentrations resulted in stronger viscoelastic properties. Th...

  20. Biomass supply from alternative cellulosic crops and crop residues: A spatially explicit bioeconomic modeling approach

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Egbendewe-Mondzozo, Aklesso; Swinton, Scott M.; Izaurralde, César R.; Manowitz, David H.; Zhang, Xuesong

    2011-01-01

    This paper introduces a spatially-explicit bioeconomic model for the study of potential cellulosic biomass supply. For biomass crops to begin to replace current crops, farmers must earn more from them than from current crops. Using weather, topographic and soil data, the terrestrial ecosystem model, EPIC, dynamically simulates multiple cropping systems that vary by crop rotation, tillage, fertilization and residue removal rate. EPIC generates predicted crop yield and environmental outcomes over multiple watersheds. These EPIC results are used to parameterize a regional profit-maximization mathematical programming model that identifies profitable cropping system choices. The bioeconomic model is calibrated to 2007–09 crop production in a 9-county region of southwest Michigan. A simulation of biomass supply in response to rising biomass prices shows that cellulosic residues from corn stover and wheat straw begin to be supplied at minimum delivered biomass:corn grain price ratios of 0.15 and 0.18, respectively. At the mean corn price of $162.6/Mg ($4.13 per bushel) at commercial moisture content during 2007–2009, these ratios correspond to stover and straw prices of $24 and $29 per dry Mg. Perennial bioenergy crops begin to be supplied at price levels 2–3 times higher. Average biomass transport costs to the biorefinery plant range from $6 to $20/Mg compared to conventional crop production practices in the area, biomass supply from annual crop residues increased greenhouse gas emissions and reduced water quality through increased nutrient loss. By contrast, perennial cellulosic biomass crop production reduced greenhouse gas emissions and improved water quality. -- Highlights: ► A new bioeconomic model predicts biomass supply and its environmental impacts. ► The model captures the opportunity cost of switching to new cellulosic crops. ► Biomass from crop residues is supplied at lower biomass price than cellulosic crops. ► Biomass from cellulosic crops has

  1. Adsorption performance of creatinine on dialdehyde nanofibrillated cellulose derived from potato residues.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cui, Dongli; Liu, Zehua; Yang, Yaxing; Huang, Rijin; Cheng, Xiaojuan; Fatehi, Pedram; Sun, Bo

    2016-01-01

    Potato residue is vastly produced in the food industry but it is landfilled. This article describes the treatment of purified cellulose derived from potato residues by a high pressure homogenizer to produce nano-fibrillated cellulose (NFC), which was then oxidized by sodium periodate to prepare dialdehyde nano-fibrillated cellulose (DANFC). The produced NFC and DANFC were characterized by a scanning electron microscope (SEM) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The orthogonal experiment was induced to obtain the maximum degree of oxidation (DO) on DANFC. The results indicated that the optimal conditions were 40°C and pH 3. Alternatively, the isotherm and kinetic studies for the adsorption of creatinine on DANFC with different DOs (70.5 and 88.8%) were investigated, and the experimental results fitted well into Freundlich isotherm model and pseudo second-order kinetic model. The maximum adsorption capacities of DANFCs with the DO of 70.55 and 88.85% were 6.7 and 17.2 mg g(-1) , respectively, which were achieved under the conditions of 37°C and initial creatinine concentration of 100 mg L(-1). © 2015 American Institute of Chemical Engineers.

  2. Molecular characterization of two Arabidopsis thaliana glycosyltransferase mutants, rra1 and rra2, which have a reduced residual arabinose content in a polymer tightly associated with the cellulosic wall residue

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Egelund, Jack; Obel, Nicolai; Ulvskov, Peter

    2007-01-01

    identified and characterized at the molecular and biochemical level. Monosaccharide compositional analyses of cell wall material isolated from the meristematic region showed a ca. 20% reduction in the arabinose content in the insoluble/undigested cell wall residue after enzymatic removal of xyloglucan...... and pectic polysaccharides. These data indicate that both RRA-1 and -2 play a role in the arabinosylation of cell wall component(s)....

  3. Thermogravimetric analysis of the behavior of sub-bituminous coal and cellulosic ethanol residue during co-combustion.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Buratti, C; Barbanera, M; Bartocci, P; Fantozzi, F

    2015-06-01

    The influence of the addition of cellulosic ethanol residue (CER) on the combustion of Indonesian sub-bituminous coal was analyzed by non isothermal thermo-gravimetric analysis (TGA). The effect of blends ratio (5%, 10%, 15% and 20%), interaction mechanism, and heating rate (5°C/min, 10°C/min, 15°C/min, 20°C/min) on the combustion process was studied. The results show that the increase of the blending ratio allows to achieve the increase of the combustibility index from 7.49E-08 to 5.26E-07 at the blending ratio of 20%. Two types of non-isothermal kinetic analysis methods (Ozawa-Flynn-Wall and Vyazovkin) were also applied. Results indicate that the activation energy of the blends decreases with increasing the conversion rate. In particular, the blending ratio of 20% confirms to have the better combustion performance, with the average value of the activation energy equal to 41.10 kJ/mol obtained by Ozawa-Flynn-Wall model and 31.17 kJ/mol obtained by Vyazovkin model. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  4. Revealing organization of cellulose in wood cell walls by Raman imaging

    Science.gov (United States)

    Umesh P. Agarwal; Sally A. Ralph

    2007-01-01

    Anisotropy of cellulose organization in mature black spruce wood cell wall was investigated by Raman imaging using a 1 [mu]m lateral-resolution capable confocal Raman microscope. In these studies, wood cross sections (CS) and radial longitudinal sections (LS) that were partially delignified by acid chlorite treatment were used. In the case of CS where latewood cells...

  5. Selective detection of crystalline cellulose in plant cell walls with sum-frequency-generation (SFG) vibration spectroscopy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barnette, Anna L; Bradley, Laura C; Veres, Brandon D; Schreiner, Edward P; Park, Yong Bum; Park, Junyeong; Park, Sunkyu; Kim, Seong H

    2011-07-11

    The selective detection of crystalline cellulose in biomass was demonstrated with sum-frequency-generation (SFG) vibration spectroscopy. SFG is a second-order nonlinear optical response from a system where the optical centrosymmetry is broken. In secondary plant cell walls that contain mostly cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin with varying concentrations, only certain vibration modes in the crystalline cellulose structure can meet the noninversion symmetry requirements. Thus, SFG can be used to detect and analyze crystalline cellulose selectively in lignocellulosic biomass without extraction of noncellulosic species from biomass or deconvolution of amorphous spectra. The selective detection of crystalline cellulose in lignocellulosic biomass is not readily achievable with other techniques such as XRD, solid-state NMR, IR, and Raman analyses. Therefore, the SFG analysis presents a unique opportunity to reveal the cellulose crystalline structure in lignocellulosic biomass.

  6. Regulation of auxin on secondary cell wall cellulose biosynthesis in developing cotton fibers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) fibers are unicellular trichomes that differentiate from epidermal cells of developing cotton ovules. Mature fibers exhibit thickened secondary walls composed of nearly pure cellulose. Cotton fiber development is divided into four overlapping phases, 1) initiation sta...

  7. Impairment of Cellulose Synthases Required for Arabidopsis Secondary Cell Wall Formation Enhances Disease Resistance[W

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hernández-Blanco, Camilo; Feng, Dong Xin; Hu, Jian; Sánchez-Vallet, Andrea; Deslandes, Laurent; Llorente, Francisco; Berrocal-Lobo, Marta; Keller, Harald; Barlet, Xavier; Sánchez-Rodríguez, Clara; Anderson, Lisa K.; Somerville, Shauna; Marco, Yves; Molina, Antonio

    2007-01-01

    Cellulose is synthesized by cellulose synthases (CESAs) contained in plasma membrane–localized complexes. In Arabidopsis thaliana, three types of CESA subunits (CESA4/IRREGULAR XYLEM5 [IRX5], CESA7/IRX3, and CESA8/IRX1) are required for secondary cell wall formation. We report that mutations in these proteins conferred enhanced resistance to the soil-borne bacterium Ralstonia solanacearum and the necrotrophic fungus Plectosphaerella cucumerina. By contrast, susceptibility to these pathogens was not altered in cell wall mutants of primary wall CESA subunits (CESA1, CESA3/ISOXABEN RESISTANT1 [IXR1], and CESA6/IXR2) or POWDERY MILDEW–RESISTANT5 (PMR5) and PMR6 genes. Double mutants indicated that irx-mediated resistance was independent of salicylic acid, ethylene, and jasmonate signaling. Comparative transcriptomic analyses identified a set of common irx upregulated genes, including a number of abscisic acid (ABA)–responsive, defense-related genes encoding antibiotic peptides and enzymes involved in the synthesis and activation of antimicrobial secondary metabolites. These data as well as the increased susceptibility of ABA mutants (abi1-1, abi2-1, and aba1-6) to R. solanacearum support a direct role of ABA in resistance to this pathogen. Our results also indicate that alteration of secondary cell wall integrity by inhibiting cellulose synthesis leads to specific activation of novel defense pathways that contribute to the generation of an antimicrobial-enriched environment hostile to pathogens. PMID:17351116

  8. A synthetic auxin (NAA) suppresses secondary wall cellulose synthesis and enhances elongation in cultured cotton fiber.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Singh, Bir; Cheek, Hannah D; Haigler, Candace H

    2009-07-01

    Use of a synthetic auxin (naphthalene-1-acetic acid, NAA) to start (Gossypium hirsutum) ovule/fiber cultures hindered fiber secondary wall cellulose synthesis compared with natural auxin (indole-3-acetic acid, IAA). In contrast, NAA promoted fiber elongation and ovule weight gain, which resulted in larger ovule/fiber units. To reach these conclusions, fiber and ovule growth parameters were measured and cell wall characteristics were examined microscopically. The differences in fiber from NAA and IAA culture were underpinned by changes in the expression patterns of marker genes for three fiber developmental stages (elongation, the transition stage, and secondary wall deposition), and these gene expression patterns were also analyzed quantitatively in plant-grown fiber. The results demonstrate that secondary wall cellulose synthesis: (1) is under strong transcriptional control that is influenced by auxin; and (2) must be specifically characterized in the cotton ovule/fiber culture system given the many protocol variables employed in different laboratories.

  9. Extraction and characterization of cellulose microfibrils from agricultural residue –Cocos nucifera L

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Uma Maheswari, C.; Obi Reddy, K.; Muzenda, E.; Guduri, B.R.; Varada Rajulu, A.

    2012-01-01

    The aim of this study was to extract cellulose microfibrils from the agricultural residue of coconut palm leaf sheath using chlorination and alkaline extraction process. Chemical characterization of the cellulose microfibrils confirmed that the α-cellulose mass fraction increased from 0.373 kg kg −1 to 0.896 kg kg −1 after application of several treatments including dewaxing, chlorite delignification and alkaline extraction of hemicelluloses. Similarly, the crystallinity index obtained from X-ray diffraction for leaf sheath and extracted cellulose microfibrils was found to be 42.3 and 47.7 respectively. The morphology of the cellulose microfibrils was investigated by scanning electron microscopy. The cellulose microfibrils had diameters in the range of 10–15 μm. Fourier transform infrared and Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy showed that the chemical treatments removed most of the hemicellulose and lignin from the leaf sheath fibers. The thermal stability of the fibers was analyzed using thermogravimetric analysis, which demonstrated that this thermal stability was enhanced noticeably for cellulose microfibrils. This work provides a new approach for more effective utilization of coconut palm leaf sheaths to examine their potential use as pulp and paper and reinforcement fibers in biocomposite applications. -- Highlights: ► Utilization of Coconut palm leaf sheath as an alternate material for cellulose extraction. ► Using an abundant natural waste for paper pulp, biofilms and composite applications. ► Cellulose microfibrils have higher cellulose content than the leaf sheath. ► FTIR and NMR were used to study fiber structural changes during several treatments. ► Thermal stability of microfibrils is higher than their respective leaf sheath.

  10. Cellulose-binding domains: tools for innovation in cellulosic fibre production and modification

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Quentin, M.G.E.; Valk, van der H.C.P.M.; Dam, van J.E.G.; Jong, de E.

    2003-01-01

    Plant cell walls are composed of cellulose, nature's most abundant macromolecule, and therefore represent a renewable resource of special technical importance. Cellulose degrading enzymes involved in plant cell wall loosening (expansins), or produced by plant pathogenic microorganisms (cellulases),

  11. Size, Shape, and Arrangement of Cellulose Microfibril in Higher Plant Cell Walls

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ding, S. Y.

    2013-01-01

    Plant cell walls from maize (Zea mays L.) are imaged using atomic force microscopy (AFM) at the sub-nanometer resolution. We found that the size and shape of fundamental cellulose elementary fibril (CEF) is essentially identical in different cell wall types, i.e., primary wall (PW), parenchyma secondary wall (pSW), and sclerenchyma secondary wall (sSW), which is consistent with previously proposed 36-chain model (Ding et al., 2006, J. Agric. Food Chem.). The arrangement of individual CEFs in these wall types exhibits two orientations. In PW, CEFs are horizontally associated through their hydrophilic faces, and the planar faces are exposed, forming ribbon-like macrofibrils. In pSW and sSW, CEFs are vertically oriented, forming layers, in which hemicelluloses are interacted with the hydrophobic faces of the CEF and serve as spacers between CEFs. Lignification occurs between CEF-hemicelluloses layers in secondary walls. Furthermore, we demonstrated quantitative analysis of plant cell wall accessibility to and digestibility by different cellulase systems at real-time using chemical imaging (e.g., stimulated Raman scattering) and fluorescence microscopy of labeled cellulases (Ding et al., 2012, Science, in press).

  12. Sensing the Structural Differences in Cellulose from Apple and Bacterial Cell Wall Materials by Raman and FT-IR Spectroscopy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Szymańska-Chargot, Monika; Cybulska, Justyna; Zdunek, Artur

    2011-01-01

    Raman and Fourier Transform Infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy was used for assessment of structural differences of celluloses of various origins. Investigated celluloses were: bacterial celluloses cultured in presence of pectin and/or xyloglucan, as well as commercial celluloses and cellulose extracted from apple parenchyma. FT-IR spectra were used to estimate of the Iβ content, whereas Raman spectra were used to evaluate the degree of crystallinity of the cellulose. The crystallinity index (XCRAMAN%) varied from −25% for apple cellulose to 53% for microcrystalline commercial cellulose. Considering bacterial cellulose, addition of xyloglucan has an impact on the percentage content of cellulose Iβ. However, addition of only xyloglucan or only pectins to pure bacterial cellulose both resulted in a slight decrease of crystallinity. However, culturing bacterial cellulose in the presence of mixtures of xyloglucan and pectins results in an increase of crystallinity. The results confirmed that the higher degree of crystallinity, the broader the peak around 913 cm−1. Among all bacterial celluloses the bacterial cellulose cultured in presence of xyloglucan and pectin (BCPX) has the most similar structure to those observed in natural primary cell walls. PMID:22163913

  13. Effect of late planting and shading on cellulose synthesis during cotton fiber secondary wall development.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ji Chen

    Full Text Available Cotton-rapeseed or cotton-wheat double cropping systems are popular in the Yangtze River Valley and Yellow River Valley of China. Due to the competition of temperature and light resources during the growing season of double cropping system, cotton is generally late-germinating and late-maturing and has to suffer from the coupling of declining temperature and low light especially in the late growth stage. In this study, late planting (LP and shading were used to fit the coupling stress, and the coupling effect on fiber cellulose synthesis was investigated. Two cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L. cultivars were grown in the field in 2010 and 2011 at three planting dates (25 April, 25 May and 10 June each with three shading levels (normal light, declined 20% and 40% PAR. Mean daily minimum temperature was the primary environmental factor affected by LP. The coupling of LP and shading (decreased cellulose content by 7.8%-25.5% produced more severe impacts on cellulose synthesis than either stress alone, and the effect of LP (decreased cellulose content by 6.7%-20.9% was greater than shading (decreased cellulose content by 0.7%-5.6%. The coupling of LP and shading hindered the flux from sucrose to cellulose by affecting the activities of related cellulose synthesis enzymes. Fiber cellulose synthase genes expression were delayed under not only LP but shading, and the coupling of LP and shading markedly postponed and even restrained its expression. The decline of sucrose-phosphate synthase activity and its peak delay may cause cellulose synthesis being more sensitive to the coupling stress during the later stage of fiber secondary wall development (38-45 days post-anthesis. The sensitive difference of cellulose synthesis between two cultivars in response to the coupling of LP and shading may be mainly determined by the sensitiveness of invertase, sucrose-phosphate synthase and cellulose synthase.

  14. In vitro evaluation of osteoblastic cells on bacterial cellulose modified with multi-walled carbon nanotubes as scaffold for bone regeneration

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gutiérrez-Hernández, José Manuel [Coordination for Innovation and Application of Science and Technology, Autonomous University San Luis Potosi, 78000 San Luis Potosi (Mexico); Department of Wood, Cellulose and Paper Research, University Guadalajara, 45110 Guadalajara (Mexico); Escobar-García, Diana María [Laboratory of Basic Sciences, Faculty of Dentistry, Autonomous University San Luis Potosi, 78000 San Luis Potosi (Mexico); Escalante, Alfredo [Department of Wood, Cellulose and Paper Research, University Guadalajara, 45110 Guadalajara (Mexico); Flores, Hector [Laboratory of Basic Sciences, Faculty of Dentistry, Autonomous University San Luis Potosi, 78000 San Luis Potosi (Mexico); González, Francisco Javier [Coordination for Innovation and Application of Science and Technology, Autonomous University San Luis Potosi, 78000 San Luis Potosi (Mexico); Gatenholm, Paul [Chalmers University of Technology, Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Biopolymer Technology, SE-412 96 Göteborg (Sweden); Toriz, Guillermo, E-mail: gtoriz@dmcyp.cucei.udg.mx [Department of Wood, Cellulose and Paper Research, University Guadalajara, 45110 Guadalajara (Mexico); Chalmers University of Technology, Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Biopolymer Technology, SE-412 96 Göteborg (Sweden)

    2017-06-01

    In this paper we explore the use of native bacterial cellulose (BC) in combination with functionalized multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) as an original biomaterial, suitable three-dimensional (3D) scaffold for osteoblastic cell culture. Functionalized MWNTs were mixed with native BC (secreted by Gluconacetobacter xylinus) with the aim of reinforcing the mechanical properties of BC. The results indicate that BC-MWNTs scaffolds support osteoblast viability, adhesion and proliferation at higher levels as compared to traditional culture substrates. Chemically functionalized MWNTs are also an excellent material to be used as scaffold because these did not affect cell viability and showed an enhanced osteoblast adhesion. These results suggest the potential for this combination of biomaterials, i.e. BC and carbon nanomaterials, as scaffolds for bone regeneration. - Highlights: • Functionalization of multiwalled carbon nanotubes with carboxyl groups for reduces their toxicity against osteoblastic cells. • Use of native bacterial cellulose with functionalized multi-walled carbon nanotubes as scaffolds for tissue engineering. • Bacterial cellulose with multi-walled carbon nanotubes as scaffolds give an excellent option to be used in bone regeneration.

  15. In vitro evaluation of osteoblastic cells on bacterial cellulose modified with multi-walled carbon nanotubes as scaffold for bone regeneration

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gutiérrez-Hernández, José Manuel; Escobar-García, Diana María; Escalante, Alfredo; Flores, Hector; González, Francisco Javier; Gatenholm, Paul; Toriz, Guillermo

    2017-01-01

    In this paper we explore the use of native bacterial cellulose (BC) in combination with functionalized multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) as an original biomaterial, suitable three-dimensional (3D) scaffold for osteoblastic cell culture. Functionalized MWNTs were mixed with native BC (secreted by Gluconacetobacter xylinus) with the aim of reinforcing the mechanical properties of BC. The results indicate that BC-MWNTs scaffolds support osteoblast viability, adhesion and proliferation at higher levels as compared to traditional culture substrates. Chemically functionalized MWNTs are also an excellent material to be used as scaffold because these did not affect cell viability and showed an enhanced osteoblast adhesion. These results suggest the potential for this combination of biomaterials, i.e. BC and carbon nanomaterials, as scaffolds for bone regeneration. - Highlights: • Functionalization of multiwalled carbon nanotubes with carboxyl groups for reduces their toxicity against osteoblastic cells. • Use of native bacterial cellulose with functionalized multi-walled carbon nanotubes as scaffolds for tissue engineering. • Bacterial cellulose with multi-walled carbon nanotubes as scaffolds give an excellent option to be used in bone regeneration.

  16. Role of Fimbriae, Flagella and Cellulose on the Attachment of Salmonella Typhimurium ATCC 14028 to Plant Cell Wall Models.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Michelle S F Tan

    Full Text Available Cases of foodborne disease caused by Salmonella are frequently associated with the consumption of minimally processed produce. Bacterial cell surface components are known to be important for the attachment of bacterial pathogens to fresh produce. The role of these extracellular structures in Salmonella attachment to plant cell walls has not been investigated in detail. We investigated the role of flagella, fimbriae and cellulose on the attachment of Salmonella Typhimurium ATCC 14028 and a range of isogenic deletion mutants (ΔfliC fljB, ΔbcsA, ΔcsgA, ΔcsgA bcsA and ΔcsgD to bacterial cellulose (BC-based plant cell wall models [BC-Pectin (BCP, BC-Xyloglucan (BCX and BC-Pectin-Xyloglucan (BCPX] after growth at different temperatures (28°C and 37°C. We found that all three cell surface components were produced at 28°C but only the flagella was produced at 37°C. Flagella appeared to be most important for attachment (reduction of up to 1.5 log CFU/cm2 although both cellulose and fimbriae also aided in attachment. The csgD deletion mutant, which lacks both cellulose and fimbriae, showed significantly higher attachment as compared to wild type cells at 37°C. This may be due to the increased expression of flagella-related genes which are also indirectly regulated by the csgD gene. Our study suggests that bacterial attachment to plant cell walls is a complex process involving many factors. Although flagella, cellulose and fimbriae all aid in attachment, these structures are not the only mechanism as no strain was completely defective in its attachment.

  17. Characterization of xylan in the early stages of secondary cell wall formation in tobacco bright yellow-2 cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ishii, Tadashi; Matsuoka, Keita; Ono, Hiroshi; Ohnishi-Kameyama, Mayumi; Yaoi, Katsuro; Nakano, Yoshimi; Ohtani, Misato; Demura, Taku; Iwai, Hiroaki; Satoh, Shinobu

    2017-11-15

    The major polysaccharides present in the primary and secondary walls surrounding plant cells have been well characterized. However, our knowledge of the early stages of secondary wall formation is limited. To address this, cell walls were isolated from differentiating xylem vessel elements of tobacco bright yellow-2 (BY-2) cells induced by VASCULAR-RELATED NAC-DOMAIN7 (VND7). The walls of induced VND7-VP16-GR BY-2 cells consisted of cellulose, pectic polysaccharides, hemicelluloses, and lignin, and contained more xylan and cellulose compared with non-transformed BY-2 and uninduced VND7-VP16-GR BY-2 cells. A reducing end sequence of xylan containing rhamnose and galaturonic acid- residues is present in the walls of induced, uninduced, and non-transformed BY-2 cells. Glucuronic acid residues in xylan from walls of induced cells are O-methylated, while those of xylan in non-transformed BY-2 and uninduced cells are not. Our results show that xylan changes in chemical structure and amounts during the early stages of xylem differentiation. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  18. Structure of Cellulose Microfibrils in Primary Cell Walls from Collenchyma1[C][W][OA

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thomas, Lynne H.; Forsyth, V. Trevor; Šturcová, Adriana; Kennedy, Craig J.; May, Roland P.; Altaner, Clemens M.; Apperley, David C.; Wess, Timothy J.; Jarvis, Michael C.

    2013-01-01

    In the primary walls of growing plant cells, the glucose polymer cellulose is assembled into long microfibrils a few nanometers in diameter. The rigidity and orientation of these microfibrils control cell expansion; therefore, cellulose synthesis is a key factor in the growth and morphogenesis of plants. Celery (Apium graveolens) collenchyma is a useful model system for the study of primary wall microfibril structure because its microfibrils are oriented with unusual uniformity, facilitating spectroscopic and diffraction experiments. Using a combination of x-ray and neutron scattering methods with vibrational and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, we show that celery collenchyma microfibrils were 2.9 to 3.0 nm in mean diameter, with a most probable structure containing 24 chains in cross section, arranged in eight hydrogen-bonded sheets of three chains, with extensive disorder in lateral packing, conformation, and hydrogen bonding. A similar 18-chain structure, and 24-chain structures of different shape, fitted the data less well. Conformational disorder was largely restricted to the surface chains, but disorder in chain packing was not. That is, in position and orientation, the surface chains conformed to the disordered lattice constituting the core of each microfibril. There was evidence that adjacent microfibrils were noncovalently aggregated together over part of their length, suggesting that the need to disrupt these aggregates might be a constraining factor in growth and in the hydrolysis of cellulose for biofuel production. PMID:23175754

  19. Regulation of cellulose synthesis in response to stress.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kesten, Christopher; Menna, Alexandra; Sánchez-Rodríguez, Clara

    2017-12-01

    The cell wall is a complex polysaccharide network that provides stability and protection to the plant and is one of the first layers of biotic and abiotic stimuli perception. A controlled remodeling of the primary cell wall is essential for the plant to adapt its growth to environmental stresses. Cellulose, the main component of plant cell walls is synthesized by plasma membrane-localized cellulose synthases moving along cortical microtubule tracks. Recent advancements demonstrate a tight regulation of cellulose synthesis at the primary cell wall by phytohormone networks. Stress-induced perturbations at the cell wall that modify cellulose synthesis and microtubule arrangement activate similar phytohormone-based stress response pathways. The integration of stress perception at the primary cell wall and downstream responses are likely to be tightly regulated by phytohormone signaling pathways in the context of cellulose synthesis and microtubule arrangement. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

  20. Synthesis and Self-Assembly of Cellulose Microfibrils from Reconstituted Cellulose Synthase.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cho, Sung Hyun; Purushotham, Pallinti; Fang, Chao; Maranas, Cassandra; Díaz-Moreno, Sara M; Bulone, Vincent; Zimmer, Jochen; Kumar, Manish; Nixon, B Tracy

    2017-09-01

    Cellulose, the major component of plant cell walls, can be converted to bioethanol and is thus highly studied. In plants, cellulose is produced by cellulose synthase, a processive family-2 glycosyltransferase. In plant cell walls, individual β-1,4-glucan chains polymerized by CesA are assembled into microfibrils that are frequently bundled into macrofibrils. An in vitro system in which cellulose is synthesized and assembled into fibrils would facilitate detailed study of this process. Here, we report the heterologous expression and partial purification of His-tagged CesA5 from Physcomitrella patens Immunoblot analysis and mass spectrometry confirmed enrichment of PpCesA5. The recombinant protein was functional when reconstituted into liposomes made from yeast total lipid extract. The functional studies included incorporation of radiolabeled Glc, linkage analysis, and imaging of cellulose microfibril formation using transmission electron microscopy. Several microfibrils were observed either inside or on the outer surface of proteoliposomes, and strikingly, several thinner fibrils formed ordered bundles that either covered the surfaces of proteoliposomes or were spawned from liposome surfaces. We also report this arrangement of fibrils made by proteoliposomes bearing CesA8 from hybrid aspen. These observations describe minimal systems of membrane-reconstituted CesAs that polymerize β-1,4-glucan chains that coalesce to form microfibrils and higher-ordered macrofibrils. How these micro- and macrofibrils relate to those found in primary and secondary plant cell walls is uncertain, but their presence enables further study of the mechanisms that govern the formation and assembly of fibrillar cellulosic structures and cell wall composites during or after the polymerization process controlled by CesA proteins. © 2017 American Society of Plant Biologists. All Rights Reserved.

  1. A Structurally Specialized Uniform Wall Layer is Essential for Constructing Wall Ingrowth Papillae in Transfer Cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xia, Xue; Zhang, Hui-Ming; Offler, Christina E.; Patrick, John W.

    2017-01-01

    Transfer cells are characterized by wall labyrinths with either a flange or reticulate architecture. A literature survey established that reticulate wall ingrowth papillae ubiquitously arise from a modified component of their wall labyrinth, termed the uniform wall layer; a structure absent from flange transfer cells. This finding sparked an investigation of the deposition characteristics and role of the uniform wall layer using a Vicia faba cotyledon culture system. On transfer of cotyledons to culture, their adaxial epidermal cells spontaneously trans-differentiate to a reticulate architecture comparable to their abaxial epidermal transfer cell counterparts formed in planta. Uniform wall layer construction commenced once adaxial epidermal cell expansion had ceased to overlay the original outer periclinal wall on its inner surface. In contrast to the dense ring-like lattice of cellulose microfibrils in the original primary wall, the uniform wall layer was characterized by a sparsely dispersed array of linear cellulose microfibrils. A re-modeled cortical microtubule array exerted no influence on uniform wall layer formation or on its cellulose microfibril organization. Surprisingly, formation of the uniform wall layer was not dependent upon depositing a cellulose scaffold. In contrast, uniform wall cellulose microfibrils were essential precursors for constructing wall ingrowth papillae. On converging to form wall ingrowth papillae, the cellulose microfibril diameters increased 3-fold. This event correlated with up-regulated differential, and transfer-cell specific, expression of VfCesA3B while transcript levels of other cellulose biosynthetic-related genes linked with primary wall construction were substantially down-regulated. PMID:29259611

  2. Class III peroxidases in cellulose deficient cultured maize cells during cell wall remodelling.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Martínez-Rubio, Romina; Acebes, José Luis; Encina, Antonio; Kärkönen, Anna

    2018-02-21

    Maize (Zea mays L.) suspension-cultured cells habituated to a cellulose biosynthesis inhibitor 2,6-dichlorobenzonitrile (DCB) have a modified cell wall, in which the reduction in the cellulose content is compensated by a network of highly cross-linked feruloylated arabinoxylans and the deposition of lignin-like polymers. For both arabinoxylan cross-linking and lignin polymerization, class III peroxidases (POXs) have been demonstrated to have a prominent role. For the first time, a comparative study of POX activity and isoforms in control and cellulose-impaired cells has been addressed, also taking into account their cellular distribution in different compartments. Proteins from the spent medium (SM), soluble cellular (SC), ionically (ICW) and covalently bound cell wall protein fractions were assayed for total and specific peroxidase activity by using coniferyl and sinapyl alcohol and ferulic acid as substrates. The isoPOX profile was obtained by isoelectric focusing. POX activity was higher in DCB-habituated than in non-habituated cells in all protein fractions at all cell culture stages. For all substrates assayed, SC and ICW fractions showed higher activity at the early-log growth phase than at the late-log phase. However, the highest POX activity in the spent medium was found at the late-log phase. According to the isoPOX profiles, the highest diversity of isoPOXs was detected in the ICW and SM protein fractions. The latter fraction contained isoPOXs with higher activity in DCB-habituated cells. Some of the isoPOXs detected could be involved in cross-linking of arabinoxylans and in the lignin-like polymer formation in DCB-habituated cells. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

  3. Functional residual capacity increase during laparoscopic surgery with abdominal wall lift

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hiroshi Ueda

    Full Text Available Abstract Background and objectives: The number of laparoscopic surgeries performed is increasing every year and in most cases the pneumoperitoneum method is used. One alternative is the abdominal wall lifting method and this study was undertaken to evaluate changes of functional residual capacity during the abdominal wall lift procedure. Methods: From January to April 2013, 20 patients underwent laparoscopic cholecystectomy at a single institution. All patients were anesthetized using propofol, remifentanil and rocuronium. FRC was measured automatically by Engstrom Carestation before the abdominal wall lift and again 15 minutes after the start of the procedure. Results: After abdominal wall lift, there was a significant increase in functional residual capacity values (before abdominal wall lift 1.48 × 103 mL, after abdominal wall lift 1.64 × 103 mL (p < 0.0001. No complications such as desaturation were observed in any patient during this study. Conclusions: Laparoscopic surgery with abdominal wall lift may be appropriate for patients who have risk factors such as obesity and respiratory disease.

  4. Insights into cell wall structure of Sida hermaphrodita and its influence on recalcitrance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Damm, Tatjana; Pattathil, Sivakumar; Günl, Markus; Jablonowski, Nicolai David; O'Neill, Malcolm; Grün, Katharina Susanne; Grande, Philipp Michael; Leitner, Walter; Schurr, Ulrich; Usadel, Björn; Klose, Holger

    2017-07-15

    The perennial plant Sida hermaphrodita (Sida) is attracting attention as potential energy crop. Here, the first detailed view on non-cellulosic Sida cell wall polysaccharide composition, structure and architecture is given. Cell walls were prepared from Sida stems and sequentially extracted with aqueous buffers and alkali. The structures of the quantitatively predominant polysaccharides present in each fraction were determined by biochemical characterization, glycome profiling and mass spectrometry. The amounts of glucose released by Accellerase-1500 ® treatment of the cell wall and the cell wall residue remaining after each extraction were used to assess the roles of pectin and hemicellulose in the recalcitrance of Sida biomass. 4-O-Methyl glucuronoxylan with a low proportion of side substitutions was identified as the major non-cellulosic glycan component of Sida stem cell walls. Pectic polysaccharides and xylans were found to be associated with lignin, suggesting that these polysaccharides have roles in Sida cell wall recalcitrance to enzymatic hydrolysis. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  5. Dilute alkali and hydrogen peroxide treatment of microwave liquefied rape straw residue for the extraction of cellulose nanocrystals

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xingyan Huang; Cornelis F. De Hoop; Feng Li; Jiulong Xie; Chung-Yun Hse; Jinqiu Qi; Yongze Jiang; Yuzhu Chen

    2017-01-01

    Microwave-assisted liquefaction of rape straw in methanol was conducted to collect the liquefied residues for the extraction of cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs).The liquefied residue with content of 23.44% from 180∘C/7.5 min was used to fibrillate CNCs with dilute alkali (2% NaOH) and hydrogen peroxide (5% H2O2...

  6. The cellulose synthase companion proteins act non-redundantly with CELLULOSE SYNTHASE INTERACTING1/POM2 and CELLULOSE SYNTHASE 6

    OpenAIRE

    Endler, Anne; Schneider, Rene; Kesten, Christopher; Lampugnani, Edwin R.; Persson, Staffan

    2016-01-01

    Cellulose is a cell wall constituent that is essential for plant growth and development, and an important raw material for a range of industrial applications. Cellulose is synthesized at the plasma membrane by massive cellulose synthase (CesA) complexes that track along cortical microtubules in elongating cells of Arabidopsis through the activity of the protein CELLULOSE SYNTHASE INTERACTING1 (CSI1). In a recent study we identified another family of proteins that also are associated with the ...

  7. Optimization of upstream and development of cellulose hydrolysis process for cellulosic bio-ethanol production

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bae, Hyun Jong; Wi, Seung Gon; Kim, Su Bae; Shin, You Jung; Yi, Ju Hui [Chonnam National University, Bio-Energy Research Institute, Gwangju (Korea, Republic of)

    2010-10-15

    The purpose of this project is optimization of upstream and development of cellulose hydrolysis process for cellulosic bio-ethanol production. Research scope includes 1) screening of various microorganisms from decayed biomass in order to search for more efficient lignocellulose degrading microorganism, 2) identification and verification of new cell wall degrading cellulase for application cellulose bioconversion process, and 3) identification and characterization of novel genes involved in cellulose degradation. To find good microorganism candidates for lignocellulose degrading, 75 decayed samples from different areas were assayed in triplicate and analyzed. For cloning new cell wall degrading enzymes, we selected microorganisms because it have very good lignocellulose degradation ability. From that microorganisms, we have apparently cloned a new cellulase genes (10 genes). We are applying the new cloned cellulase genes to characterize in lignocellulsoe degradation that are most important to cellulosic biofuels production

  8. Optimization of upstream and development of cellulose hydrolysis process for cellulosic bio-ethanol production

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bae, Hyun Jong; Wi, Seung Gon; Kim, Su Bae; Shin, You Jung; Yi, Ju Hui

    2010-10-01

    The purpose of this project is optimization of upstream and development of cellulose hydrolysis process for cellulosic bio-ethanol production. Research scope includes 1) screening of various microorganisms from decayed biomass in order to search for more efficient lignocellulose degrading microorganism, 2) identification and verification of new cell wall degrading cellulase for application cellulose bioconversion process, and 3) identification and characterization of novel genes involved in cellulose degradation. To find good microorganism candidates for lignocellulose degrading, 75 decayed samples from different areas were assayed in triplicate and analyzed. For cloning new cell wall degrading enzymes, we selected microorganisms because it have very good lignocellulose degradation ability. From that microorganisms, we have apparently cloned a new cellulase genes (10 genes). We are applying the new cloned cellulase genes to characterize in lignocellulsoe degradation that are most important to cellulosic biofuels production

  9. Synthesis and Self-Assembly of Cellulose Microfibrils from Reconstituted Cellulose Synthase1[OPEN

    Science.gov (United States)

    Purushotham, Pallinti; Fang, Chao; Maranas, Cassandra; Bulone, Vincent

    2017-01-01

    Cellulose, the major component of plant cell walls, can be converted to bioethanol and is thus highly studied. In plants, cellulose is produced by cellulose synthase, a processive family-2 glycosyltransferase. In plant cell walls, individual β-1,4-glucan chains polymerized by CesA are assembled into microfibrils that are frequently bundled into macrofibrils. An in vitro system in which cellulose is synthesized and assembled into fibrils would facilitate detailed study of this process. Here, we report the heterologous expression and partial purification of His-tagged CesA5 from Physcomitrella patens. Immunoblot analysis and mass spectrometry confirmed enrichment of PpCesA5. The recombinant protein was functional when reconstituted into liposomes made from yeast total lipid extract. The functional studies included incorporation of radiolabeled Glc, linkage analysis, and imaging of cellulose microfibril formation using transmission electron microscopy. Several microfibrils were observed either inside or on the outer surface of proteoliposomes, and strikingly, several thinner fibrils formed ordered bundles that either covered the surfaces of proteoliposomes or were spawned from liposome surfaces. We also report this arrangement of fibrils made by proteoliposomes bearing CesA8 from hybrid aspen. These observations describe minimal systems of membrane-reconstituted CesAs that polymerize β-1,4-glucan chains that coalesce to form microfibrils and higher-ordered macrofibrils. How these micro- and macrofibrils relate to those found in primary and secondary plant cell walls is uncertain, but their presence enables further study of the mechanisms that govern the formation and assembly of fibrillar cellulosic structures and cell wall composites during or after the polymerization process controlled by CesA proteins. PMID:28768815

  10. Sonication reduces the attachment of Salmonella Typhimurium ATCC 14028 cells to bacterial cellulose-based plant cell wall models and cut plant material.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tan, Michelle S F; Rahman, Sadequr; Dykes, Gary A

    2017-04-01

    This study investigated the removal of bacterial surface structures, particularly flagella, using sonication, and examined its effect on the attachment of Salmonella Typhimurium ATCC 14028 cells to plant cell walls. S. Typhimurium ATCC 14028 cells were subjected to sonication at 20 kHz to remove surface structures without affecting cell viability. Effective removal of flagella was determined by staining flagella of sonicated cells with Ryu's stain and enumerating the flagella remaining by direct microscopic counting. The attachment of sonicated S. Typhimurium cells to bacterial cellulose-based plant cell wall models and cut plant material (potato, apple, lettuce) was then evaluated. Varying concentrations of pectin and/or xyloglucan were used to produce a range of bacterial cellulose-based plant cell wall models. As compared to the non-sonicated controls, sonicated S. Typhimurium cells attached in significantly lower numbers (between 0.5 and 1.0 log CFU/cm 2 ) to all surfaces except to the bacterial cellulose-only composite without pectin and xyloglucan. Since attachment of S. Typhimurium to the bacterial cellulose-only composite was not affected by sonication, this suggests that bacterial surface structures, particularly flagella, could have specific interactions with pectin and xyloglucan. This study indicates that sonication may have potential applications for reducing Salmonella attachment during the processing of fresh produce. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  11. Glycoprotein of the wall of sycamore tissue-culture cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Heath, M F; Northcote, D H

    1971-12-01

    1. A glycoprotein containing a large amount of hydroxyproline is present in the cell walls of sycamore callus cells. This protein is insoluble and remained in the alpha-cellulose when a mild separation procedure was used to obtain the polysaccharide fractions of the wall. The glycoprotein contained a high proportion of arabinose and galactose. 2. Soluble glycopeptides were prepared from the alpha-cellulose fraction when peptide bonds were broken by hydrazinolysis. The soluble material was fractionated by gel filtration and one glycopeptide was further purified by electrophoresis; it had a composition of 10% hydroxyproline, 35% arabinose and 55% galactose, and each hydroxyproline residue carried a glycosyl radical so that the oligosaccharides on the glycopeptide had an average degree of polymerization of 9. 3. The extraction of the glycopeptides was achieved without cleavage of glycosyl bonds, so that the glycoprotein cannot act as a covalent cross-link between the major polysaccharides of the wall. 4. The wall protein approximates in conformation to polyhydroxyproline and therefore it probably has similar physicochemical properties to polyhydroxyproline. This is discussed in relation to the function of the glycoprotein and its effect on the physical and chemical nature of the wall.

  12. A co-production of sugars, lignosulfonates, cellulose, and cellulose nanocrystals from ball-milled woods.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Du, Lanxing; Wang, Jinwu; Zhang, Yang; Qi, Chusheng; Wolcott, Michael P; Yu, Zhiming

    2017-08-01

    This study demonstrated the technical potential for the large-scale co-production of sugars, lignosulfonates, cellulose, and cellulose nanocrystals. Ball-milled woods with two particle sizes were prepared by ball milling for 80min or 120min (BMW 80 , BMW 120 ) and then enzymatically hydrolyzed. 78.3% cellulose conversion of BMW 120 was achieved, which was three times as high as the conversion of BMW 80 . The hydrolyzed residues (HRs) were neutrally sulfonated cooking. 57.72g/L and 88.16g/L lignosulfonate concentration, respectively, were harvested from HR 80 and HR 120 , and 42.6±0.5% lignin were removed. The subsequent solid residuals were purified to produce cellulose and then this material was acid-hydrolyzed to produce cellulose nanocrystals. The BMW 120 maintained smaller particle size and aspect ratio during each step of during the multiple processes, while the average aspect ratio of its cellulose nanocrystals was larger. The crystallinity of both materials increased with each step of wet processing, reaching to 74% for the cellulose. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  13. Economic factors influencing potential use of cellulosic crop residues for electricity generation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Maung, Thein A.; McCarl, Bruce A.

    2013-01-01

    This study examines cellulosic crop residues for biopower production in the context of (greenhouse gas) GHG emission mitigation. We employ sector modeling to simulate future market potential for biopower production from crop residues. Our findings suggest that in order for crop residues to have any role in electricity generation either the carbon or (carbon dioxide) CO 2 equivalent GHG price must rise to about 15 dollars per ton or the price of coal has to increase to about 43 dollars per ton. We find that crop residues with higher heat content have greater opportunities in biopower production than the residues with lower heat content. In addition, our evidence shows that improvements in crop yields do not have much impact on biopower production. However, the energy recovery efficiency does have significant positive impact but only if the CO 2 equivalent price rises substantially. Moreover, our analysis indicates the desirability of cofiring biomass as opposed to 100% replacement because this reduces transportation cost and increases the efficiency of heat recovery. In terms of policy implications, imposing carbon emission pricing could be an important step in inducing electric power producers to include biomass feedstocks in their fuel-mix power generation portfolios and achieve GHG emission reductions. - Highlights: • Crop residues with higher heat content have greater market opportunities. • Improvement in crop and residue yields does not have much impact on biopower production. • Advancement in biopower production technology does not encourage more use of crop residues. • The main factor that induces biopower production is an increase in future carbon prices

  14. Cellulose microfibril deposition: coordinated activity at the plant plasma membrane

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Lindeboom, J.J.; Mulder, B.; Vos, J.W.; Ketelaar, M.J.; Emons, A.M.C.

    2008-01-01

    Plant cell wall production is a membrane-bound process. Cell walls are composed of cellulose microfibrils, embedded inside a matrix of other polysaccharides and glycoproteins. The cell wall matrix is extruded into the existing cell wall by exocytosis. This same process also inserts the cellulose

  15. Composition, texture and methane potential of cellulosic residues from Lewis acids organosolv pulping of wheat straw.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Constant, Sandra; Barakat, Abdellatif; Robitzer, Mike; Di Renzo, Francesco; Dumas, Claire; Quignard, Françoise

    2016-09-01

    Cellulosic pulps have been successfully isolated from wheat straw through a Lewis acids organosolv treatment. The use of Lewis acids with different hardness produced pulps with different delignification degrees. The cellulosic residue was characterised by chemical composition, X-ray diffraction, FT-IR spectroscopy, N2 physisorption, scanning electron microscopy and potential for anaerobic digestibility. Surface area and pore volume increased with the hardness of the Lewis acid, in correspondence with the decrease of the amount of lignin and hemicellulose in the pulp. The non linearity of the correlation between porosity and composition suggests that an agglomeration of cellulose fibrils occurs in the early stages of pulping. All organosolv pulps presented a significantly higher methane potential than the parent straw. A methane evolution of 295Ncm(3)/g OM was reached by a moderate improvement of the accessibility of the native straw. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  16. Lignin depletion enhances the digestibility of cellulose in cultured xylem cells.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Catherine I Lacayo

    Full Text Available Plant lignocellulose constitutes an abundant and sustainable source of polysaccharides that can be converted into biofuels. However, the enzymatic digestion of native plant cell walls is inefficient, presenting a considerable barrier to cost-effective biofuel production. In addition to the insolubility of cellulose and hemicellulose, the tight association of lignin with these polysaccharides intensifies the problem of cell wall recalcitrance. To determine the extent to which lignin influences the enzymatic digestion of cellulose, specifically in secondary walls that contain the majority of cellulose and lignin in plants, we used a model system consisting of cultured xylem cells from Zinniaelegans. Rather than using purified cell wall substrates or plant tissue, we have applied this system to study cell wall degradation because it predominantly consists of homogeneous populations of single cells exhibiting large deposits of lignocellulose. We depleted lignin in these cells by treating with an oxidative chemical or by inhibiting lignin biosynthesis, and then examined the resulting cellulose digestibility and accessibility using a fluorescent cellulose-binding probe. Following cellulase digestion, we measured a significant decrease in relative cellulose content in lignin-depleted cells, whereas cells with intact lignin remained essentially unaltered. We also observed a significant increase in probe binding after lignin depletion, indicating that decreased lignin levels improve cellulose accessibility. These results indicate that lignin depletion considerably enhances the digestibility of cellulose in the cell wall by increasing the susceptibility of cellulose to enzymatic attack. Although other wall components are likely to contribute, our quantitative study exploits cultured Zinnia xylem cells to demonstrate the dominant influence of lignin on the enzymatic digestion of the cell wall. This system is simple enough for quantitative image analysis

  17. Bioengineering cellulose-hemicellulose networks in plants

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Obembe, O.

    2006-01-01

    The interactions between cellulose and hemicellulose in the cell walls are important in the industrial application of the cellulose (natural) fibres. We strive to modify these interactions (i) by interfering with cellulose biosynthesis and (ii) by direct interference of the

  18. Biomass saccharification is largely enhanced by altering wall polymer features and reducing silicon accumulation in rice cultivars harvested from nitrogen fertilizer supply.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zahoor; Sun, Dan; Li, Ying; Wang, Jing; Tu, Yuanyuan; Wang, Yanting; Hu, Zhen; Zhou, Shiguang; Wang, Lingqiang; Xie, Guosheng; Huang, Jianliang; Alam, Aftab; Peng, Liangcai

    2017-11-01

    In this study, two rice cultivars were collected from experimental fields with seven nitrogen fertilizer treatments. All biomass samples contained significantly increased cellulose contents and reduced silica levels, with variable amounts of hemicellulose and lignin from different nitrogen treatments. Under chemical (NaOH, CaO, H 2 SO 4 ) and physical (hot water) pretreatments, biomass samples exhibited much enhanced hexoses yields from enzymatic hydrolysis, with high bioethanol production from yeast fermentation. Notably, both degree of polymerization (DP) of cellulose and xylose/arabinose (Xyl/Ara) ratio of hemicellulose were reduced in biomass residues, whereas other wall polymer features (cellulose crystallinity and monolignol proportion) were variable. Integrative analysis indicated that cellulose DP, hemicellulosic Xyl/Ara and silica are the major factors that significantly affect cellulose crystallinity and biomass saccharification. Hence, this study has demonstrated that nitrogen fertilizer supply could largely enhance biomass saccharification in rice cultivars, mainly by reducing cellulose DP, hemicellulosic Xyl/Ara and silica in cell walls. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  19. Prediction method of seismic residual deformation of caisson quay wall in liquefied foundation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Li-Yan; Liu, Han-Long; Jiang, Peng-Ming; Chen, Xiang-Xiang

    2011-03-01

    The multi-spring shear mechanism plastic model in this paper is defined in strain space to simulate pore pressure generation and development in sands under cyclic loading and undrained conditions, and the rotation of principal stresses can also be simulated by the model with cyclic behavior of anisotropic consolidated sands. Seismic residual deformations of typical caisson quay walls under different engineering situations are analyzed in detail by the plastic model, and then an index of liquefaction extent is applied to describe the regularity of seismic residual deformation of caisson quay wall top under different engineering situations. Some correlated prediction formulas are derived from the results of regression analysis between seismic residual deformation of quay wall top and extent of liquefaction in the relative safety backfill sand site. Finally, the rationality and the reliability of the prediction methods are validated by test results of a 120 g-centrifuge shaking table, and the comparisons show that some reliable seismic residual deformation of caisson quay can be predicted by appropriate prediction formulas and appropriate index of liquefaction extent.

  20. Distribution of alginate and cellulose and regulatory role of calcium in the cell wall of the brown alga Ectocarpus siliculosus (Ectocarpales, Phaeophyceae).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Terauchi, Makoto; Nagasato, Chikako; Inoue, Akira; Ito, Toshiaki; Motomura, Taizo

    2016-08-01

    This work investigated a correlation between the three-dimensional architecture and compound-components of the brown algal cell wall. Calcium greatly contributes to the cell wall integrity. Brown algae have a unique cell wall consisting of alginate, cellulose, and sulfated polysaccharides. However, the relationship between the architecture and the composition of the cell wall is poorly understood. Here, we investigated the architecture of the cell wall and the effect of extracellular calcium in the sporophyte and gametophyte of the model brown alga, Ectocarpus siliculosus (Dillwyn) Lyngbye, using transmission electron microscopy, histochemical, and immunohistochemical studies. The lateral cell wall of vegetative cells of the sporophyte thalli had multilayered architecture containing electron-dense and negatively stained fibrils. Electron tomographic analysis showed that the amount of the electron-dense fibrils and the junctions was different between inner and outer layers, and between the perpendicular and tangential directions of the cell wall. By immersing the gametophyte thalli in the low-calcium (one-eighth of the normal concentration) artificial seawater medium, the fibrous layers of the lateral cell wall of vegetative cells became swollen. Destruction of cell wall integrity was also induced by the addition of sorbitol. The results demonstrated that electron-dense fibrils were composed of alginate-calcium fibrous gels, and electron negatively stained fibrils were crystalline cellulose microfibrils. It was concluded that the spatial arrangement of electron-dense fibrils was different between the layers and between the directions of the cell wall, and calcium was necessary for maintaining the fibrous layers in the cell wall. This study provides insights into the design principle of the brown algal cell wall.

  1. Numerical investigation on residual stress distribution and evolution during multipass narrow gap welding of thick-walled stainless steel pipes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liu, C.; Zhang, J.X.; Xue, C.B.

    2011-01-01

    Research highlights: → We performed pass-by-pass simulation of stresses for welding of thick-walled pipes. → The distributions and evolution of the residual stresses are demonstrated. → After the groove is filled to a height, the through-wall stress is almost unchanged. - Abstracts: The detailed pass-by-pass finite element (FE) simulation is presented to investigate the residual stresses in narrow gap multipass welding of pipes with a wall thickness of 70 mm and 73 weld passes. The simulated residual stress on the outer surface is validated with the experimental one. The distribution and evolution of the through-wall residual stresses are demonstrated. The investigated results show that the residual stresses on the outer and inner surfaces are tensile in the weld zone and its vicinity. The through-wall axial residual stresses at the weld center line and the HAZ line demonstrate a distribution of bending type. The through-wall hoop residual stress within the weld is mostly tensile. After the groove is filled to a certain height, the peak tensile stresses and the stress distribution patterns for both axial and hoop stresses remain almost unchanged.

  2. Effects of gamma irradiation on cell-wall constituents of some agricultural residues

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Al-Masri, M.R.; Zarkawi, M.

    1994-01-01

    The effects of 150 kilogray (kGy) of γ irradiation on cell-wall constituents of cottonwood (CW), lentils straw (LS), apple pruning products (AP) and olive cake (OC) were investigated. Samples were irradiated by γ irradiation at a dose level of 150 kGy under identical conditions of temperature and humidity and analyzed for crude fibre (CF), neutral-detergent fibre (NDF), acid detergent fibre (ADF) and acid-detergent lignin (ADL). The results indicate that γ irradiation decreased CF contents by about 29% for CW, LS and AP and by 17% for OC. NDF values were also decreased by about 4% for CW and OC, and by about 12% for LS and AP. γ irradiation treatment also decreased ADF values only for CW by 8%. ADL contents decreased by 8% for CW and 5% for OC with no effects for LS and AP. The percentage of cellulose (CL):CF ratio increased by 30, 34, 38 and 20% for CW, LS, AP and OC, respectively. Also, the percentage of hemicellulose (HCL):CF increased for 57% for CW and 16% for OC and decreased by 7% for LS and AP. The percentage of HCL:ADL increased by 22% for CW but decreased by 33% for LS and AP with no changes for OC. There were no changes in CL:ADL ratio for all residues. (Author)

  3. Characterization and evaluation of residue 'grits' of the cellulose industry; Caracterizacao e avaliacao do resisduo 'grits' da industria de celulose

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Destefani, A.Z.; Santos, M.M.; Holanda, J.N.F. [Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense Darcy Ribeiro (LAMAV/CCT/UENF), Campos dos Goytacazes, RJ (Brazil). Lab. de Materiais Avancados

    2010-07-01

    The cellulose industry generates huge amounts of solid waste residue called 'grits'. These wastes have been willing over time in landfills near the mills. However, this type of disposal is not environmentally friendly and can cause degradation and environmental pollution. In addition, environmental legislation increasingly severe and the high costs of landfill have led the search for new alternatives for final disposition of this abundant waste. In this context, this study is to characterize waste grits, generated by the cellulose industry in the region of Aracruz-ES. The residue samples were characterized in terms of chemical composition, X-ray diffraction, particle size distribution and thermal analysis (DTA and TGA). The characterization of the residual 'grits' demonstrated its potential as a feedstock for production of soil-cement bricks. (author)

  4. CELLULOSIC NANOCOMPOSITES: A REVIEW

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Martin A. Hubbe

    2008-08-01

    Full Text Available Because of their wide abundance, their renewable and environmentally benign nature, and their outstanding mechanical properties, a great deal of attention has been paid recently to cellulosic nanofibrillar structures as components in nanocomposites. A first major challenge has been to find efficient ways to liberate cellulosic fibrils from different source materials, including wood, agricultural residues, or bacterial cellulose. A second major challenge has involved the lack of compatibility of cellulosic surfaces with a variety of plastic materials. The water-swellable nature of cellulose, especially in its non-crystalline regions, also can be a concern in various composite materials. This review of recent work shows that considerable progress has been achieved in addressing these issues and that there is potential to use cellulosic nano-components in a wide range of high-tech applications.

  5. Residual wood polymers facilitate compounding of microfibrillated cellulose with poly(lactic acid) for 3D printer filaments

    Science.gov (United States)

    Winter, Armin; Mundigler, Norbert; Holzweber, Julian; Veigel, Stefan; Müller, Ulrich; Kovalcik, Adriana; Gindl-Altmutter, Wolfgang

    2017-12-01

    Microfibrillated cellulose (MFC) is a fascinating material with an obvious potential for composite reinforcement due to its excellent mechanics together with high specific surface area. However, in order to use this potential, commercially viable solutions to important technological challenges have to be found. Notably, the distinct hydrophilicity of MFC prevents efficient drying without loss in specific surface area, necessitating storage and processing in wet condition. This greatly hinders compounding with important technical polymers immiscible with water. Differently from cellulose, the chemistry of the major wood polymers lignin and hemicellulose is much more diverse in terms of functional groups. Specifically, the aromatic moieties present in lignin and acetyl groups in hemicellulose provide distinctly less polar surface-chemical functionality compared to hydroxyl groups which dominate the surface-chemical character of cellulose. It is shown that considerable advantages in the production of MFC-filled poly(lactic acid) filaments for three-dimensional printing can be obtained through the use of MFC containing residual lignin and hemicellulose due to their advantageous surface-chemical characteristics. Specifically, considerably reduced agglomerations of MFC in the filaments in combination with improved printability and improved toughness of printed objects are achieved. This article is part of a discussion meeting issue `New horizons for cellulose nanotechnology'.

  6. Residual wood polymers facilitate compounding of microfibrillated cellulose with poly(lactic acid) for 3D printer filaments.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Winter, Armin; Mundigler, Norbert; Holzweber, Julian; Veigel, Stefan; Müller, Ulrich; Kovalcik, Adriana; Gindl-Altmutter, Wolfgang

    2018-02-13

    Microfibrillated cellulose (MFC) is a fascinating material with an obvious potential for composite reinforcement due to its excellent mechanics together with high specific surface area. However, in order to use this potential, commercially viable solutions to important technological challenges have to be found. Notably, the distinct hydrophilicity of MFC prevents efficient drying without loss in specific surface area, necessitating storage and processing in wet condition. This greatly hinders compounding with important technical polymers immiscible with water. Differently from cellulose, the chemistry of the major wood polymers lignin and hemicellulose is much more diverse in terms of functional groups. Specifically, the aromatic moieties present in lignin and acetyl groups in hemicellulose provide distinctly less polar surface-chemical functionality compared to hydroxyl groups which dominate the surface-chemical character of cellulose. It is shown that considerable advantages in the production of MFC-filled poly(lactic acid) filaments for three-dimensional printing can be obtained through the use of MFC containing residual lignin and hemicellulose due to their advantageous surface-chemical characteristics. Specifically, considerably reduced agglomerations of MFC in the filaments in combination with improved printability and improved toughness of printed objects are achieved.This article is part of a discussion meeting issue 'New horizons for cellulose nanotechnology'. © 2017 The Author(s).

  7. Poroelastic Mechanical Effects of Hemicelluloses on Cellulosic Hydrogels under Compression

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lopez-Sanchez, Patricia; Cersosimo, Julie; Wang, Dongjie; Flanagan, Bernadine; Stokes, Jason R.; Gidley, Michael J.

    2015-01-01

    Hemicelluloses exhibit a range of interactions with cellulose, the mechanical consequences of which in plant cell walls are incompletely understood. We report the mechanical properties of cell wall analogues based on cellulose hydrogels to elucidate the contribution of xyloglucan or arabinoxylan as examples of two hemicelluloses displaying different interactions with cellulose. We subjected the hydrogels to mechanical pressures to emulate the compressive stresses experienced by cell walls in planta. Our results revealed that the presence of either hemicellulose increased the resistance to compression at fast strain rates. However, at slow strain rates, only xyloglucan increased composite strength. This behaviour could be explained considering the microstructure and the flow of water through the composites confirming their poroelastic nature. In contrast, small deformation oscillatory rheology showed that only xyloglucan decreased the elastic moduli. These results provide evidence for contrasting roles of different hemicelluloses in plant cell wall mechanics and man-made cellulose-based composite materials. PMID:25794048

  8. Cellulose biosynthesis in higher plants

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Krystyna Kudlicka

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Knowledge of the control and regulation of cellulose synthesis is fundamental to an understanding of plant development since cellulose is the primary structural component of plant cell walls. In vivo, the polymerization step requires a coordinated transport of substrates across membranes and relies on delicate orientations of the membrane-associated synthase complexes. Little is known about the properties of the enzyme complexes, and many questions about the biosynthesis of cell wall components at the cell surface still remain unanswered. Attempts to purify cellulose synthase from higher plants have not been successful because of the liability of enzymes upon isolation and lack of reliable in vitro assays. Membrane preparations from higher plant cells incorporate UDP-glucose into a glucan polymer, but this invariably turns out to be predominantly β -1,3-linked rather than β -1,4-linked glucans. Various hypotheses have been advanced to explain this phenomenon. One idea is that callose and cellulose-synthase systems are the same, but cell disruption activates callose synthesis preferentially. A second concept suggests that a regulatory protein as a part of the cellulose-synthase complex is rapidly degraded upon cell disruption. With new methods of enzyme isolation and analysis of the in vitro product, recent advances have been made in the isolation of an active synthase from the plasma membrane whereby cellulose synthase was separated from callose synthase.

  9. Nanofibrillated Cellulose (NFC: A High-Value Co-Product that Improves the Economics of Cellulosic Ethanol Production

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Qiong Song

    2014-02-01

    Full Text Available Cellulosic ethanol is a sustainable alternative to petroleum as a transportation fuel, which could be made biologically from agricultural and forestry residues, municipal waste, or herbaceous and woody crops. Instead of putting efforts on steps overcoming the natural resistance of plants to biological breakdown, our study proposes a unique pathway to improve the outcome of the process by co-producing high-value nanofibrillated cellulose (NFC, offering a new economic leverage for cellulosic ethanol to compete with fossil fuels in the near future. In this study, glucose has been produced by commercial enzymes while the residual solids are converted into NFC via sonification. Here, we report the morphology of fibers changed through the process and yield of glucose in the enzymatic hydrolysis step.

  10. Evolution of titanium residue on the walls of a plasma-etching reactor and its effect on the polysilicon etching rate

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hirota, Kosa, E-mail: hirota-kousa@sme.hitachi-hitec.com; Itabashi, Naoshi; Tanaka, Junichi [Hitachi, Ltd., Central Research Laboratory, 1-280, Higashi-Koigakubo, Kokubunji, Tokyo 185-8601 (Japan)

    2014-11-01

    The variation in polysilicon plasma etching rates caused by Ti residue on the reactor walls was investigated. The amount of Ti residue was measured using attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy with the HgCdTe (MCT) detector installed on the side of the reactor. As the amount of Ti residue increased, the number of fluorine radicals and the polysilicon etching rate increased. However, a maximum limit in the etching rate was observed. A mechanism of rate variation was proposed, whereby F radical consumption on the quartz reactor wall is suppressed by the Ti residue. The authors also investigated a plasma-cleaning method for the removal of Ti residue without using a BCl{sub 3} gas, because the reaction products (e.g., boron oxide) on the reactor walls frequently cause contamination of the product wafers during etching. CH-assisted chlorine cleaning, which is a combination of CHF{sub 3} and Cl{sub 2} plasma treatment, was found to effectively remove Ti residue from the reactor walls. This result shows that CH radicals play an important role in deoxidizing and/or defluorinating Ti residue on the reactor walls.

  11. Study of radial die-wall pressure changes during pharmaceutical powder compaction.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abdel-Hamid, Sameh; Betz, Gabriele

    2011-04-01

    In tablet manufacturing, less attention is paid to the measurement of die-wall pressure than to force-displacement diagrams. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate radial stress change during pharmaceutical compaction. The Presster(TM), a tablet-press replicator, was used to characterize compaction behavior of microcrystalline cellulose (viscoelastic), calcium hydrogen phosphate dihydrate (brittle), direct compressible mannitol (plastic), pre-gelatinized starch (plastic/elastic), and spray dried lactose monohydrate (plastic/brittle) by measuring radial die-wall pressure; therefore powders were compacted at different (pre) compaction pressures as well as different speeds. Residual die-wall pressure (RDP) and maximum die-wall pressure (MDP) were measured. Various tablet physical properties were correlated to radial die-wall pressure. With increasing compaction pressure, RDP and MDP (P compaction behavior of materials and detecting friction phenomena in the early stage of development.

  12. Heterologous Expression of Plant Cell Wall Degrading Enzymes for Effective Production of Cellulosic Biofuels

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jung, Sang-Kyu; Parisutham, Vinuselvi; Jeong, Seong Hun; Lee, Sung Kuk

    2012-01-01

    A major technical challenge in the cost-effective production of cellulosic biofuel is the need to lower the cost of plant cell wall degrading enzymes (PCDE), which is required for the production of sugars from biomass. Several competitive, low-cost technologies have been developed to produce PCDE in different host organisms such as Escherichia coli, Zymomonas mobilis, and plant. Selection of an ideal host organism is very important, because each host organism has its own unique features. Synthetic biology-aided tools enable heterologous expression of PCDE in recombinant E. coli or Z. mobilis and allow successful consolidated bioprocessing (CBP) in these microorganisms. In-planta expression provides an opportunity to simplify the process of enzyme production and plant biomass processing and leads to self-deconstruction of plant cell walls. Although the future of currently available technologies is difficult to predict, a complete and viable platform will most likely be available through the integration of the existing approaches with the development of breakthrough technologies. PMID:22911272

  13. Emerging Technologies for the Production of Renewable Liquid Transport Fuels from Biomass Sources Enriched in Plant Cell Walls

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hwei-Ting Tan

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available Plant cell walls are composed predominantly of cellulose, a range of non-cellulosic polysaccharides and lignin. The walls account for a large proportion not only of crop residues such as wheat straw and sugarcane bagasse, but also of residues of the timber industry and specialist grasses and other plants being grown specifically for biofuel production. The polysaccharide components of plant cell walls have long been recognized as an extraordinarily large source of fermentable sugars that might be used for the production of bioethanol and other renewable liquid transport fuels. Estimates place annual plant cellulose production from captured light energy in the order of hundreds of billions of tonnes. Lignin is synthesised in the same order of magnitude and, as a very large polymer of phenylpropanoid residues, lignin is also an abundant, high energy macromolecule. However, one of the major functions of these cell wall constituents in plants is to provide the extreme tensile and compressive strengths that enable plants to resist the forces of gravity and a broad range of other mechanical forces. Over millions of years these wall constituents have evolved under natural selection to generate extremely tough and resilient biomaterials. The rapid degradation of these tough cell wall composites to fermentable sugars is therefore a difficult task and has significantly slowed the development of a viable lignocellulose-based biofuels industry. However, good progress has been made in overcoming this so-called recalcitrance of lignocellulosic feedstocks for the biofuels industry, through modifications to the lignocellulose itself, innovative pre-treatments of the biomass, improved enzymes and the development of superior yeasts and other microorganisms for the fermentation process. Nevertheless, it has been argued that bioethanol might not be the best or only biofuel that can be generated from lignocellulosic biomass sources and that hydrocarbons with

  14. Emerging Technologies for the Production of Renewable Liquid Transport Fuels from Biomass Sources Enriched in Plant Cell Walls

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tan, Hwei-Ting; Corbin, Kendall R.; Fincher, Geoffrey B.

    2016-01-01

    Plant cell walls are composed predominantly of cellulose, a range of non-cellulosic polysaccharides and lignin. The walls account for a large proportion not only of crop residues such as wheat straw and sugarcane bagasse, but also of residues of the timber industry and specialist grasses and other plants being grown specifically for biofuel production. The polysaccharide components of plant cell walls have long been recognized as an extraordinarily large source of fermentable sugars that might be used for the production of bioethanol and other renewable liquid transport fuels. Estimates place annual plant cellulose production from captured light energy in the order of hundreds of billions of tons. Lignin is synthesized in the same order of magnitude and, as a very large polymer of phenylpropanoid residues, lignin is also an abundant, high energy macromolecule. However, one of the major functions of these cell wall constituents in plants is to provide the extreme tensile and compressive strengths that enable plants to resist the forces of gravity and a broad range of other mechanical forces. Over millions of years these wall constituents have evolved under natural selection to generate extremely tough and resilient biomaterials. The rapid degradation of these tough cell wall composites to fermentable sugars is therefore a difficult task and has significantly slowed the development of a viable lignocellulose-based biofuels industry. However, good progress has been made in overcoming this so-called recalcitrance of lignocellulosic feedstocks for the biofuels industry, through modifications to the lignocellulose itself, innovative pre-treatments of the biomass, improved enzymes and the development of superior yeasts and other microorganisms for the fermentation process. Nevertheless, it has been argued that bioethanol might not be the best or only biofuel that can be generated from lignocellulosic biomass sources and that hydrocarbons with intrinsically higher energy

  15. Enhanced Cellulose Degradation Using Cellulase-Nanosphere Complexes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Blanchette, Craig; Lacayo, Catherine I.; Fischer, Nicholas O.; Hwang, Mona; Thelen, Michael P.

    2012-01-01

    Enzyme catalyzed conversion of plant biomass to sugars is an inherently inefficient process, and one of the major factors limiting economical biofuel production. This is due to the physical barrier presented by polymers in plant cell walls, including semi-crystalline cellulose, to soluble enzyme accessibility. In contrast to the enzymes currently used in industry, bacterial cellulosomes organize cellulases and other proteins in a scaffold structure, and are highly efficient in degrading cellulose. To mimic this clustered assembly of enzymes, we conjugated cellulase obtained from Trichoderma viride to polystyrene nanospheres (cellulase:NS) and tested the hydrolytic activity of this complex on cellulose substrates from purified and natural sources. Cellulase:NS and free cellulase were equally active on soluble carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC); however, the complexed enzyme displayed a higher affinity in its action on microcrystalline cellulose. Similarly, we found that the cellulase:NS complex was more efficient in degrading natural cellulose structures in the thickened walls of cultured wood cells. These results suggest that nanoparticle-bound enzymes can improve catalytic efficiency on physically intractable substrates. We discuss the potential for further enhancement of cellulose degradation by physically clustering combinations of different glycosyl hydrolase enzymes, and applications for using cellulase:NS complexes in biofuel production. PMID:22870287

  16. Enhanced cellulose degradation using cellulase-nanosphere complexes.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Craig Blanchette

    Full Text Available Enzyme catalyzed conversion of plant biomass to sugars is an inherently inefficient process, and one of the major factors limiting economical biofuel production. This is due to the physical barrier presented by polymers in plant cell walls, including semi-crystalline cellulose, to soluble enzyme accessibility. In contrast to the enzymes currently used in industry, bacterial cellulosomes organize cellulases and other proteins in a scaffold structure, and are highly efficient in degrading cellulose. To mimic this clustered assembly of enzymes, we conjugated cellulase obtained from Trichoderma viride to polystyrene nanospheres (cellulase:NS and tested the hydrolytic activity of this complex on cellulose substrates from purified and natural sources. Cellulase:NS and free cellulase were equally active on soluble carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC; however, the complexed enzyme displayed a higher affinity in its action on microcrystalline cellulose. Similarly, we found that the cellulase:NS complex was more efficient in degrading natural cellulose structures in the thickened walls of cultured wood cells. These results suggest that nanoparticle-bound enzymes can improve catalytic efficiency on physically intractable substrates. We discuss the potential for further enhancement of cellulose degradation by physically clustering combinations of different glycosyl hydrolase enzymes, and applications for using cellulase:NS complexes in biofuel production.

  17. Enhanced cellulose degradation using cellulase-nanosphere complexes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Blanchette, Craig; Lacayo, Catherine I; Fischer, Nicholas O; Hwang, Mona; Thelen, Michael P

    2012-01-01

    Enzyme catalyzed conversion of plant biomass to sugars is an inherently inefficient process, and one of the major factors limiting economical biofuel production. This is due to the physical barrier presented by polymers in plant cell walls, including semi-crystalline cellulose, to soluble enzyme accessibility. In contrast to the enzymes currently used in industry, bacterial cellulosomes organize cellulases and other proteins in a scaffold structure, and are highly efficient in degrading cellulose. To mimic this clustered assembly of enzymes, we conjugated cellulase obtained from Trichoderma viride to polystyrene nanospheres (cellulase:NS) and tested the hydrolytic activity of this complex on cellulose substrates from purified and natural sources. Cellulase:NS and free cellulase were equally active on soluble carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC); however, the complexed enzyme displayed a higher affinity in its action on microcrystalline cellulose. Similarly, we found that the cellulase:NS complex was more efficient in degrading natural cellulose structures in the thickened walls of cultured wood cells. These results suggest that nanoparticle-bound enzymes can improve catalytic efficiency on physically intractable substrates. We discuss the potential for further enhancement of cellulose degradation by physically clustering combinations of different glycosyl hydrolase enzymes, and applications for using cellulase:NS complexes in biofuel production.

  18. Probing crystallinity of never-dried wood cellulose with Raman spectroscopy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Umesh P. Agarwal; Sally A. Ralph; Richard S. Reiner; Carlos Baez

    2016-01-01

    The structure of wood cell wall cellulose in its native state remains poorly understood, limiting the progress of research and development in numerous areas, including plant science, biofuels, and nanocellulose based materials. It is generally believed that cellulose in cell wall microfibrils has both crystalline and amorphous regions. However, there is evidence that...

  19. Xyloglucan Deficiency Disrupts Microtubule Stability and Cellulose Biosynthesis in Arabidopsis, Altering Cell Growth and Morphogenesis

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Xiao, Chaowen; Zhang, Tian; Zheng, Yunzhen; Cosgrove, Daniel J.; Anderson, Charles T.

    2015-11-02

    Xyloglucan constitutes most of the hemicellulose in eudicot primary cell walls and functions in cell wall structure and mechanics. Although Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) xxt1 xxt2 mutants lacking detectable xyloglucan are viable, they display growth defects that are suggestive of alterations in wall integrity. To probe the mechanisms underlying these defects, we analyzed cellulose arrangement, microtubule patterning and dynamics, microtubule- and wall-integrity-related gene expression, and cellulose biosynthesis in xxt1 xxt2 plants. We found that cellulose is highly aligned in xxt1 xxt2 cell walls, that its three-dimensional distribution is altered, and that microtubule patterning and stability are aberrant in etiolated xxt1 xxt2 hypocotyls. We also found that the expression levels of microtubule-associated genes, such as MAP70-5 and CLASP, and receptor genes, such as HERK1 and WAK1, were changed in xxt1 xxt2 plants and that cellulose synthase motility is reduced in xxt1 xxt2 cells, corresponding with a reduction in cellulose content. Our results indicate that loss of xyloglucan affects both the stability of the microtubule cytoskeleton and the production and patterning of cellulose in primary cell walls. These findings establish, to our knowledge, new links between wall integrity, cytoskeletal dynamics, and wall synthesis in the regulation of plant morphogenesis.

  20. Paper Actuators Made with Cellulose and Hybrid Materials

    OpenAIRE

    Kim, Jaehwan; Yun, Sungryul; Mahadeva, Suresha K.; Yun, Kiju; Yang, Sang Yeol; Maniruzzaman, Mohammad

    2010-01-01

    Recently, cellulose has been re-discovered as a smart material that can be used as sensor and actuator materials, which is termed electro-active paper (EAPap). This paper reports recent advances in paper actuators made with cellulose and hybrid materials such as multi-walled carbon nanotubes, conducting polymers and ionic liquids. Two distinct actuator principles in EAPap actuators are demonstrated: piezoelectric effect and ion migration effect in cellulose. Piezoelectricity of cellulose EAPa...

  1. Characterization of Cellulose Synthesis in Plant Cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Maleki, Samaneh Sadat; Mohammadi, Kourosh; Ji, Kong-shu

    2016-01-01

    Cellulose is the most significant structural component of plant cell wall. Cellulose, polysaccharide containing repeated unbranched β (1-4) D-glucose units, is synthesized at the plasma membrane by the cellulose synthase complex (CSC) from bacteria to plants. The CSC is involved in biosynthesis of cellulose microfibrils containing 18 cellulose synthase (CesA) proteins. Macrofibrils can be formed with side by side arrangement of microfibrils. In addition, beside CesA, various proteins like the KORRIGAN, sucrose synthase, cytoskeletal components, and COBRA-like proteins have been involved in cellulose biosynthesis. Understanding the mechanisms of cellulose biosynthesis is of great importance not only for improving wood production in economically important forest trees to mankind but also for plant development. This review article covers the current knowledge about the cellulose biosynthesis-related gene family. PMID:27314060

  2. Characterization of Cellulose Synthesis in Plant Cells

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Samaneh Sadat Maleki

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Cellulose is the most significant structural component of plant cell wall. Cellulose, polysaccharide containing repeated unbranched β (1-4 D-glucose units, is synthesized at the plasma membrane by the cellulose synthase complex (CSC from bacteria to plants. The CSC is involved in biosynthesis of cellulose microfibrils containing 18 cellulose synthase (CesA proteins. Macrofibrils can be formed with side by side arrangement of microfibrils. In addition, beside CesA, various proteins like the KORRIGAN, sucrose synthase, cytoskeletal components, and COBRA-like proteins have been involved in cellulose biosynthesis. Understanding the mechanisms of cellulose biosynthesis is of great importance not only for improving wood production in economically important forest trees to mankind but also for plant development. This review article covers the current knowledge about the cellulose biosynthesis-related gene family.

  3. Functional and modular analyses of diverse endoglucanases from Ruminococcus albus 8, a specialist plant cell wall degrading bacterium.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Iakiviak, Michael; Devendran, Saravanan; Skorupski, Anna; Moon, Young Hwan; Mackie, Roderick I; Cann, Isaac

    2016-07-21

    Ruminococcus albus 8 is a specialist plant cell wall degrading ruminal bacterium capable of utilizing hemicellulose and cellulose. Cellulose degradation requires a suite of enzymes including endoglucanases, exoglucanases, and β-glucosidases. The enzymes employed by R. albus 8 in degrading cellulose are yet to be completely elucidated. Through bioinformatic analysis of a draft genome sequence of R. albus 8, seventeen putatively cellulolytic genes were identified. The genes were heterologously expressed in E. coli, and purified to near homogeneity. On biochemical analysis with cellulosic substrates, seven of the gene products (Ra0185, Ra0259, Ra0325, Ra0903, Ra1831, Ra2461, and Ra2535) were identified as endoglucanases, releasing predominantly cellobiose and cellotriose. Each of the R. albus 8 endoglucanases, except for Ra0259 and Ra0325, bound to the model crystalline cellulose Avicel, confirming functional carbohydrate binding modules (CBMs). The polypeptides for Ra1831 and Ra2535 were found to contain distantly related homologs of CBM65. Mutational analysis of residues within the CBM65 of Ra1831 identified key residues required for binding. Phylogenetic analysis of the endoglucanases revealed three distinct subfamilies of glycoside hydrolase family 5 (GH5). Our results demonstrate that this fibrolytic bacterium uses diverse GH5 catalytic domains appended with different CBMs, including novel forms of CBM65, to degrade cellulose.

  4. Vibrational sum frequency generation (SFG) spectroscopic study of crystalline cellulose in biomass

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Seong H.; Lee, Christopher M.; Kafle, Kabindra; Park, Yong Bum; Xi, Xiaoning

    2013-09-01

    The noncentrosymmetry requirement of sum frequency generation (SFG) spectroscopy allows selective detection of crystalline cellulose in plant cell walls and lignocellulose biomass without spectral interferences from hemicelluloses and lignin. In addition, the phase synchronization requirement of the SFG process allows noninvasive investigation of spatial arrangement of crystalline cellulose microfibrils in the sample. This paper reviews how these principles are applied to reveal structural information of crystalline cellulose in plant cell walls and biomass.

  5. Cellulose-Hemicellulose Interactions at Elevated Temperatures Increase Cellulose Recalcitrance to Biological Conversion

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mittal, Ashutosh [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Himmel, Michael E [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Kumar, Rajeev [University of California, Riverside; Oak Ridge National Laboratory; ; Smith, Micholas Dean [Oak Ridge National Laboratory; University of Tennessee; Petridis, Loukas [Oak Ridge National Laboratory; University of Tennessee; Ong, Rebecca G. [Michigan Technological University; Cai, Charles M. [University of California, Riverside; Oak Ridge National Laboratory; Balan, Venkatesh [University of Houston; Dale, Bruce E. [Michigan State University; Ragauskas, Arthur J. [Oak Ridge National Laboratory; University of Tennessee; Smith, Jeremy C. [Oak Ridge National Laboratory; University of Tennessee; Wyman, Charles E. [University of California, Riverside; Oak Ridge National Laboratory

    2018-01-23

    It has been previously shown that cellulose-lignin droplets' strong interactions, resulting from lignin coalescence and redisposition on cellulose surface during thermochemical pretreatments, increase cellulose recalcitrance to biological conversion, especially at commercially viable low enzyme loadings. However, information on the impact of cellulose-hemicellulose interactions on cellulose recalcitrance following relevant pretreatment conditions are scarce. Here, to investigate the effects of plausible hemicellulose precipitation and re-association with cellulose on cellulose conversion, different pretreatments were applied to pure Avicel(R) PH101 cellulose alone and Avicel mixed with model hemicellulose compounds followed by enzymatic hydrolysis of resulting solids at both low and high enzyme loadings. Solids produced by pretreatment of Avicel mixed with hemicelluloses (AMH) were found to contain about 2 to 14.6% of exogenous, precipitated hemicelluloses and showed a remarkably much lower digestibility (up to 60%) than their respective controls. However, the exogenous hemicellulosic residues that associated with Avicel following high temperature pretreatments resulted in greater losses in cellulose conversion than those formed at low temperatures, suggesting that temperature plays a strong role in the strength of cellulose-hemicellulose association. Molecular dynamics simulations of hemicellulosic xylan and cellulose were found to further support this temperature effect as the xylan-cellulose interactions were found to substantially increase at elevated temperatures. Furthermore, exogenous, precipitated hemicelluloses in pretreated AMH solids resulted in a larger drop in cellulose conversion than the delignified lignocellulosic biomass containing comparably much higher natural hemicellulose amounts. Increased cellulase loadings or supplementation of cellulase with xylanases enhanced cellulose conversion for most pretreated AMH solids; however, this approach

  6. [Pretreatment of oil palm residues by dilute alkali for cellulosic ethanol production].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Haiyan; Zhou, Yujie; Li, Jinping; Dai, Lingmei; Liu, Dehua; Zhang, Jian'an; Choo, Yuen May; Loh, Soh Kheang

    2013-04-01

    In the study, we used oil palm residues (empty fruit bunch, EFB) as raw material to produce cellulosic ethanol by pretreatment, enzymatic hydrolysis and fermentation. Firstly, the pretreatment of EFB with alkali, alkali/hydrogen peroxide and the effects on the components and enzymatic hydrolysis of cellulose were studied. The results show that dilute alkali was the suitable pretreatment method and the conditions were first to soak the substrate with 1% sodium hydroxide with a solid-liquid ratio of 1:10 at 40 degrees C for 24 h, and then subjected to 121 degrees C for 30 min. Under the conditions, EFB solid recovery was 74.09%, and glucan, xylan and lignin content were 44.08%, 25.74% and 13.89%, respectively. After separated with alkali solution, the pretreated EFB was washed and hydrolyzed for 72 h with 5% substrate concentration and 30 FPU/g dry mass (DM) enzyme loading, and the conversion of glucan and xylan reached 84.44% and 89.28%, respectively. We further investigated the effects of substrate concentration and enzyme loading on enzymatic hydrolysis and ethanol batch simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF). The results show that when enzyme loading was 30 FPU/g DM and substrate concentration was increased from 5% to 25%, ethanol concentration were 9.76 g/L and 35.25 g/L after 72 h fermentation with Saccharomyces cerevisiae (inoculum size 5%, V/V), which was 79.09% and 56.96% of ethanol theory yield.

  7. Autoradiographic investigations of cell wall development. 1. Tritiated glucose assimilation in relation to cellulose and hemicellulose deposition

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Fujita, M; Harada, H [Kyoto Univ. (Japan). Faculty of Agriculture

    1978-07-01

    Light microscopic and electron microscopic autoradiography, using D-glucose-6/sup 3/-H, were employed to the study of the differentiating compression wood tracheids which had been examined in an earlier series of studied. From this work, it could be demonstrated that: (1) In cells depositing S/sub 1/, the radioactivity was heavily or strongly incorporated into S/sub 1/. (2) Its incorporation was temporarily decreased and was scattered throughout the wall and cytoplasm in the transitional cells during S/sub 1/ to S/sub 2/ development. (3) The radioactivity was abundantly and specifically concentrated on the inner surface region of the developing S/sub 2/ while rarely taken up in the cytoplasm, in cells with a rapidly thickening S/sub 2/. (4) In the transitional cells going from the S/sub 2/ thickening stage to the secondary wall lignification stage, it was again dispersed in the interior of S/sub 2/ and in the cytoplasm besides the inner surface of S/sub 2/. (5) Thereafter, the incorporation decrease sharply in the secondary-wall-lignifying cells. The sequences of secondary wall development depending on cellulose and hemicellulose deposition are discussed in relation to the above observations.

  8. Cellulose nanocrystal properties and their applications

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    mahdi jonoobi

    2015-05-01

    Full Text Available The main purpose of this work is to provide an overview of recent research in the area of cellulose nonmaterials production from different sources. Due to their abundance, their renewability, high strength and stiffness, being eco-friendly, and low weight; numerous studies have been reported on the isolation of cellulose nanomaterials from different cellulosic sources and their use in high performance applications. This work covers an introduction into the nano cellulose definition as well as used methods for isolation of nanomaterials (nanocrystals from various sources. The rod-like cellulose nanocrystals (CNC can be isolated from sources like wood, plant fibers, agriculture and industrial bio residues, tunicates, and bacterial cellulose using acid hydrolysis process. Following this, the paper focused on characterization methods, materials properties and structure. The current review is a comprehensive literature regarding the nano cellulose isolation and demonstrates the potential of cellulose nanomaterials to be used in a wide range of high-tech applications.

  9. Cellulose insulation as an air barrier

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Manning, K.

    1989-10-01

    The objective of this study was to determine if a wet sprayed cellulose wall insulation system would function satisfactorily without use of a polyethylene air/vapour barrier. The research was designed to demonstrate that this particular insulation system would form enough of a barrier to air leakage, that moisture accumulation from condensation and vapour diffusion would be insignificant. Field work conducted in Alberta, involved construction of a conventional duplex housing unit which was insulated with wet sprayed cellulose in the exterior walls and dry loose-fill cellulose in the attic areas. One half of the unit did not have a polyethylene air/vapor barrier installed. Air leakage and exterior wall moisture levels were monitored for a year following construction. Data collected during this time indicated that the moisture added to the walls during the insulating process was dissipated over the study period. The presence of polyethylene sheeting had no significant effect on the moisture levels in either the wall or attic areas of the test structure. On the other hand, testing indicated that the use of polyethylene sheeting in the wall system did serve to improve blower door air test results. In conclusion, although the air leakage resistance apparently provided by the polyethylene sheeting is significant, the amount is probably not more than could otherwise be obtained by more careful attention to sealing procedures such as those used in the airtight drywall technique. A more important finding is that the use of polyethylene sheeting is not essential in a structure which has the degree of air leakage resistance provided by the insulation system used in this project. 6 figs., 2 tabs.

  10. Standard practice for estimating the approximate residual circumferential stress in straight thin-walled tubing

    CERN Document Server

    American Society for Testing and Materials. Philadelphia

    2007-01-01

    1.1 A qualitative estimate of the residual circumferential stress in thin-walled tubing may be calculated from the change in outside diameter that occurs upon splitting a length of the tubing. This practice assumes a linear stress distribution through the tube wall thickness and will not provide an estimate of local stress distributions such as surface stresses. (Very high local residual stress gradients are common at the surface of metal tubing due to cold drawing, peening, grinding, etc.) The Hatfield and Thirkell formula, as later modified by Sachs and Espey, provides a simple method for calculating the approximate circumferential stress from the change in diameter of straight, thin-walled, metal tubing. 1.2 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

  11. Cellulose degradation: a therapeutic strategy in the improved treatment of Acanthamoeba infections.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lakhundi, Sahreena; Siddiqui, Ruqaiyyah; Khan, Naveed Ahmed

    2015-01-14

    Acanthamoeba is an opportunistic free-living amoeba that can cause blinding keratitis and fatal brain infection. Early diagnosis, followed by aggressive treatment is a pre-requisite in the successful treatment but even then the prognosis remains poor. A major drawback during the course of treatment is the ability of the amoeba to enclose itself within a shell (a process known as encystment), making it resistant to chemotherapeutic agents. As the cyst wall is partly made of cellulose, thus cellulose degradation offers a potential therapeutic strategy in the effective targeting of trophozoite encased within the cyst walls. Here, we present a comprehensive report on the structure of cellulose and cellulases, as well as known cellulose degradation mechanisms with an eye to target the Acanthamoeba cyst wall. The disruption of the cyst wall will make amoeba (concealed within) susceptible to chemotherapeutic agents, and at the very least inhibition of the excystment process will impede infection recurrence, as we bring these promising drug targets into focus so that they can be explored to their fullest.

  12. Assessing mechanical deconstruction of softwood cell wall for cellulosic biofuels production

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jiang, Jinxue

    microscopy analysis detailed the structural alternation of cell wall during mechanical process, including cell fracture and delamination, ultrastructure disintegration, and cell wall fragments amorphization, as coincident with the particle size reduction. It was confirmed with Simons' staining that longer milling time resulted in increased substrate accessibility and porosity. The changes in cellulose molecular structure with respect to degree of polymerization (DP) and crystallinity index (CrI) also benefited to decreasing recalcitrance and facilitating enzymatic hydrolysis of micronized wood.

  13. Biomass digestibility is predominantly affected by three factors of wall polymer features distinctive in wheat accessions and rice mutants

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-01-01

    Background Wheat and rice are important food crops with enormous biomass residues for biofuels. However, lignocellulosic recalcitrance becomes a crucial factor on biomass process. Plant cell walls greatly determine biomass recalcitrance, thus it is essential to identify their key factors on lignocellulose saccharification. Despite it has been reported about cell wall factors on biomass digestions, little is known in wheat and rice. In this study, we analyzed nine typical pairs of wheat and rice samples that exhibited distinct cell wall compositions, and identified three major factors of wall polymer features that affected biomass digestibility. Results Based on cell wall compositions, ten wheat accessions and three rice mutants were classified into three distinct groups each with three typical pairs. In terms of group I that displayed single wall polymer alternations in wheat, we found that three wall polymer levels (cellulose, hemicelluloses and lignin) each had a negative effect on biomass digestibility at similar rates under pretreatments of NaOH and H2SO4 with three concentrations. However, analysis of six pairs of wheat and rice samples in groups II and III that each exhibited a similar cell wall composition, indicated that three wall polymer levels were not the major factors on biomass saccharification. Furthermore, in-depth detection of the wall polymer features distinctive in rice mutants, demonstrated that biomass digestibility was remarkably affected either negatively by cellulose crystallinity (CrI) of raw biomass materials, or positively by both Ara substitution degree of non-KOH-extractable hemicelluloses (reverse Xyl/Ara) and p-coumaryl alcohol relative proportion of KOH-extractable lignin (H/G). Correlation analysis indicated that Ara substitution degree and H/G ratio negatively affected cellulose crystallinity for high biomass enzymatic digestion. It was also suggested to determine whether Ara and H monomer have an interlinking with cellulose chains

  14. Genome-Wide Association Mapping for Cell Wall Composition and Properties in Temperate Grasses

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bellucci, Andrea

    with a wide range of chemical bounds. At present the interest in plant cell wall is growing due to the possibility to convert ligno-cellulosic biomass (e.g. agricultural residues) into bioethanol but also for the benefits to human health of some cell wall constituents found in cereals, in particular beta......-glucans. Plant cell wall biosynthesis is regulated by a large number of genes and regulatory factors but very few of these are known and characterized. This PhD project aimed to the identification of putative candidate genes involved in plant cell wall composition and properties using a genome wide (GWAS......) approach. The species investigate were wheat, barley and B. distachyon, considered a model plant for temperate cereals. Agronomical traits as yield and plant height were also included in the analysis along with cell wall composition and saccharification properties. Several marker-trait associations were...

  15. Pulping and papermaking properties of the leaf fiber and fibrous residue from Agave tequilana

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kurita, T.; Mitsuhashi, S.; Kanetsuna, H.; Iguchi, M.; Shirota, T.; Trujillo, J.J.; Herrera, T.

    1981-01-01

    The leaves and fibrous residue of A. tequilana had fibriles with parallel orientation and helical arrangement to the fiber axis and contained fibers in average length and width of 1.7 mm and 10.3 mu m and 0.8 mm and 25.5 mu m, respectively. The cell wall in leaves was thicker and narrower than those in fibrous residue, and leaves contained cellulose and lignin lower than fibrous residue did. Alkali sulfite cooking of leaves gave pulp, the yield of which was lower than that from fibrous residue. The H/sub 2/On retention and bulk density of leaf pulps increased rapidly on beating suggesting that an internal fibrillation in pulp occurs easily during beating. The breaking length and burst and tear factors of paper from leaf pulp were higher than those from fibrous residue.

  16. Hydration Control of the Mechanical and Dynamical Properties of Cellulose

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Petridis, Loukas; O’Neill, Hugh M.; Johnsen, Mariah [Ripon College, Ripon, Wisconsin 54971, United States; Fan, Bingxin [Department; Schulz, Roland [Department; Mamontov, Eugene; Maranas, Janna [Department; Langan, Paul [Department; Smith, Jeremy C. [Department

    2014-10-13

    The mechanical and dynamical properties of cellulose, the most abundant biomolecule on earth, are essential for its function in plant cell walls and advanced biomaterials. Cellulose is almost always found in a hydrated state, and it is therefore important to understand how hydration influences its dynamics and mechanics. Here, the nanosecond-time scale dynamics of cellulose is characterized using dynamic neutron scattering experiments and molecular dynamics (MD) simulation. The experiments reveal that hydrated samples exhibit a higher average mean-square displacement above ~240 K. The MD simulation reveals that the fluctuations of the surface hydroxymethyl atoms determine the experimental temperature and hydration dependence. The increase in the conformational disorder of the surface hydroxymethyl groups with temperature follows the cellulose persistence length, suggesting a coupling between structural and mechanical properties of the biopolymer. In the MD simulation, 20% hydrated cellulose is more rigid than the dry form, due to more closely packed cellulose chains and water molecules bridging cellulose monomers with hydrogen bonds. This finding may have implications for understanding the origin of strength and rigidity of secondary plant cell walls. The detailed characterization obtained here describes how hydration-dependent increased fluctuations and hydroxymethyl disorder at the cellulose surface lead to enhancement of the rigidity of this important biomolecule.

  17. Cytocompatible cellulose hydrogels containing trace lignin

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nakasone, Kazuki; Kobayashi, Takaomi

    2016-01-01

    Sugarcane bagasse was used as a cellulose resource to prepare transparent and flexible cellulose hydrogel films. On the purification process from bagasse to cellulose, the effect of lignin residues in the cellulose was examined for the properties and cytocompatibility of the resultant hydrogel films. The cellulose was dissolved in lithium chloride/N,N-dimethylacetamide solution and converted to hydrogel films by phase inversion. In the purification process, sodium hydroxide (NaOH) treatment time was changed from 1 to 12 h. This resulted in cellulose hydrogel films having small amounts of lignin from 1.62 to 0.68%. The remaining lignin greatly affected hydrogel properties. Water content of the hydrogel films was increased from 1153 to 1525% with a decrease of lignin content. Moreover, lower lignin content caused weakening of tensile strength from 0.80 to 0.43 N/mm"2 and elongation from 45.2 to 26.5%. Also, similar tendency was observed in viscoelastic behavior of the cellulose hydrogel films. Evidence was shown that the lignin residue was effective for the high strength of the hydrogel films. In addition, scanning probe microscopy in the morphological observation was suggested that the trace lignin in the cellulose hydrogel affected the cellulose fiber aggregation in the hydrogel network. The trace of lignin in the hydrogels also influenced fibroblast cell culture on the hydrogel films. The hydrogel film containing 1.68% lignin showed better fibroblast compatibility as compared to cell culture polystyrene dish used as reference. - Highlights: • Cellulose hydrogel films with trace lignin were obtained from sugarcane bagasse. • Lignin content was found to be in the range of 1.62 − 0.68% by UV–Vis spectroscopy. • Higher lignin content strengthened mechanical properties of the hydrogel films. • Trace lignin affected the hydrogel morphology such as roughness and porosity. • High cell proliferation was observed in the hydrogel containing 1.68% lignin.

  18. Cytocompatible cellulose hydrogels containing trace lignin

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Nakasone, Kazuki; Kobayashi, Takaomi, E-mail: takaomi@nagaoakut.ac.jp

    2016-07-01

    Sugarcane bagasse was used as a cellulose resource to prepare transparent and flexible cellulose hydrogel films. On the purification process from bagasse to cellulose, the effect of lignin residues in the cellulose was examined for the properties and cytocompatibility of the resultant hydrogel films. The cellulose was dissolved in lithium chloride/N,N-dimethylacetamide solution and converted to hydrogel films by phase inversion. In the purification process, sodium hydroxide (NaOH) treatment time was changed from 1 to 12 h. This resulted in cellulose hydrogel films having small amounts of lignin from 1.62 to 0.68%. The remaining lignin greatly affected hydrogel properties. Water content of the hydrogel films was increased from 1153 to 1525% with a decrease of lignin content. Moreover, lower lignin content caused weakening of tensile strength from 0.80 to 0.43 N/mm{sup 2} and elongation from 45.2 to 26.5%. Also, similar tendency was observed in viscoelastic behavior of the cellulose hydrogel films. Evidence was shown that the lignin residue was effective for the high strength of the hydrogel films. In addition, scanning probe microscopy in the morphological observation was suggested that the trace lignin in the cellulose hydrogel affected the cellulose fiber aggregation in the hydrogel network. The trace of lignin in the hydrogels also influenced fibroblast cell culture on the hydrogel films. The hydrogel film containing 1.68% lignin showed better fibroblast compatibility as compared to cell culture polystyrene dish used as reference. - Highlights: • Cellulose hydrogel films with trace lignin were obtained from sugarcane bagasse. • Lignin content was found to be in the range of 1.62 − 0.68% by UV–Vis spectroscopy. • Higher lignin content strengthened mechanical properties of the hydrogel films. • Trace lignin affected the hydrogel morphology such as roughness and porosity. • High cell proliferation was observed in the hydrogel containing 1.68% lignin.

  19. Isolation and characterization of cellulose nanofibers from bamboo using microwave liquefaction combined with chemical treatment and ultrasonication

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jiulong Xie; Chung Hse; Cornelis F. De Hoop; Tingxing Hu; Jinqiu Qi; Todd F. Shupe

    2016-01-01

    Cellulose nanofibers were successfully isolated from bamboo using microwave liquefaction combinedwith chemical treatment and ultrasonic nanofibrillation processes. The microwave liquefaction couldeliminate almost all the lignin in bamboo, resulting in high cellulose content residues within 7 min, andthe cellulose enriched residues could be readily purified by...

  20. The effect of a self-balancing through wall residual stress distribution on the extension of a through-wall crack in a pressure vessel

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Smith, E.

    1993-01-01

    Leak-before-break arguments for pressurized components involve a comparison of the critical size of crack that will grow unstably under accident loadings and the critical leakage crack size for normal operation loadings. The paper is concerned with the former crack size and particularly with regard to the effect of residual stresses on the critical unstable crack size. Results from an analysis of a simple simulation model are used to provide underpinning for the view, expressed by Green and Knowles at the 1992 American Society of Mechanical Engineers Pressure Vessel and Piping Conference, that self-balancing through-wall residual stresses have little overall effect on the extension of a through-wall crack in a pressure vessel

  1. Paper actuators made with cellulose and hybrid materials.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Jaehwan; Yun, Sungryul; Mahadeva, Suresha K; Yun, Kiju; Yang, Sang Yeol; Maniruzzaman, Mohammad

    2010-01-01

    Recently, cellulose has been re-discovered as a smart material that can be used as sensor and actuator materials, which is termed electro-active paper (EAPap). This paper reports recent advances in paper actuators made with cellulose and hybrid materials such as multi-walled carbon nanotubes, conducting polymers and ionic liquids. Two distinct actuator principles in EAPap actuators are demonstrated: piezoelectric effect and ion migration effect in cellulose. Piezoelectricity of cellulose EAPap is quite comparable with other piezoelectric polymers. But, it is biodegradable, biocompatible, mechanically strong and thermally stable. To enhance ion migration effect in the cellulose, polypyrrole conducting polymer and ionic liquids were nanocoated on the cellulose film. This hybrid cellulose EAPap nanocomposite exhibits durable bending actuation in an ambient humidity and temperature condition. Fabrication, characteristics and performance of the cellulose EAPap and its hybrid EAPap materials are illustrated. Also, its possibility for remotely microwave-driven paper actuator is demonstrated.

  2. Role of supramolecular cellulose structures in enzymatic hydrolysis of plant cell walls

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Thygesen, Lisbeth Garbrecht; Hidayat, Budi Juliman; Johansen, Katja Salomon

    2011-01-01

    The study of biomass deconstruction by enzymatic hydrolysis has hitherto not focussed on the importance of supramolecular structures of cellulose. In lignocellulose fibres, regions with a different organisation of the microfibrils are present. These regions are called dislocations or slip planes ...... the initial part of enzymatic hydrolysis of cellulose. The implications of this phenomenon have not yet been recognized or explored within cellulosic biofuels....

  3. Investigation of residual stresses in thick-walled vessels with combination of autofrettage and wire-winding

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sedighi, M.; Jabbari, A.H.

    2013-01-01

    Wire-winding and autofrettage processes can be used to introduce beneficial residual stress in the cylinder of thick-walled pressure vessels. In both techniques, internal residual compressive stress will increase internal pressure capacity, improve fatigue life and reduce fatigue crack initiation. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the effects of wire-winding on an autofrettaged thick-walled vessel. Direct method which is a modified Variable Material Properties (VMP) method has been used in order to calculate residual stresses in an autofrettaged vessel. Since wire-winding is done after autofrettage process, the tangent and/or Young's modulus could be changed. For this reason, a new wire-winding method based on Direct Method is introduced. The obtained results for wire-wound autofrettaged vessels are validated by finite element method. The results show that by using this approach, the residual hoop stresses in a wire-wound autofrettaged vessel have a more desirable distribution in the cylinder. -- Highlights: • Combination of autofrettage and wire-winding in pressure vessels has been presented. • A new method based on Direct method is presented for wire-winding process. • Residual hoop stresses are compared in vessels cylinders for different cases. • The residual hoop stress has a more desirable stress distribution. • The benefits of the combined vessel are highlighted in comparison with single cases

  4. Cellulase digestibility of pretreated biomass is limited by cellulose accessibility.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jeoh, Tina; Ishizawa, Claudia I; Davis, Mark F; Himmel, Michael E; Adney, William S; Johnson, David K

    2007-09-01

    Attempts to correlate the physical and chemical properties of biomass to its susceptibility to enzyme digestion are often inconclusive or contradictory depending on variables such as the type of substrate, the pretreatment conditions and measurement techniques. In this study, we present a direct method for measuring the key factors governing cellulose digestibility in a biomass sample by directly probing cellulase binding and activity using a purified cellobiohydrolase (Cel7A) from Trichoderma reesei. Fluorescence-labeled T. reesei Cel7A was used to assay pretreated corn stover samples and pure cellulosic substrates to identify barriers to accessibility by this important component of cellulase preparations. The results showed cellulose conversion improved when T. reesei Cel7A bound in higher concentrations, indicating that the enzyme had greater access to the substrate. Factors such as the pretreatment severity, drying after pretreatment, and cellulose crystallinity were found to directly impact enzyme accessibility. This study provides direct evidence to support the notion that the best pretreatment schemes for rendering biomass more digestible to cellobiohydrolase enzymes are those that improve access to the cellulose in biomass cell walls, as well as those able to reduce the crystallinity of cell wall cellulose.

  5. Enzymatic pulp upgrade for producing high-value cellulose out of a Kraft paper pulp.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hutterer, Christian; Kliba, Gerhard; Punz, Manuel; Fackler, Karin; Potthast, Antje

    2017-07-01

    The high-yield separation of polymeric parts from wood-derived lignocellulosic material is indispensable in biorefinery concepts. For the separation of cellulose and xylan from hardwood paper pulps to obtain pulps of high cellulose contents, simple alkaline extractions were found to be the most suitable technology, although having certain limitations. These are embodied by residual alkali resistant xylan incorporated in the pulp matrix. Further purification in order to produce pure cellulose with a low uniformity could be achieved selectively degrading residual xylan and depolymerizing the cellulose macromolecules by xylanase and cellulase. The latter help to adjust cellulose chain lengths for certain dissolving pulp grades while reducing the demand for ozone in subsequent TCF bleaching. Experiments applying different commercially available enzyme preparations revealed the dependency of xylanase performance on the residual xylan content in pulps being stimulated by additional cellulase usage. The action of the latter strongly depends on the cellulose allomorphy confirming the impact of the pulp morphology. Hence, the combined application of both types of enzymes offers a high potential for upgrading pulps in order to produce a pure and high-value cellulose product. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  6. Extraction and characterization of natural cellulose fibers from maize tassel

    CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

    Maepa, CE

    2015-04-01

    Full Text Available This article reports on the extraction and characterization of novel natural cellulose fibers obtained from the maize (tassel) plant. Cellulose was extracted from the agricultural residue (waste biomaterial) of maize tassel. The maize tassel fibers...

  7. Acid hydrolysis of sisal cellulose: studies aiming at nano fibers and bio ethanol preparation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Paula, Mauricio P. de; Lacerda, Talita M.; Zambon, Marcia D.; Frollini, Elisabete

    2009-01-01

    The hydrolysis of cellulose can result in nanofibers and also is an important stage in the bioethanol production process. In order to evaluate the influence of acid (sulfuric) concentration, temperature, and native cellulose (sisal) pretreatment on cellulose hydrolysis, the acid concentration was varied between 5% and 30% (v/v) in the temperature range from 60 to 100 deg C using native and alkali-treated (mercerized) sisal cellulose. The following techniques were used to evaluate the residual (non-hydrolysed) cellulose characteristics: viscometry, average degree of polymerization (DP), X-ray diffraction, crystallinity index, and Scanning Electron Microscopy. The sugar cane liquor was analyzed in terms of sugar composition, using High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC). The results showed that increasing the concentration of sulfuric acid and temperature afforded residual cellulose with lower molecular weight and, up to specific acid concentrations, higher crystallinity indexes, when compared to the original cellulose values, and increased the glucose (the bioethanol precursor ) production of the liquor, which was favored for mercerized cellulose. (author)

  8. Xylose-rich polysaccharides from the primary walls of embryogenic cell line of Pinus caribaea.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mollard, A; Domon, J M; David, H; Joseleau, J P

    1997-08-01

    Embryogenic cell lines of Pinus caribaea were isolated from somatic embryogenesis from zygotic embryos. Previous studies showed that the proteins and glycoproteins were characteristic of the embryogenic state. In the present work we were seeking typical feature in the polysaccharide from the cell walls of embryogenic calli at nine days of culture. Sequential extraction with water, ammonium oxalate, dimethyl sulfoxide, sodium borohydride and 4.3 M potassium hydroxide revealed that the extracted polysaccharides contained high proportions of arabinose and significant amounts of xylose. Fractionation of the hydrosoluble polymers on DEAE cellulose afforded a xylose-rich fraction (80% xylose, 24% glucose and lower properties of fucose and mannose). Methylation analysis and 13C-NMR spectra showed that the glycan backbone consisted of beta 1 --> 4 linked xylosyl residues Similar study of the fractions extracted respectively with DMSO and 4.3 M KOH showed the presence of polydisperse glycoxylans but excluded the presence of xyloglucan in significant amount. This could be a characteristic feature of embryogenic cells walls of Pinus caribaea or could be typical of cells grown as calluses. In the various fractions obtained from DEAE cellulose chromatography of the alkaline extract the infrequent occurrence of fucoxylans beside an arabinogalactan showed again the unusual nature of the cell wall polymers of this embryogenic lines, which seems to differ greatly from those found in the primary wall of cells from suspension cultures.

  9. From Golgi body movement to cellulose microfibril alignment

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Akkerman, M.

    2012-01-01


    The shape and strength of plant cells is determined by a combination of turgor pressure and constraining cell wall. The main load bearing structures in the cell wall, cellulose microfibrils (CMFs), are deposited in highly organized textures. For more than 50 years scientists have tried to

  10. Effects of acid impregnated steam explosion process on xylose recovery and enzymatic conversion of cellulose in corncob.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fan, Xiaoguang; Cheng, Gang; Zhang, Hongjia; Li, Menghua; Wang, Shizeng; Yuan, Qipeng

    2014-12-19

    Corncob residue is a cellulose-rich byproduct obtained from industrial xylose production via dilute acid hydrolysis processes. Enzymatic hydrolysis of cellulose in acid hydrolysis residue of corncob (AHRC) is often less efficient without further pretreatment. In this work, the process characteristics of acid impregnated steam explosion were studied in conjunction with a dilute acid process, and their effects on physiochemical changes and enzymatic saccharification of corncob residue were compared. With the acid impregnated steam explosion process, both higher xylose recovery and higher cellulose conversion were obtained. The maximum conversion of cellulose in acid impregnated steam explosion residue of corncob (ASERC) reached 85.3%, which was 1.6 times higher than that of AHRC. Biomass compositional analysis showed similar cellulose and lignin content in ASERC and AHRC. XRD analysis demonstrated comparable crystallinity of ASERC and AHRC. The improved enzymatic hydrolysis efficiency was attributed to higher porosity in ASERC, measured by mercury porosimetry. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  11. [BIOINFORMATIC SEARCH AND PHYLOGENETIC ANALYSIS OF THE CELLULOSE SYNTHASE GENES OF FLAX (LINUM USITATISSIMUM)].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pydiura, N A; Bayer, G Ya; Galinousky, D V; Yemets, A I; Pirko, Ya V; Podvitski, T A; Anisimova, N V; Khotyleva, L V; Kilchevsky, A V; Blume, Ya B

    2015-01-01

    A bioinformatic search of sequences encoding cellulose synthase genes in the flax genome, and their comparison to dicots orthologs was carried out. The analysis revealed 32 cellulose synthase gene candidates, 16 of which are highly likely to encode cellulose synthases, and the remaining 16--cellulose synthase-like proteins (Csl). Phylogenetic analysis of gene products of cellulose synthase genes allowed distinguishing 6 groups of cellulose synthase genes of different classes: CesA1/10, CesA3, CesA4, CesA5/6/2/9, CesA7 and CesA8. Paralogous sequences within classes CesA1/10 and CesA5/6/2/9 which are associated with the primary cell wall formation are characterized by a greater similarity within these classes than orthologous sequences. Whereas the genes controlling the biosynthesis of secondary cell wall cellulose form distinct clades: CesA4, CesA7, and CesA8. The analysis of 16 identified flax cellulose synthase gene candidates shows the presence of at least 12 different cellulose synthase gene variants in flax genome which are represented in all six clades of cellulose synthase genes. Thus, at this point genes of all ten known cellulose synthase classes are identify in flax genome, but their correct classification requires additional research.

  12. On the robustness of the geometrical model for cell wall deposition

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Diotallevi, F.; Mulder, B.M.; Grasman, J.

    2010-01-01

    All plant cells are provided with the necessary rigidity to withstand the turgor by an exterior cell wall. This wall is composed of long crystalline cellulose microfibrils embedded in a matrix of other polysaccharides. The cellulose microfibrils are deposited by mobile membrane bound protein

  13. Influences of lumped passes on welding residual stress of a thick-walled nuclear rotor steel pipe by multipass narrow gap welding

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Tan, Long, E-mail: mse.longtan@gmail.com [State Key Laboratory for Mechanical Behavior of Materials, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710049 (China); Zhang, Jianxun; Zhuang, Dong [State Key Laboratory for Mechanical Behavior of Materials, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710049 (China); Liu, Chuan [Provincial Key Lab of Advanced Welding Technology, Jiangsu University of Science and Technology, Zhenjiang 212003 (China)

    2014-07-01

    Highlights: • The internal residual stress of the thick-walled pipe is measured by using the local removal blind hole method. • Two lumped-pass models are developed to reduce computational cost. • The effect of lumped passes on the welding residual stress is discussed. • Reasonable lumped-pass model can guarantee the accuracy and improve the computational efficiency. - Abstract: The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of the lumped passes simulation on the distribution of residual stresses before and after heat treatment in a thick-walled nuclear power rotor pipe with a 89-pass narrow gap welding process. The local removal blind hole method was used to measure internal residual stress of the thick-walled pipe after post weld heat treatment (PWHT). Based on the ANSYS software, a two-dimensional axisymmetric finite element model is employed. Two lumped-pass models of M-5th model (five weld beads as one lumped pass) and M-10th model (ten weld beads as one lumped pass) were developed to reduce computational cost. Based on the results in this study, the distributions of residual stresses of a thick-walled welded pipe before and after PWHT are developed. Meanwhile, the distribution of the through-wall axial residual stress along the weld center line is demonstrated to be a self-equilibrating type. In addition, the investigation results show that reasonable and reliable lumped-pass model can not only guarantee the accuracy of the simulated results, but also improve the computational efficiency in the thermo-elastic–plastic FE analysis procedure. Therefore, from the viewpoint of engineering application the developed lumped-pass computational procedure is a promising and useful method to predict residual stress of large and complex welded structures.

  14. Influences of lumped passes on welding residual stress of a thick-walled nuclear rotor steel pipe by multipass narrow gap welding

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tan, Long; Zhang, Jianxun; Zhuang, Dong; Liu, Chuan

    2014-01-01

    Highlights: • The internal residual stress of the thick-walled pipe is measured by using the local removal blind hole method. • Two lumped-pass models are developed to reduce computational cost. • The effect of lumped passes on the welding residual stress is discussed. • Reasonable lumped-pass model can guarantee the accuracy and improve the computational efficiency. - Abstract: The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of the lumped passes simulation on the distribution of residual stresses before and after heat treatment in a thick-walled nuclear power rotor pipe with a 89-pass narrow gap welding process. The local removal blind hole method was used to measure internal residual stress of the thick-walled pipe after post weld heat treatment (PWHT). Based on the ANSYS software, a two-dimensional axisymmetric finite element model is employed. Two lumped-pass models of M-5th model (five weld beads as one lumped pass) and M-10th model (ten weld beads as one lumped pass) were developed to reduce computational cost. Based on the results in this study, the distributions of residual stresses of a thick-walled welded pipe before and after PWHT are developed. Meanwhile, the distribution of the through-wall axial residual stress along the weld center line is demonstrated to be a self-equilibrating type. In addition, the investigation results show that reasonable and reliable lumped-pass model can not only guarantee the accuracy of the simulated results, but also improve the computational efficiency in the thermo-elastic–plastic FE analysis procedure. Therefore, from the viewpoint of engineering application the developed lumped-pass computational procedure is a promising and useful method to predict residual stress of large and complex welded structures

  15. Crystallographic snapshot of cellulose synthesis and membrane translocation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Morgan, Jacob L W; Strumillo, Joanna; Zimmer, Jochen

    2013-01-10

    Cellulose, the most abundant biological macromolecule, is an extracellular, linear polymer of glucose molecules. It represents an essential component of plant cell walls but is also found in algae and bacteria. In bacteria, cellulose production frequently correlates with the formation of biofilms, a sessile, multicellular growth form. Cellulose synthesis and transport across the inner bacterial membrane is mediated by a complex of the membrane-integrated catalytic BcsA subunit and the membrane-anchored, periplasmic BcsB protein. Here we present the crystal structure of a complex of BcsA and BcsB from Rhodobacter sphaeroides containing a translocating polysaccharide. The structure of the BcsA-BcsB translocation intermediate reveals the architecture of the cellulose synthase, demonstrates how BcsA forms a cellulose-conducting channel, and suggests a model for the coupling of cellulose synthesis and translocation in which the nascent polysaccharide is extended by one glucose molecule at a time.

  16. Fabrication and investigation of a biocompatible microfilament with high mechanical performance based on regenerated bacterial cellulose and bacterial cellulose.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Huan-Ling; Bremner, David H; Wang, Hai-Jun; Wu, Jun-Zi; Li, He-Yu; Wu, Jian-Rong; Niu, Shi-Wei; Zhu, Li-Min

    2017-10-01

    A high-strength regenerated bacterial cellulose (RBC)/bacterial cellulose (BC) microfilament of potential use as a biomaterial was successfully prepared via a wet spinning process. The BC not only consists of a 3-D network composed of nanofibers with a diameter of several hundred nanometers but also has a secondary structure consisting of highly oriented nanofibrils with a diameter ranging from a few nanometers to tens of nanometers which explains the reason for the high mechanical strength of BC. Furthermore, a strategy of partially dissolving BC was used and this greatly enhanced the mechanical performance of spun filament and a method called post-treatment was utilized to remove residual solvents from the RBC/BC filaments. A comparison of structure, properties, as well as cytocompatibility between BC nanofibers and RBC/BC microfilaments was achieved using morphology, mechanical properties, X-ray Diffraction (XRD) and an enzymatic hydrolysis assay. The RBC/BC microfilament has a uniform groove structure with a diameter of 50-60μm and XRD indicated that the crystal form was transformed from cellulose Iα to cellulose III I and the degree of crystallinity of RBC/BC (33.22%) was much lower than the original BC (60.29%). The enzymatic hydrolysis assay proved that the RBC/BC material was more easily degraded than BC. ICP detection indicated that the residual amount of lithium was 0.07mg/g (w/w) and GC-MS analysis showed the residual amount of DMAc to be 8.51μg/g (w/w) demonstrating that the post-treatment process is necessary and effective for removal of residual materials from the RBC/BC microfilaments. Also, a cell viability assay demonstrated that after post-treatment the RBC/BC filaments had good cytocompatibility. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  17. Cellulose with a High Fractal Dimension Is Easily Hydrolysable under Acid Catalysis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mariana Díaz

    2017-05-01

    Full Text Available The adsorption of three diverse amino acids couples onto the surface of microcrystalline cellulose was studied. Characterisation of modified celluloses included changes in the polarity and in roughness. The amino acids partially break down the hydrogen bonding network of the cellulose structure, leading to more reactive cellulose residues that were easily hydrolysed to glucose in the presence of hydrochloric acid or tungstophosphoric acid catalysts. The conversion of cellulose and selectivity for glucose was highly dependent on the self-assembled amino acids adsorbed onto the cellulose and the catalyst.

  18. The unique architecture and function of cellulose-interacting proteins in oomycetes revealed by genomic and structural analyses

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Larroque Mathieu

    2012-11-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Oomycetes are fungal-like microorganisms evolutionary distinct from true fungi, belonging to the Stramenopile lineage and comprising major plant pathogens. Both oomycetes and fungi express proteins able to interact with cellulose, a major component of plant and oomycete cell walls, through the presence of carbohydrate-binding module belonging to the family 1 (CBM1. Fungal CBM1-containing proteins were implicated in cellulose degradation whereas in oomycetes, the Cellulose Binding Elicitor Lectin (CBEL, a well-characterized CBM1-protein from Phytophthora parasitica, was implicated in cell wall integrity, adhesion to cellulosic substrates and induction of plant immunity. Results To extend our knowledge on CBM1-containing proteins in oomycetes, we have conducted a comprehensive analysis on 60 fungi and 7 oomycetes genomes leading to the identification of 518 CBM1-containing proteins. In plant-interacting microorganisms, the larger number of CBM1-protein coding genes is expressed by necrotroph and hemibiotrophic pathogens, whereas a strong reduction of these genes is observed in symbionts and biotrophs. In fungi, more than 70% of CBM1-containing proteins correspond to enzymatic proteins in which CBM1 is associated with a catalytic unit involved in cellulose degradation. In oomycetes more than 90% of proteins are similar to CBEL in which CBM1 is associated with a non-catalytic PAN/Apple domain, known to interact with specific carbohydrates or proteins. Distinct Stramenopile genomes like diatoms and brown algae are devoid of CBM1 coding genes. A CBM1-PAN/Apple association 3D structural modeling was built allowing the identification of amino acid residues interacting with cellulose and suggesting the putative interaction of the PAN/Apple domain with another type of glucan. By Surface Plasmon Resonance experiments, we showed that CBEL binds to glycoproteins through galactose or N-acetyl-galactosamine motifs. Conclusions This study

  19. Effects of residual aberrations explored on single-walled carbon nanotubes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Biskupek, Johannes; Hartel, Peter; Haider, Maximilian; Kaiser, Ute

    2012-01-01

    The effects of geometric residual aberrations such as coma B 2 and two-fold astigmatism A 1 on the contrast in aberration corrected high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) images are investigated on single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNT). The individual aberrations are adjusted and set up manually using an imaging C S -corrector. We demonstrate how coma B 2 can be recognized by an experienced user directly in the image and how it blurs the contrast. Even with uncorrected (resolution limiting) spherical aberration C S the coma B 2 has to be considered and must be minimized. Limits for a tolerable coma are given. The experiments are confirmed by image simulations. -- Highlights: ► Individual effects of residual aberrations such as B 2 , A 1 , and C S are demonstrated. ► Experimental HRTEM and simulated images of carbon nanotubes are compared. ► A detection limit of 50 nm B 2 in a single HRTEM image is determined.

  20. Immobilization of lysozyme-cellulose amide-linked conjugates on cellulose i and ii cotton nanocrystalline preparations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lysozyme was attached through an amide linkage between some of the protein’s aspartate and glutamate residues to amino-glycine-cellulose (AGC), which was prepared by esterification of glycine to preparations of cotton nanocrystals (CNC). The nanocrystalline preparations were produced through acid h...

  1. Plant cell wall extensibility: connecting plant cell growth with cell wall structure, mechanics, and the action of wall-modifying enzymes

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Cosgrove, Daniel J.

    2015-11-25

    The advent of user-friendly instruments for measuring force/deflection curves of plant surfaces at high spatial resolution has resulted in a recent outpouring of reports of the ‘Young's modulus’ of plant cell walls. The stimulus for these mechanical measurements comes from biomechanical models of morphogenesis of meristems and other tissues, as well as single cells, in which cell wall stress feeds back to regulate microtubule organization, auxin transport, cellulose deposition, and future growth directionality. In this article I review the differences between elastic modulus and wall extensibility in the context of cell growth. Some of the inherent complexities, assumptions, and potential pitfalls in the interpretation of indentation force/deflection curves are discussed. Reported values of elastic moduli from surface indentation measurements appear to be 10- to >1000-fold smaller than realistic tensile elastic moduli in the plane of plant cell walls. Potential reasons for this disparity are discussed, but further work is needed to make sense of the huge range in reported values. The significance of wall stress relaxation for growth is reviewed and connected to recent advances and remaining enigmas in our concepts of how cellulose, hemicellulose, and pectins are assembled to make an extensible cell wall. A comparison of the loosening action of α-expansin and Cel12A endoglucanase is used to illustrate two different ways in which cell walls may be made more extensible and the divergent effects on wall mechanics.

  2. Two Complementary Mechanisms Underpin Cell Wall Patterning during Xylem Vessel Development.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schneider, Rene; Tang, Lu; Lampugnani, Edwin R; Barkwill, Sarah; Lathe, Rahul; Zhang, Yi; McFarlane, Heather E; Pesquet, Edouard; Niittyla, Totte; Mansfield, Shawn D; Zhou, Yihua; Persson, Staffan

    2017-10-01

    The evolution of the plant vasculature was essential for the emergence of terrestrial life. Xylem vessels are solute-transporting elements in the vasculature that possess secondary wall thickenings deposited in intricate patterns. Evenly dispersed microtubule (MT) bands support the formation of these wall thickenings, but how the MTs direct cell wall synthesis during this process remains largely unknown. Cellulose is the major secondary wall constituent and is synthesized by plasma membrane-localized cellulose synthases (CesAs) whose catalytic activity propels them through the membrane. We show that the protein CELLULOSE SYNTHASE INTERACTING1 (CSI1)/POM2 is necessary to align the secondary wall CesAs and MTs during the initial phase of xylem vessel development in Arabidopsis thaliana and rice ( Oryza sativa ). Surprisingly, these MT-driven patterns successively become imprinted and sufficient to sustain the continued progression of wall thickening in the absence of MTs and CSI1/POM2 function. Hence, two complementary principles underpin wall patterning during xylem vessel development. © 2017 American Society of Plant Biologists. All rights reserved.

  3. Attachment of Salmonella strains to a plant cell wall model is modulated by surface characteristics and not by specific carbohydrate interactions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tan, Michelle Sze-Fan; Moore, Sean C; Tabor, Rico F; Fegan, Narelle; Rahman, Sadequr; Dykes, Gary A

    2016-09-15

    Processing of fresh produce exposes cut surfaces of plant cell walls that then become vulnerable to human foodborne pathogen attachment and contamination, particularly by Salmonella enterica. Plant cell walls are mainly composed of the polysaccharides cellulose, pectin and hemicelluloses (predominantly xyloglucan). Our previous work used bacterial cellulose-based plant cell wall models to study the interaction between Salmonella and the various plant cell wall components. We demonstrated that Salmonella attachment was favoured in the presence of pectin while xyloglucan had no effect on its attachment. Xyloglucan significantly increased the attachment of Salmonella cells to the plant cell wall model only when it was in association with pectin. In this study, we investigate whether the plant cell wall polysaccharides mediate Salmonella attachment to the bacterial cellulose-based plant cell wall models through specific carbohydrate interactions or through the effects of carbohydrates on the physical characteristics of the attachment surface. We found that none of the monosaccharides that make up the plant cell wall polysaccharides specifically inhibit Salmonella attachment to the bacterial cellulose-based plant cell wall models. Confocal laser scanning microscopy showed that Salmonella cells can penetrate and attach within the tightly arranged bacterial cellulose network. Analysis of images obtained from atomic force microscopy revealed that the bacterial cellulose-pectin-xyloglucan composite with 0.3 % (w/v) xyloglucan, previously shown to have the highest number of Salmonella cells attached to it, had significantly thicker cellulose fibrils compared to other composites. Scanning electron microscopy images also showed that the bacterial cellulose and bacterial cellulose-xyloglucan composites were more porous when compared to the other composites containing pectin. Our study found that the attachment of Salmonella cells to cut plant cell walls was not mediated by

  4. Isolation and characterization of cellulose hydrolysing ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    STORAGESEVER

    2008-05-16

    May 16, 2008 ... A ruminant is any animal that digests its food in two steps, first by eating the raw ... within which the digestion of cellulose and other plant polysaccharides ... and adheres loosely to the plant cells wall, while. Pseudomonas and ...

  5. Accumulation of noncrystalline cellulose in Physarum microplasmodia

    OpenAIRE

    Ogawa, Kyoko; Maki, Hisae; Sato, Mamiko; Ashihara, Hiroshi; Kaneko, Takako S.

    2013-01-01

    Physarum plasmodium lives as a slimy mass of protoplast in the dark fragments into small multinucleated microplasmodia (mPL) in a liquid medium. When mPL are exposed to several unfavorable environments, they transform into ?spherules? with a cell wall. Using a synchronous spherule-induction system for mPL, we examined the effect of 2,6-dichlorobenzonitrile on the synthesis of cellulose in mPL, by observing mPL under a fluorescence microscope, and isolated cellulose from mPL to identify them m...

  6. Enzymatic cellulose oxidation is linked to lignin by long-range electron transfer

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Westereng, Bjorge; Cannella, David; Wittrup Agger, Jane

    2015-01-01

    cell walls. Electron transfer was confirmed by electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy showing that LPMO activity on cellulose changes the level of unpaired electrons in the lignin. The discovery of a long-range electron transfer mechanism links the biodegradation of cellulose and lignin and sheds...

  7. Biosynthesis of Bacterial Cellulose/Carboxylic Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotubes for Enzymatic Biofuel Cell Application

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pengfei Lv

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available Novel nanocomposites comprised of bacterial cellulose (BC with carboxylic multi-walled carbon nanotubes (c-MWCNTs incorporated into the BC matrix were prepared through a simple method of biosynthesis. The biocathode and bioanode for the enzyme biological fuel cell (EBFC were prepared using BC/c-MWCNTs composite injected by laccase (Lac and glucose oxidase (GOD with the aid of glutaraldehyde (GA crosslinking. Biosynthesis of BC/c-MWCNTs composite was characterized by digital photos, scanning electron microscope (SEM, and Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR. The experimental results indicated the successful incorporation of c-MWCNTs into the BC. The electrochemical and biofuel performance were evaluated by cyclic voltammetry (CV and linear sweep voltammetry (LSV. The power density and current density of EBFCs were recorded at 32.98 µW/cm3 and 0.29 mA/cm3, respectively. Additionally, the EBFCs also showed acceptable stability. Preliminary tests on double cells indicated that renewable BC have great potential in the application field of EBFCs.

  8. A Gibberellin-Mediated DELLA-NAC Signaling Cascade Regulates Cellulose Synthesis in Rice.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huang, Debao; Wang, Shaogan; Zhang, Baocai; Shang-Guan, Keke; Shi, Yanyun; Zhang, Dongmei; Liu, Xiangling; Wu, Kun; Xu, Zuopeng; Fu, Xiangdong; Zhou, Yihua

    2015-06-01

    Cellulose, which can be converted into numerous industrial products, has important impacts on the global economy. It has long been known that cellulose synthesis in plants is tightly regulated by various phytohormones. However, the underlying mechanism of cellulose synthesis regulation remains elusive. Here, we show that in rice (Oryza sativa), gibberellin (GA) signals promote cellulose synthesis by relieving the interaction between SLENDER RICE1 (SLR1), a DELLA repressor of GA signaling, and NACs, the top-layer transcription factors for secondary wall formation. Mutations in GA-related genes and physiological treatments altered the transcription of CELLULOSE SYNTHASE genes (CESAs) and the cellulose level. Multiple experiments demonstrated that transcription factors NAC29/31 and MYB61 are CESA regulators in rice; NAC29/31 directly regulates MYB61, which in turn activates CESA expression. This hierarchical regulation pathway is blocked by SLR1-NAC29/31 interactions. Based on the results of anatomical analysis and GA content examination in developing rice internodes, this signaling cascade was found to be modulated by varied endogenous GA levels and to be required for internode development. Genetic and gene expression analyses were further performed in Arabidopsis thaliana GA-related mutants. Altogether, our findings reveal a conserved mechanism by which GA regulates secondary wall cellulose synthesis in land plants and provide a strategy for manipulating cellulose production and plant growth. © 2015 American Society of Plant Biologists. All rights reserved.

  9. A Gibberellin-Mediated DELLA-NAC Signaling Cascade Regulates Cellulose Synthesis in Rice[OPEN

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huang, Debao; Wang, Shaogan; Zhang, Baocai; Shang-Guan, Keke; Shi, Yanyun; Zhang, Dongmei; Liu, Xiangling; Wu, Kun; Xu, Zuopeng; Fu, Xiangdong; Zhou, Yihua

    2015-01-01

    Cellulose, which can be converted into numerous industrial products, has important impacts on the global economy. It has long been known that cellulose synthesis in plants is tightly regulated by various phytohormones. However, the underlying mechanism of cellulose synthesis regulation remains elusive. Here, we show that in rice (Oryza sativa), gibberellin (GA) signals promote cellulose synthesis by relieving the interaction between SLENDER RICE1 (SLR1), a DELLA repressor of GA signaling, and NACs, the top-layer transcription factors for secondary wall formation. Mutations in GA-related genes and physiological treatments altered the transcription of CELLULOSE SYNTHASE genes (CESAs) and the cellulose level. Multiple experiments demonstrated that transcription factors NAC29/31 and MYB61 are CESA regulators in rice; NAC29/31 directly regulates MYB61, which in turn activates CESA expression. This hierarchical regulation pathway is blocked by SLR1-NAC29/31 interactions. Based on the results of anatomical analysis and GA content examination in developing rice internodes, this signaling cascade was found to be modulated by varied endogenous GA levels and to be required for internode development. Genetic and gene expression analyses were further performed in Arabidopsis thaliana GA-related mutants. Altogether, our findings reveal a conserved mechanism by which GA regulates secondary wall cellulose synthesis in land plants and provide a strategy for manipulating cellulose production and plant growth. PMID:26002868

  10. Fibrillar assembly of bacterial cellulose in the presence of wood-based hemicelluloses.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Penttilä, Paavo A; Imai, Tomoya; Sugiyama, Junji

    2017-09-01

    Composite materials mimicking the plant cell wall structure were made by culturing cellulose-producing bacteria together with secondary-wall hemicelluloses from wood. The effects of spruce galactoglucomannan (GGM) and beech xylan on the nanoscale morphology of bacterial cellulose were studied in the original, hydrated state with small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS). The SAXS intensities were fitted with a model covering multiple levels of the hierarchical structure. Additional information on the structure of dried samples was obtained using scanning and transmission electron microscopy and infra-red spectroscopy. Both hemicelluloses induced a partial conversion of the cellulose crystal structure from I α to I β and a reduction of the cross-sectional dimensions of the cellulose microfibrils, thereby affecting also their packing into bundles. The differences were more pronounced in samples with xylan instead of GGM, and they became more significant with higher hemicellulose concentrations. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  11. Evaluation on double-wall-tube residual stress distribution of sodium-heated steam generator by neutron diffraction and numerical analysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kisohara, N.; Suzuki, H.; Akita, K.; Kasahara, N.

    2012-01-01

    A double-wall-tube is nominated for the steam generator heat transfer tube of future sodium fast reactors (SFRs) in Japan, to decrease the possibility of sodium/water reaction. The double-wall-tube consists of an inner tube and an outer tube, and they are mechanically contacted to keep the heat transfer of the interface between the inner and outer tubes by their residual stress. During long term SG operation, the contact stress at the interface gradually falls down due to stress relaxation. This phenomenon might increase the thermal resistance of the interface and degrade the tube heat transfer performance. The contact stress relaxation can be predicted by numerical analysis, and the analysis requires the data of the initial residual stress distributions in the tubes. However, unclear initial residual stress distributions prevent precious relaxation evaluation. In order to resolve this issue, a neutron diffraction method was employed to reveal the tri-axial (radius, hoop and longitudinal) initial residual stress distributions in the double-wall-tube. Strain gauges also were used to evaluate the contact stress. The measurement results were analyzed using a JAEA's structural computer code to determine the initial residual stress distributions. Based on the stress distributions, the structural computer code has predicted the transition of the relaxation and the decrease of the contact stress. The radial and longitudinal temperature distributions in the tubes were input to the structural analysis model. Since the radial thermal expansion difference between the inner (colder) and outer (hotter) tube reduces the contact stress and the tube inside steam pressure contributes to increasing it, the analytical model also took these effects into consideration. It has been conduced that the inner and outer tubes are contacted with sufficient stresses during the plant life time, and that effective heat transfer degradation dose not occur in the double-wall-tube SG. (authors)

  12. Enzymatic hydrolysis of loblolly pine: effects of cellulose crystallinity and delignification

    Science.gov (United States)

    Umesh P. Agarwal; J.Y. Zhu; Sally A. Ralph

    2013-01-01

    Hydrolysis experiments with commercial cellulases have been performed to understand the effects of cell wall crystallinity and lignin on the process. In the focus of the paper are loblolly pine wood samples, which were systematically delignified and partly ball-milled, and, for comparison, Whatman CC31 cellulose samples with different crystallinities. In pure cellulose...

  13. Large-scale additive manufacturing with bioinspired cellulosic materials.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sanandiya, Naresh D; Vijay, Yadunund; Dimopoulou, Marina; Dritsas, Stylianos; Fernandez, Javier G

    2018-06-05

    Cellulose is the most abundant and broadly distributed organic compound and industrial by-product on Earth. However, despite decades of extensive research, the bottom-up use of cellulose to fabricate 3D objects is still plagued with problems that restrict its practical applications: derivatives with vast polluting effects, use in combination with plastics, lack of scalability and high production cost. Here we demonstrate the general use of cellulose to manufacture large 3D objects. Our approach diverges from the common association of cellulose with green plants and it is inspired by the wall of the fungus-like oomycetes, which is reproduced introducing small amounts of chitin between cellulose fibers. The resulting fungal-like adhesive material(s) (FLAM) are strong, lightweight and inexpensive, and can be molded or processed using woodworking techniques. We believe this first large-scale additive manufacture with ubiquitous biological polymers will be the catalyst for the transition to environmentally benign and circular manufacturing models.

  14. Ultrasonic measurements on residual stress in autofrettged thick walled petroleum pipes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Woias, G.; Mizera, J.

    2008-01-01

    The residual stresses in a component or structure are caused by incompatible permanent deformation and related gradient of plastic/elastic strains. They may be generated or modified at every stage in the components life cycle, from original material production to final disposal. Residual stresses can be measured by non-destructive techniques, including X-ray and neutron diffraction, magnetic and ultrasonic methods. The selection of the optimum measurement technique should take account volumetric resolution, material, geometry and access to the component. For large metallic components neutron diffraction is of prime importance as it provides quantitative information on stresses in relatively large volume of methods disregarding its shape complexity. Residual stresses can play a significant role in explaining or preventing failure of components of industrial installations. One example of residual stresses preventing failure are the ones generated by shot peening, inducing surface compressive stresses that improve the fatigue life. Petroleum refinery piping is generally characterized by large-diameters, operated at elevated temperature and under high pressure. Pipelines of a polyethylene plant working in one of the Polish refineries are subjected to pressures exceeding 300 MPa at temperatures above 200 o C. The pipes considered here were pressurized with pressure of 600 MPa. The wall thickness of the pipes is 27 mm and pipe dimensions are 46 x 100 mm. The material is steel with Re=580 MPa. Due to pressurizing, the components retain compressive stresses at the internal surface. These stresses increase resistance to cracking of the pipes. Over the period of exploitation these stresses diminish due to temperature activated relaxation or creep. The purpose of the project is to verify kinetics of such a relaxation process and calibrate alternative methods of their measurements. To avoid stress relaxation, numerical analysis from Finite Element Modelling (FEM)gave an

  15. Diurnal Periodicity in the Supply of Cell Wall Components during Wood Cell Wall Formation

    OpenAIRE

    細尾, 佳宏

    2012-01-01

    This review summarizes recent studies on the diurnal periodicity in wood cell wall formation, with a major focus on those that we have conducted. Differences in the innermost surface of developing secondary walls of differentiating conifer tracheids can be seen from day to night Cellulose microfibrils are clearly evident during the day, and amorphous material containing abundant hemicelluloses is prevalent at night. These findings suggest a diurnal periodicity in the supply of cell wall compo...

  16. African perspective on cellulosic ethanol production

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bensah, Edem Cudjoe; Kemausuor, Francis; Miezah, Kodwo

    2015-01-01

    A major challenge to commercial production of cellulosic ethanol pertains to the cost-effective breakdown of the complex and recalcitrant structure of lignocellulose into its components via pretreatment, the cost of enzymes for hydrolysis and fermentation, and the conversion rate of C5 sugars...... to ethanol, among others. While the industrialized and some emerging countries are gradually breaking grounds in cellulosic ethanol, most African countries have made little effort in research and development even though the continent is rich in lignocellulosic biomass. The paper estimates residues from...... widely available crops and municipal waste and determines their respective theoretical ethanol potential (around 22 billion litres annually). It further reviews stages involved in the production of cellulosic ethanol, focussing on processing methods that can be adapted to current situation in most...

  17. Arabidopsis cortical microtubules position cellulose synthase delivery to the plasma membrane and interact with cellulose synthase trafficking compartments.

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Gutierrez, R.; Lindeboom, J.J.; Paredez, A.R.; Emons, A.M.C.; Ehrhardt, D.W.

    2009-01-01

    Plant cell morphogenesis relies on the organization and function of two polymer arrays separated by the plasma membrane: the cortical microtubule cytoskeleton and cellulose microfibrils in the cell wall. Studies using in vivo markers confirmed that one function of the cortical microtubule array is

  18. Cellulose Insulation

    Science.gov (United States)

    1980-01-01

    Fire retardant cellulose insulation is produced by shredding old newspapers and treating them with a combination of chemicals. Insulating material is blown into walls and attics to form a fiber layer which blocks the flow of air. All-Weather Insulation's founders asked NASA/UK-TAP to help. They wanted to know what chemicals added to newspaper would produce an insulating material capable of meeting federal specifications. TAP researched the query and furnished extensive information. The information contributed to successful development of the product and helped launch a small business enterprise which is now growing rapidly.

  19. Modified cellulose synthase gene from Arabidopsis thaliana confers herbicide resistance to plants

    Science.gov (United States)

    Somerville, Chris R [Portola Valley, CA; Scheible, Wolf [Golm, DE

    2007-07-10

    Cellulose synthase ("CS"), a key enzyme in the biosynthesis of cellulose in plants is inhibited by herbicides comprising thiazolidinones such as 5-tert-butyl-carbamoyloxy-3-(3-trifluromethyl)phenyl-4-thiazolidinone (TZ), isoxaben and 2,6-dichlorobenzonitrile (DCB). Two mutant genes encoding isoxaben and TZ-resistant cellulose synthase have been isolated from isoxaben and TZ-resistant Arabidopsis thaliana mutants. When compared with the gene coding for isoxaben or TZ-sensitive cellulose synthase, one of the resistant CS genes contains a point mutation, wherein glycine residue 998 is replaced by an aspartic acid. The other resistant mutation is due to a threonine to isoleucine change at amino acid residue 942. The mutant CS gene can be used to impart herbicide resistance to a plant; thereby permitting the utilization of the herbicide as a single application at a concentration which ensures the complete or substantially complete killing of weeds, while leaving the transgenic crop plant essentially undamaged.

  20. Characteristics of the products of hydrothermal liquefaction combined with cellulosic bio-ethanol process

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Li, Rundong; Xie, Yinghui; Yang, Tianhua; Li, Bingshuo; Zhang, Yang; Kai, Xingping

    2016-01-01

    The integration utilization of fermentation residues from cellulosic bio-ethanol has attracted a great deal of attention to balance the total cost of bio-ethanol production while simultaneously dealing with bio-ethanol wastewater. A process of hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) of intact materials from cellulosic bio-ethanol in a batch reactor was proposed. The effects of the reaction temperature and time on the liquefaction characteristics were examined. The optimum condition for liquefaction fermentation residues was 370 °C (21.25 MPa) and 30 min with a bio-oil yield of 40.79 wt%. GC-MS results indicated that the major chemical species in the bio-oil were phenols, ketones, long-chain hydrocarbons and fatty acids. Supercritical conditions (375 °C, 23.50 MPa) was favored for the low-molecular-weight species formation compared to subcritical conditions (370 °C, 21.25 MPa), as some long-chain species decreased. This work thus can provide a novel idea for bio-oil production from HTL of cellulosic bio-ethanol fermentation residues. - Highlights: • Bio-oil production via HTL combined with cellulosic bio-ethanol process was proposed. • Optimum condition for HTL of materials from cellulosic bio-ethanol was 370 °C and 30 min. • Bio-oil contained higher content of hydrocarbons and lower contents of organic acids.

  1. Stomatal cell wall composition: distinctive structural patterns associated with different phylogenetic groups.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shtein, Ilana; Shelef, Yaniv; Marom, Ziv; Zelinger, Einat; Schwartz, Amnon; Popper, Zoë A; Bar-On, Benny; Harpaz-Saad, Smadar

    2017-04-01

    Stomatal morphology and function have remained largely conserved throughout ∼400 million years of plant evolution. However, plant cell wall composition has evolved and changed. Here stomatal cell wall composition was investigated in different vascular plant groups in attempt to understand their possible effect on stomatal function. A renewed look at stomatal cell walls was attempted utilizing digitalized polar microscopy, confocal microscopy, histology and a numerical finite-elements simulation. The six species of vascular plants chosen for this study cover a broad structural, ecophysiological and evolutionary spectrum: ferns ( Asplenium nidus and Platycerium bifurcatum ) and angiosperms ( Arabidopsis thaliana and Commelina erecta ) with kidney-shaped stomata, and grasses (angiosperms, family Poaceae) with dumbbell-shaped stomata ( Sorghum bicolor and Triticum aestivum ). Three distinct patterns of cellulose crystallinity in stomatal cell walls were observed: Type I (kidney-shaped stomata, ferns), Type II (kidney-shaped stomata, angiosperms) and Type III (dumbbell-shaped stomata, grasses). The different stomatal cell wall attributes investigated (cellulose crystallinity, pectins, lignin, phenolics) exhibited taxon-specific patterns, with reciprocal substitution of structural elements in the end-walls of kidney-shaped stomata. According to a numerical bio-mechanical model, the end walls of kidney-shaped stomata develop the highest stresses during opening. The data presented demonstrate for the first time the existence of distinct spatial patterns of varying cellulose crystallinity in guard cell walls. It is also highly intriguing that in angiosperms crystalline cellulose appears to have replaced lignin that occurs in the stomatal end-walls of ferns serving a similar wall strengthening function. Such taxon-specific spatial patterns of cell wall components could imply different biomechanical functions, which in turn could be a consequence of differences in

  2. A dynamical model for plant cell wall architecture formation.

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Mulder, B.M.; Emons, A.M.C.

    2001-01-01

    We discuss a dynamical mathematical model to explain cell wall architecture in plant cells. The highly regular textures observed in cell walls reflect the spatial organisation of the cellulose microfibrils (CMFs), the most important structural component of cell walls. Based on a geometrical theory

  3. Changes in birch wood cellulose through the action of sulphuric acid during furfural production. 3. Isolation of cellulose compounds

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Roze, I.M.; Vedernikov, N.A.

    1981-01-01

    The effect was studied of temperature (137-167 degrees C) and H/sub 2/SO/sub 4/ concentration (10-90%) in furfural production on the content of cellulose compounds and the degree of (hydrolytic) breakdown of difficultly-hydrolysed polysaccharides in the residual lignocellulose. Increasing temperature reduced cellulose yield and increased polysaccharide breakdown, especially in 10-30% H/sub 2/SO/sub 4/. A higher concentration of the same amount of H/sub 2/SO/sub 4/ reduced polysaccharide breakdown (by reducing the liquid/solid ratio), especially at a higher temperature, thereby enabling more cellulose to be recovered for further processing (e.g. wood hydrolysis). Results suggest that H/sub 2/SO/sub 4/ catalyzes the hydrolysis and dehydration processes differently. (Refs. 6).

  4. Isolation and Characterization of Cellulose from Different Fruit and Vegetable Pomaces

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Monika Szymańska-Chargot

    2017-10-01

    Full Text Available A new fractionation process was developed to achieve valorization of fruit and vegetable pomaces. The importance of the residues from fruits and vegetables is still growing; therefore; the study presents the novel route of a fractioning process for the conversion of agro-industrial biomasses, such as pomaces, into useful feedstocks with potential application in the fields of fuels, chemicals, and polymers. Hence, the biorefinery process is expected to convert them into various by-products offering a great diversity of low-cost materials. The final product of the process is the cellulose of the biofuel importance. The study presents the novel route of the fractioning process for the conversion of agro-industrial biomasses, such as pomaces, into useful feedstocks with a potential application in the fields of fuels, chemicals, and polymers. Therefore the aim of this paper was to present the novel route of the pomaces fraction and the characterization of residuals. Pomaces from apple, cucumber, carrot, and tomato were treated sequentially with water, acidic solution, alkali solution, and oxidative reagent in order to obtain fractions reach in sugars, pectic polysaccharides, hemicellulose, cellulose, and lignin. Pomaces were characterized by dry matter content, neutral detergent solubles, hemicellulose, cellulose, and lignin. Obtained fractions were characterized by the content of pectins expressed as galacturonic acid equivalent and hemicelluloses expressed as a xyloglucan equivalent. The last fraction and residue was cellulose characterized by crystallinity degree by X-ray diffractometer (XRD, microfibril diameter by atomic force microscope (AFM, and overall morphology by scanning electron microscope (SEM. The hemicelluloses content was similar in all pomaces. Moreover, all the materials were characterized by the high pectins level in extracts evaluated as galacturonic acid content. The lignins content compared with other plant biomasses was on a

  5. Preparation of carboxymethyl cellulose produced from purun tikus (Eleocharis dulcis)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sunardi, Febriani, Nina Mutia; Junaidi, Ahmad Budi

    2017-08-01

    Sodium carboxymethyl cellulose (Na-CMC) is one of the important modified cellulose, a water-soluble cellulose, which is widely used in many application of food, pharmaceuticals, detergent, paper coating, dispersing agent, and others. The main raw material of modified cellulose is cellulose from wood and cotton. Recently, much attention has been attracted to the use of various agriculture product and by-product, grass, and residual biomass as cellulose and modified cellulose source for addressing an environmental and economic concern. Eleocharis dulcis, commonly known as purun tikus (in Indonesia), is a native aquatic plant of swamp area (wetland) in Kalimantan, which consists of 30-40% cellulose. It is significantly considered as one of the alternative resources for cellulose. The aims of present study were to isolate cellulose from E. dulcis and then to synthesise Na-CMC from isolated cellulose. Preparation of carboxymethyl cellulose from E. dulcis was carried out by an alkalization and etherification process of isolated cellulose, using various concentration of sodium hydroxide (NaOH) and monochloroacetic acid (MCA). The results indicated that the optimum reaction of alkalization was reached at 20% NaOH and etherification at the mass fraction ratio of MCA to cellulose 1.0. The optimum reaction has the highest solubility and degree of substitution. The carboxymethylation process of cellulose was confirmed by Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). In addition, changes in crystallinity of cellulose and Na-CMC were evaluated by X-ray diffraction (XRD).

  6. A Genome-Wide Association Study for Culm Cellulose Content in Barley Reveals Candidate Genes Co-Expressed with Members of the CELLULOSE SYNTHASE A Gene Family

    Science.gov (United States)

    Houston, Kelly; Burton, Rachel A.; Sznajder, Beata; Rafalski, Antoni J.; Dhugga, Kanwarpal S.; Mather, Diane E.; Taylor, Jillian; Steffenson, Brian J.; Waugh, Robbie; Fincher, Geoffrey B.

    2015-01-01

    Cellulose is a fundamentally important component of cell walls of higher plants. It provides a scaffold that allows the development and growth of the plant to occur in an ordered fashion. Cellulose also provides mechanical strength, which is crucial for both normal development and to enable the plant to withstand both abiotic and biotic stresses. We quantified the cellulose concentration in the culm of 288 two – rowed and 288 six – rowed spring type barley accessions that were part of the USDA funded barley Coordinated Agricultural Project (CAP) program in the USA. When the population structure of these accessions was analysed we identified six distinct populations, four of which we considered to be comprised of a sufficient number of accessions to be suitable for genome-wide association studies (GWAS). These lines had been genotyped with 3072 SNPs so we combined the trait and genetic data to carry out GWAS. The analysis allowed us to identify regions of the genome containing significant associations between molecular markers and cellulose concentration data, including one region cross-validated in multiple populations. To identify candidate genes we assembled the gene content of these regions and used these to query a comprehensive RNA-seq based gene expression atlas. This provided us with gene annotations and associated expression data across multiple tissues, which allowed us to formulate a supported list of candidate genes that regulate cellulose biosynthesis. Several regions identified by our analysis contain genes that are co-expressed with CELLULOSE SYNTHASE A (HvCesA) across a range of tissues and developmental stages. These genes are involved in both primary and secondary cell wall development. In addition, genes that have been previously linked with cellulose synthesis by biochemical methods, such as HvCOBRA, a gene of unknown function, were also associated with cellulose levels in the association panel. Our analyses provide new insights into the

  7. Soft X-ray induced chemical modification of polysaccharides in vascular plant cell walls

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cody, George D.; Brandes, Jay; Jacobsen, Chris; Wirick, Susan

    2009-01-01

    Scanning transmission X-ray microscopy and micro carbon X-ray Absorption Near Edge Spectroscopy (C-XANES) can provide quantitative information regarding the distribution of the biopolymers cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin in vascular plant cell walls. In the case of angiosperms, flowering plants, C-XANES may also be able to distinguish variations in lignin monomer distributions throughout the cell wall. Polysaccharides are susceptible to soft X-ray irradiation induced chemical transformations that may complicate spectral analysis. The stability of a model polysaccharide, cellulose acetate, to variable doses of soft X-rays under conditions optimized for high quality C-XANES spectroscopy was investigated. The primary chemical effect of soft X-ray irradiation on cellulose acetate involves mass loss coincident with de-acetylation. A lesser amount of vinyl ketone formation also occurs. Reduction in irradiation dose via defocusing does enable high quality pristine spectra to be obtained. Radiation induced chemical modification studies of oak cell wall reveals that cellulose and hemicellulose are less labile to chemical modification than cellulose acetate. Strategies for obtaining pristine C-XANES spectra of polysaccharides are presented.

  8. Cellulose and the Control of Growth Anisotropy

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Tobias I. Baskin

    2004-04-01

    The authors research aims to understand morphogenesis, focusing on growth anisotropy, a process that is crucial to make organs with specific and heritable shapes. For the award, the specific aims were to test hypotheses concerning how growth anisotropy is controlled by cell wall structure, particularly by the synthesis and alignment of cellulose microfibrils, the predominant mechanical element in the cell wall. This research has involved characterizing the basic physiology of anisotropic expansion, including measuring it at high resolution; and second, characterizing the relationship between growth anisotropy, and cellulose microfibrils. Important in this relationship and also to the control of anisotropic expansion are structures just inside the plasma membrane called cortical microtubules, and the research has also investigated their contribution to controlling anisotropy and microfibril alignment. In addition to primary experimental papers, I have also developed improved methods relating to these objectives as well as written relevant reviews. Major accomplishments in each area will now be described.

  9. TARGETED DISRUPTION OF HYDROXYL CHEMISTRY AND CRYSTALLINITY IN NATURAL FIBERS FOR THE ISOLATION OF CELLULOSE NANO-FIBERS VIA ENZYMATIC TREATMENT

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sreekumar Janardhnan

    2011-04-01

    Full Text Available Cellulose is the Earth’s most abundant biopolymer. Exploiting its environmentally friendly attributes such as biodegradability, renewability, and high specific strength properties are limited by our inability to isolate them from the secondary cell wall in an economical manner. Intermolecular and intramolecular hydrogen bonding between the cellulose chains is the major force one needs to overcome in order to isolate the cellulose chain in its microfibrillar form. This paper describes how a hydrogen bond-specific enzyme disrupts the crystallinity of the cellulose, bringing about internal defibrillation within the cell wall. Bleached kraft softwood pulp was treated with a fungus (OS1 isolated from an elm tree infected with Dutch elm disease. FT-IR spectral analysis indicated a significant reduction in the density of intermolecular and intramolecular hydrogen bonding within the fiber. X-ray spectrometry indicated a reduction in the crystallinity. The isolated nano-cellulose fibers also exhibited better mechanical strength compared to those isolated through conventional methods. The structural disorder created in the crystalline region in the plant cell wall by hydrogen bond-specific enzymes is a key step forward in the isolation of cellulose at its microfibrillar level.

  10. Preparation nanowhiskers pulp from residue of palm fiber Attalea funifera Martius

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Silva, J.B.A. da; Miranda, C.S.; Jose, N.M.; Vargas, F.P.; Druzian, J.I.

    2010-01-01

    The residue from piassava fiber is higher in cellulose and lignin. This study aimed to extract the pulp and the development of methodology for preparation nanowhiskers from residue fiber. The first step extraction of cellulose, the second step to obtain the nanoparticles by acid hydrolysis (H 2 SO 4 ). The samples were characterized by: SEM, chemical composition, TGA, FTIR and XRD. The XRD result shows that cellulose is of type I and TGA shows two events at 54 deg C and 370 deg C attributed to mass loss of water and cellulose, respectively. After hydrolysis, X-ray diffraction showed an intense reflection 2θ= 22.3 deg and an increase in the degree of crystallinity to 70% which is an indication of the formation of nanowhiskers. (author)

  11. Immunocytochemical characterization of the cell walls of bean cell suspensions during habituation and dehabituation to dichlobenil

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Garcia-Angulo, P.; Willats, W. G. T.; Encina, A. E.

    2006-01-01

    The effects of the cellulose inhibitor dichlobenil on the cell wall composition and structure during the habituation/dehabituation process of suspension-cultured bean cells were assessed. A range of techniques were used including cell wall fractionation, sugar analysis, immunofluorescence...... and fluorochrome labelling of resin-embedded sections, and immunodot assays (IDAs) of cell wall fractions. The cell walls from bean cell suspensions with initial levels of habituation to dichlobenil had decreased levels of cellulose, but this effect lessened with increasing numbers of subcultures. All cell walls...

  12. Resistant-hemicelluloses toward successive chemical treatment during cellulose fibre extraction

    Science.gov (United States)

    Naqiya, F. M. Z.; Ahmad, I.; Airianah, O. B.

    2018-04-01

    Lignocellulosic materials have high demand bio-polymers industries as it is rich in cellulose but other residues that still remain in the extracted cellulose might influence the ability of cellulose-rich material to interact with other polymers. In this study, cellulose fibre was extracted from oil palm frond (OPF) using alkali and bleaching treatment. The morphological changes of each sample after every treatment was observed using Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) and was further chemically extracted and quantitatively evaluated via spectrophotometric method. The non-cellulosic component was found predominantly contained hemicelluloses and these remaining hemicelluloses were hydrolysed and the monosaccharides of hemicelluloses were visualised by Thin Layer Chromatography (TLC). Xylose, arabinose, mannose and glucose were detected and therefore, it is suggested that the plausible type of resistant-hemicelluloses in OPF extracted fibre are arabinoxylan, glucomannan and/or glucan.

  13. Production by Tobacco Transplastomic Plants of Recombinant Fungal and Bacterial Cell-Wall Degrading Enzymes to Be Used for Cellulosic Biomass Saccharification.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Longoni, Paolo; Leelavathi, Sadhu; Doria, Enrico; Reddy, Vanga Siva; Cella, Rino

    2015-01-01

    Biofuels from renewable plant biomass are gaining momentum due to climate change related to atmospheric CO2 increase. However, the production cost of enzymes required for cellulosic biomass saccharification is a major limiting step in this process. Low-cost production of large amounts of recombinant enzymes by transgenic plants was proposed as an alternative to the conventional microbial based fermentation. A number of studies have shown that chloroplast-based gene expression offers several advantages over nuclear transformation due to efficient transcription and translation systems and high copy number of the transgene. In this study, we expressed in tobacco chloroplasts microbial genes encoding five cellulases and a polygalacturonase. Leaf extracts containing the recombinant enzymes showed the ability to degrade various cell-wall components under different conditions, singly and in combinations. In addition, our group also tested a previously described thermostable xylanase in combination with a cellulase and a polygalacturonase to study the cumulative effect on the depolymerization of a complex plant substrate. Our results demonstrate the feasibility of using transplastomic tobacco leaf extracts to convert cell-wall polysaccharides into reducing sugars, fulfilling a major prerequisite of large scale availability of a variety of cell-wall degrading enzymes for biofuel industry.

  14. Extraction and characterisation of cellulose nanocrystals from pineapple peel

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ana Raquel Madureira

    2018-04-01

    Full Text Available The potential of pineapple peel as a source of cellulose nanocrystals was evaluated. Peels skin from fresh-cut fruit was used as raw material. These residues were purified to remove pigments, lipids and hemicellulose, and a bleaching process for delignification was carried out for 4-6 h. All resulting products were characterised for their lignin, hemicellulose, cellulose and ash contents using standard techniques. Dry matter at the end was low (ca. 50% compared with the raw material (ca. 90%. The process applied resulted in ca. 20% (m/m of purified cellulose (ca. 80% purity, with ineligible levels of lignin and hemicellulose present, especially when using 6h of bleaching. The purified cellulose was subject to acid hydrolysis for nanocrystal extraction with two testing times, 30 and 60 minutes. These cellulose nanocrystals had small sizes (< 1000 nm, with high variability and negative zeta potential values. The time of extraction did not affect the nanocrystals’ chemical and physical properties. The use of 6 h of bleaching treatment during purification was shown to be more effective than 4 h. Pineapple peel was demonstrated to be a good source of cellulose for the production of cellulose nanocrystals.

  15. Assembly and enlargement of the primary cell wall in plants

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cosgrove, D. J.

    1997-01-01

    Growing plant cells are shaped by an extensible wall that is a complex amalgam of cellulose microfibrils bonded noncovalently to a matrix of hemicelluloses, pectins, and structural proteins. Cellulose is synthesized by complexes in the plasma membrane and is extruded as a self-assembling microfibril, whereas the matrix polymers are secreted by the Golgi apparatus and become integrated into the wall network by poorly understood mechanisms. The growing wall is under high tensile stress from cell turgor and is able to enlarge by a combination of stress relaxation and polymer creep. A pH-dependent mechanism of wall loosening, known as acid growth, is characteristic of growing walls and is mediated by a group of unusual wall proteins called expansins. Expansins appear to disrupt the noncovalent bonding of matrix hemicelluloses to the microfibril, thereby allowing the wall to yield to the mechanical forces generated by cell turgor. Other wall enzymes, such as (1-->4) beta-glucanases and pectinases, may make the wall more responsive to expansin-mediated wall creep whereas pectin methylesterases and peroxidases may alter the wall so as to make it resistant to expansin-mediated creep.

  16. Cellulose Degradation by Cellulose-Clearing and Non-Cellulose-Clearing Brown-Rot Fungi

    OpenAIRE

    Highley, Terry L.

    1980-01-01

    Cellulose degradation by four cellulose-clearing brown-rot fungi in the Coniophoraceae—Coniophora prasinoides, C. puteana, Leucogyrophana arizonica, and L. olivascens—is compared with that of a non-cellulose-clearing brown-rot fungus, Poria placenta. The cellulose- and the non-cellulose-clearing brown-rot fungi apparently employ similar mechanisms to depolymerize cellulose; most likely a nonenzymatic mechanism is involved.

  17. Modifications of Saccharomyces pastorianus cell wall polysaccharides with brewing process.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bastos, Rita; Coelho, Elisabete; Coimbra, Manuel A

    2015-06-25

    The cell wall polysaccharides of brewers spent yeast Saccharomyces pastorianus (BSY) and the inoculum yeast (IY) were studied in order to understand the changes induced by the brewing process. The hot water and alkali extractions performed solubilized mainly mannoproteins, more branched for BSY than those of IY. Also, (31)P solid state NMR showed that the BSY mannoproteins were 3 times more phosphorylated. By electron microscopy it was observed that the final residues of alkali sequential extraction until 4M KOH preserved the yeast three-dimensional structure. The final residues, composed mainly by glucans (92%), showed that the BSY, when compared with IY, contained higher amount of (1→4)-linked Glc (43% for BSY and 16% for IY) and lower (1→3)-linked Glc (17% for BSY and 42% for IY). The enzymatic treatment of final residue showed that both BSY and IY had (α1→4)-linked Glc and (β1→4)-linked Glc, in a 2:1 ratio, showing that S. pastorianus increases their cellulose-like linkages with the brewing process. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  18. Genome-Wide Association Study Reveals Novel Genes Associated with Culm Cellulose Content in Bread Wheat (Triticum aestivum, L.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Simerjeet Kaur

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available Plant cell wall formation is a complex, coordinated and developmentally regulated process. Cellulose is the most dominant constituent of plant cell walls. Because of its paracrystalline structure, cellulose is the main determinant of mechanical strength of plant tissues. As the most abundant polysaccharide on earth, it is also the focus of cellulosic biofuel industry. To reduce culm lodging in wheat and for improved ethanol production, delineation of the variation for stem cellulose content could prove useful. We present results on the analysis of the stem cellulose content of 288 diverse wheat accessions and its genome-wide association study (GWAS. Cellulose concentration ranged from 35 to 52% (w/w. Cellulose content was normally distributed in the accessions around a mean and median of 45% (w/w. Genome-wide marker-trait association study using 21,073 SNPs helped identify nine SNPs that were associated (p < 1E-05 with cellulose content. Four strongly associated (p < 8.17E-05 SNP markers were linked to wheat unigenes, which included β-tubulin, Auxin-induced protein 5NG4, and a putative transmembrane protein of unknown function. These genes may be directly or indirectly involved in the formation of cellulose in wheat culms. GWAS results from this study have the potential for genetic manipulation of cellulose content in bread wheat and other small grain cereals to enhance culm strength and improve biofuel production.

  19. An enzymatic approach to cell wall structure | Hungate | South ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Ruminococcus albus was incubated with isolated alfalfa cell wall material for 72 h in batch culture. Cellulose in the cell walls was digested to a somewhat greater extent (88%) than were the fermentable sugars of the hemicellulose fraction (62- 76%). The digestibility of the total insoluble alfalfa cell wall, including lignin but ...

  20. Transgene silencing of sucrose synthase in alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) stem vascular tissue suggests a role for invertase in cell wall cellulose synthesis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Samac, Deborah A; Bucciarelli, Bruna; Miller, Susan S; Yang, S Samuel; O'Rourke, Jamie A; Shin, Sanghyun; Vance, Carroll P

    2015-12-01

    Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) is a widely adapted perennial forage crop that has high biomass production potential. Enhanced cellulose content in alfalfa stems would increase the value of the crop as a bioenergy feedstock. We examined if increased expression of sucrose synthase (SUS; EC 2.4.1.13) would increase cellulose in stem cell walls. Alfalfa plants were transformed with a truncated alfalfa phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase gene promoter (PEPC7-P4) fused to an alfalfa nodule-enhanced SUS cDNA (MsSUS1) or the β-glucuronidase (GUS) gene. Strong GUS expression was detected in xylem and phloem indicating that the PEPC7-P4 promoter was active in stem vascular tissue. In contrast to expectations, MsSUS1 transcript accumulation was reduced 75-90 % in alfalfa plants containing the PEPC7-P4::MsSUS1 transgene compared to controls. Enzyme assays indicated that SUS activity in stems of selected down-regulated transformants was reduced by greater than 95 % compared to the controls. Although SUS activity was detected in xylem and phloem of control plants by in situ enzyme assays, plants with the PEPC7-P4::MsSUS1 transgene lacked detectable SUS activity in post-elongation stem (PES) internodes and had very low SUS activity in elongating stem (ES) internodes. Loss of SUS protein in PES internodes of down-regulated lines was confirmed by immunoblots. Down-regulation of SUS expression and activity in stem tissue resulted in no obvious phenotype or significant change in cell wall sugar composition. However, alkaline/neutral (A/N) invertase activity increased in SUS down-regulated lines and high levels of acid invertase activity were observed. In situ enzyme assays of stem tissue showed localization of neutral invertase in vascular tissues of ES and PES internodes. These results suggest that invertases play a primary role in providing glucose for cellulose biosynthesis or compensate for the loss of SUS1 activity in stem vascular tissue.

  1. Modified cellulose synthase gene from 'Arabidopsis thaliana' confers herbicide resistance to plants

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Somerville, Chris R.; Scieble, Wolf

    2000-10-11

    Cellulose synthase ('CS'), a key enzyme in the biosynthesis of cellulose in plants is inhibited by herbicides comprising thiazolidinones such as 5-tert-butyl-carbamoyloxy-3-(3-trifluromethyl) phenyl-4-thiazolidinone (TZ), isoxaben and 2,6-dichlorobenzonitrile (DCB). Two mutant genes encoding isoxaben and TZ-resistant cellulose synthase have been isolated from isoxaben and TZ-resistant Arabidopsis thaliana mutants. When compared with the gene coding for isoxaben or TZ-sensitive cellulose synthase, one of the resistant CS genes contains a point mutation, wherein glycine residue 998 is replaced by an aspartic acid. The other resistant mutation is due to a threonine to isoleucine change at amino acid residue 942. The mutant CS gene can be used to impart herbicide resistance to a plant; thereby permitting the utilization of the herbicide as a single application at a concentration which ensures the complete or substantially complete killing of weeds, while leaving the transgenic crop plant essentially undamaged.

  2. Development of efficient, integrated cellulosic biorefineries : LDRD final report.

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Teh, Kwee-Yan; Hecht, Ethan S.; Shaddix, Christopher R.; Buffleben, George M.; Dibble, Dean C.; Lutz, Andrew E.

    2010-09-01

    Cellulosic ethanol, generated from lignocellulosic biomass sources such as grasses and trees, is a promising alternative to conventional starch- and sugar-based ethanol production in terms of potential production quantities, CO{sub 2} impact, and economic competitiveness. In addition, cellulosic ethanol can be generated (at least in principle) without competing with food production. However, approximately 1/3 of the lignocellulosic biomass material (including all of the lignin) cannot be converted to ethanol through biochemical means and must be extracted at some point in the biochemical process. In this project we gathered basic information on the prospects for utilizing this lignin residue material in thermochemical conversion processes to improve the overall energy efficiency or liquid fuel production capacity of cellulosic biorefineries. Two existing pretreatment approaches, soaking in aqueous ammonia (SAA) and the Arkenol (strong sulfuric acid) process, were implemented at Sandia and used to generated suitable quantities of residue material from corn stover and eucalyptus feedstocks for subsequent thermochemical research. A third, novel technique, using ionic liquids (IL) was investigated by Sandia researchers at the Joint Bioenergy Institute (JBEI), but was not successful in isolating sufficient lignin residue. Additional residue material for thermochemical research was supplied from the dilute-acid simultaneous saccharification/fermentation (SSF) pilot-scale process at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). The high-temperature volatiles yields of the different residues were measured, as were the char combustion reactivities. The residue chars showed slightly lower reactivity than raw biomass char, except for the SSF residue, which had substantially lower reactivity. Exergy analysis was applied to the NREL standard process design model for thermochemical ethanol production and from a prototypical dedicated biochemical process, with process data

  3. Salmonella biofilm formation on Aspergillus niger involves cellulose--chitin interactions.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Maria T Brandl

    Full Text Available Salmonella cycles between host and nonhost environments, where it can become an active member of complex microbial communities. The role of fungi in the environmental adaptation of enteric pathogens remains relatively unexplored. We have discovered that S. enterica Typhimurium rapidly attaches to and forms biofilms on the hyphae of the common fungus, Aspergillus niger. Several Salmonella enterica serovars displayed a similar interaction, whereas other bacterial species were unable to bind to the fungus. Bacterial attachment to chitin, a major constituent of fungal cell walls, mirrored this specificity. Pre-incubation of S. Typhimurium with N-acetylglucosamine, the monomeric component of chitin, reduced binding to chitin beads by as much as 727-fold and inhibited attachment to A. niger hyphae considerably. A cellulose-deficient mutant of S. Typhimurium failed to attach to chitin beads and to the fungus. Complementation of this mutant with the cellulose operon restored binding to chitin beads to 79% of that of the parental strain and allowed for attachment and biofilm formation on A. niger, indicating that cellulose is involved in bacterial attachment to the fungus via the chitin component of its cell wall. In contrast to cellulose, S. Typhimurium curli fimbriae were not required for attachment and biofilm development on the hyphae but were critical for its stability. Our results suggest that cellulose-chitin interactions are required for the production of mixed Salmonella-A. niger biofilms, and support the hypothesis that encounters with chitinaceous alternate hosts may contribute to the ecological success of human pathogens.

  4. Hemicellulose biosynthesis and degradation in tobacco cell walls

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Compier, M.G.M.

    2005-01-01

    Natural fibres have a wide range of technological applications, such as in paper and textile industries. The basic properties and the quality of plant fibres are determined by the composition of the plant cell wall. Characteristic for fibres are thick secondary cell walls, which consist of cellulose

  5. Utilization of agricultural cellulose wastes

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Valkanas, G N; Economidis, D G; Koukios, E G; Valkanas, C G

    1977-05-05

    Wastes, example, straw, are prehydrolyzed to convert pentosanes, starches, and hemicelluloses to monosaccharides; the remaining pulp is 50% cellulose. Thus, dry wheat straw 0.8 kg was treated with 10 L of 0.3% aqueous HCl at 5-5.5 atm and 145/sup 0/ and a space velocity of 0.55 L/min, washed with dry steam, followed by water at 120 to 130/sup 0/, and more dry steam, and compressed at 25 kg/cm/sup 2/ to yield a product containing 45 to 50 wt % water. The sugar solution obtained (1394 L) contained 1.34 wt % reducing sugars, a straw hydrolysis of 23 wt %, and comprised xylose 74.3, mannose 5.2, arabinose 11.8, glucose 5.9, galactose 2.9%, and furfural 0.16 g/L. The cellulose residue had a dry weight of 0.545 kg. a yield of 68.2 wt % and contained cellulose 53.1, hemicelluloses 12.6%, lignin 22.1, ash and extractables 12.2%. The degree of polymerization was 805 glucose units.

  6. Process Intensification for Cellulosic Biorefineries.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sadula, Sunitha; Athaley, Abhay; Zheng, Weiqing; Ierapetritou, Marianthi; Saha, Basudeb

    2017-06-22

    Utilization of renewable carbon source, especially non-food biomass is critical to address the climate change and future energy challenge. Current chemical and enzymatic processes for producing cellulosic sugars are multistep, and energy- and water-intensive. Techno-economic analysis (TEA) suggests that upstream lignocellulose processing is a major hurdle to the economic viability of the cellulosic biorefineries. Process intensification, which integrates processes and uses less water and energy, has the potential to overcome the aforementioned challenges. Here, we demonstrate a one-pot depolymerization and saccharification process of woody biomass, energy crops, and agricultural residues to produce soluble sugars with high yields. Lignin is separated as a solid for selective upgrading. Further integration of our upstream process with a reactive extraction step makes energy-efficient separation of sugars in the form of furans. TEA reveals that the process efficiency and integration enable, for the first time, economic production of feed streams that could profoundly improve process economics for downstream cellulosic bioproducts. © 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  7. Effect of gamma irradiation and sodium hydroxide on cell wall constituents of some agricultural residues

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Almasri, M R [Department of Radiation Agriculture, Atomic Energy Commision, P.O. Box 6091, Damascus, (Syrian Arab Republic)

    1995-10-01

    The effect of various doses gamma irradiation and different concentrations of NaOH on cell-wall constituents of wheat straw (W.S), cotton seed shell (C.S.S), peanut shell (P.S), soybean shell (S B.S), extracted olive cake (O.C.E) and extracted sunflower of unpeel seeds (S.U.E) were investigated. Results indicated that Na OH in the concentrations at (2,4 and 6%) had significant effects in the crude fiber (C F) content of W.S, P.S and E.U.E, S B.S, C.S.S, O.C.E,respectively. Treating S.U.E, W.S and all other residues with NaOH (2,4 and 6%) respectively, decreased the neutral-detergent fiber (NDF) level. Irradiation dose of 200 kGy decreased C F for all residues, and it reduced the NDF for S.U.E and S B.S. however, lower irradiation dose (150 KGy) was good enough to reduce the NDF for W.S, C.S.S., P.S. and O.C.E. Combined treatment resulted in better effects in reducing the concentrations of the cell-wall constituents. 3 tabs.

  8. Effect of gamma irradiation and sodium hydroxide on cell wall constituents of some agricultural residues

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Almasri, M.R.

    1995-01-01

    The effect of various doses gamma irradiation and different concentrations of NaOH on cell-wall constituents of wheat straw (W.S), cotton seed shell (C.S.S), peanut shell (P.S), soybean shell (S B.S), extracted olive cake (O.C.E) and extracted sunflower of unpeel seeds (S.U.E) were investigated. Results indicated that Na OH in the concentrations at (2,4 and 6%) had significant effects in the crude fiber (C F) content of W.S, P.S and E.U.E, S B.S, C.S.S, O.C.E,respectively. Treating S.U.E, W.S and all other residues with NaOH (2,4 and 6%) respectively, decreased the neutral-detergent fiber (NDF) level. Irradiation dose of 200 kGy decreased C F for all residues, and it reduced the NDF for S.U.E and S B.S. however, lower irradiation dose (150 KGy) was good enough to reduce the NDF for W.S, C.S.S., P.S. and O.C.E. Combined treatment resulted in better effects in reducing the concentrations of the cell-wall constituents. 3 tabs

  9. Histochemical effects of γ radiation on soft fruit cell walls

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Foa, E.; Jona, R.; Vallania, R.

    1980-01-01

    Irradiation effects in peaches, tomatoes, cherries and grapes on the composition of cell wall polysaccharides were investigated by histochemical techniques. Cell wall polysaccharides, separated by a modified Jensen's method were pectins, hemicellulose, non-cellulosic polysaccharides and cellulose. The extinction values of Periodic Acid Schiff stained tissues was measured by microscopical photometry. Irradiation induced highly significant changes in polysaccharide composition of mesocarp cell walls; these changes were found to be a function of time of irradiation after harvest and of the species tested. A general influence on polysaccharide molecules was not found. Variations produced by irradiation are postulated to be an interference with a regulatory system rather than a breakdown of a functional molecule (metabolic enzyme or polysaccharide. (author)

  10. [Revealing the chemical changes of tea cell wall induced by anthracnose with confocal Raman microscopy].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Xiao-li; Luo, Liu-bin; Hu, Xiao-qian; Lou, Bing-gan; He, Yong

    2014-06-01

    Healthy tea and tea infected by anthracnose were first studied by confocal Raman microscopy to illustrate chemical changes of cell wall in the present paper. Firstly, Raman spectra of both healthy and infected sample tissues were collected with spatial resolution at micron-level, and ultrastructure of healthy and infected tea cells was got from scanning electron microscope. These results showed that there were significant changes in Raman shift and Raman intensity between healthy and infected cell walls, indicating that great differences occurred in chemical compositions of cell walls between healthy and infected samples. In details, intensities at many Raman bands which were closely associated with cellulose, pectin, esters were reduced after infection, revealing that the content of chemical compounds such as cellulose, pectin, esters was decreased after infection. Subsequently, chemical imaging of both healthy and infected tea cell walls were realized based on Raman fingerprint spectra of cellulose and microscopic spatial structure. It was found that not only the content of cellulose was reduced greatly after infection, but also the ordered structure of cellulose was destroyed by anthracnose infection. Thus, confocal Raman microscopy was shown to be a powerful tool to detect the chemical changes in cell wall of tea caused by anthracnose without any chemical treatment or staining. This research firstly applied confocal Raman microscopy in phytopathology for the study of interactive relationship between host and pathogen, and it will also open a new way for intensive study of host-pathogen at cellular level.

  11. Cellulose fibers extracted from rice and oat husks and their application in hydrogel.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oliveira, Jean Paulo de; Bruni, Graziella Pinheiro; Lima, Karina Oliveira; Halal, Shanise Lisie Mello El; Rosa, Gabriela Silveira da; Dias, Alvaro Renato Guerra; Zavareze, Elessandra da Rosa

    2017-04-15

    The commercial cellulose fibers and cellulose fibers extracted from rice and oat husks were analyzed by chemical composition, morphology, functional groups, crystallinity and thermal properties. The cellulose fibers from rice and oat husks were used to produce hydrogels with poly (vinyl alcohol). The fibers presented different structural, crystallinity, and thermal properties, depending on the cellulose source. The hydrogel from rice cellulose fibers had a network structure with a similar agglomeration sponge, with more homogeneous pores compared to the hydrogel from oat cellulose fibers. The hydrogels prepared from the cellulose extracted from rice and oat husks showed water absorption capacity of 141.6-392.1% and high opacity. The highest water absorption capacity and maximum stress the compression were presented by rice cellulose hydrogel at 25°C. These results show that the use of agro-industrial residues is promising for the biomaterial field, especially in the preparation of hydrogels. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  12. Plant Wall Degradative Compounds and Systems

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — The present invention relates to cell wall degradative systems, in particular to systems containing enzymes that bind to and/or depolymerize cellulose. These systems...

  13. Production of Biofuels from Selected Cellulosic Waste materials

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jathwa Abdul Kareem Ibrahim

    2017-08-01

    Full Text Available In this study four types of cellulose-rich municipal solid wastes (residuals of orange, banana peel, corn residues, and saw dust were used as raw materials. These cellulosic substrates usually have a lot of lignin content which prevents the process of saccharification by microorganisms. Thus pretreatment methods of enzymatic, acid or base with enzymatic treatment and dilute acid followed by autoclaving were necessary to dignify these wastes and to obtain higher reducing sugar yields and hence higher ethanol production. Dilute HCl acid of 1% followed by autoclaving at 121℃ for 30 min proved to give good result where significant amounts of reducing sugars were obtained at the end of the saccharification process. Orange peel proved to give the highest glucose concentration of an average of 6000 mg/l on day 4 of the saccharification process. Fermentation was carried out for the hydrolyzed samples using Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast. The amount of ethanol produced after fermentation was found to be the highest for orange peel having a value of 1300 mg/l after 96h of incubation. As science is proceeding, engineered microorganisms could help to produce sustainable fuels from cellulose-rich municipal solid wastes in the future.

  14. Production by Tobacco Transplastomic Plants of Recombinant Fungal and Bacterial Cell-Wall Degrading Enzymes to Be Used for Cellulosic Biomass Saccharification

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Paolo Longoni

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Biofuels from renewable plant biomass are gaining momentum due to climate change related to atmospheric CO2 increase. However, the production cost of enzymes required for cellulosic biomass saccharification is a major limiting step in this process. Low-cost production of large amounts of recombinant enzymes by transgenic plants was proposed as an alternative to the conventional microbial based fermentation. A number of studies have shown that chloroplast-based gene expression offers several advantages over nuclear transformation due to efficient transcription and translation systems and high copy number of the transgene. In this study, we expressed in tobacco chloroplasts microbial genes encoding five cellulases and a polygalacturonase. Leaf extracts containing the recombinant enzymes showed the ability to degrade various cell-wall components under different conditions, singly and in combinations. In addition, our group also tested a previously described thermostable xylanase in combination with a cellulase and a polygalacturonase to study the cumulative effect on the depolymerization of a complex plant substrate. Our results demonstrate the feasibility of using transplastomic tobacco leaf extracts to convert cell-wall polysaccharides into reducing sugars, fulfilling a major prerequisite of large scale availability of a variety of cell-wall degrading enzymes for biofuel industry.

  15. Contribution of residual proteins to the thermomechanical performance of cellulosic nanofibrils isolated from green macroalgae

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jiaqi Guo; Khan Mohammad Ahsan Uddin; Karl Mihhels; Wenwen Fang; Päivi Laaksonen; J. Y. Zhu; Orlando J. Rojas

    2017-01-01

    Cellulosic nanofibrils (CNFs) were isolated from one of the most widespread freshwater macroalgae, Aegagropila linnaei. The algae were first carboxylated with a recyclable dicarboxylic acid, which facilitated deconstruction into CNFs via microfluidization while preserving the protein component. For comparison, cellulosic fibrils were also isolated by chemical treatment...

  16. Cellulose nanocrystals from Actinidia deliciosa pruning residues combined with carvacrol in PVA_CH films with antioxidant/antimicrobial properties for packaging applications.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Luzi, Francesca; Fortunati, Elena; Giovanale, Geremia; Mazzaglia, Angelo; Torre, Luigi; Balestra, Giorgio Mariano

    2017-11-01

    Kiwi Actinidia deliciosa pruning residues were here used for the first time as precursors for the extraction of high performing cellulose nanocrystals (CNC) by applying a bleaching treatment followed by an acidic hydrolysis. The resultant cellulosic nanostructures, obtained by an optimize extraction procedure (0.7% wt/v two times of sodium chlorite NaClO 2 ) followed by an hydrolysis step, were then used as reinforcements phases in poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) blended with natural chitosan (CH) based films and also combined, for the first time, with carvacrol used here as active agent. Morphological and optical characteristics, mechanical response, thermal and migration properties, moisture content and antioxidant and antimicrobial assays were conducted. The morphological, optical and colorimetric results underlined that no particular alterations were induced on the transparency and color of PVA and PVA_CH blend by the presence of CNC and carvacrol, while they were able to modulate the mechanical responses, to induce antioxidant activities maintaining the migration levels below the permitted limits and suggesting the possible application in industrial sectors. Finally, inhibitions on bacterial development were detected for multifunctional systems, suggesting their protective function against microorganisms contamination. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  17. Forage digestibility: the intersection of cell wall lignification and plant tissue anatomy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cellulose and the other polysaccharides present in forage cell walls can be completely degraded by the rumen microflora but only when these polysaccharides have been isolated from the wall and all matrix structures eliminated. Understanding how cell wall component interactions limit microbial degrad...

  18. Seasonal and clonal variation in cellulose microfibril orientation during cell wall formation of tracheids in Cryptomeria japonica.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jyske, Tuula; Fujiwara, Takeshi; Kuroda, Katsushi; Iki, Taiichi; Zhang, Chunhua; Jyske, Tuomas K; Abe, Hisashi

    2014-08-01

    To investigate the biological mechanism by which trees control the changes in microfibril (MF) orientation among secondary cell wall layers of conifer tracheids, we studied seasonal variation in the orientation of newly deposited MFs during tracheid cell wall development in Japanese cedar (Cryptomeria japonica D. Don) trees growing in Central Japan (36°36'N, 140°39'E). Sample blocks were repeatedly collected from four 16-year-old clones of different origins during the growing season of 2010 to investigate the hypotheses that changes in cellulose MF orientation between wall layers exhibited seasonal and clonal differences. The progressive change in the orientation of newly deposited MFs on the primary and secondary cell wall layers of tracheids was detected by field-emission-scanning electron microscopy. Tracheid production and differentiation was studied by light microscopy. We observed a decreasing trend in the orientation of deposited MFs from earlywood to latewood in the S2 and S1 layers, where MFs appeared in a Z-helix. In contrast, no seasonal pattern in the orientation of the MFs in the S-helix was observed. Minor clonal variation was observed in the phenology of tracheid production and differentiation. We concluded that a seasonal decreasing trend in the orientation of the MFs in the Z-helix in S1 and S2 was present, whereas the MFs in other layers exhibited minor random variations. Thus, the orientation of the MFs in S2 was affected by seasonal factors, whereas the MFs in other layers were more intrinsically controlled. The within-ring variations in the MF orientation and thus the resulting average MF angle might also be related to genotypic differences in the tracheid production and differentiation rate. However, our results do not exclude other intrinsic and environmental regulations in the change in MF orientation, which remains a topic for future studies. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions

  19. A 3-D Model of a Perennial Ryegrass Primary Cell Wall and Its Enzymatic Degradation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Indrakumar Vetharaniam

    2014-05-01

    Full Text Available We have developed a novel 3-D, agent-based model of cell-wall digestion to improve our understanding of ruminal cell-wall digestion. It offers a capability to study cell walls and their enzymatic modification, by providing a representation of cellulose microfibrils and non-cellulosic polysaccharides and by simulating their spatial and catalytic interactions with enzymes. One can vary cell-wall composition and the types and numbers of enzyme molecules, allowing the model to be applied to a range of systems where cell walls are degraded and to the modification of cell walls by endogenous enzymes. As a proof of principle, we have modelled the wall of a mesophyll cell from the leaf of perennial ryegrass and then simulated its enzymatic degradation. This is a primary, non-lignified cell wall and the model includes cellulose, hemicelluloses (glucuronoarabinoxylans, 1,3;1,4-β-glucans, and xyloglucans and pectin. These polymers are represented at the level of constituent monosaccharides, and assembled to form a 3-D, meso-scale representation of the molecular structure of the cell wall. The composition of the cell wall can be parameterised to represent different walls in different cell types and taxa. The model can contain arbitrary combinations of different enzymes. It simulates their random diffusion through the polymer networks taking collisions into account, allowing steric hindrance from cell-wall polymers to be modelled. Steric considerations are included when target bonds are encountered, and breakdown products resulting from enzymatic activity are predicted.

  20. Characterization of cellulose acetate obtained from sugarcane bagasse by 1H-NMR

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cerqueira, Daniel A.; Rodrigues Filho, Guimes; Carvalho, Rui A.; Valente, Artur J.M.

    2009-01-01

    Cellulose from sugarcane bagasse was used for synthesizing cellulose acetate with different degrees of substitution, which were characterized by 1 H-NMR through the relationship between the peak areas of the hydrogen atoms present at the acetate groups (-(C=O)OCH 3 ) and the peaks of the hydrogen bonded to the carbon atoms of the glycosidic rings. Suppression was carried out in order to remove the peak of residual water in the materials and the peak related to impurities in cellulose triacetate. Degree of substitution values obtained through the resonance deconvolution were compared to those obtained by chemical determination through an acid-base titration. The determined degrees of substitution of the cellulose samples were 2.94 and 2.60. (author)

  1. beta. -1,4-glucan occurring in homogenate of Phaseolus aureus seedlings. Possible nascent stage of cellulose biosynthesis in vivo

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Satoh, S; Matsuda, K; Tamari, K

    1976-12-01

    A small amount of cytoplasmic ..beta..-1,4-glucan, which might be involved in the synthesis of cellulose in the cell wall, was found in the homogenate prepared from the hypocotyls of seedlings of Phaseolus aureus. Upon hydrolysis by cellulase of the 20,000xg pellet from the cytoplasmic fraction of segments incubated in a (/sup 14/C)-glucose solution, (/sup 14/C)-cellobiose was produced, with specific radioactivities 3 to 10 times greater than those of the cellobiose from cellulose in the cell wall at various incubation periods. The incoporation of radioactivity from (/sup 14/C)-glucose into this cytoplasmic ..beta..-1,4-glucan was therefore faster than that into cellulose constituting the cell wall. Hence, it seemed that the former ..beta..-1,4-glucan could be turned over. To examine whether the cytoplasmic ..beta..-1,4-glucan is carried by some subcellular components, cytoplasmic ..beta..-1,4-glucan in the cell was fractionated by differential centrifugation, two enzyme activities being measured as the markers of subcellular components. The distribution of ..beta..-1,4-glucan was similar to that of UDPG-glucosyl-transferase activity but not to that of IDP-ase activity. The result suggests that the cytoplasmic ..beta..-1,4-glucan has some relation to plasma membranes. Coumarin, known as a specific inhibitor for the biosynthesis of cellulose in plant cells, was shown to inhibit the incorporation of radio-carbon from (/sup 14/C)-glucose into cytoplasmic ..beta..-1,4-glucan to the same extent as that into cellulose in the cell wall of the hypocotyls.

  2. Native Cellulose Microfiber-Based Hybrid Piezoelectric Generator for Mechanical Energy Harvesting Utility.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alam, Md Mehebub; Mandal, Dipankar

    2016-01-27

    A flexible hybrid piezoelectric generator (HPG) based on native cellulose microfiber (NCMF) and polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) with multi wall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) as conducting filler is presented where the further chemical treatment of the cellulose and traditional electrical poling steps for piezoelectric voltage generation is avoided. It delivers a high electrical throughput that is an open circuit voltage of ∼30 V and power density ∼9.0 μW/cm(3) under repeated hand punching. We demonstrate to power up various portable electronic units by HPG. Because cellulose is a biocompatible material, suggesting that HPG may have greater potential in biomedical applications such as implantable power source in human body.

  3. Residual stress in the first wall coating materials of TiC and TiN for fusion reactor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Qiu Shaoyu

    1997-01-01

    Residual stresses measurement in the first wall coating of a fusion reactor of TiC and TiN films by X-ray diffraction 'sin 2 ψ methods' were described. The authors have studied on the effect of conditions of specimen preparation (such as coating method, substrate materials, film thickness and deposition temperature) on the residual stress of TiC and TiN films coated onto Mo, 316LSS and Pocographite by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) and physical vapor deposition (PVD) method. All films prepared in this study were found to have a compressive stresses and the CVD method gave lower residual stress than PVD method. TiC film coated on Mo substrate at 1100 degree C by CVD method showed that residual stress as the film thickness was raised from 14 μm to 60 μm, on the other hand, residual stress by PVD method exhibited a high compressive stresses, this kind of stress was principally the intrinsic stress, and a marked decrease in the residual with raising the deposition temperature (200 degree C∼650 degree C) was demonstrated. Origins of the residual stress were discussed by correlation with differences between thermal expansion coefficients, and also with fabrication methods

  4. Four Novel Cellulose Synthase (CESA Genes from Birch (Betula platyphylla Suk. Involved in Primary and Secondary Cell Wall Biosynthesis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xuemei Liu

    2012-09-01

    Full Text Available Cellulose synthase (CESA, which is an essential catalyst for the generation of plant cell wall biomass, is mainly encoded by the CesA gene family that contains ten or more members. In this study; four full-length cDNAs encoding CESA were isolated from Betula platyphylla Suk., which is an important timber species, using RT-PCR combined with the RACE method and were named as BplCesA3, −4, −7 and −8. These deduced CESAs contained the same typical domains and regions as their Arabidopsis homologs. The cDNA lengths differed among these four genes, as did the locations of the various protein domains inferred from the deduced amino acid sequences, which shared amino acid sequence identities ranging from only 63.8% to 70.5%. Real-time RT-PCR showed that all four BplCesAs were expressed at different levels in diverse tissues. Results indicated that BplCESA8 might be involved in secondary cell wall biosynthesis and floral development. BplCESA3 appeared in a unique expression pattern and was possibly involved in primary cell wall biosynthesis and seed development; it might also be related to the homogalacturonan synthesis. BplCESA7 and BplCESA4 may be related to the formation of a cellulose synthase complex and participate mainly in secondary cell wall biosynthesis. The extremely low expression abundance of the four BplCESAs in mature pollen suggested very little involvement of them in mature pollen formation in Betula. The distinct expression pattern of the four BplCesAs suggested they might participate in developments of various tissues and that they are possibly controlled by distinct mechanisms in Betula.

  5. Monitoring of Double-Stud Wall Moisture Conditions in the Northeast

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ueno, K. [Building Science Corporation, Westford, MA (United States)

    2015-03-01

    Double-stud walls insulated with cellulose or low-density spray foam can have R-values of 40 or higher. However, double-stud walls have a higher risk of interior-sourced condensation moisture damage when compared with high-R approaches using exterior insulating sheathing. Moisture conditions in double-stud walls were monitored in Zone 5A (Massachusetts); three double-stud assemblies were compared.

  6. Monitoring of Double Stud Wall Moisture Conditions in the Northeast

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ueno, K. [Building Science Corporation, Westford, MA (United States)

    2015-03-01

    Double-stud walls insulated with cellulose or low-density spray foam can have R-values of 40 or higher. However, double stud walls have a higher risk of interior-sourced condensation moisture damage, when compared with high-R approaches using exterior insulating sheathing.; Moisture conditions in double stud walls were monitored in Zone 5A (Massachusetts); three double stud assemblies were compared.

  7. Analysis of the relation between the cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin content and the thermal behavior of residual biomass from olive trees.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Garcia-Maraver, A; Salvachúa, D; Martínez, M J; Diaz, L F; Zamorano, M

    2013-11-01

    The heterogeneity of biomass makes it difficult if not impossible to make sweeping generalizations concerning thermochemical treatment systems and the optimal equipment to be used in them. Chemical differences in the structural components of the biomass (cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin) have a direct impact on its chemical reactivity. The aim of this research was to study the influence of the organic components of the raw material from olive trees (leaves, pruning residues, and wood) in the combustion behavior of this biomass, as well as to find the component responsible for the higher ash content of olive leaves. Accordingly, the study used a thermogravimetric analyzer to monitor the different states and complex transitions that occurred in the biomass as the temperature varied. The decomposition rates of the different samples were analyzed in order to establish a link between each combustion phase and the composition of the raw materials. Two methods were used to determine the hemicellulose and cellulose contents of biomass from olive trees. Significant differences among the results obtained by the different methods were observed, as well as important variations regarding the chemical composition and consequently the thermal behavior of the raw materials tested. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  8. Downregulation of the UDP-arabinomutase gene in switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L. results in increased cell wall lignin while reducing arabinose-glycans

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jonathan Duran Willis

    2016-10-01

    , cellulose and xyloglucan biosynthesis. A decrease in cell wall-associated arabinose was expected, which was likely caused by fewer Araf residues in the arabinoxylan. The decrease in arabinoxylan may cause a compensation response to maintain cell wall integrity by increasing cellulose and lignin biosynthesis. In cases in which increased lignin is desired, e.g., feedstocks for carbon fiber production, down-regulated UAM1 coupled with altered expression of other arabinoxylan biosynthesis genes might result in even higher production of lignin in biomass.

  9. Optically Transparent Wood from a Nanoporous Cellulosic Template: Combining Functional and Structural Performance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Yuanyuan; Fu, Qiliang; Yu, Shun; Yan, Min; Berglund, Lars

    2016-04-11

    Optically transparent wood (TW) with transmittance as high as 85% and haze of 71% was obtained using a delignified nanoporous wood template. The template was prepared by removing the light-absorbing lignin component, creating nanoporosity in the wood cell wall. Transparent wood was prepared by successful impregnation of lumen and the nanoscale cellulose fiber network in the cell wall with refractive-index-matched prepolymerized methyl methacrylate (MMA). During the process, the hierarchical wood structure was preserved. Optical properties of TW are tunable by changing the cellulose volume fraction. The synergy between wood and PMMA was observed for mechanical properties. Lightweight and strong transparent wood is a potential candidate for lightweight low-cost, light-transmitting buildings and transparent solar cell windows.

  10. The nanostructures of native celluloses, their transformations upon isolation, and their implications for production of nanocelluloses

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rajai H. Atalla; Rowan S Atalla; Umesh P. Agarwal

    2018-01-01

    Native celluloses in plant cell walls occur in a variety of highly periodic fibrillar forms that have curvature and varying degrees of twist about their longitudinal axes. Though X-ray measurements reveal diffraction patterns, the celluloses are not crystalline in the traditional sense. The diffraction patterns rather are a consequence of the high degree of spatial...

  11. A model of cell wall expansion based on thermodynamics of polymer networks

    Science.gov (United States)

    Veytsman, B. A.; Cosgrove, D. J.

    1998-01-01

    A theory of cell wall extension is proposed. It is shown that macroscopic properties of cell walls can be explained through the microscopic properties of interpenetrating networks of cellulose and hemicellulose. The qualitative conclusions of the theory agree with the existing experimental data. The dependence of the cell wall yield threshold on the secretion of the wall components is discussed.

  12. Evidence for land plant cell wall biosynthetic mechanisms in charophyte green algae

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Mikkelsen, Maria Dalgaard; Harholt, Jesper; Ulvskov, Peter

    2014-01-01

    in CGA is currently unknown, as no genomes are available, so this study sought to give insight into the evolution of the biosynthetic machinery of CGA through an analysis of available transcriptomes. METHODS: Available CGA transcriptomes were mined for cell wall biosynthesis GTs and compared with GTs...... to colonize land. These cell walls provide support and protection, are a source of signalling molecules, and provide developmental cues for cell differentiation and elongation. The cell wall of land plants is a highly complex fibre composite, characterized by cellulose cross-linked by non......-cellulosic polysaccharides, such as xyloglucan, embedded in a matrix of pectic polysaccharides. How the land plant cell wall evolved is currently unknown: early-divergent chlorophyte and prasinophyte algae genomes contain a low number of glycosyl transferases (GTs), while land plants contain hundreds. The number of GTs...

  13. A supramolecular structure insight for conversion property of cellulose in hot compressed water: Polymorphs and hydrogen bonds changes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Yan; Lian, Jie; Wan, Jinquan; Ma, Yongwen; Zhang, Yingshi

    2015-11-20

    Waste paper samples with different cellulose supramolecular structure were treated in hot compressed water (HCW) at 375°C and 22.5MPa within 200s to evaluate the specific effect mechanism of cellulose supramolecular structure on the conversion of waste paper to reusable resource. Although the distribution of liquid products and the oligosaccharides were related to reaction time, depolymerization and decrystallization of the cellulose, the characteristics absorption peak of cellulose from FTIR analysis and crystal structure of the cellulose detected in the residues with hydrolysis rate up 96.5% indicated crystal structure was the dominant factor that affect conversion behavior of waste paper. The conversion of cellulose Iβ to cellulose Iα or cellulose I(α+β) in HCW demonstrated that the recrystallization occurred during the decrystallization of cellulose through the rearrangement of hydrogen bonds. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  14. Nuclear magnetic resonance investigation of water accessibility in cellulose of pretreated sugarcane bagasse.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tsuchida, Jefferson Esquina; Rezende, Camila Alves; de Oliveira-Silva, Rodrigo; Lima, Marisa Aparecida; d'Eurydice, Marcel Nogueira; Polikarpov, Igor; Bonagamba, Tito José

    2014-01-01

    Enzymatic hydrolysis is a crucial step of biomass conversion into biofuels and different pretreatments have been proposed to improve the process efficiency. Amongst the various factors affecting hydrolysis yields of biomass samples, porosity and water accessibility stand out due to their intimate relation with enzymes accessibility to the cellulose and hemicellulose fractions of the biomass. In this work, sugarcane bagasse was subjected to acid and alkali pretreatments. The changes in the total surface area, hydrophilicity, porosity and water accessibility of cellulose were investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). Changes in chemical and physical properties of the samples, caused by the partial removal of hemicellulose and lignin, led to the increase in porosity of the cell walls and unwinding of the cellulose bundles, as observed by SEM. (1)H NMR relaxation data revealed the existence of water molecules occupying the cores of wide and narrow vessels as well as the cell wall internal structure. Upon drying, the water molecules associated with the structure of the cell wall did not undergo significant dynamical and partial moisture changes, while those located in the cores of wide and narrow vessels kept continuously evaporating until reaching approximately 20% of relative humidity. This indicates that water is first removed from the cores of lumens and, in the dry sample, the only remaining water molecules are those bound to the cell walls. The stronger interaction of water with pretreated bagasse is consistent with better enzymes accessibility to cellulose and higher efficiency of the enzymatic hydrolysis. We were able to identify that sugarcane bagasse modification under acid and basic pretreatments change the water accessibility to different sites of the sample, associated with both bagasse structure (lumens and cell walls) and hydrophilicity (lignin removal). Furthermore, we show that the substrates with increased

  15. Advances in solid-state NMR of cellulose.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Foston, Marcus

    2014-06-01

    Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy is a well-established analytical and enabling technology in biofuel research. Over the past few decades, lignocellulosic biomass and its conversion to supplement or displace non-renewable feedstocks has attracted increasing interest. The application of solid-state NMR spectroscopy has long been seen as an important tool in the study of cellulose and lignocellulose structure, biosynthesis, and deconstruction, especially considering the limited number of effective solvent systems and the significance of plant cell wall three-dimensional microstructure and component interaction to conversion yield and rate profiles. This article reviews common and recent applications of solid-state NMR spectroscopy methods that provide insight into the structural and dynamic processes of cellulose that control bulk properties and biofuel conversion. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  16. Dispersion of Dielectric Permittivity in a Nanocrystalline Cellulose-Triglycine Sulfate Composite at Low and Ultralow Frequencies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thu'o'ng, Nguyen Hoai; Sidorkin, A. S.; Milovidova, S. D.

    2018-03-01

    The dispersion of dielectric permittivity in nanocrystalline cellulose-triglycine sulfate composites is studied in the range of frequencies from 10-3 to 106 Hz, at temperatures varying from room temperature to the temperature of phase transition in this composite (54°C), in weak electric fields (1 V cm-1). Two behaviors for the dielectric dispersion are identified in the studied frequency range: at ultralow frequencies (10-3-10 Hz), the dispersion is due to Maxwell-Wagner polarization, while at higher frequencies (10-106 Hz), the dispersion is due to the movement of domain walls in the embedded triglycine sulfate crystallites. An additional peak in the temperature-dependent profiles of dielectric permittivity is detected at lower temperatures in freshly prepared samples of the considered composite; we associate it with the presence of residual water in these samples.

  17. Mechanism study on cellulose pyrolysis using thermogravimetric analysis coupled with infrared spectroscopy

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    WANG Shurong; LIU Qian; LUO Zhongyang; WEN Lihua; CEN Kefa

    2007-01-01

    Based on the investigation of the polysaccharide structure of cellulose by using Fourier transform spectrum analysis,the pyrolysis behaviour of cellulose was studied at a heating rate of 20 K/min by thermogravimetric (TG) analysis coupled with Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy.Experimental results show that the decomposition of cellulose mainly occurs at the temperature range of 550-670 K.The weight loss becomes quite slow when the temperature increases further up to 680 K and the amount of residue reaches a mass percent of 14.7%.The FTIR analysis shows that free water is released first during cellulose pyrolysis,followed by depolymerization and dehydration.Glucosidic bond and carbon-carbon bond break into a series of hydrocarbons,alcohols,aldehydes,acids,etc.Subsequently these large-molecule compounds decompose further into gases,such as methane and carbon monoxide.

  18. Residual strains in girth-welded linepipe

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    MacEwen, S.R.; Holden, T.M.; Powell, B.M.; Lazor, R.B.

    1987-07-01

    High resolution neutron diffraction has been used to measure the axial residual strains in and adjacent to a multipass girth weld in a complete section of 914 mm (36 inches) diameter, 16 mm (5/8 inch) wall, linepipe. The experiments were carried out at the NRU reactor, Chalk River using the L3 triple-axis spectrometer. The through-wall distribution of axial residual strain was measured at 0, 4, 8, 20 and 50 mm from the weld centerline; the axial variation was determined 1, 5, 8, and 13 mm from the inside surface of the pipe wall. The results have been compared with strain gauge measurements on the weld surface and with through-wall residual stress distributions determined using the block-layering and removal technique

  19. Super-resolution imaging with Pontamine Fast Scarlet 4BS enables direct visualization of cellulose orientation and cell connection architecture in onion epidermis cells

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Liesche, Johannes; Ziomkiewicz, Iwona; Schulz, Alexander

    2013-01-01

    of cellulose fibril orientation and growth. The fluorescent dye Pontamine Fast Scarlet 4BS (PFS) was shown to stain cellulose with high specificity and could be used to visualize cellulose bundles in cell walls of Arabidopsis root epidermal cells with confocal microscopy. The resolution limit of confocal...... present the first super-resolution images of cellulose bundles in the plant cell wall produced by direct stochastic optical reconstruction microscopy (dSTORM) in combination with total internal reflection fluorescence (TIRF) microscopy. Since TIRF limits observation to the cell surface, we tested...... as alternatives 3D-structured illumination microscopy (3D-SIM) and confocal microscopy, combined with image deconvolution. Both methods offer lower resolution than STORM, but enable 3D imaging. While 3D-SIM produced strong artifacts, deconvolution gave good results. The resolution was improved over conventional...

  20. Bioinspired Layer-by-Layer Microcapsules Based on Cellulose Nanofibers with Switchable Permeability

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Paulraj, Thomas; Riazanova, Anastasia V; Yao, Kun

    2017-01-01

    Green, all-polysaccharide based microcapsules with mechanically robust capsule walls and fast, stimuli-triggered, and switchable permeability behavior show great promise in applications based on selective and timed permeability. Taking a cue from nature, the build-up and composition of plant......-by-layer technique on sacrificial CaCO3 templates, using plant polysaccharides (pectin, cellulose nanofibers, and xyloglucan) only. In water, the capsule wall was permeable to labeled dextrans with a hydrodynamic diameter of ∼6.6 nm. Upon exposure to NaCl, the porosity of the capsule wall quickly changed allowing...

  1. Functional analyses of cellulose synthase genes in flax (Linum usitatissimum) by virus-induced gene silencing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chantreau, Maxime; Chabbert, Brigitte; Billiard, Sylvain; Hawkins, Simon; Neutelings, Godfrey

    2015-12-01

    Flax (Linum usitatissimum) bast fibres are located in the stem cortex where they play an important role in mechanical support. They contain high amounts of cellulose and so are used for linen textiles and in the composite industry. In this study, we screened the annotated flax genome and identified 14 distinct cellulose synthase (CESA) genes using orthologous sequences previously identified. Transcriptomics of 'primary cell wall' and 'secondary cell wall' flax CESA genes showed that some were preferentially expressed in different organs and stem tissues providing clues as to their biological role(s) in planta. The development for the first time in flax of a virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) approach was used to functionally evaluate the biological role of different CESA genes in stem tissues. Quantification of transcript accumulation showed that in many cases, silencing not only affected targeted CESA clades, but also had an impact on other CESA genes. Whatever the targeted clade, inactivation by VIGS affected plant growth. In contrast, only clade 1- and clade 6-targeted plants showed modifications in outer-stem tissue organization and secondary cell wall formation. In these plants, bast fibre number and structure were severely impacted, suggesting that the targeted genes may play an important role in the establishment of the fibre cell wall. Our results provide new fundamental information about cellulose biosynthesis in flax that should facilitate future plant improvement/engineering. © 2015 Society for Experimental Biology, Association of Applied Biologists and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  2. Investigation of Mechanical Properties and Morphology of Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotubes Reinforced Cellulose Acetate Fibers

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Quazi Nahida Sultana

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available Cellulose acetate (CA fibers were reinforced with multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs at 0.5%, 1.0%, 1.5% and 2.0%. Yield strength, ultimate tensile strength, fracture strain and toughness of the nanocomposite fiber increased up to 1.5 wt. % of the carbon nanotube (CNT loading, however, further inclusion (2.0% of MWCNTs in CA decreased the mechanical properties. Experimental properties were also compared with analytical predictions using a Shear lag model for strength and the rule of mixture for modulus. A solution spinning process, coupled with sonication, mixing, and extrusion, was used to process the CNT-reinforced composite fiber. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM images of the cross sections of neat CA and CA-MWCNT fibers showed the formation of voids and irregular features. The enhanced interconnected fibrillation in the CNT-reinforced CA samples resulted in improved mechanical properties, which were observed by tensile testing. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR spectra showed the area under the curve for C–H bonding after the inclusion of CNT. There was no significant shift of wavenumber for the inclusion of MWCNT in the CA matrix, which indicates that the sonication process of the CNT-loaded solution did not degrade the CA bonding structure.

  3. Understanding changes in cellulose crystalline structure of lignocellulosic biomass during ionic liquid pretreatment by XRD.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Jiafu; Wang, Yixun; Zhang, Liye; Zhang, Ruihong; Liu, Guangqing; Cheng, Gang

    2014-01-01

    X-ray diffraction (XRD) was used to understand the interactions of cellulose in lignocellulosic biomass with ionic liquids (ILs). The experiment was designed in such a way that the process of swelling and solubilization of crystalline cellulose in plant cell walls was followed by XRD. Three different feedstocks, switchgrass, corn stover and rice husk, were pretreated using 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate ([C4mim][OAc]) at temperatures of 50-130°C for 6h. At a 5 wt.% biomass loading, increasing pretreatment temperature led to a drop in biomass crystallinity index (CrI), which was due to swelling of crystalline cellulose. After most of the crystalline cellulose was swollen with IL molecules, a low-order structure was found in the pretreated samples. Upon further increasing temperature, cellulose II structure started to form in the pretreated biomass samples as a result of solubilization of cellulose in [C4mim][OAc] and subsequent regeneration. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  4. [Construction of a microbial consortium RXS with high degradation ability for cassava residues and studies on its fermentative characteristics].

    Science.gov (United States)

    He, Jiang; Mao, Zhong-Gui; Zhang, Qing-Hua; Zhang, Jian-Hua; Tang, Lei; Zhang, Hong-Jian

    2012-03-01

    A microbial consortium with high effective and stable cellulosic degradation ability was constructed by successive enrichment and incubation in a peptone cellulose medium using cassava residues and filter paper as carbon sources, where the inoculums were sampled from the environment filled with rotten lignocellulosic materials. The degradation ability to different cellulosic materials and change of main parameters during the degradation process of cassava residues by this consortium was investigated in this study. It was found that, this consortium can efficiently degrade filter paper, absorbent cotton, avicael, wheat-straw and cassava residues. During the degradation process of cassava residues, the key hydrolytic enzymes including cellulase, hemicellulase and pectinase showed a maximum enzyme activity of 34.4, 90.5 and 15.8 U on the second or third day, respectively. After 10 days' fermentation, the degradation ratio of cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin of cassava residues was 79.8%, 85.9% and 19.4% respectively, meanwhile the loss ratio of cassava residues reached 61.5%. Otherwise,it was found that the dominant metabolites are acetic acid, butyric acid, caproic acid and glycerol, and the highest hydrolysis ratio is obtained on the second day by monitoring SCOD, total volatile fatty acids and total sugars. The above results revealed that this consortium can effectively hydrolyze cassava residues (the waste produced during the cassava based bioethanol production) and has great potential to be utilized for the pretreatment of cassava residues for biogas fermentation.

  5. Effects of an acid/alkaline treatment on the release of antioxidants and cellulose from different agro-food wastes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vadivel, Vellingiri; Moncalvo, Alessandro; Dordoni, Roberta; Spigno, Giorgia

    2017-06-01

    The present investigation was aimed to evaluate the release of both antioxidants and cellulosic fibre from different agro-food wastes. Cost-effective and easily available agro-food residues (brewers' spent grains, hazelnut shells, orange peels and wheat straw) were selected and submitted to a double-step acid/alkaline fractionation process. The obtained acid and alkaline liquors were analysed for total phenols content and antioxidant capacity. The final fibre residue was analysed for the cellulose, lignin and hemicellulose content. The total phenols content and antioxidant capacity of the acid liquors were higher than the alkaline hydrolysates. Orange peels and wheat straw gave, respectively, the highest (19.70±0.68mg/g dm ) and the lowest (4.70±0.29mg/g dm ) total phenols release. Correlation between antioxidant capacity of the liquors and their origin depended on the analytical assay used to evaluate it. All the acid liquors were also rich in sugar degradation products (mainly furfural). HPLC analysis revealed that the most abundant phenolic compound in the acid liquors was vanillin for brewers' spent grains, hazelnut shells and wheat straw, and p-hydroxybenzoic acid for orange peels. Wheat straw served as the best raw material for cellulose isolation, providing a final residue with a high cellulose content (84%) which corresponded to 45% of the original cellulose. The applied process removed more than 90% of the hemicellulose fraction in all the samples, while delignification degree ranged from 67% (in hazelnut shells), to 93% (in brewers' spent grains). It was not possible to select a unique raw material for the release of highest levels of both total phenols and cellulose. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  6. Obtaining of Peracetic Cellulose from Oat Straw for Paper Manufacturing

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tetyana V. Zelenchuk

    2017-10-01

    Full Text Available Background. Development of technology for obtaining peracetic pulp from oat straw and its use in the production of one of the paper mass types. Objective. Determination of peracetic cooking technological parameters’ optimal values for oat straw peracetic cellulose quality indicators. Methods. The oat straw cooking was carried out with peracetic acid at 95 ± 1 °C from 90 to 180 min for hydromodulus 8:1 and 7:1, using a sodium tungstate catalyst. To determine the oat straw peracetic cellulose mechanical indexes, laboratory samples of paper weighing 70 g/m2 were made. Results. Technological parameters’ optimum values (temperature, cooking duration, hydromodulus, hydrogen peroxide and acetic acid concentration for the oat straw delignification process were established. It is shown that the sodium tungstate catalyst addition to the cooking solution at a rate of up to 1 % of the plant raw material weight helps to reduce the lignin content in cellulose to 15 %. A diagram of the cellulose yield dependence on its residual lignin content for various methods of non-wood plant material species delignification is constructed. The high efficiency of the peracetic method for obtaining cellulose from non-wood plant raw materials, in particular from oat straw, has been confirmed. It is determined that the obtained peracetic cellulose from oat straw has high mechanical indexes. Conclusions. Oat straw peracetic cellulose can be used for the production of paper and cardboard mass types, in particular wrapping paper.

  7. Enzymatic cellulose oxidation is linked to lignin by long-range electron transfer

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Westereng, Bjorge; Cannella, David; Wittrup Agger, Jane

    2015-01-01

    in biological systems are only partly understood. We show here that insoluble high molecular weight lignin functions as a reservoir of electrons facilitating LPMO activity. The electrons are donated to the enzyme by long-range electron transfer involving soluble low molecular weight lignins present in plant...... cell walls. Electron transfer was confirmed by electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy showing that LPMO activity on cellulose changes the level of unpaired electrons in the lignin. The discovery of a long-range electron transfer mechanism links the biodegradation of cellulose and lignin and sheds...

  8. Chapter 3 Cell Wall Chemistry

    Science.gov (United States)

    Roger M. Rowell; Roger Pettersen; Mandla A. Tshabalala

    2012-01-01

    Wood is best defined as a three-dimensional biopolymer composite composed of an interconnected network of cellulose, hemicelluloses and lignin with minor amounts of extractives, and inorganics. The major chemical component of a living tree is water, but on a dry weight basis, all wood cell walls consist mainly of sugar-based polymers (carbohydrates, 65-75%) that are...

  9. Synthesis Magnesium Hydroxide Nanoparticles and Cellulose Acetate- Mg(OH2-MWCNT Nanocomposite

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M. Ghorbanali

    2015-04-01

    Full Text Available Mg(OH2 nanoparticles were synthesized by a rapid microwave reaction. The effect of sodium dodecyl sulfonate (SDS as anionic surfactant and cetyl tri-methyl ammonium bromide (CTAB as cationic surfactant on the morphology of magnesium hydroxide nanostructures was investigated. Multi wall carbon nano tubes was organo-modified for better dispersion in cellulose acetate matrix. The influence of Mg(OH2 nanoparticles and modified multi wall carbon nano tubes (MWCNT on the thermal stability of the cellulose acetate (CA matrix was studied using thermo-gravimetric analysis (TGA. Nanostructures were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD, scanning electron microscopy (SEM and Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR spectroscopy. Thermal decomposition of the nanocomposites shift towards higher temperature in the presence of Mg(OH2 nanostructures. The enhancement of thermal stability of nanocomposites is due to the endothermic decomposition of Mg(OH2 and release of water which dilutes combustible gases.

  10. Cellulose synthase complex organization and cellulose microfibril structure.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Turner, Simon; Kumar, Manoj

    2018-02-13

    Cellulose consists of linear chains of β-1,4-linked glucose units, which are synthesized by the cellulose synthase complex (CSC). In plants, these chains associate in an ordered manner to form the cellulose microfibrils. Both the CSC and the local environment in which the individual chains coalesce to form the cellulose microfibril determine the structure and the unique physical properties of the microfibril. There are several recent reviews that cover many aspects of cellulose biosynthesis, which include trafficking of the complex to the plasma membrane and the relationship between the movement of the CSC and the underlying cortical microtubules (Bringmann et al. 2012 Trends Plant Sci. 17 , 666-674 (doi:10.1016/j.tplants.2012.06.003); Kumar & Turner 2015 Phytochemistry 112 , 91-99 (doi:10.1016/j.phytochem.2014.07.009); Schneider et al. 2016 Curr. Opin. Plant Biol. 34 , 9-16 (doi:10.1016/j.pbi.2016.07.007)). In this review, we will focus on recent advances in cellulose biosynthesis in plants, with an emphasis on our current understanding of the structure of individual catalytic subunits together with the local membrane environment where cellulose synthesis occurs. We will attempt to relate this information to our current knowledge of the structure of the cellulose microfibril and propose a model in which variations in the structure of the CSC have important implications for the structure of the cellulose microfibril produced.This article is part of a discussion meeting issue 'New horizons for cellulose nanotechnology'. © 2017 The Author(s).

  11. Cellulose microfibril crystallinity is reduced by mutating C-terminal transmembrane region residues CESA1{sup A903V} and CESA3{sup T942I} of cellulose synthase

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Harris, Darby; Corbin, Kendall; Wang, Tuo; Gutierrez, Ryan; Bertolo, Ana; Petti, Caroalberto; Smilgies, Detlef-M; Estevez, Jose Manuel; Bonetta, Dario; Urbanowicz, Breeanna; Ehrhardt, David; Somerville, Chris; Rose, Jocelyn; Hong, Mei; DeBolt, Seth

    2012-01-08

    The mechanisms underlying the biosynthesis of cellulose in plants are complex and still poorly understood. A central question concerns the mechanism of microfibril structure and how this is linked to the catalytic polymerization action of cellulose synthase (CESA). Furthermore, it remains unclear whether modification of cellulose microfibril structure can be achieved genetically, which could be transformative in a bio-based economy. To explore these processes in planta, we developed a chemical genetic toolbox of pharmacological inhibitors and corresponding resistance-conferring point mutations in the C-terminal transmembrane domain region of CESA1{sup A903V} and CESA3{sup T942I} in Arabidopsis thaliana. Using {sup 13}C solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction, we show that the cellulose microfibrils displayed reduced width and an additional cellulose C4 peak indicative of a degree of crystallinity that is intermediate between the surface and interior glucans of wild type, suggesting a difference in glucan chain association during microfibril formation. Consistent with measurements of lower microfibril crystallinity, cellulose extracts from mutated CESA1{sup A903V} and CESA3{sup T942I} displayed greater saccharification efficiency than wild type. Using live-cell imaging to track fluorescently labeled CESA, we found that these mutants show increased CESA velocities in the plasma membrane, an indication of increased polymerization rate. Collectively, these data suggest that CESA1{sup A903V} and CESA3{sup T942I} have modified microfibril structure in terms of crystallinity and suggest that in plants, as in bacteria, crystallization biophysically limits polymerization.

  12. Biochemical Disincentives to Fertilizing Cellulosic Ethanol Crops

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gallagher, M. E.; Hockaday, W. C.; Snapp, S.; McSwiney, C.; Baldock, J.

    2010-12-01

    Corn grain biofuel crops produce the highest yields when the cropping ecosystem is not nitrogen (N)-limited, achieved by application of fertilizer. There are environmental consequences for excessive fertilizer application to crops, including greenhouse gas emissions, hypoxic “dead zones,” and health problems from N runoff into groundwater. The increase in corn acreage in response to demand for alternative fuels (i.e. ethanol) could exacerbate these problems, and divert food supplies to fuel production. A potential substitute for grain ethanol that could reduce some of these impacts is cellulosic ethanol. Cellulosic ethanol feedstocks include grasses (switchgrass), hardwoods, and crop residues (e.g. corn stover, wheat straw). It has been assumed that these feedstocks will require similar N fertilization rates to grain biofuel crops to maximize yields, but carbohydrate yield versus N application has not previously been monitored. We report the biochemical stocks (carbohydrate, protein, and lignin in Mg ha-1) of a corn ecosystem grown under varying N levels. We measured biochemical yield in Mg ha-1 within the grain, leaf and stem, and reproductive parts of corn plants grown at seven N fertilization rates (0-202 kg N ha-1), to evaluate the quantity and quality of these feedstocks across a N fertilization gradient. The N fertilization rate study was performed at the Kellogg Biological Station-Long Term Ecological Research Site (KBS-LTER) in Michigan. Biochemical stocks were measured using 13C nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR), combined with a molecular mixing model (Baldock et al. 2004). Carbohydrate and lignin are the main biochemicals of interest in ethanol production since carbohydrate is the ethanol feedstock, and lignin hinders the carbohydrate to ethanol conversion process. We show that corn residue carbohydrate yields respond only weakly to N fertilization compared to grain. Grain carbohydrate yields plateau in response to fertilization at

  13. Market Opportunities for Cellulose Products From Combined Renewable Resources

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zihare, Lauma; Blumberga, Dagnija

    2017-05-01

    This study investigates available resources that has not been used or is used with low added value, such as woody crops, forest residues and invasive species possibilities in case of cellulosic products. Main aspect is this study is market outlook, to see if the products can have positive market sales if produced. Resource have been selected by availability and current usage and properties they contain. Products have been chosen the most basic, to see is there possibility to enter an existing cellulose product markets. GE/McKinsey matrix have been used for clear visual decision making. The results show that only two out of seven products has a potential in international market.

  14. Shading Contributes to the Reduction of Stem Mechanical Strength by Decreasing Cell Wall Synthesis in Japonica Rice (Oryza sativa L.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Longmei Wu

    2017-05-01

    Full Text Available Low solar radiation caused by industrial development and solar dimming has become a limitation in crop production in China. It is widely accepted that low solar radiation influences many aspects of plant development, including slender, weak stems and susceptibility to lodging. However, the underlying mechanisms are not well understood. To clarify how low solar radiation affects stem mechanical strength formation and lodging resistance, the japonica rice cultivars Wuyunjing23 (lodging-resistant and W3668 (lodging-susceptible were grown under field conditions with normal light (Control and shading (the incident light was reduced by 60% with a black nylon net. The yield and yield components, plant morphological characteristics, the stem mechanical strength, cell wall components, culm microstructure, gene expression correlated with cellulose and lignin biosynthesis were measured. The results showed that shading significantly reduced grain yield attributed to reduction of spikelets per panicles and grain weight. The stem-breaking strength decreased significantly under shading treatment; consequently, resulting in higher lodging index in rice plant in both varieties, as revealed by decreased by culm diameter, culm wall thickness and increased plant height, gravity center height. Compared with control, cell wall components including non-structural carbohydrate, sucrose, cellulose, and lignin reduced quite higher. With histochemical straining, shading largely reduced lignin deposition in the sclerenchyma cells and vascular bundle cells compared with control, and decreased cellulose deposition in the parenchyma cells of culm tissue in both Wuyunjing23 and W3668. And under shading condition, gene expression involved in secondary cell wall synthesis, OsPAL, OsCOMT, OsCCoAOMT, OsCCR, and OsCAD2, and primary cell wall synthesis, OsCesA1, OsCesA3, and OsCesA8 were decreased significantly. These results suggest that gene expression involved in the reduction of

  15. Shading Contributes to the Reduction of Stem Mechanical Strength by Decreasing Cell Wall Synthesis in Japonica Rice (Oryza sativa L.).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Longmei; Zhang, Wujun; Ding, Yanfeng; Zhang, Jianwei; Cambula, Elidio D; Weng, Fei; Liu, Zhenghui; Ding, Chengqiang; Tang, She; Chen, Lin; Wang, Shaohua; Li, Ganghua

    2017-01-01

    Low solar radiation caused by industrial development and solar dimming has become a limitation in crop production in China. It is widely accepted that low solar radiation influences many aspects of plant development, including slender, weak stems and susceptibility to lodging. However, the underlying mechanisms are not well understood. To clarify how low solar radiation affects stem mechanical strength formation and lodging resistance, the japonica rice cultivars Wuyunjing23 (lodging-resistant) and W3668 (lodging-susceptible) were grown under field conditions with normal light (Control) and shading (the incident light was reduced by 60%) with a black nylon net. The yield and yield components, plant morphological characteristics, the stem mechanical strength, cell wall components, culm microstructure, gene expression correlated with cellulose and lignin biosynthesis were measured. The results showed that shading significantly reduced grain yield attributed to reduction of spikelets per panicles and grain weight. The stem-breaking strength decreased significantly under shading treatment; consequently, resulting in higher lodging index in rice plant in both varieties, as revealed by decreased by culm diameter, culm wall thickness and increased plant height, gravity center height. Compared with control, cell wall components including non-structural carbohydrate, sucrose, cellulose, and lignin reduced quite higher. With histochemical straining, shading largely reduced lignin deposition in the sclerenchyma cells and vascular bundle cells compared with control, and decreased cellulose deposition in the parenchyma cells of culm tissue in both Wuyunjing23 and W3668. And under shading condition, gene expression involved in secondary cell wall synthesis, OsPAL, OsCOMT, OsCCoAOMT, OsCCR , and OsCAD2 , and primary cell wall synthesis, OsCesA1, OsCesA3 , and OsCesA8 were decreased significantly. These results suggest that gene expression involved in the reduction of lignin and

  16. The dynamics of plant cell-wall polysaccharide decomposition in leaf-cutting ant fungus gardens

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Moller, Isabel Eva; de Fine Licht, Henrik Hjarvard; Harholt, Jesper

    2011-01-01

    communities of microbial and invertebrate symbionts have evolved associations with the dump material from leaf-cutting ant nests, to exploit decomposition niches that the ant garden-fungus does not utilize. Our approach thus provides detailed insight into the nutritional benefits and shortcomings associated......The degradation of live plant biomass in fungus gardens of leaf-cutting ants is poorly characterised but fundamental for understanding the mutual advantages and efficiency of this obligate nutritional symbiosis. Controversies about the extent to which the garden-symbiont Leucocoprinus gongylophorus......, to map the occurrence of cell wall polymers in consecutive sections of the fungus garden of the leaf-cutting ant Acromyrmex echinatior. We show that pectin, xyloglucan and some xylan epitopes are degraded, whereas more highly substituted xylan and cellulose epitopes remain as residuals in the waste...

  17. Investigation of Plant Cell Wall Properties: A Study of Contributions from the Nanoscale to the Macroscale Impacting Cell Wall Recalcitrance

    Science.gov (United States)

    Crowe, Jacob Dillon

    Biochemical conversion of lignocellulosic biomass to fuel ethanol is one of a few challenging, yet opportune technologies that can reduce the consumption of petroleum-derived transportation fuels, while providing parallel reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. Biomass recalcitrance, or resistance to deconstruction, is a major technical challenge that limits effective conversion of biomass to fermentable sugars, often requiring a costly thermochemical pretreatment step to improve biomass deconstruction. Biomass recalcitrance is imparted largely by the secondary cell wall, a complex polymeric matrix of cell wall polysaccharides and aromatic heteropolymers, that provides structural stability to cells and enables plant upright growth. Polymers within the cell wall can vary both compositionally and structurally depending upon plant species and anatomical fraction, and have varied responses to thermochemical pretreatments. Cell wall properties impacting recalcitrance are still not well understood, and as a result, the goal of this dissertation is to investigate structural features of the cell wall contributing to recalcitrance (1) in diverse anatomical fractions of a single species, (2) in response to diverse pretreatments, and (3) resulting from genetic modification. In the first study, feedstock cell wall heterogeneity was investigated in anatomical (stem, leaf sheaths, and leaf blades) and internode fractions of switchgrass at varying tissue maturities. Lignin content was observed as the key contributor to recalcitrance in maturing stem tissues only, with non-cellulosic substituted glucuronoarabinoxylans and pectic polysaccharides contributing to cell wall recalcitrance in leaf sheath and leaf blades. Hydroxycinnamate (i.e., saponifiable p-coumarate and ferulate) content along with xylan and pectin extractability decreased with tissue maturity, suggesting lignification is only one component imparting maturity specific cell wall recalcitrance. In the second study

  18. Isolation and properties of cellulose nanofibrils from coconut palm petioles by different mechanical process.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xu, Changyan; Zhu, Sailing; Xing, Cheng; Li, Dagang; Zhu, Nanfeng; Zhou, Handong

    2015-01-01

    In this study, cellulose nanofibrils (CNFs) were successfully isolated from coconut palm petiole residues falling off naturally with chemical pretreatments and mechanical treatments by a grinder and a homogenizor. FTIR spectra analysis showed that most of hemicellulose and lignin were removed from the fiber after chemical pretreatments. The compositions of CNFS indicated that high purity of nanofibrils with cellulose contain more than 95% was obtained. X-ray diffractogram demonstrated that chemical pretreatments significantly increased the crystallinity of CNFs from 38.00% to 70.36%; however, 10-15 times of grinding operation followed by homogenizing treatment after the chemical pretreatments did not significantly improve the crystallinity of CNFs. On the contrary, further grinding operation could destroy crystalline regions of the cellulose. SEM image indicated that high quality of CNFs could be isolated from coconut palm petiole residues with chemical treatments in combination of 15 times of grinding followed by 10 times of homogenization and the aspect ratio of the obtained CNFs ranged from 320 to 640. The result of TGA-DTG revealed that the chemical-mechanical treatments improved thermal stability of fiber samples, and the CNFs with 15 grinding passing times had the best thermal stability. This work suggests that the CNFs can be successfully extracted from coconut palm petiole residues and it may be a potential feedstock for nanofiber reinforced composites due to its high aspect ratio and crystallinity.

  19. Isolation and Properties of Cellulose Nanofibrils from Coconut Palm Petioles by Different Mechanical Process

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Dagang; Zhu, Nanfeng

    2015-01-01

    In this study, cellulose nanofibrils (CNFs) were successfully isolated from coconut palm petiole residues falling off naturally with chemical pretreatments and mechanical treatments by a grinder and a homogenizor. FTIR spectra analysis showed that most of hemicellulose and lignin were removed from the fiber after chemical pretreatments. The compositions of CNFS indicated that high purity of nanofibrils with cellulose contain more than 95% was obtained. X-ray diffractogram demonstrated that chemical pretreatments significantly increased the crystallinity of CNFs from 38.00% to 70.36%; however, 10-15 times of grinding operation followed by homogenizing treatment after the chemical pretreatments did not significantly improve the crystallinity of CNFs. On the contrary, further grinding operation could destroy crystalline regions of the cellulose. SEM image indicated that high quality of CNFs could be isolated from coconut palm petiole residues with chemical treatments in combination of 15 times of grinding followed by 10 times of homogenization and the aspect ratio of the obtained CNFs ranged from 320 to 640. The result of TGA-DTG revealed that the chemical-mechanical treatments improved thermal stability of fiber samples, and the CNFs with 15 grinding passing times had the best thermal stability. This work suggests that the CNFs can be successfully extracted from coconut palm petiole residues and it may be a potential feedstock for nanofiber reinforced composites due to its high aspect ratio and crystallinity. PMID:25875280

  20. Suite of Activity-Based Probes for Cellulose-Degrading Enzymes

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Chauvigne-Hines, Lacie M.; Anderson, Lindsey N.; Weaver, Holly M.; Brown, Joseph N.; Koech, Phillip K.; Nicora, Carrie D.; Hofstad, Beth A.; Smith, Richard D.; Wilkins, Michael J.; Callister, Stephen J.; Wright, Aaron T.

    2012-12-19

    Microbial glycoside hydrolases play a dominant role in the biochemical conversion of cellulosic biomass to high-value biofuels. Anaerobic cellulolytic bacteria are capable of producing multicomplex catalytic subunits containing cell-adherent cellulases, hemicellulases, xylanases, and other glycoside hydrolases to facilitate the degradation of highly recalcitrant cellulose and other related plant cell wall polysaccharides. Clostridium thermocellum is a cellulosome producing bacterium that couples rapid reproduction rates to highly efficient degradation of crystalline cellulose. Herein, we have developed and applied a suite of difluoromethylphenyl aglycone, N-halogenated glycosylamine, and 2-deoxy-2-fluoroglycoside activity-based protein profiling (ABPP) probes to the direct labeling of the C. thermocellum cellulosomal secretome. These activity-based probes (ABPs) were synthesized with alkynes to harness the utility and multimodal possibilities of click chemistry, and to increase enzyme active site inclusion for LC-MS analysis. We directly analyzed ABP-labeled and unlabeled global MS data, revealing ABP selectivity for glycoside hydrolase (GH) enzymes in addition to a large collection of integral cellulosome-containing proteins. By identifying reactivity and selectivity profiles for each ABP, we demonstrate our ability to widely profile the functional cellulose degrading machinery of the bacterium. Derivatization of the ABPs, including reactive groups, acetylation of the glycoside binding groups, and mono- and disaccharide binding groups, resulted in considerable variability in protein labeling. Our probe suite is applicable to aerobic and anaerobic cellulose degrading systems, and facilitates a greater understanding of the organismal role associated within biofuel development.

  1. Structure of native cellulose microfibrils, the starting point for nanocellulose manufacture

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jarvis, Michael C.

    2017-12-01

    There is an emerging consensus that higher plants synthesize cellulose microfibrils that initially comprise 18 chains. However, the mean number of chains per microfibril in situ is usually greater than 18, sometimes much greater. Microfibrils from woody tissues of conifers, grasses and dicotyledonous plants, and from organs like cotton hairs, all differ in detailed structure and mean diameter. Diameters increase further when aggregated microfibrils are isolated. Because surface chains differ, the tensile properties of the cellulose may be augmented by increasing microfibril diameter. Association of microfibrils with anionic polysaccharides in primary cell walls and mucilages leads to in vivo mechanisms of disaggregation that may be relevant to the preparation of nanofibrillar cellulose products. For the preparation of nanocrystalline celluloses, the key issue is the nature and axial spacing of disordered domains at which axial scission can be initiated. These disordered domains do not, as has often been suggested, take the form of large blocks occupying much of the length of the microfibril. They are more likely to be located at chain ends or at places where the microfibril has been mechanically damaged, but their structure and the reasons for their sensitivity to acid hydrolysis need better characterization. This article is part of a discussion meeting issue `New horizons for cellulose nanotechnology'.

  2. Plant cell wall polysaccharide analysis during cell elongation

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Guo, Xiaoyuan

    Plant cell walls are complex structures whose composition and architecture are important to various cellular activities. Plant cell elongation requires a high level of rearrangement of the cell wall polymers to enable cell expansion. However, the cell wall polysaccharides dynamics during plant cell...... elongation is poorly understood. This PhD project aims to elucidate the cell wall compositional and structural change during cell elongation by using Comprehensive Microarray Polymer Profiling (CoMPP), microscopic techniques and molecular modifications of cell wall polysaccharide. Developing cotton fibre......, pea and Arabidopsis thaliana were selected as research models to investigate different types of cell elongation, developmental elongation and tropism elongation. A set of comprehensive analysis covering 4 cotton species and 11 time points suggests that non-cellulosic polysaccharides contribute...

  3. On-Off Switches for Secondary Cell Wall Biosynthesis

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    Huan-Zhong Wang; Richard A.Dixon

    2012-01-01

    Secondary cell walls provide plants with rigidity and strength to support their body weight and ensure water and nutrient transport.They also provide textiles,timber,and potentially second-generation biofuels for human use.Genes responsible for synthesis of the different cell wall components,namely cellulose,hemicelluloses,and lignin,are coordinately expressed and under transcriptional regulation.In the past several years,cell wall-related NAC and MYB transcription factors have been intensively investigated in different species and shown to be master switches of secondary cell wall biosynthesis.Positive and negative regulators,which function upstream of NAC master switches,have also been identified in different plant tissues.Further elucidation of the regulatory mechanisms of cell wall synthesis will facilitate the engineering of plant feedstocks suitable for biofuel production.

  4. Defining Determinants and Dynamics and Cellulose Microfibril Biosynthesis, Assembly and Degredation OSP Number: 63079/A001

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    None, None

    2013-12-01

    The central paradigm for converting plant biomass into soluble sugars for subsequent conversion to transportation fuels involves the enzymatic depolymerization of lignocellulosic plant cell walls by microbial enzymes. Despite decades of intensive research, this is still a relatively inefficient process, due largely to the recalcitrance and enormous complexity of the substrate. A major obstacle is still insufficient understanding of the detailed structure and biosynthesis of major wall components, including cellulose. For example, although cellulose is generally depicted as rigid, insoluble, uniformly crystalline microfibrils that are resistant to enzymatic degradation, the in vivo structures of plant cellulose microfibrils are surprisingly complex. Crystallinity is frequently disrupted, for example by dislocations and areas containing chain ends, resulting in “amorphous” disordered regions. Importantly, microfibril structure and the relative proportions of crystalline and non-crystalline disordered surface regions vary substantially and yet the molecular mechanisms by which plants regulate microfibril crystallinity, and other aspects of microfibril architecture, are still entirely unknown. This obviously has a profound effect on susceptibility to enzymatic hydrolysis and so this is a critical area of research in order to characterize and optimize cellulosic biomass degradation. The entire field of cell wall assembly, as distinct from polysaccharide biosynthesis, and the degree to which they are coupled, are relatively unexplored, despite the great potential for major advances in addressing the hurdle of biomass recalcitrance. Our overarching hypothesis was that identification of the molecular machinery that determine microfibril polymerization, deposition and structure will allow the design of more effective degradative systems, and the generation of cellulosic materials with enhanced and predictable bioconversion characteristics. Our experimental framework had

  5. Use of agroindustrial waste in the preparation of nanocomposites based on bacterial cellulose and hydroxyapatite

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Duarte, Eden B.; Chagas, Bruna S. das; Feitosa, Judith P.A.; Andrade, Fabia K.; Borges, Maria F.; Muniz, Celli R.; Souza Filho, Men de Sa M.; Rosa, Morsyleide F.; Brigida, Ana I.; Morais, Joao P.S.

    2015-01-01

    Environmental issues have supported the interest in renewable sources and agroindustrial residues became a significant resource for the production of new materials. The present work presents the use of agroindustrial residues to obtain bacterial cellulose (BC) for further elaboration of nanocomposites with hydroxyapatite (HA). The production of BC membranes occurred in Hestrin & Schramm medium, cashew juice and sisal liquid waste cultivated under static conditions. After the incubation period, the BC membranes were purified and nanocomposites prepared by successive immersion of the purified membranes in solutions of Calcium Chloride (CaCl_2), and Sodium Phosphate (Na_2HPO_4), followed by drying and subsequent characterization. The materials obtained were characterized by Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA) and X-ray Diffraction (XRD). Additionally, in vitro tests were performed for nanocomposites. The results showed the production of cellulose from the three substrates studied, without the need for further supplementation or pH change. In all characterizations, structure and typical behavior of bacterial cellulose were found. The composites showed bioactivity and the adsorption capacity of proteins, which lead to potential biocompatibility of these materials. (author)

  6. Isolation of a novel cell wall architecture mutant of rice with defective Arabidopsis COBL4 ortholog BC1 required for regulated deposition of secondary cell wall components.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sato, Kanna; Suzuki, Ryu; Nishikubo, Nobuyuki; Takenouchi, Sachi; Ito, Sachiko; Nakano, Yoshimi; Nakaba, Satoshi; Sano, Yuzou; Funada, Ryo; Kajita, Shinya; Kitano, Hidemi; Katayama, Yoshihiro

    2010-06-01

    The plant secondary cell wall is a highly ordered structure composed of various polysaccharides, phenolic components and proteins. Its coordinated regulation of a number of complex metabolic pathways and assembly has not been resolved. To understand the molecular mechanisms that regulate secondary cell wall synthesis, we isolated a novel rice mutant, cell wall architecture1 (cwa1), that exhibits an irregular thickening pattern in the secondary cell wall of sclerenchyma, as well as culm brittleness and reduced cellulose content in mature internodes. Light and transmission electron microscopy revealed that the cwa1 mutant plant has regions of local aggregation in the secondary cell walls of the cortical fibers in its internodes, showing uneven thickness. Ultraviolet microscopic observation indicated that localization of cell wall phenolic components was perturbed and that these components abundantly deposited at the aggregated cell wall regions in sclerenchyma. Therefore, regulation of deposition and assembly of secondary cell wall materials, i.e. phenolic components, appear to be disturbed by mutation of the cwa1 gene. Genetic analysis showed that cwa1 is allelic to brittle culm1 (bc1), which encodes the glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchored COBRA-like protein specifically in plants. BC1 is known as a regulator that controls the culm mechanical strength and cellulose content in the secondary cell walls of sclerenchyma, but the precise function of BC1 has not been resolved. Our results suggest that CWA1/BC1 has an essential role in assembling cell wall constituents at their appropriate sites, thereby enabling synthesis of solid and flexible internodes in rice.

  7. Cellular growth in plants requires regulation of cell wall biochemistry.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chebli, Youssef; Geitmann, Anja

    2017-02-01

    Cell and organ morphogenesis in plants are regulated by the chemical structure and mechanical properties of the extracellular matrix, the cell wall. The two primary load bearing components in the plant cell wall, the pectin matrix and the cellulose/xyloglucan network, are constantly remodelled to generate the morphological changes required during plant development. This remodelling is regulated by a plethora of loosening and stiffening agents such as pectin methyl-esterases, calcium ions, expansins, and glucanases. The tight spatio-temporal regulation of the activities of these agents is a sine qua non condition for proper morphogenesis at cell and tissue levels. The pectin matrix and the cellulose-xyloglucan network operate in concert and their behaviour is mutually dependent on their chemical, structural and mechanical modifications. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  8. Wet oxidative degradation of cellulosic wastes 5- chemical and thermal properties of the final waste forms

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Eskander, S.B.; Saleh, H.M.

    2002-01-01

    In this study, the residual solution arising from the wet oxidative degradation of solid organic cellulosic materials, as one of the component of radioactive solid wastes, using hydrogen peroxide as oxidant. Were incorporated into ordinary Portland cement matrix. Leaching as well as thermal characterizations of the final solidified waste forms were evaluated to meet the final disposal requirements. Factors, such as the amount of the residual solution incorporated, types of leachant. Release of different radionuclides and freezing-thaw treatment, that may affect the leaching characterization. Were studied systematically from the data obtained, it was found that the final solid waste from containing 35% residual solution in tap water is higher than that in ground water or sea water. Based on the data obtained from thermal analysis, it could be concluded that incorporating the residual solution form the wet oxidative degradation of cellulosic materials has no negative effect on the hydration of cement materials and consequently on the thermal stability of the final solid waste from during the disposal process

  9. Cellulose nanofiber extraction from grass by a modified kitchen blender

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nakagaito, Antonio Norio; Ikenaga, Koh; Takagi, Hitoshi

    2015-03-01

    Cellulose nanofibers have been used to reinforce polymers, delivering composites with strength that in some cases can be superior to that of engineering plastics. The extraction of nanofibers from plant fibers can be achieved through specialized equipment that demands high energy input, despite delivering extremely low yields. The high extraction cost confines the use of cellulose nanofibers to the laboratory and not for industrial applications. This study aims to extract nanofibers from grass by using a kitchen blender. Earlier studies have demonstrated that paper sheets made of blender-extracted nanofibers (after 5 min to 10 min of blending) have strengths on par with paper sheets made from commercially available cellulose nanofibers. By optimizing the design of the blender bottle, nanofibrillation can be achieved in shorter treatment times, reducing the energy consumption (in the present case, to half) and the overall extraction cost. The raw materials used can be extended to the residue straw of agricultural crops, as an alternative to the usual pulp fibers obtained from wood.

  10. Molecular regulation of plant cell wall extensibility

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cosgrove, D. J.

    1998-01-01

    Gravity responses in plants often involve spatial and temporal changes in cell growth, which is regulated primarily by controlling the ability of the cell wall to extend. The wall is thought to be a cellulose-hemicellulose network embedded in a hydrated matrix of complex polysaccharides and a small amount of structural protein. The wall extends by a form of polymer creep, which is mediated by expansins, a novel group of wall-loosening proteins. Expansins were discovered during a molecular dissection of the "acid growth" behavior of cell walls. Expansin alters the rheology of plant walls in profound ways, yet its molecular mechanism of action is still uncertain. It lacks detectable hydrolytic activity against the major components of the wall, but it is able to disrupt noncovalent adhesion between wall polysaccharides. The discovery of a second family of expansins (beta-expansins) sheds light on the biological role of a major group of pollen allergens and implies that expansins have evolved for diverse developmental functions. Finally, the contribution of other processes to wall extensibility is briefly summarized.

  11. Physicochemical and biochemical interactions in yeast immobilization by adhesion to a cellulose based support

    OpenAIRE

    Kurec, M.; Brányik, Tomáš; Mota, André; Domingues, Lucília; Teixeira, J. A.

    2008-01-01

    An important quality of yeast cell wall is the ability to adhere to other cell walls or solid surfaces. This feature of yeast is responsible for technologically important phenomena such as flocculation at the end of beer fermentation and cell adhesion to immobilization supports e.g. spent grains, DEAE-cellulose etc. Physicochemical properties of yeast surfaces, e.g. hydrophobicity and surface charge, have a substantial impact on cell adhesion and flocculation. The interaction e...

  12. COBRA-LIKE2, a member of the glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchored COBRA-LIKE family, plays a role in cellulose deposition in arabidopsis seed coat mucilage secretory cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ben-Tov, Daniela; Abraham, Yael; Stav, Shira; Thompson, Kevin; Loraine, Ann; Elbaum, Rivka; de Souza, Amancio; Pauly, Markus; Kieber, Joseph J; Harpaz-Saad, Smadar

    2015-03-01

    Differentiation of the maternally derived seed coat epidermal cells into mucilage secretory cells is a common adaptation in angiosperms. Recent studies identified cellulose as an important component of seed mucilage in various species. Cellulose is deposited as a set of rays that radiate from the seed upon mucilage extrusion, serving to anchor the pectic component of seed mucilage to the seed surface. Using transcriptome data encompassing the course of seed development, we identified COBRA-LIKE2 (COBL2), a member of the glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchored COBRA-LIKE gene family in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana), as coexpressed with other genes involved in cellulose deposition in mucilage secretory cells. Disruption of the COBL2 gene results in substantial reduction in the rays of cellulose present in seed mucilage, along with an increased solubility of the pectic component of the mucilage. Light birefringence demonstrates a substantial decrease in crystalline cellulose deposition into the cellulosic rays of the cobl2 mutants. Moreover, crystalline cellulose deposition into the radial cell walls and the columella appears substantially compromised, as demonstrated by scanning electron microscopy and in situ quantification of light birefringence. Overall, the cobl2 mutants display about 40% reduction in whole-seed crystalline cellulose content compared with the wild type. These data establish that COBL2 plays a role in the deposition of crystalline cellulose into various secondary cell wall structures during seed coat epidermal cell differentiation. © 2015 American Society of Plant Biologists. All Rights Reserved.

  13. Visualising recalcitrance by colocalisation of cellulase, lignin and cellulose in pretreated pine biomass using fluorescence microscopy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Donaldson, Lloyd; Vaidya, Alankar

    2017-03-01

    Mapping the location of bound cellulase enzymes provides information on the micro-scale distribution of amenable and recalcitrant sites in pretreated woody biomass for biofuel applications. The interaction of a fluorescently labelled cellulase enzyme cocktail with steam-exploded pine (SEW) was quantified using confocal microscopy. The spatial distribution of Dylight labelled cellulase was quantified relative to lignin (autofluorescence) and cellulose (Congo red staining) by measuring their colocalisation using Pearson correlations. Correlations were greater in cellulose-rich secondary cell walls compared to lignin-rich middle lamella but with significant variations among individual biomass particles. The distribution of cellulose in the pretreated biomass accounted for 30% of the variation in the distribution of enzyme after correcting for the correlation between lignin and cellulose. For the first time, colocalisation analysis was able to quantify the spatial distribution of amenable and recalcitrant sites in relation to the histochemistry of cellulose and lignin. This study will contribute to understanding the role of pretreatment in enzymatic hydrolysis of recalcitrant softwood biomass.

  14. Properties of cellulose derivatives produced from radiation-Modified cellulose pulps

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Iller, Edward; Stupinska, Halina; Starostka, Pawel

    2007-01-01

    The aim of project was elaboration of radiation methods for properties modification of cellulose pulps using for derivatives production. The selected cellulose pulps were exposed to an electron beam with energy 10 MeV in a linear accelerator. After irradiation pulps underwent the structural and physico-chemical investigations. The laboratory test for manufacturing carboxymethylocellulose (CMC), cellulose carbamate (CC) and cellulose acetate (CA) with cellulose pulps irradiated dose 10 and 15 kGy have been performed. Irradiation of the pulp influenced its depolimerisation degree and resulted in the drop of viscosity of CMC. However, the expected level of cellulose activation expressed as a rise of the substitution degree or increase of the active substance content in the CMC sodium salt was not observed. In the case of cellulose esters (CC, CA) formation, the action of ionising radiation on cellulose pulps with the dose 10 and 15 kGy enables obtaiment of the average values of polimerisation degree as required for CC soluble in aqueous sodium hydroxide solution. The properties of derivatives prepared by means of radiation and classic methods were compared

  15. Synthesis and characterization of cellulose derivatives obtained from bacterial cellulose

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Oliveira, Rafael L. de; Barud, Hernane; Ribeiro, Sidney J.L.; Messaddeq, Younes

    2011-01-01

    The chemical modification of cellulose leads to production of derivatives with different properties from those observed for the original cellulose, for example, increased solubility in more traditional solvents. In this work we synthesized four derivatives of cellulose: microcrystalline cellulose, cellulose acetate, methylcellulose and carboxymethylcellulose using bacterial cellulose as a source. These were characterized in terms of chemical and structural changes by examining the degree of substitution (DS), infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy - NMR 13 C. The molecular weight and degree of polymerization were evaluated by viscometry. The characterization of the morphology of materials and thermal properties were performed with the techniques of X-ray diffraction, electron microscopy images, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermogravimetric analysis. (author)

  16. Valorization of lignin and cellulose in acid-steam-exploded corn stover by a moderate alkaline ethanol post-treatment based on an integrated biorefinery concept.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Sheng; Zhang, Yue; Yue, Wen; Wang, Wei; Wang, Yun-Yan; Yuan, Tong-Qi; Sun, Run-Cang

    2016-01-01

    Due to the unsustainable consumption of fossil resources, great efforts have been made to convert lignocellulose into bioethanol and commodity organic compounds through biological methods. The conversion of cellulose is impeded by the compactness of plant cell wall matrix and crystalline structure of the native cellulose. Therefore, appropriate pretreatment and even post-treatment are indispensable to overcome this problem. Additionally, an adequate utilization of coproduct lignin will be important for improving the economic viability of modern biorefinery industries. The effectiveness of moderate alkaline ethanol post-treatment on the bioconversion efficiency of cellulose in the acid-steam-exploded corn stover was investigated in this study. Results showed that an increase of the alcoholic sodium hydroxide (NaOH) concentration from 0.05 to 4% led to a decrease in the lignin content in the post-treated samples from 32.8 to 10.7%, while the cellulose digestibility consequently increased. The cellulose conversion of the 4% alcoholic NaOH integrally treated corn stover reached up to 99.3% after 72 h, which was significantly higher than that of the acid steam exploded corn stover without post-treatment (57.3%). In addition to the decrease in lignin content, an expansion of cellulose I lattice induced by the 4% alcoholic NaOH post-treatment played a significant role in promoting the enzymatic hydrolysis of corn stover. More importantly, the lignin fraction (AL) released during the 4% alcoholic NaOH post-treatment and the lignin-rich residue (EHR) remained after the enzymatic hydrolysis of the 4% alcoholic NaOH post-treated acid-steam-exploded corn stover were employed to synthesize lignin-phenol-formaldehyde (LPF) resins. The plywoods prepared with the resins exhibit satisfactory performances. An alkaline ethanol system with an appropriate NaOH concentration could improve the removal of lignin and modification of the crystalline structure of cellulose in acid

  17. Bio-coloration of bacterial cellulose assisted by immobilized laccase.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Song, Ji Eun; Su, Jing; Noro, Jennifer; Cavaco-Paulo, Artur; Silva, Carla; Kim, Hye Rim

    2018-02-13

    In this work a process for the bio-coloration of bacterial cellulose (BC) membranes was developed. Laccase from Myceliophthora thermophila was immobilized onto BC membranes and retained up to 88% of residual activity after immobilization. Four compounds belonging to the flavonoids family were chosen to test the in situ polymerase activity of immobilized laccase. All the flavonoids were successfully polymerized by laccase giving rise to yellow, orange and dark brown oligomers which conferred color to the BC support. The optimal bio-coloration conditions were studied for two of the tested flavonoids, catechol and catechin, by varying the concentration and time of incubation. High color depth and resistance to washing were obtained for both compounds. The highly porous bacterial cellulose material demonstrated great performance as a bio-coloration support, in contrast to other materials cited in literature, like cotton or wool. The process developed is presented as an environmentally friendly alternative for bacterial cellulose bio-coloration and will contribute deeply for the development of new fashionable products within this material.

  18. Valorization of Furfural Residue by Hydrothermal Carbonization

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Yue, Fen; Zhang, Jia; Pedersen, Christian Marcus

    2017-01-01

    Furfural residue (FR) is a low-cost by-product generated in the furfural production from corncobs, which is mainly composed of cellulose and lignin. In this report, hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) of deashed FR was conducted at various reaction temperatures (200, 220 and 240 °C) and reaction times...

  19. Bioethanol production from forestry residues: A comparative techno-economic analysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Frankó, Balázs; Galbe, Mats; Wallberg, Ola

    2016-01-01

    Highlights: • A proposed cellulosic ethanol biorefinery in Sweden was simulated with Aspen Plus. • Forestry residues with different bark contents were evaluated as raw materials. • The bark content negatively influenced the minimum ethanol selling price. • Sensitivity analyses were performed to assess the influence of raw material cost. - Abstract: A techno-economic analysis was conducted to assess the feasibility of using forestry residues with different bark contents for bioethanol production. A proposed cellulosic ethanol biorefinery in Sweden was simulated with Aspen Plus. The plant was assumed to convert different forestry assortments (sawdust and shavings, fuel logs, early thinnings, tops and branches, hog fuel and pulpwood) to ethanol, pellets, biogas and electricity. The intention was not to obtain absolute ethanol production costs for future facilities, but to assess and compare the future potential of utilizing different forestry residues for bioethanol production. The same plant design and operating conditions were assumed in all cases, and the effect of including bark on the whole conversion process, especially how it influenced the ethanol production cost, was studied. While the energy efficiency (not including district heating) obtained for the whole process was between 67 and 69% regardless of the raw material used, the ethanol production cost differed considerably; the minimum ethanol selling price ranging from 0.77 to 1.52 USD/L. Under the basic assumptions, all the forestry residues apart from sawdust and shavings exhibited a negative net present value at current market prices. The profitability decreased with increasing bark content of the raw material. Sensitivity analyses showed that, at current market prices, the utilization of bark-containing forestry residues will not provide significant cost improvement compared with pulpwood unless the conversion of cellulose and hemicellulose to monomeric sugars is improved.

  20. The plant cell wall--decomposing machinery underlies the functional diversity of forest fungi

    Science.gov (United States)

    Daniel C. Eastwood; Dimitrios Floudas; Manfred Binder; Andrzej Majcherczyk; Patrick Schneider; Andrea Aerts; Fred O. Asiegbu; Scott E. Baker; Kerrie Barry; Mika Bendiksby; Melanie Blumentritt; Pedro M. Coutinho; Dan Cullen; Ronald P. de Vries; Allen Gathman; Barry Goodell; Bernard Henrissat; Katarina Ihrmark; Havard Kauserud; Annegret Kohler; Kurt LaButti; Alla Lapidus; Jose L. Lavin; Yong-Hwan Lee; Erika Lindquist; Walt Lilly; Susan Lucas; Emmanuelle Morin; Claude Murat; Jose A. Oguiza; Jongsun Park; Antonio G. Pisabarro; Robert Riley; Anna Rosling; Asaf Salamov; Olaf Schmidt; Jeremy Schmutz; Inger Skrede; Jan Stenlid; Ad Wiebenga; Xinfeng Xie; Ursula Kues; David S. Hibbett; Dirk Hoffmeister; Nils Hogberg; Francis Martin; Igor V. Grigoriev; Sarah C. Watkinson

    2011-01-01

    Brown rot decay removes cellulose and hemicelluloses from wood, residual lignin contributing up to 30% of forest soil carbon, and is derived from an ancestral white rot saprotrophy where both lignin and cellulose are decomposed. Comparative and functional genomics of the “dry rot” fungus Serpula lacrymans, derived from forest ancestors, demonstrated that the evolution...

  1. COBRA, an Arabidopsis extracellular glycosyl-phosphatidyl inositol-anchored protein, specifically controls highly anisotropic expansion through its involvement in cellulose microfibril orientation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Roudier, François; Fernandez, Anita G; Fujita, Miki; Himmelspach, Regina; Borner, Georg H H; Schindelman, Gary; Song, Shuang; Baskin, Tobias I; Dupree, Paul; Wasteneys, Geoffrey O; Benfey, Philip N

    2005-06-01

    The orientation of cell expansion is a process at the heart of plant morphogenesis. Cellulose microfibrils are the primary anisotropic material in the cell wall and thus are likely to be the main determinant of the orientation of cell expansion. COBRA (COB) has been identified previously as a potential regulator of cellulose biogenesis. In this study, characterization of a null allele, cob-4, establishes the key role of COB in controlling anisotropic expansion in most developing organs. Quantitative polarized-light and field-emission scanning electron microscopy reveal that loss of anisotropic expansion in cob mutants is accompanied by disorganization of the orientation of cellulose microfibrils and subsequent reduction of crystalline cellulose. Analyses of the conditional cob-1 allele suggested that COB is primarily implicated in microfibril deposition during rapid elongation. Immunodetection analysis in elongating root cells revealed that, in agreement with its substitution by a glycosylphosphatidylinositol anchor, COB was polarly targeted to both the plasma membrane and the longitudinal cell walls and was distributed in a banding pattern perpendicular to the longitudinal axis via a microtubule-dependent mechanism. Our observations suggest that COB, through its involvement in cellulose microfibril orientation, is an essential factor in highly anisotropic expansion during plant morphogenesis.

  2. Transmission electron microscopy, fluorescence microscopy, and confocal raman microscopic analysis of ultrastructural and compositional heterogeneity of Cornus alba L. wood cell wall.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ma, Jianfeng; Ji, Zhe; Zhou, Xia; Zhang, Zhiheng; Xu, Feng

    2013-02-01

    Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), fluorescence microscopy, and confocal Raman microscopy can be used to characterize ultrastructural and compositional heterogeneity of plant cell walls. In this study, TEM observations revealed the ultrastructural characterization of Cornus alba L. fiber, vessel, axial parenchyma, ray parenchyma, and pit membrane between cells, notably with the ray parenchyma consisting of two well-defined layers. Fluorescence microscopy evidenced that cell corner middle lamella was more lignified than adjacent compound middle lamella and secondary wall with variation in lignification level from cell to cell. In situ Raman images showed that the inhomogeneity in cell wall components (cellulose and lignin) among different cells and within morphologically distinct cell wall layers. As the significant precursors of lignin biosynthesis, the pattern of coniferyl alcohol and aldehyde (joint abbreviation Lignin-CAA for both structures) distribution in fiber cell wall was also identified by Raman images, with higher concentration occurring in the fiber secondary wall where there was the highest cellulose concentration. Moreover, noteworthy was the observation that higher concentration of lignin and very minor amounts of cellulose were visualized in the pit membrane areas. These complementary microanalytical methods provide more accurate and complete information with regard to ultrastructural and compositional characterization of plant cell walls.

  3. A Soluble, Folded Protein without Charged Amino Acid Residues

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Højgaard, Casper; Kofoed, Christian; Espersen, Roall

    2016-01-01

    side chains can maintain solubility, stability, and function. As a model, we used a cellulose-binding domain from Cellulomonas fimi, which, among proteins of more than 100 amino acids, presently is the least charged in the Protein Data Bank, with a total of only four titratable residues. We find......Charges are considered an integral part of protein structure and function, enhancing solubility and providing specificity in molecular interactions. We wished to investigate whether charged amino acids are indeed required for protein biogenesis and whether a protein completely free of titratable...... that the protein shows a surprising resilience toward extremes of pH, demonstrating stability and function (cellulose binding) in the pH range from 2 to 11. To ask whether the four charged residues present were required for these properties of this protein, we altered them to nontitratable ones. Remarkably...

  4. INFLUENCE OF CELLULOSE POLYMERIZATION DEGREE AND CRYSTALLINITY ON KINETICS OF CELLULOSE DEGRADATION

    OpenAIRE

    Edita Jasiukaitytė-Grojzdek,; Matjaž Kunaver,; Ida Poljanšek

    2012-01-01

    Cellulose was treated in ethylene glycol with p-toluene sulfonic acid monohydrate as a catalyst at different temperatures. At the highest treatment temperature (150 °C) liquefaction of wood pulp cellulose was achieved and was dependant on cellulose polymerization degree (DP). Furthermore, the rate of amorphous cellulose weight loss was found to increase with cellulose degree of polymerization, while the rate of crystalline cellulose weight loss was reciprocal to the size of the crystallites. ...

  5. Genetics and physiology of cell wall polysaccharides in the model C4 grass, Setaria viridis spp.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ermawar, Riksfardini A; Collins, Helen M; Byrt, Caitlin S; Henderson, Marilyn; O'Donovan, Lisa A; Shirley, Neil J; Schwerdt, Julian G; Lahnstein, Jelle; Fincher, Geoffrey B; Burton, Rachel A

    2015-10-02

    Setaria viridis has emerged as a model species for the larger C4 grasses. Here the cellulose synthase (CesA) superfamily has been defined, with an emphasis on the amounts and distribution of (1,3;1,4)-β-glucan, a cell wall polysaccharide that is characteristic of the grasses and is of considerable value for human health. Orthologous relationship of the CesA and Poales-specific cellulose synthase-like (Csl) genes among Setaria italica (Si), Sorghum bicolor (Sb), Oryza sativa (Os), Brachypodium distachyon (Bradi) and Hordeum vulgare (Hv) were compared using bioinformatics analysis. Transcription profiling of Csl gene families, which are involved in (1,3;1,4)-β-glucan synthesis, was performed using real-time quantitative PCR (Q-PCR). The amount of (1,3;1,4)-β-glucan was measured using a modified Megazyme assay. The fine structures of the (1,3;1,4)-β-glucan, as denoted by the ratio of cellotriosyl to cellotetraosyl residues (DP3:DP4 ratio) was assessed by chromatography (HPLC and HPAEC-PAD). The distribution and deposition of the MLG was examined using the specific antibody BG-1 and captured using fluorescence and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The cellulose synthase gene superfamily contains 13 CesA and 35 Csl genes in Setaria. Transcript profiling of CslF, CslH and CslJ gene families across a vegetative tissue series indicated that SvCslF6 transcripts were the most abundant relative to all other Csl transcripts. The amounts of (1,3;1,4)-β-glucan in Setaria vegetative tissues ranged from 0.2% to 2.9% w/w with much smaller amounts in developing grain (0.003% to 0.013% w/w). In general, the amount of (1,3;1,4)-β-glucan was greater in younger than in older tissues. The DP3:DP4 ratios varied between tissue types and across developmental stages, and ranged from 2.4 to 3.0:1. The DP3:DP4 ratios in developing grain ranged from 2.5 to 2.8:1. Micrographs revealing the distribution of (1,3;1,4)-β-glucan in walls of different cell types and the data were

  6. Probing Xylan-Specific Raman Bands for Label-Free Imaging Xylan in Plant Cell Wall

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zeng, Yining; Yarbrough, John M.; Mittal, Ashutosh; Tucker, Melvin P.; Vinzant, Todd; Himmel, Michael E.

    2015-06-15

    Xylan constitutes a significant portion of biomass (e.g. 22% in corn stover used in this study). Xylan is also an important source of carbohydrates, besides cellulose, for renewable and sustainable energy applications. Currently used method for the localization of xylan in biomass is to use fluorescence confocal microscope to image the fluorescent dye labeled monoclonal antibody that specifically binds to xylan. With the rapid adoption of the Raman-based label-free chemical imaging techniques in biology, identifying Raman bands that are unique to xylan would be critical for the implementation of the above label-free techniques for in situ xylan imaging. Unlike lignin and cellulose that have long be assigned fingerprint Raman bands, specific Raman bands for xylan remain unclear. The major challenge is the cellulose in plant cell wall, which has chemical units highly similar to that of xylan. Here we report using xylanase to specifically remove xylan from feedstock. Under various degree of xylan removal, with minimum impact to other major cell wall components, i.e. lignin and cellulose, we have identified Raman bands that could be further tested for chemical imaging of xylan in biomass in situ.

  7. Nitrogen mineralization and denitrification as influenced by crop residue particle size

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ambus, P.; Jensen, E.S.

    1997-01-01

    1: N-15-labelled ground (less than or equal to 3 mm) and cut (25 mm) barley residue, and microcrystalline cellulose+glucose were mixed into a sandy loam soil with additional inorganic N. Experiment 2: inorganic N-15 and C2H2 were added to soils with barley and pea material after 3, 26, and 109 days......Managing the crop residue particle size has the potential to affect N conservation in agricultural systems. We investigated the influence of barley (Hordeum vulgare) and pea (Pisum sativum) crop residue particle size on N mineralization and denitrification in two laboratory experiments. Experiment...... for measuring gross N mineralization and denitrification. Net N immobilization over 60 days in Experiment 1 cumulated to 63 mg N kg(-1) soil (ground barley), 42 (cut barley), and 122 (cellulose+glucose). More N was seemingly net mineralized from ground barley (3.3 mg N kg(-1) soil) than from cut barley (2.7 mg...

  8. Synthesis and characterization of amorphous cellulose from triacetate of cellulose

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vega-Baudrit, Jose; Sibaja, Maria; Nikolaeva, Svetlana; Rivera A, Andrea

    2014-01-01

    It was carried-out a study for the synthesis and characterization of amorphous cellulose starting from cellulose triacetate. X-rays diffraction was used in order to obtain the cellulose crystallinity degree, also infrared spectroscopy FTIR was used. (author)

  9. Use of chemical fractionation and proton nuclear magnetic resonance to probe the physical structure of the primary plant cell wall

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Taylor, I.E.P.; Wallace, J.C.; MacKay, A.L.; Volke, F.

    1990-01-01

    Proton magnetic resonance has been used to monitor the microscopic physical properties of etiolated hypocotyl cell walls from Phaseolus vulgaris L. at all stages in a series of chemical fractionations with ammonium oxalate and potassium hydroxide. Solid echo measurements indicate that 75% of the polymers in the intact cell wall, including the cellulose and most of the hemicelluloses, are arranged such that there is almost complete restraint of molecular motion. The chemical fractionations generally altered the physical structures of the remaining cell wall components. Digestion with 0.25% ammonium oxalate/oxalic acid solubilized the pectin and increased the mobility of the hemicellulose I component. Extraction with 4% potassium hydroxide removed the hemicellulose I component and loosened the hemicellulose II. Further extraction with 24% potassium hydroxide removed the hemicellulose II and loosened some of the cellulose. The cellulose crystallinity, as monitored by Jeener echo measurements decreased from 83% to 63% during these fractionations. We conclude that, while hemicellulose I is firmly attached to hemicellulose II, it is not in a closely packed structure. Hemicellulose II is strongly bound to cellulose and has a much more closely packed structure

  10. The Role of Cellulosic Ethanol in Transportation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Robert M. Neilson, Jr.

    2007-10-01

    Petroleum provides essentially all of the energy used today in the transportation sector. To reduce this dependence on fossil energy, other fuels are beginning to be used, notably ethanol and biodiesel. Almost all fuel ethanol is produced by the conversion of corn grain to starch with subsequent fermentation to ethanol. In 2006, almost 5 billion gallons of fuel ethanol were produced, which used 17% of domestic corn production. The DOE has a goal to displace 30% of motor gasoline demand or 60 billion gallons per year by 2030. To achieve this goal, production of ethanol from lignocellulosic sources (e.g., agricultural residues, forest residues, and dedicated energy crops) is needed. This paper will describe the production of cellulosic ethanol as well as the issues and benefits associated with its production.

  11. Distribution of natural occurring radionuclide in some industral residues used in new type wall materials

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chen Yingmin; Li Fusheng; Xu Jiaang; Deng Daping; Yuan Ming; Ma Shi; Chen Yue

    2006-01-01

    Objective: To study the natural radioactive nuclide distribution characteristic of fly ash, gangue and various kinds of slag used in the new-type wall material and offer scientific basis for reducing the radiation dosage that the public suffers. Methods: The activity concentrations of the contents of natural radioactive nuclides of different industral waste residues have been determined by HPGe gamma-ray spectrometry. Results: The mean Raeq is successively fly ash (279.13 Bq kg -1 ), slag (225.69 Bq kg -1 ), gangue (141.26 Bq kg -1 ) from high to low and all of the samples is lower than the limit set in the OECD. The arithmetic mean activities of 236 Ra, 232 Th, 40 K in fly-ash samples are 127.88, 93.83, 221.75 Bq kg -1 ; for coal slag samples are 73.89, 97.13, 283.44 Bq kg -1 and for coal gangue samples are 47.85, 45.21, 413.56 Bq kg -1 . For the same power plant, the radioactive nuclide activity of the fly ash gathered in different time may have very great differences, the maximum can reach more than 2 times of the minimum. Conclusion: the fly ash and slag should be controlled strictly on rational proportion, which should not exceed 70% of the total mass. The mixing of the average radioactive level of the gangue is nearly equal that of to clay, it can be unrestricted in the mixing proportion in process of production. The manufacturer of new-type wall materials should often measure the radioactive level of the industrial waste residue in production. Make the content of radioactive nuclide in the products reach the rational level as low as possible. (authors)

  12. Lignin from hydrothermally pretreated grass biomass retards enzymatic cellulose degradation by acting as a physical barrier rather than by inducing nonproductive adsorption of enzymes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Djajadi, Demi T; Jensen, Mads M; Oliveira, Marlene; Jensen, Anders; Thygesen, Lisbeth G; Pinelo, Manuel; Glasius, Marianne; Jørgensen, Henning; Meyer, Anne S

    2018-01-01

    Lignin is known to hinder efficient enzymatic conversion of lignocellulose in biorefining processes. In particular, nonproductive adsorption of cellulases onto lignin is considered a key mechanism to explain how lignin retards enzymatic cellulose conversion in extended reactions. Lignin-rich residues (LRRs) were prepared via extensive enzymatic cellulose degradation of corn stover ( Zea mays subsp. mays L.), Miscanthus  ×  giganteus stalks (MS) and wheat straw ( Triticum aestivum L.) (WS) samples that each had been hydrothermally pretreated at three severity factors (log R 0 ) of 3.65, 3.83 and 3.97. The LRRs had different residual carbohydrate levels-the highest in MS; the lowest in WS. The residual carbohydrate was not traceable at the surface of the LRRs particles by ATR-FTIR analysis. The chemical properties of the lignin in the LRRs varied across the three types of biomass, but monolignols composition was not affected by the severity factor. When pure cellulose was added to a mixture of LRRs and a commercial cellulolytic enzyme preparation, the rate and extent of glucose release were unaffected by the presence of LRRs regardless of biomass type and severity factor, despite adsorption of the enzymes to the LRRs. Since the surface of the LRRs particles were covered by lignin, the data suggest that the retardation of enzymatic cellulose degradation during extended reaction on lignocellulosic substrates is due to physical blockage of the access of enzymes to the cellulose caused by the gradual accumulation of lignin at the surface of the biomass particles rather than by nonproductive enzyme adsorption. The study suggests that lignin from hydrothermally pretreated grass biomass retards enzymatic cellulose degradation by acting as a physical barrier blocking the access of enzymes to cellulose rather than by inducing retardation through nonproductive adsorption of enzymes.

  13. Cell wall microstructure, pore size distribution and absolute density of hemp shiv

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jiang, Y.; Lawrence, M.; Ansell, M. P.; Hussain, A.

    2018-04-01

    This paper, for the first time, fully characterizes the intrinsic physical parameters of hemp shiv including cell wall microstructure, pore size distribution and absolute density. Scanning electron microscopy revealed microstructural features similar to hardwoods. Confocal microscopy revealed three major layers in the cell wall: middle lamella, primary cell wall and secondary cell wall. Computed tomography improved the visualization of pore shape and pore connectivity in three dimensions. Mercury intrusion porosimetry (MIP) showed that the average accessible porosity was 76.67 ± 2.03% and pore size classes could be distinguished into micropores (3-10 nm) and macropores (0.1-1 µm and 20-80 µm). The absolute density was evaluated by helium pycnometry, MIP and Archimedes' methods. The results show that these methods can lead to misinterpretation of absolute density. The MIP method showed a realistic absolute density (1.45 g cm-3) consistent with the density of the known constituents, including lignin, cellulose and hemi-cellulose. However, helium pycnometry and Archimedes' methods gave falsely low values owing to 10% of the volume being inaccessible pores, which require sample pretreatment in order to be filled by liquid or gas. This indicates that the determination of the cell wall density is strongly dependent on sample geometry and preparation.

  14. Radiation modification of cellulose pulps. Preparation of cellulose derivatives

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Iller, E.; Zimek, Z.; Stupinska, H.; Mikolajczyk, W; Starostka, P.

    2005-01-01

    One of the most common methods of cellulose pulp modification (activation) applied in the production process of cellulose derivatives is the treatment of the pulp with NaOH solutions leading to the formation of alkalicellulose. The product then undergoes a prolonged process of maturation by its storage under specific conditions. The goal of the process is lowering of the molecular weight of cellulose down to the level resulting from various technological requirements. The process is time-consuming and costly; besides, it requires usage of large-capacity technological vessels and produces considerable amounts of liquid waste. Therefore, many attempts have been made to limit or altogether eliminate the highly disadvantageous stage of cellulose treatment with lye. One of the alternatives proposed so far is the radiation treatment of the cellulose pulp. In the pulp exposed to an electron beam, the bonds between molecules of D-antihydroglucopiranoses loosen and the local crystalline lattice becomes destroyed. This facilitates the access of chemical reagents to the inner structure of the cellulose and, in consequence, eliminates the need for the prolonged maturation of alkalicellulose, thus reducing the consumption of chemicals by the whole process. Research aimed at the application of radiation treatment of cellulose pulp for the production of cellulose derivatives has been conducted by a number of scientific institutions including the Institute of Nuclear Chemistry and Technology, Institute of Biopolymers and Chemical Fibres, and Pulp and Paper Research Institute. For the investigations and assessment of the molecular, hypermolecular, morphologic properties and the chemical reactivity, cellulose pulps used for chemical processing, namely Alicell, Borregaard and Ketchikan, as well as paper pulps made from pine and birch wood were selected. The selected cellulose pulps were exposed to an electron beam with an energy of 10 MeV generated in a linear electron accelerator

  15. Effects of Gamma irradiation on uronic acid sugars as cell wall polysaccharide model systems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Irawati, Zubaidah; Pilnik, W.

    2001-01-01

    Irradiation is an alternative preservation method with can be utilized to extend the self-life of agricultural products by eliminating number of insects, and decreasing microbial growth effectively. Cell wall polysaccharides which mainly consist of pectic substances, hemicelluloses and cellulose play a major role on the immediate fruits. their degradation mechanism can be elucidates by studying their degradation products resulting from the irradiated cell wall or cell wall components. Isolated apple pectin and alginates as different in solid state by gamma irradiation at 15-30 kGy under two different humidities. The parameters observed were viscosity, β-elimination in the ester groups of pectin, and distribution of molecular weight. Irradiation with the doses of 15-30 kGy could reduce the viscosity of pectin and alginates, while irradiation did not cause β-elimination in the ester groups of pectin as confirmed by titration and ion exchange chromatography methods. The formation of 4,5-unsaturated uronosyl residues as a product of cleavage of the pectin backbone via- β-elimination was not found in irradiated pectin as confirmed by thio barbiture acid (TBA) test. High Performance Size Exclusion Chromatography (HPSEC) analysis for the irradiated polysaccharide model systems revealed that the average number of molecular weight showed a decrease by increasing radiation dose. Storage condition in two different relative humidities affected significantly the degree of polymerization of pectin and alginates in solid state

  16. Small molecule probes for plant cell wall polysaccharide imaging

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ian eWallace

    2012-05-01

    Full Text Available Plant cell walls are composed of interlinked polymer networks consisting of cellulose, hemicelluloses, pectins, proteins, and lignin. The ordered deposition of these components is a dynamic process that critically affects the development and differentiation of plant cells. However, our understanding of cell wall synthesis and remodeling, as well as the diverse cell wall architectures that result from these processes, has been limited by a lack of suitable chemical probes that are compatible with live-cell imaging. In this review, we summarize the currently available molecular toolbox of probes for cell wall polysaccharide imaging in plants, with particular emphasis on recent advances in small molecule-based fluorescent probes. We also discuss the potential for further development of small molecule probes for the analysis of cell wall architecture and dynamics.

  17. Bowel wall visualisation at CT colonography

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Svensson, M.H.; Hellstroem, M.; Svensson, E.

    2002-01-01

    Purpose: To evaluate the quality of bowel wall visualisation at CT colonography and the impact of examination in the supine and prone positions. Material and Methods: After bowel preparation, 111 patients underwent CT colonography. Air distension, degree of fluid redistribution with change in body position (supine and prone), influence of residual stool on bowel wall assessability, and quality of overall colon visualisation were evaluated using scales. Results: Thirty of 110 patients (27%) had complete overall visualisation of the colon wall and 52 (47%) had subtotal visualisation of a limited part of the colon. The entire colon was more often air-filled in the prone position (46%) than in the supine position (18%). Joint review of supine and prone data showed that for all colon segments, except the sigmoid (86%), 95% of the patients had complete air filling. All patients had residual fluid. In 75% to 99%, depending on segment, fluid did not interfere with the bowel wall visualisation in the combined evaluation of supine and prone data sets. Thirty-one patients had residual stool with potential negative influence on polyp detection. Conclusions: The colon wall was completely, or almost completely, visualised in 75% of the patients, and examination in the supine and prone positions was necessary for complete visualisation

  18. COBRA-LIKE2, a Member of the Glycosylphosphatidylinositol-Anchored COBRA-LIKE Family, Plays a Role in Cellulose Deposition in Arabidopsis Seed Coat Mucilage Secretory Cells1,2[OPEN

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ben-Tov, Daniela; Abraham, Yael; Stav, Shira; Thompson, Kevin; Loraine, Ann; Elbaum, Rivka; de Souza, Amancio; Pauly, Markus; Kieber, Joseph J.; Harpaz-Saad, Smadar

    2015-01-01

    Differentiation of the maternally derived seed coat epidermal cells into mucilage secretory cells is a common adaptation in angiosperms. Recent studies identified cellulose as an important component of seed mucilage in various species. Cellulose is deposited as a set of rays that radiate from the seed upon mucilage extrusion, serving to anchor the pectic component of seed mucilage to the seed surface. Using transcriptome data encompassing the course of seed development, we identified COBRA-LIKE2 (COBL2), a member of the glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchored COBRA-LIKE gene family in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana), as coexpressed with other genes involved in cellulose deposition in mucilage secretory cells. Disruption of the COBL2 gene results in substantial reduction in the rays of cellulose present in seed mucilage, along with an increased solubility of the pectic component of the mucilage. Light birefringence demonstrates a substantial decrease in crystalline cellulose deposition into the cellulosic rays of the cobl2 mutants. Moreover, crystalline cellulose deposition into the radial cell walls and the columella appears substantially compromised, as demonstrated by scanning electron microscopy and in situ quantification of light birefringence. Overall, the cobl2 mutants display about 40% reduction in whole-seed crystalline cellulose content compared with the wild type. These data establish that COBL2 plays a role in the deposition of crystalline cellulose into various secondary cell wall structures during seed coat epidermal cell differentiation. PMID:25583925

  19. Chemical characterisation and analysis of the cell wall polysaccharides of duckweed (Lemna minor).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhao, X; Moates, G K; Wellner, N; Collins, S R A; Coleman, M J; Waldron, K W

    2014-10-13

    Duckweed is potentially an ideal biofuel feedstock due to its high proportion of cellulose and starch and low lignin content. However, there is little detailed information on the composition and structure of duckweed cell walls relevant to optimising the conversion of duckweed biomass to ethanol and other biorefinery products. This study reports that, for the variety and batch evaluated, carbohydrates constitute 51.2% (w/w) of dry matter while starch accounts for 19.9%. This study, for the first time, analyses duckweed cell wall composition through a detailed sequential extraction. The cell wall is rich in cellulose and also contains 20.3% pectin comprising galacturonan, xylogalacturonan, rhamnogalacturonan; 3.5% hemicellulose comprising xyloglucan and xylan, and 0.03% phenolics. In addition, essential fatty acids (0.6%, α-linolenic and linoleic/linoelaidic acid) and p-coumaric acid (0.015%) respectively are the most abundant fatty acids and phenolics in whole duckweed. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  20. Investigation of biomass concentration, lipid production, and cellulose content in Chlorella vulgaris cultures using response surface methodology.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aguirre, Ana-Maria; Bassi, Amarjeet

    2013-08-01

    The microalgae Chlorella vulgaris produce lipids that after extraction from cells can be converted into biodiesel. However, these lipids cannot be efficiently extracted from cells due to the presence of the microalgae cell wall, which acts as a barrier for lipid removal when traditional extraction methods are employed. Therefore, a microalgae system with high lipid productivity and thinner cell walls could be more suitable for lipid production from microalgae. This study addresses the effect of culture conditions, specifically carbon dioxide and sodium nitrate concentrations, on biomass concentration and the ratio of lipid productivity/cellulose content. Optimization of culture conditions was done by response surface methodology. The empirical model for biomass concentration (R(2)  = 96.0%) led to a predicted maximum of 1123.2 mg dw L(-1) when carbon dioxide and sodium nitrate concentrations were 2.33% (v/v) and 5.77 mM, respectively. For lipid productivity/cellulose content ratio (R(2)  = 95.2%) the maximum predicted value was 0.46 (mg lipid L(-1)  day(-1) )(mg cellulose mg biomass(-1) )(-1) when carbon dioxide concentration was 4.02% (v/v) and sodium nitrate concentration was 3.21 mM. A common optimum point for both variables (biomass concentration and lipid productivity/cellulose content ratio) was also found, predicting a biomass concentration of 1119.7 mg dw L(-1) and lipid productivity/cellulose content ratio of 0.44 (mg lipid L(-1)  day(-1) )(mg cellulose mg biomass(-1) )(-1) for culture conditions of 3.77% (v/v) carbon dioxide and 4.01 mM sodium nitrate. The models were experimentally validated and results supported their accuracy. This study shows that it is possible to improve lipid productivity/cellulose content by manipulation of culture conditions, which may be applicable to any scale of bioreactors. Copyright © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  1. Enhanced growth of neural networks on conductive cellulose-derived nanofibrous scaffolds

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kuzmenko, Volodymyr; Kalogeropoulos, Theodoros; Thunberg, Johannes; Johannesson, Sara; Hägg, Daniel; Enoksson, Peter; Gatenholm, Paul

    2016-01-01

    The problem of recovery from neurodegeneration needs new effective solutions. Tissue engineering is viewed as a prospective approach for solving this problem since it can help to develop healthy neural tissue using supportive scaffolds. This study presents effective and sustainable tissue engineering methods for creating biomaterials from cellulose that can be used either as scaffolds for the growth of neural tissue in vitro or as drug screening models. To reach this goal, nanofibrous electrospun cellulose mats were made conductive via two different procedures: carbonization and addition of multi-walled carbon nanotubes. The resulting scaffolds were much more conductive than untreated cellulose material and were used to support growth and differentiation of SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells. The cells were evaluated by scanning electron microscopy and confocal microscopy methods over a period of 15 days at different time points. The results showed that the cellulose-derived conductive scaffolds can provide support for good cell attachment, growth and differentiation. The formation of a neural network occurred within 10 days of differentiation, which is a promising length of time for SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells. - Highlights: • The conductive scaffolds for neural tissue engineering are derived from cellulose. • The scaffolds are used to support growth and differentiation of SH-SY5Y cells. • Distinctive cell differentiation occurs within 10 days on conductive scaffolds. • Electrical conductivity and nanotopography improve neural network formation.

  2. Role of Hydrophobic/Aromatic Residues on the Stability of Double-Wall β-Sheet Structures Formed by a Triblock Peptide.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ozgur, Beytullah; Sayar, Mehmet

    2017-04-27

    Bioinspired self-assembling peptides serve as powerful building blocks in the manufacturing of nanomaterials with tailored features. Because of their ease of synthesis, biocompatibility, and tunable activity, this emerging branch of biomolecules has become very popular. The triblock peptide architecture designed by the Hartgerink group is a versatile system that allows control over its assembly and has been shown to demonstrate tunable bioactivity. Three main forces, Coulomb repulsion, hydrogen bonding and hydrophobicity act together to guide the triblock peptides' assembly into one-dimensional objects and hydrogels. It was shown previously that both the nanofiber morphology (e.g., intersheet spacing, formation of antiparallel/parallel β-sheets) and hydrogel rheology strictly depend on the choice of the core residue where the triblock peptide fibers with aromatic cores in general form shorter fibers and yield poor hydrogels with respect to the ones with aliphatic cores. However, an elaborate understanding of the molecular reasons behind these changes remained unclear. In this study, by using carefully designed computer based free energy calculations, we analyzed the influence of the core residue on the formation of double-wall fibers and single-wall β-sheets. Our results demonstrate that the aromatic substitution impairs the fiber cores and this impairment is mainly associated with a reduced hydrophobic character of the aromatic side chains. Such weakening is most obvious in tryptophan containing peptides where the fiber core absorbs a significant amount of water. We also show that the ability of tyrosine to form side chain hydrogen bonds plays an indispensable role in the fiber stability. As opposed to the impairment of the fiber cores, single-wall β-sheets with aromatic faces become more stable compared to the ones with aliphatic faces suggesting that the choice of the core residue can also affect the underlying assembly mechanism. We also provide an in

  3. Light Path Model of Fiber Optic Liquid Level Sensor Considering Residual Liquid Film on the Wall

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zhijun Zhang

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available The working principle of the refractive-type fiber optic liquid level sensor is analyzed in detail based on the light refraction principle. The optic path models are developed in consideration of common simplification and the residual liquid film on the glass tube wall. The calculating formulae for the model are derived, constraint conditions are obtained, influencing factors are discussed, and the scopes and skills of application are analyzed through instance simulations. The research results are useful in directing the correct usage of the fiber optic liquid level sensor, especially in special cases, such as those involving viscous liquid in the glass tube monitoring.

  4. Cellulosic ethanol. Potential, technology and development status

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Rarbach, M. [Sued-Chemie AG, Muenchen (Germany)

    2012-07-01

    In times of rising oil prices and a growing energy demand, sustainable alternative energy sources are needed. Cellulosic ethanol is a sustainable biofuel, made from lignocellulosic feedstock such as agricultural residues (corn stover, cereal straw, bagasse) or dedicated energy crops. Its production is almost carbon neutral, doesn't compete with food or feed production and induces no land use changes. It constitutes a new energy source using an already existing renewable feedstock without needing any further production capacity and can thus play a major role on the way to more sustainability in transport and the chemical industry and reducing the dependence on the import of fossil resources. The potential for cellulosic ethanol is huge: In the US, the annual production of agricultural residues (cereal straw and corn stover) reached almost 384 million tons in 2009 and Brazil alone produced more than 670 million tons of sugar cane in 2009 yielding more than 100 million tons of bagasse (dry basis). And alone in the European Union, almost 300 million tons of crop straw are produced annually. The last years have seen success in the development and deployment in the field of cellulosic ethanol production. The main challenge thereby remains to demonstrate that the technology is economically feasible for the up-scaling to industrial scale. Clariant has developed the sunliquid {sup registered} process, a proprietary cellulosic ethanol technology that reaches highest greenhouse gas (GHG) emission savings while cutting production costs to a minimum. The sunliquid {sup registered} process for cellulosic ethanol matches the ambitious targets for economically and ecologically sustainable production and greenhouse gas reduction. It was developed using an integrated design concept. Highly optimized, feedstock and process specific biocatalysts and microorganisms ensure a highly efficient process with improved yields and feedstock-driven production costs. Integrated, on

  5. Studies on the utilization of agricultural residues in the manufacture of pulp and paper, and industrial chemicals

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Joshi, V.S.; Kamath, G.P.; Basu, S.

    1980-03-15

    While demand for pulp and paper products in India is increasing at the annual rate of 7 to 8%, availability of cellulosic raw material to meet the ever increasing demand is becoming a serious problem. It has been estimated that bamboo, the traditional source of cellulosic raw material in India, even after ensuring the most scientific and best possible exploitation, could provide less than 50% of the requirement. In a big agricultural country like India, agri-residues like straws and bagasse, along with jute sticks, available in huge quantity, could provide substantial amount of cellulosic resources to the pulp and paper industry. Realizing the importance of agri-residue utilization in Indian economy, a series of research projects have been initiated and completed during the last 15 years to study the techno-economic feasibility of manufacturing pulp, paper, and industrial chemicals, based on rice and wheat straws, bagasse, and jute sticks. The economic advantages of the mechano-chemical pulping process, as compared to the conventional pressure, pulping process, for the conversion of agri-residues into pulp and paer is evaluated. For highlighting the importance of agri-residues in the field of useful chemical recovery possibilities, experimental data are given on the saccarification of agri-residues into reducing sugars by the simple acid hydrolysis method with the help of concentrated sulfuric acid.

  6. Physicotechnical, spectroscopic and thermogravimetric properties of powdered cellulose and microcrystalline cellulose derived from groundnut shells

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chukwuemeka P. Azubuike

    2012-09-01

    Full Text Available α-Cellulose and microcrystalline cellulose powders, derived from agricultural waste products, that have for the pharmaceutical industry, desirable physical (flow properties were investigated. α–Cellulose (GCN was extracted from groundnut shell (an agricultural waste product using a non-dissolving method based on inorganic reagents. Modification of this α -cellulose was carried out by partially hydrolysing it with 2N hydrochloric acid under reflux to obtain microcrystalline cellulose (MCGN. The physical, spectroscopic and thermal properties of the derived α-cellulose and microcrystalline cellulose powders were compared with Avicel® PH 101, a commercial brand of microcrystalline cellulose (MCCA, using standard methods. X-ray diffraction and infrared spectroscopy analysis showed that the α-cellulose had lower crystallinity. This suggested that treatment with 2N hydrochloric acid led to an increase in the crystallinity index. Thermogravimetric analysis showed quite similar thermal behavior for all cellulose samples, although the α-cellulose had a somewhat lower stability. A comparison of the physical properties between the microcrystalline celluloses and the α-cellulose suggests that microcrystalline cellulose (MCGN and MCCA might have better flow properties. In almost all cases, MCGN and MCCA had similar characteristics. Since groundnut shells are agricultural waste products, its utilization as a source of microcrystalline cellulose might be a good low-cost alternative to the more expensive commercial brand.

  7. EFFECT OF LIGNIN CONTENT ON ENZYMATIC HYDROLYSIS OF FURFURAL RESIDUES

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jianxin Jiang

    2011-02-01

    Full Text Available The enzymatic saccharification of pretreated furfural residues with different lignin content was studied to verify the effect of lignin removal in the hydrolysis process. The results showed that the glucose yield was improved by increasing the lignin removal. A maximum glucose yield of 96.8% was obtained when the residue with a lignin removal of 51.4% was hydrolyzed for 108 h at an enzyme loading of 25 FPU/g cellulose. However, further lignin removal did not increase the hydrolysis. The effect of enzyme loading on the enzymatic hydrolysis was also explored in this work. It was concluded that a high glucose yield of 90% was achieved when the enzyme dosage was reduced from 25 to 15 FPU/g cellulose, which was cost-effective for the sugar and ethanol production. The structures of raw material and delignified samples were further characterized by XRD and scanning electron microscopy (SEM.

  8. The dynamics of plant cell-wall polysaccharide decomposition in leaf-cutting ant fungus gardens.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Isabel E Moller

    Full Text Available The degradation of live plant biomass in fungus gardens of leaf-cutting ants is poorly characterised but fundamental for understanding the mutual advantages and efficiency of this obligate nutritional symbiosis. Controversies about the extent to which the garden-symbiont Leucocoprinus gongylophorus degrades cellulose have hampered our understanding of the selection forces that induced large scale herbivory and of the ensuing ecological footprint of these ants. Here we use a recently established technique, based on polysaccharide microarrays probed with antibodies and carbohydrate binding modules, to map the occurrence of cell wall polymers in consecutive sections of the fungus garden of the leaf-cutting ant Acromyrmex echinatior. We show that pectin, xyloglucan and some xylan epitopes are degraded, whereas more highly substituted xylan and cellulose epitopes remain as residuals in the waste material that the ants remove from their fungus garden. These results demonstrate that biomass entering leaf-cutting ant fungus gardens is only partially utilized and explain why disproportionally large amounts of plant material are needed to sustain colony growth. They also explain why substantial communities of microbial and invertebrate symbionts have evolved associations with the dump material from leaf-cutting ant nests, to exploit decomposition niches that the ant garden-fungus does not utilize. Our approach thus provides detailed insight into the nutritional benefits and shortcomings associated with fungus-farming in ants.

  9. Ionic Liquids and Cellulose: Dissolution, Chemical Modification and Preparation of New Cellulosic Materials

    Science.gov (United States)

    Isik, Mehmet; Sardon, Haritz; Mecerreyes, David

    2014-01-01

    Due to its abundance and a wide range of beneficial physical and chemical properties, cellulose has become very popular in order to produce materials for various applications. This review summarizes the recent advances in the development of new cellulose materials and technologies using ionic liquids. Dissolution of cellulose in ionic liquids has been used to develop new processing technologies, cellulose functionalization methods and new cellulose materials including blends, composites, fibers and ion gels. PMID:25000264

  10. Electrically conductive cellulose composite

    Science.gov (United States)

    Evans, Barbara R.; O'Neill, Hugh M.; Woodward, Jonathan

    2010-05-04

    An electrically conductive cellulose composite includes a cellulose matrix and an electrically conductive carbonaceous material incorporated into the cellulose matrix. The electrical conductivity of the cellulose composite is at least 10 .mu.S/cm at 25.degree. C. The composite can be made by incorporating the electrically conductive carbonaceous material into a culture medium with a cellulose-producing organism, such as Gluconoacetobacter hansenii. The composites can be used to form electrodes, such as for use in membrane electrode assemblies for fuel cells.

  11. Ionic Liquids and Cellulose: Dissolution, Chemical Modification and Preparation of New Cellulosic Materials

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mehmet Isik

    2014-07-01

    Full Text Available Due to its abundance and a wide range of beneficial physical and chemical properties, cellulose has become very popular in order to produce materials for various applications. This review summarizes the recent advances in the development of new cellulose materials and technologies using ionic liquids. Dissolution of cellulose in ionic liquids has been used to develop new processing technologies, cellulose functionalization methods and new cellulose materials including blends, composites, fibers and ion gels.

  12. Development of pipe wall thinning prediction software 'FALSET'

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yoneda, Kimitoshi; Morita, Ryo; Inada, Fumio; Fujiwara, Kazutoshi

    2012-01-01

    Pipe wall thinning in power plants has been managed for maintaining plant integrity and safety with great importance. The target thinning phenomena are Flow Accelerated Corrosion (FAC) and Liquid Droplet Impingement Erosion (LDI). At present, the management is based on thinning rate and residual lifetime evaluation using pipe wall thickness measurement results. For the future, more safety and improvement in the management is required, and in this sense, prediction method of wall thinning is willing to be introduced. Therefore, prediction model of FAC and LDI have been constructed in CRIEPI, and to utilize these models to actual plant piping management easily, prediction software 'FALSET' is developed. FALSET has equipped with essential function for pipe wall thinning management in power plants, as follows; (1) Information and condition input of plant piping system and its component, (2) Wall thinning rate evaluation with CRIEPI's FAC/LDI prediction model, (3) Loading of wall thickness measurement data files and graphics of data trend, (4) Residual lifetime evaluation considering both measured and predicted thinning rate, (5) Statistical process and graphics of thinning rate and residual lifetime for multi-piping systems. With further verification and improvement of each function, there will be a perspective for this FALSET to be utilized as a management tool in power plants. (author)

  13. Fabrication of polyaniline/carboxymethyl cellulose/cellulose nanofibrous mats and their biosensing application

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fu, Jiapeng; Pang, Zengyuan; Yang, Jie; Huang, Fenglin; Cai, Yibing; Wei, Qufu

    2015-01-01

    Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • PANI nanorods have been grown onto the surface of CMC/cellulose nanofibers for the fabrication of biosensor substrate material. • The proposed laccase biosensor exhibited a low detection limit and high sensitivity in the detection of catechol. • Hierarchical PANI/CMC/cellulose nanofibers are the promising material in the design of high-efficient biosensors. - Abstract: We report a facile approach to synthesizing and immobilizing polyaniline nanorods onto carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC)-modified cellulose nanofibers for their biosensing application. Firstly, the hierarchical PANI/CMC/cellulose nanofibers were fabricated by in situ polymerization of aniline on the CMC-modified cellulose nanofiber. Subsequently, the PANI/CMC/cellulose nanofibrous mat modified with laccase (Lac) was used as biosensor substrate material for the detection of catechol. PANI/CMC/cellulose nanofibers with highly conductive and three dimensional nanostructure were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscope (TEM), Fourier transform infrared spectra (FT-IR), cyclic voltammetry (CV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). Under optimum conditions, the Lac/PANI/CMC/cellulose/glassy carbon electrode (GCE) exhibited a fast response time (within 8 s), a linear response range from 0.497 μM to 2.27 mM with a high sensitivity and low detection limit of 0.374 μM (3σ). The developed biosensor also displayed good repeatability, reproducibility as well as selectivity. The results indicated that the composite mat has potential application in enzyme biosensors

  14. Fabrication of polyaniline/carboxymethyl cellulose/cellulose nanofibrous mats and their biosensing application

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Fu, Jiapeng, E-mail: firgexiao@sina.cn; Pang, Zengyuan, E-mail: pangzengyuan1212@163.com; Yang, Jie, E-mail: young1993@126.com; Huang, Fenglin, E-mail: flhuang@jiangnan.edu.cn; Cai, Yibing, E-mail: yibingcai@jiangnan.edu.cn; Wei, Qufu, E-mail: qfwei@jiangnan.edu.cn

    2015-09-15

    Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • PANI nanorods have been grown onto the surface of CMC/cellulose nanofibers for the fabrication of biosensor substrate material. • The proposed laccase biosensor exhibited a low detection limit and high sensitivity in the detection of catechol. • Hierarchical PANI/CMC/cellulose nanofibers are the promising material in the design of high-efficient biosensors. - Abstract: We report a facile approach to synthesizing and immobilizing polyaniline nanorods onto carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC)-modified cellulose nanofibers for their biosensing application. Firstly, the hierarchical PANI/CMC/cellulose nanofibers were fabricated by in situ polymerization of aniline on the CMC-modified cellulose nanofiber. Subsequently, the PANI/CMC/cellulose nanofibrous mat modified with laccase (Lac) was used as biosensor substrate material for the detection of catechol. PANI/CMC/cellulose nanofibers with highly conductive and three dimensional nanostructure were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscope (TEM), Fourier transform infrared spectra (FT-IR), cyclic voltammetry (CV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). Under optimum conditions, the Lac/PANI/CMC/cellulose/glassy carbon electrode (GCE) exhibited a fast response time (within 8 s), a linear response range from 0.497 μM to 2.27 mM with a high sensitivity and low detection limit of 0.374 μM (3σ). The developed biosensor also displayed good repeatability, reproducibility as well as selectivity. The results indicated that the composite mat has potential application in enzyme biosensors.

  15. High Dehumidification Performance of Amorphous Cellulose Composite Membranes prepared from Trimethylsilyl Cellulose

    KAUST Repository

    Puspasari, Tiara

    2018-04-11

    Cellulose is widely regarded as an environmentally friendly, natural and low cost material which can significantly contribute the sustainable economic growth. In this study, cellulose composite membranes were prepared via regeneration of trimethylsilyl cellulose (TMSC), an easily synthesized cellulose derivative. The amorphous hydrophilic feature of the regenerated cellulose enabled fast permeation of water vapour. The pore-free cellulose layer thickness was adjustable by the initial TMSC concentration and acted as an efficient gas barrier. As a result, a 5,000 GPU water vapour transmission rate (WVTR) at the highest ideal selectivity of 1.1 x 106 was achieved by the membranes spin coated from a 7% (w/w) TMSC solution. The membranes maintained a 4,000 GPU WVTR with selectivity of 1.1 x 104 in the mixed-gas experiments, surpassing the performances of the previously reported composite membranes. This study provides a simple way to not only produce high performance membranes but also to advance cellulose as a low-cost and sustainable membrane material for dehumidification applications.

  16. Degradation of γ-irradiated cellulose by the accumulating culture of a cellulose bacterium

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Namsaraev, B.B.; Kuznetsova, E.A.; Termkhitarova, N.G.

    1987-01-01

    Possibility of degradation of γ-irradiated cellulose by the accumulating culture of an anaerobic cellulose bacterium has been investigated. Cellulose irradiation by γ-quanta (Co 60 ) has been carried out using the RKh-30 device with 35.9 Gy/min dose rate. Radiation monitoring has been carried out by the standard ferrosulfate method. Samples have been irradiated in dry state or when water presenting with MGy. It is detected that the accumulating culture with the growth on the irradiated cellulose has a lag-phase, which duration reduces when the cellulose cleaning by flushing with distillation water. The culture has higher growth and substrate consumption rate when growing by cellulose irradiated in comparison with non-irradiated one. The economical coefficient is the same in using both the irradiated and non-irradiated cellulose. The quantity of forming reducing saccharides, organic acids, methane and carbon dioxide is the same both when cultivating by irradiated cellulose and by non-irradiated. pH of the culture liquid is shifted to the acid nature in the process of growth

  17. Availability of crop cellulosics for ethanol production

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hayes, R.D.

    1982-10-01

    Past estimates of cellulosic resources available from Canadian agriculture totalled over 23 million tonnes of cereal grain straw and corn stover residues surplus to soil and animal requirements. A new much reduced estimate, based on four detailed regional studies that also include previously unassessed resources such as chaff, oilseed hulls, and food processing wastes, is suggested. Eleven million tonnes are currently available from all residue sources for energy conversion by different processes. Only five million tonnes are identified as potentially usable in ethanol production plants were they to be constructed. Additional resource opportunities may become available in future from currently underutilized land, especially saline soils, novel processing techniques of conventional grains and forages, innovative cropping systems that may increase the yield of agricultural biomass, and new food/feed/fuel (i.e. multi-purpose) crops such as kochia, milkweed, and Jerusalem artichoke. 27 refs., 1 fig., 1 tab.

  18. Liquid crystalline solutions of cellulose in phosphoric acid for preparing cellulose yarns

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Boerstoel, H.

    2006-01-01

    The presen thesis describes a new process for manufacturing high tenacity and high modulus cellulose yarns. A new direct solvent for cellulose has been discovered, leading to liquid crystalline solutions. This new solvent, superphosphoric acid, rapidly dissolves cellulose. These liquid crystalline

  19. Cellulose factories: advancing bioenergy production from forest trees.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mizrachi, Eshchar; Mansfield, Shawn D; Myburg, Alexander A

    2012-04-01

    Fast-growing, short-rotation forest trees, such as Populus and Eucalyptus, produce large amounts of cellulose-rich biomass that could be utilized for bioenergy and biopolymer production. Major obstacles need to be overcome before the deployment of these genera as energy crops, including the effective removal of lignin and the subsequent liberation of carbohydrate constituents from wood cell walls. However, significant opportunities exist to both select for and engineer the structure and interaction of cell wall biopolymers, which could afford a means to improve processing and product development. The molecular underpinnings and regulation of cell wall carbohydrate biosynthesis are rapidly being elucidated, and are providing tools to strategically develop and guide the targeted modification required to adapt forest trees for the emerging bioeconomy. Much insight has already been gained from the perturbation of individual genes and pathways, but it is not known to what extent the natural variation in the sequence and expression of these same genes underlies the inherent variation in wood properties of field-grown trees. The integration of data from next-generation genomic technologies applied in natural and experimental populations will enable a systems genetics approach to study cell wall carbohydrate production in trees, and should advance the development of future woody bioenergy and biopolymer crops.

  20. Co-downregulation of the hydroxycinnamoyl-CoA:shikimate hydroxycinnamoyl transferase and coumarate 3-hydroxylase significantly increases cellulose content in transgenic alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tong, Zongyong; Li, Heng; Zhang, Rongxue; Ma, Lei; Dong, Jiangli; Wang, Tao

    2015-10-01

    Lignin is a component of the cell wall that is essential for growth, development, structure and pathogen resistance in plants, but high lignin is an obstacle to the conversion of cellulose to ethanol for biofuel. Genetically modifying lignin and cellulose contents can be a good approach to overcoming that obstacle. Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) is rich in lignocellulose biomass and used as a model plant for the genetic modification of lignin in this study. Two key enzymes in the lignin biosynthesis pathway-hydroxycinnamoyl -CoA:shikimate hydroxycinnamoyl transferase (HCT) and coumarate 3-hydroxylase (C3H)-were co-downregulated. Compared to wild-type plants, the lignin content in the modified strain was reduced by 38%, cellulose was increased by 86.1%, enzyme saccharification efficiency was increased by 10.9%, and cell wall digestibility was increased by 13.0%. The modified alfalfa exhibited a dwarf phenotype, but normal above ground biomass. This approach provides a new strategy for reducing lignin and increasing cellulose contents and creates a new genetically modified crop with enhanced value for biofuel. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  1. Residual stresses in laser direct metal deposited Waspaloy

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Moat, R.J., E-mail: richard.moat@manchester.ac.uk [School of Materials, University of Manchester, Grosvenor Street, Manchester M1 7HS (United Kingdom); Pinkerton, A.J.; Li, L. [Laser Processing Research Centre, School of Mechanical, Aerospace and Civil Engineering, University of Manchester, M60 1QD (United Kingdom); Withers, P.J.; Preuss, M. [School of Materials, University of Manchester, Grosvenor Street, Manchester M1 7HS (United Kingdom)

    2011-03-15

    Research highlights: {yields} Neutron diffraction and the contour method show good agreement. {yields} Tensile stresses found parallel to the surfaces. {yields} Compressive stresses within the bulk of the structures. {yields} Residual stress weakly dependent on the laser pulse parameters. {yields} Maximum tensile residual stress unaffected across range of pulse parameters used. - Abstract: This paper reports a study into the effect of laser pulse length and duty cycle on the residual stress distributions in multi-track laser direct metal deposits of Waspaloy onto an Inconel 718 substrate. The residual stresses have been evaluated using neutron diffraction and the contour method, while electron microscopy and micro hardness indentation have been used to map the concomitant microstructural variation. In all cases, near the tops of the deposited walls, the longitudinal stresses are tensile towards the mid-length of the wall, while the stresses perpendicular to the substrate are negligible. By contrast near the base of the walls, the stresses along the direction of deposition are small, while the stresses perpendicular to the substrate are compressive at the centre and tensile towards the ends. Consistent with previous observations, the stresses parallel to free surfaces are tensile, balanced by compressive stresses in the interior (an inverse quench stress profile). These profiles have been found to be weakly dependent on the laser pulse parameters, most notably an increase in tensile stress gradient with increasing duty cycle, but the maximum residual stresses are largely unaffected. Furthermore, microstructural analysis has shown that the effect of laser pulse parameters on grain morphology in multi-track thick walls is less marked than previously reported for single-track wall structures.

  2. Residual stresses in laser direct metal deposited Waspaloy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Moat, R.J.; Pinkerton, A.J.; Li, L.; Withers, P.J.; Preuss, M.

    2011-01-01

    Research highlights: → Neutron diffraction and the contour method show good agreement. → Tensile stresses found parallel to the surfaces. → Compressive stresses within the bulk of the structures. → Residual stress weakly dependent on the laser pulse parameters. → Maximum tensile residual stress unaffected across range of pulse parameters used. - Abstract: This paper reports a study into the effect of laser pulse length and duty cycle on the residual stress distributions in multi-track laser direct metal deposits of Waspaloy onto an Inconel 718 substrate. The residual stresses have been evaluated using neutron diffraction and the contour method, while electron microscopy and micro hardness indentation have been used to map the concomitant microstructural variation. In all cases, near the tops of the deposited walls, the longitudinal stresses are tensile towards the mid-length of the wall, while the stresses perpendicular to the substrate are negligible. By contrast near the base of the walls, the stresses along the direction of deposition are small, while the stresses perpendicular to the substrate are compressive at the centre and tensile towards the ends. Consistent with previous observations, the stresses parallel to free surfaces are tensile, balanced by compressive stresses in the interior (an inverse quench stress profile). These profiles have been found to be weakly dependent on the laser pulse parameters, most notably an increase in tensile stress gradient with increasing duty cycle, but the maximum residual stresses are largely unaffected. Furthermore, microstructural analysis has shown that the effect of laser pulse parameters on grain morphology in multi-track thick walls is less marked than previously reported for single-track wall structures.

  3. Characterization of cellulose nanowhiskers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nascimento, Nayra R.; Pinheiro, Ivanei F.; Morales, Ana R.; Ravagnani, Sergio P.; Mei, Lucia

    2015-01-01

    Cellulose is the most abundant polymer earth. The cellulose nanowhiskers can be extracted from the cellulose. These have attracted attention for its use in nanostructured materials for various applications, such as nanocomposites, because they have peculiar characteristics, among them, high aspect ratio, biodegradability and excellent mechanical properties. This work aims to characterize cellulose nanowhiskers from microcrystalline cellulose. Therefore, these materials were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) to assess the degree of crystallinity, infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) to the morphology of nanowhiskers and thermal stability was evaluated by Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA). (author)

  4. The effect of gamma irradiation on crude fibre NDF, ADF, and ADL of some Syrian agricultural residues

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Al-Masri, M.R.; Zarkawi, M.

    1992-07-01

    The effects of 150 KGy of gamma irradiation on crude fibre and its main components (cellulose, hemicellulose-cellulose and lignin) and on neutral detergent fibre (NDF), acid detergent lignin (ADL), and acid detergent fibre (ADF) were investigated. The results indicate that gamma irradiation decreased Cf content by 30%, 28%, 29%, and 17% for cottonwood, lentils straw, apple-tree pruning products and olive-oil cake, respectively. NDF values also decreased by 5%, 23%, 13% and 3% for, cottonwood, lentils straw, olive-oil cake and apple-tree pruning products respectively. Gamma irradiation (150 KGy) had no effects on ADF and ADL for lentils straw, apple-tree pruning products and olive-oil cake whereas, ADF decreased by 8.5% and ADL by 8.3 for cottonwood. Hemicellulose content increased by 12% for cottonwood while decreased by 54% for lentils straw and by 33% for apple-tree pruning products with no effects for olive-oil cake. Cellulose content decreased by 8.6% for cottonwood whereas no effects for the remaining residues were seen. Gamma irradiation treatment improved the nutritive value of the agriculture residues examined. The reduction in crude fibre content varies with the residue. (author). 15 refs., 5 tabs

  5. Immobilization of Cold-Active Cellulase from Antarctic Bacterium and Its Use for Kelp Cellulose Ethanol Fermentation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yi Bin Wang

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Immobilization is an effective way to solve the problem associated with the application of cold-active cellulase in industrial processes. In this study, a cold-active cellulase from the Antarctic psychrophilic bacterium Pseudoalteromonas sp. NJ64 was obtained, immobilized, and analyzed for optimal immobilization conditions. Then it was used in kelp cellulose ethanol fermentation, achieving a higher purity level of kelp cellulose ethanol. The enzymatic activity of this cold-active cellulase was 49.7 U/mL. The optimal immobilization process conditions were as follows: sodium alginate, 30 g/L; calcium chloride, 5 g/L; glutaraldehyde, 0.4%; and cross-linking time, 5 h. Under these conditions, the activity recovery rate was 51.58%. The optimum reaction temperature was at 40 °C, the optimum initial pH was 9.0, and the relative enzyme activity was 58.37% after being recovered seven times. A higher purity level of kelp cellulose ethanol has reached (37.37%. Immobilized cold-active cellulase can effectively hydrolyze the cellulose of kelp residue, which is a valuable component of cellulose bio-ethanol production and will have broad implications in the development of the ethanol industry in China.

  6. Crystallization, structural relaxation and thermal degradation in Poly(L-lactide)/cellulose nanocrystal renewable nanocomposites.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lizundia, E; Vilas, J L; León, L M

    2015-06-05

    In this work, crystallization, structural relaxation and thermal degradation kinetics of neat Poly(L-lactide) (PLLA) and its nanocomposites with cellulose nanocrystals (CNC) and CNC-grafted-PLLA (CNC-g-PLLA) have been studied. Although crystallinity degree of nanocomposites remains similar to that of neat homopolymer, results reveal an increase on the crystallization rate by 1.7-5 times boosted by CNC, which act as nucleating agents during the crystallization process. In addition, structural relaxation kinetics of PLLA chains has been drastically reduced by 53% and 27% with the addition of neat and grafted CNC, respectively. The thermal degradation activation energy (E) has been determined from thermogravimetric analysis in the light of Kissinger's and Ozawa-Flynn-Wall theoretical models. Results reveal a reduction on the thermal stability when in presence of CNC-g-PLLA, while raw CNC slightly increases the thermal stability of PLLA. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy results confirm that the presence of residual catalyst in CNC-g-PLLA plays a pivotal role in the thermal degradation behavior of nanocomposites. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  7. Valorization of lignin and cellulose in acid-steam-exploded corn stover by a moderate alkaline ethanol post-treatment based on an integrated biorefinery concept

    OpenAIRE

    Yang, Sheng; Zhang, Yue; Yue, Wen; Wang, Wei; Wang, Yun-Yan; Yuan, Tong-Qi; Sun, Run-Cang

    2016-01-01

    Background Due to the unsustainable consumption of fossil resources, great efforts have been made to convert lignocellulose into bioethanol and commodity organic compounds through biological methods. The conversion of cellulose is impeded by the compactness of plant cell wall matrix and crystalline structure of the native cellulose. Therefore, appropriate pretreatment and even post-treatment are indispensable to overcome this problem. Additionally, an adequate utilization of coproduct lignin ...

  8. Long-Term Strength of a Thick-Walled Pipe Filled with an Aggressive Medium, with Account for Damageability of the Pipe Material and Residual Strength

    Science.gov (United States)

    Piriev, S. A.

    2018-01-01

    This paper describes the study of scattered fracture of a thick-walled pipe filled with an aggressive medium, which creates uniform pressure on the inner surface of the pipe. It is assumed that the aggressive medium affects only the value of instantaneous strength. Damageability is described by an integral operator of the hereditary type. The problem is solved with allowance for residual strength of the pipe material behind the fracture front. Numerical calculation is carried out, and relationships between the fracture front coordinate and time for various concentrations of the aggressive medium and residual strength behind the fracture front are constructed.

  9. Parenchyma cell wall structure in twining stem of Dioscorea balcanica

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Radosavljević, J.S.; Pristov, J.B.; Mitrović, A.Lj.; Steinbach, Gabor; Mouille, G.; Tufegdžić, S.; Maksimović, V.; Mutavdžić, D.; Janošević, D.; Vuković, M.; Garab, G.; Radotić, K.

    2017-01-01

    Roč. 24, č. 11 (2017), s. 4653-4669 ISSN 0969-0239 R&D Projects: GA MŠk(CZ) ED2.1.00/19.0392 Institutional support: RVO:61388971 Keywords : Cell wall * Cellulose fibril order * Dioscorea balcanica Kosanin Subject RIV: EE - Microbiology, Virology OBOR OECD: Microbiology Impact factor: 3.417, year: 2016

  10. Recent Strategies in Preparation of Cellulose Nanocrystals and Cellulose Nanofibrils Derived from Raw Cellulose Materials

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hongxiang Xie

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available The recent strategies in preparation of cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs and cellulose nanofibrils (CNFs were described. CNCs and CNFs are two types of nanocelluloses (NCs, and they possess various superior properties, such as large specific surface area, high tensile strength and stiffness, low density, and low thermal expansion coefficient. Due to various applications in biomedical engineering, food, sensor, packaging, and so on, there are many studies conducted on CNCs and CNFs. In this review, various methods of preparation of CNCs and CNFs are summarized, including mechanical, chemical, and biological methods. The methods of pretreatment of cellulose are described in view of the benefits to fibrillation.

  11. Versatile High-Performance Regenerated Cellulose Membranes Prepared using Trimethylsilyl Cellulose as a Precursor

    KAUST Repository

    Puspasari, Tiara

    2018-01-01

    (TMSC), a highly soluble cellulose derivative, as a precursor for the fabrication of cellulose thin film composite membranes. TMSC is an attractive precursor to assemble thin cellulose films with good deposition behavior and film morphology; cumbersome

  12. IMPACTS OF BIOFILM FORMATION ON CELLULOSE FERMENTATION

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Leschine, Susan

    2009-10-31

    This project addressed four major areas of investigation: i) characterization of formation of Cellulomonas uda biofilms on cellulose; ii) characterization of Clostridium phytofermentans biofilm development; colonization of cellulose and its regulation; iii) characterization of Thermobifida fusca biofilm development; colonization of cellulose and its regulation; and iii) description of the architecture of mature C. uda, C. phytofermentans, and T. fusca biofilms. This research is aimed at advancing understanding of biofilm formation and other complex processes involved in the degradation of the abundant cellulosic biomass, and the biology of the microbes involved. Information obtained from these studies is invaluable in the development of practical applications, such as the single-step bioconversion of cellulose-containing residues to fuels and other bioproducts. Our results have clearly shown that cellulose-decomposing microbes rapidly colonize cellulose and form complex structures typical of biofilms. Furthermore, our observations suggest that, as cells multiply on nutritive surfaces during biofilms formation, dramatic cell morphological changes occur. We speculated that morphological changes, which involve a transition from rod-shaped cells to more rounded forms, might be more apparent in a filamentous microbe. In order to test this hypothesis, we included in our research a study of biofilm formation by T. fusca, a thermophilic cellulolytic actinomycete commonly found in compost. The cellulase system of T. fusca has been extensively detailed through the work of David Wilson and colleagues at Cornell, and also, genome sequence of a T. fusca strain has been determine by the DOE Joint Genome Institute. Thus, T. fusca is an excellent subject for studies of biofilm development and its potential impacts on cellulose degradation. We also completed a study of the chitinase system of C. uda. This work provided essential background information for understanding how C. uda

  13. Ethanol production from residual wood chips of cellulose industry: acid pretreatment investigation, hemicellulosic hydrolysate fermentation, and remaining solid fraction fermentation by SSF process.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Silva, Neumara Luci Conceição; Betancur, Gabriel Jaime Vargas; Vasquez, Mariana Peñuela; Gomes, Edelvio de Barros; Pereira, Nei

    2011-04-01

    Current research indicates the ethanol fuel production from lignocellulosic materials, such as residual wood chips from the cellulose industry, as new emerging technology. This work aimed at evaluating the ethanol production from hemicellulose of eucalyptus chips by diluted acid pretreatment and the subsequent fermentation of the generated hydrolysate by a flocculating strain of Pichia stipitis. The remaining solid fraction generated after pretreatment was subjected to enzymatic hydrolysis, which was carried out simultaneously with glucose fermentation [saccharification and fermentation (SSF) process] using a strain of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The acid pretreatment was evaluated using a central composite design for sulfuric acid concentration (1.0-4.0 v/v) and solid to liquid ratio (1:2-1:4, grams to milliliter) as independent variables. A maximum xylose concentration of 50 g/L was obtained in the hemicellulosic hydrolysate. The fermentation of hemicellulosic hydrolysate and the SSF process were performed in bioreactors and the final ethanol concentrations of 15.3 g/L and 28.7 g/L were obtained, respectively.

  14. Mutation of Cellulose Synthase Gene Improves the Nutritive Value of Rice Straw

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yanjing Su

    2012-06-01

    Full Text Available Rice straw is an important roughage resource for ruminants in many rice-producing countries. In this study, a rice brittle mutant (BM, mutation in OsCesA4, encoding cellulose synthase and its wild type (WT were employed to investigate the effects of a cellulose synthase gene mutation on rice straw morphological fractions, chemical composition, stem histological structure and in situ digestibility. The morphological fractions investigation showed that BM had a higher leaf sheath proportion (43.70% vs 38.21%, p0.05 was detected in neutral detergent fiber (NDFom and ADL contents for both strains. Histological structure observation indicated that BM stems had fewer sclerenchyma cells and a thinner sclerenchyma cell wall than WT. The results of in situ digestion showed that BM had higher DM, NDFom, cellulose and hemicellulose disappearance at 24 or 48 h of incubation (p<0.05. The effective digestibility of BM rice straw DM and NDFom was greater than that of WT (31.4% vs 26.7% for DM, 29.1% vs 24.3% for NDFom, p<0.05, but the rate of digestion of the slowly digested fraction of BM rice straw DM and NDF was decreased. These results indicated that the mutation in the cellulose synthase gene could improve the nutritive value of rice straw for ruminants.

  15. Comparison of various pretreatments for ethanol production enhancement from solid residue after rumen fluid digestion of rice straw.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Haibo; Zhang, Panyue; Ye, Jie; Wu, Yan; Liu, Jianbo; Fang, Wei; Xu, Dong; Wang, Bei; Yan, Li; Zeng, Guangming

    2018-01-01

    The rumen digested residue of rice straw contains high residual carbohydrates, which makes it a potential cellulosic ethanol feedstock. This study evaluated the feasibility and effectiveness of applying microwave assisted alkali (MAP), ultrasound assisted alkali (UAP), and ball milling pretreatment (BMP) to enhance ethanol production from two digested residues (2.5%-DR and 10%-DR) after rumen fluid digestion of rice straw at 2.5% and 10.0% solid content. Results revealed that 2.5%-DR and 10%-DR had a cellulose content of 36.4% and 41.7%, respectively. MAP and UAP improved enzymatic hydrolysis of digested residue by removing the lignin and hemicellulose, while BMP by decreasing the particle size and crystallinity. BMP was concluded as the suitable pretreatment, resulting in an ethanol yield of 116.65 and 147.42mgg -1 for 2.5%-DR and 10%-DR, respectively. The integrated system including BMP for digested residue at 2.5% solid content achieved a maximum energy output of 7010kJkg -1 . Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  16. Bioenergy from agricultural residues in Ghana

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Thomsen, Sune Tjalfe

    and biomethane under Ghanaian conditions. Detailed characterisations of thirteen of the most common agricultural residues in Ghana are presented, enabling estimations of theoretical bioenergy potentials and identifying specific residues for future biorefinery applications. When aiming at residue-based ethanol...... to pursue increased implementation of anaerobic digestion in Ghana, as the first bioenergy option, since anaerobic digestion is more flexible than ethanol production with regard to both feedstock and scale of production. If possible, the available manure and municipal liquid waste should be utilised first....... A novel model for estimating BMP from compositional data of lignocellulosic biomasses is derived. The model is based on a statistical method not previously used in this area of research and the best prediction of BMP is: BMP = 347 xC+H+R – 438 xL + 63 DA , where xC+H+R is the combined content of cellulose...

  17. Humic acid adsorption onto cationic cellulose nanofibers for bioinspired removal of copper( ii ) and a positively charged dye

    KAUST Repository

    Sehaqui, H.; Perez de Larraya, Uxua; Tingaut, P.; Zimmermann, T.

    2015-01-01

    © The Royal Society of Chemistry. Waste pulp residues are herein exploited for the synthesis of a sorbent for humic acid (HA), which is a major water pollutant. Cellulose pulp was etherified with a quaternary ammonium salt in water thereby

  18. Drug-loaded Cellulose Acetate and Cellulose Acetate Butyrate Films ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    The purpose of this research work was to evaluate the contribution of formulation variables on release properties of matrix type ocular films containing chloramphenicol as a model drug. This study investigated the use of cellulose acetate and cellulose acetate butyrate as film-forming agents in development of ocular films.

  19. Identifying the catalytic components of cellulose synthase and the maize mixed-linkage beta-glucan synthase

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Nicholas C Carpita

    2009-04-20

    Five specific objectives of this project are to develop strategies to identify the genes that encode the catalytic components of "mixed-linkage" (1→3),(1→4)-beta-D-glucans in grasses, to determine the protein components of the synthase complex, and determine the biochemical mechanism of synthesis. We have used proteomic approaches to define intrinsic and extrinsic polypeptides of Golgi membranes that are associated with polysaccharide synthesis and trafficking. We were successful in producing recombinant catalytic domains of cellulose synthase genes and discovered that they dimerize upon concentration, indicating that two CesA proteins form the catalytic unit. We characterized a brittle stalk2 mutant as a defect in a COBRA-like protein that results in compromised lignin-cellulose interactions that decrease tissue flexibility. We used virus-induced gene silencing of barley cell wall polysaccharide synthesis by BSMV in an attempt to silence specific members of the cellulose synthase-like gene family. However, we unexpectedly found that regardless of the specificity of the target gene, whole gene interaction networks were silenced. We discovered the cause to be an antisense transcript of the cellulose synthase gene initiated small interfering RNAs that spread silencing to related genes.

  20. Understanding how the complex molecular architecture of mannan-degrading hydrolases contributes to plant cell wall degradation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Xiaoyang; Rogowski, Artur; Zhao, Lei; Hahn, Michael G; Avci, Utku; Knox, J Paul; Gilbert, Harry J

    2014-01-24

    Microbial degradation of plant cell walls is a central component of the carbon cycle and is of increasing importance in environmentally significant industries. Plant cell wall-degrading enzymes have a complex molecular architecture consisting of catalytic modules and, frequently, multiple non-catalytic carbohydrate binding modules (CBMs). It is currently unclear whether the specificities of the CBMs or the topology of the catalytic modules are the primary drivers for the specificity of these enzymes against plant cell walls. Here, we have evaluated the relationship between CBM specificity and their capacity to enhance the activity of GH5 and GH26 mannanases and CE2 esterases against intact plant cell walls. The data show that cellulose and mannan binding CBMs have the greatest impact on the removal of mannan from tobacco and Physcomitrella cell walls, respectively. Although the action of the GH5 mannanase was independent of the context of mannan in tobacco cell walls, a significant proportion of the polysaccharide was inaccessible to the GH26 enzyme. The recalcitrant mannan, however, was fully accessible to the GH26 mannanase appended to a cellulose binding CBM. Although CE2 esterases display similar specificities against acetylated substrates in vitro, only CjCE2C was active against acetylated mannan in Physcomitrella. Appending a mannan binding CBM27 to CjCE2C potentiated its activity against Physcomitrella walls, whereas a xylan binding CBM reduced the capacity of esterases to deacetylate xylan in tobacco walls. This work provides insight into the biological significance for the complex array of hydrolytic enzymes expressed by plant cell wall-degrading microorganisms.

  1. Structural characterization of cellulosic materials using x-ray and neutron scattering

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Penttila, P.

    2013-11-01

    Cellulosic biomass can be used as a feedstock for sustainable production of biofuels and various other products. A complete utilization of the raw material requires understanding on its structural aspects and their role in the various processes. In this thesis, x-ray and neutron scattering methods were applied to study the structure of various cellulosic materials and how they are affected in different processes. The obtained results were reviewed in the context of a model for the cellulose nanostructure. The dimensions of cellulose crystallites and the crystallinity were determined with wide-angle x-ray scattering (WAXS), whereas the nanoscale fibrillar structure of cellulose was characterized with small-angle x-ray and neutron scattering (SAXS and SANS). The properties determined with the small-angle scattering methods included specific surface areas and distances characteristic of the packing of cellulose microfibrils. Also other physical characterization methods, such as x-ray microtomography, infrared spectroscopy, and solid-state NMR were utilized in this work. In the analysis of the results, a comprehensive understanding of the structural changes throughout a range of length scales was aimed at. Pretreatment of birch sawdust by pressurized hot water extraction was observed to increase the crystal width of cellulose, as determined with WAXS, even though the cellulose crystallinity was slightly decreased. A denser packing of microfibrils caused by the removal of hemicelluloses and lignin in the extraction was evidenced by SAXS. This resulted in the opening of new pores between the microfibril bundles and an increase of the specific surface area. Enzymatic hydrolysis of microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) did not lead to differences in the average crystallinity or crystal size of the hydrolysis residues, which was explained to be caused by limitations due to the large size of the enzymes as compared to the pores inside the fibril aggregates. The SAXS intensities

  2. Honey bees (Apis mellifera ligustica) swing abdomen to dissipate residual flying energy landing on a wall

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhao, Jieliang; Huang, He; Yan, Shaoze

    2017-03-01

    Whether for insects or for aircrafts, landing is one of the indispensable links in the verification of airworthiness safety. The mechanisms by which insects achieve a fast and stable landing remain unclear. An intriguing example is provided by honeybees (Apis mellifera ligustica), which use the swinging motion of their abdomen to dissipate residual flying energy and to achieve a smooth, stable, and quick landing. By using a high-speed camera, we observed that touchdown is initiated by honeybees extending their front legs or antennae and then landing softly on a wall. After touchdown, they swing the rest of their bodies until all flying energy is dissipated. We suggested a simplified model with mass-spring dampers for the body of the honeybee and revealed the mechanism of flying energy transfer and dissipation in detail. Results demonstrate that body translation and abdomen swinging help honeybees dissipate residual flying energy and orchestrate smooth landings. The initial kinetic energy of flying is transformed into the kinetic energy of the abdomen's rotary movement. Then, the kinetic energy of rotary movement is converted into thermal energy during the swinging cycle. This strategy provides more insight into the mechanism of insect flying, which further inspires better design on aerial vehicle with better landing performance.

  3. OsCESA9 conserved-site mutation leads to largely enhanced plant lodging resistance and biomass enzymatic saccharification by reducing cellulose DP and crystallinity in rice.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Fengcheng; Xie, Guosheng; Huang, Jiangfeng; Zhang, Ran; Li, Yu; Zhang, Miaomiao; Wang, Yanting; Li, Ao; Li, Xukai; Xia, Tao; Qu, Chengcheng; Hu, Fan; Ragauskas, Arthur J; Peng, Liangcai

    2017-09-01

    Genetic modification of plant cell walls has been posed to reduce lignocellulose recalcitrance for enhancing biomass saccharification. Since cellulose synthase (CESA) gene was first identified, several dozen CESA mutants have been reported, but almost all mutants exhibit the defective phenotypes in plant growth and development. In this study, the rice (Oryza sativa) Osfc16 mutant with substitutions (W481C, P482S) at P-CR conserved site in CESA9 shows a slightly affected plant growth and higher biomass yield by 25%-41% compared with wild type (Nipponbare, a japonica variety). Chemical and ultrastructural analyses indicate that Osfc16 has a significantly reduced cellulose crystallinity (CrI) and thinner secondary cell walls compared with wild type. CESA co-IP detection, together with implementations of a proteasome inhibitor (MG132) and two distinct cellulose inhibitors (Calcofluor, CGA), shows that CESA9 mutation could affect integrity of CESA4/7/9 complexes, which may lead to rapid CESA proteasome degradation for low-DP cellulose biosynthesis. These may reduce cellulose CrI, which improves plant lodging resistance, a major and integrated agronomic trait on plant growth and grain production, and enhances biomass enzymatic saccharification by up to 2.3-fold and ethanol productivity by 34%-42%. This study has for the first time reported a direct modification for the low-DP cellulose production that has broad applications in biomass industries. © 2017 The Authors. Plant Biotechnology Journal published by Society for Experimental Biology and The Association of Applied Biologists and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  4. Chalcone Synthase (CHS) Gene Suppression in Flax Leads to Changes in Wall Synthesis and Sensing Genes, Cell Wall Chemistry and Stem Morphology Parameters

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zuk, Magdalena; Działo, Magdalena; Richter, Dorota; Dymińska, Lucyna; Matuła, Jan; Kotecki, Andrzej; Hanuza, Jerzy; Szopa, Jan

    2016-01-01

    The chalcone synthase (CHS) gene controls the first step in the flavonoid biosynthesis. In flax, CHS down-regulation resulted in tannin accumulation and reduction in lignin synthesis, but plant growth was not affected. This suggests that lignin content and thus cell wall characteristics might be modulated through CHS activity. This study investigated the possibility that CHS affects cell wall sensing as well as polymer content and arrangement. CHS-suppressed and thus lignin-reduced plants showed significant changes in expression of genes involved in both synthesis of components and cell wall sensing. This was accompanied by increased levels of cellulose and hemicellulose. CHS-reduced flax also showed significant changes in morphology and arrangement of the cell wall. The stem tissue layers were enlarged averagely twofold compared to the control, and the number of fiber cells more than doubled. The stem morphology changes were accompanied by reduction of the crystallinity index of the cell wall. CHS silencing induces a signal transduction cascade that leads to modification of plant metabolism in a wide range and thus cell wall structure. PMID:27446124

  5. Composition and architecture of the cell walls of grasses and the mechanisms of synthesis of cell wall polysaccharides. Final report for period September 1, 1988 - April 30, 2001

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Carpita, Nicholas C.

    2001-10-18

    This program was devoted toward complete understanding of the polysaccharide structure and architecture of the primary cell walls grasses and cereals, and the biosynthesis of the mixed-linkage beta-glucane, a cellulose interacting polymer that is synthesized uniquely by grass species and close relatives. With these studies as focal point, the support from DOE was instrumental in the development of new analytical means that enabled us to characterize carbohydrate structure, to reveal new features of cell wall dynamics during cell growth, and to apply these techniques in other model organisms. The support by DOE in these basic studies was acknowledged on numerous occasions in review articles covering current knowledge of cell wall structure, architecture, dynamics, biosynthesis, and in all genes related to cell wall biogenesis.

  6. Cellulose Synthesis in Agrobacterium tumefaciens

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Alan R. White; Ann G. Matthysse

    2004-07-31

    We have cloned the celC gene and its homologue from E. coli, yhjM, in an expression vector and expressed the both genes in E. coli; we have determined that the YhjM protein is able to complement in vitro cellulose synthesis by extracts of A. tumefaciens celC mutants, we have purified the YhjM protein product and are currently examining its enzymatic activity; we have examined whole cell extracts of CelC and various other cellulose mutants and wild type bacteria for the presence of cellulose oligomers and cellulose; we have examined the ability of extracts of wild type and cellulose mutants including CelC to incorporate UDP-14C-glucose into cellulose and into water-soluble, ethanol-insoluble oligosaccharides; we have made mutants which synthesize greater amounts of cellulose than the wild type; and we have examined the role of cellulose in the formation of biofilms by A. tumefaciens. In addition we have examined the ability of a putative cellulose synthase gene from the tunicate Ciona savignyi to complement an A. tumefaciens celA mutant. The greatest difference between our knowledge of bacterial cellulose synthesis when we started this project and current knowledge is that in 1999 when we wrote the original grant very few bacteria were known to synthesize cellulose and genes involved in this synthesis were sequenced only from Acetobacter species, A. tumefaciens and Rhizobium leguminosarum. Currently many bacteria are known to synthesize cellulose and genes that may be involved have been sequenced from more than 10 species of bacteria. This additional information has raised the possibility of attempting to use genes from one bacterium to complement mutants in another bacterium. This will enable us to examine the question of which genes are responsible for the three dimensional structure of cellulose (since this differs among bacterial species) and also to examine the interactions between the various proteins required for cellulose synthesis. We have carried out one

  7. Alexa Fluor-labeled Fluorescent Cellulose Nanocrystals for Bioimaging Solid Cellulose in Spatially Structured Microenvironments

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Grate, Jay W.; Mo, Kai-For; Shin, Yongsoon; Vasdekis, Andreas; Warner, Marvin G.; Kelly, Ryan T.; Orr, Galya; Hu, Dehong; Dehoff, Karl J.; Brockman, Fred J.; Wilkins, Michael J.

    2015-03-18

    Cellulose nanocrystal materials have been labeled with modern Alexa Fluor dyes in a process that first links the dye to a cyanuric chloride molecule. Subsequent reaction with cellulose nanocrystals provides dyed solid microcrystalline cellulose material that can be used for bioimaging and suitable for deposition in films and spatially structured microenvironments. It is demonstrated with single molecular fluorescence microscopy that these films are subject to hydrolysis by cellulose enzymes.

  8. Homogeneous preparation of cellulose acetate propionate (CAP) and cellulose acetate butyrate (CAB) from sugarcane bagasse cellulose in ionic liquid.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huang, Kelin; Wang, Ben; Cao, Yan; Li, Huiquan; Wang, Jinshu; Lin, Weijiang; Mu, Chaoshi; Liao, Dankui

    2011-05-25

    Cellulose acetate butyrate (CAB) and cellulose acetate propionate (CAP) were prepared homogeneously in a 1-allyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride (AmimCl) ionic liquid system from sugarcane bagasse (SB). The reaction temperature, reaction time, and molar ratio of butyric (propionic) anhydride/anhydroglucose units in the cellulose affect the butyryl (B) or propionyl (P) content of CAB or CAP samples. The (13)C NMR data revealed the distribution of the substituents of CAB and CAP. The thermal stability of sugar cane bagasse cellulose was found by thermogravimetric analysis to have decreased after chemical modification. After reaction, the ionic liquid was effectively recycled and reused. This study provides a new way for high-value-added utilization of SB and realizing the objective of turning waste into wealth.

  9. Beam, vacuum and walls, a 3-body interaction

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Arianer, J.

    2002-11-01

    The interactions between beams of accelerated particles, residual gas and walls involve complex physical processes. In most cases these interactions affect the quality of the vacuum and the value of the pressure. This course reviews all these interactions in a pedagogical and practical way that may be useful for any user of devices involving beams of particles. This document is made up of 6 chapters: 1) basic notions (Maxwell-Boltzmann distribution, kinematics of charged particles, collisions, excitation and ionization), 2) properties of beams (emittance, local effects, and synchrotron radiation), 3) interactions between residual gas and particle beams (Bremsstrahlung radiation, energy loss due to ionization, charge shift of ion beams, photo-absorption and photo-ionization, and slowing-down in a plasma), 4) surface properties (crystal structure, and interaction between surface and the residual gas), 5) interaction between the beam and walls (reflection and diffraction of electrons, secondary emission of electrons, desorption induced by electron and ion impacts, photon production, ion-wall interaction, sputtering, ion penetration, surface ionization and thermal-ionization), and 6) radiation-wall interaction (diffusion, damping, photo-electric effect, desorption induced by photons, pair production and laser-surface interaction). (A.C.)

  10. Flame retardation of cellulose-rich fabrics via a simplified layer-by-layer assembly.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Jun-Chi; Liao, Wang; Deng, Shi-Bi; Cao, Zhi-Jie; Wang, Yu-Zhong

    2016-10-20

    Due to the high cellulose content of cotton (88.0-96.5%), the flame retardation of cotton fabrics can be achieved via an approach for the flame retardation of cellulose. In this work, a facile water-based flame retardant coating was deposited on cotton fabrics by a 'simplified' layer-by-layer (LbL) assembly. The novel coating solution was based on a mild reaction between ammonium polyphosphate (APP) and branched polyethyleneimine (BPEI), and the reaction mechanism was studied. TGA results showed that the char residues of coated fabrics were remarkably increased. The fabric with only 5wt% coating showed self-extinguishing in the horizontal flame test, and the peak heat release rate (pHRR) in cone calorimeter test decreased by 51%. Furthermore, this coating overcame a general drawback of flame-retardant LbL assembly which was easily washed away. Therefore, the simplified LbL method provides a fast, low-cost, eco-friendly and wash-durable flame-retardant finishing for the cellulose-rich cotton fabrics. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  11. Versatile High-Performance Regenerated Cellulose Membranes Prepared using Trimethylsilyl Cellulose as a Precursor

    KAUST Repository

    Puspasari, Tiara

    2018-05-01

    Cellulose has emerged as an indispensable membrane material due to its abundant availability, low cost, fascinating physiochemical properties and environment benignancy. However, it is believed that the potential of this polymer is not fully explored yet due to its insolubility in the common organic solvents, encouraging the use of derivatization-regeneration method as a viable alternative to the direct dissolution in exotic or reactive solvents. In this work, we use trimethylsilyl cellulose (TMSC), a highly soluble cellulose derivative, as a precursor for the fabrication of cellulose thin film composite membranes. TMSC is an attractive precursor to assemble thin cellulose films with good deposition behavior and film morphology; cumbersome solvents used in the one step cellulose processing are avoided. This derivative is prepared from cellulose by the known silylation reaction. The complete transformation of TMSC back into cellulose after the membrane formation is carried out by vapor-phase acid treatment, which is simple, scalable and reproducible. This process along with the initial TMSC concentration determines the membrane sieving characteristics. Unlike the typical regenerated cellulose membranes with meso- or macropores, membranes regenerated from TMSC display micropores suitable for the selective separation of nanomolecules in aqueous and organic solvent nanofiltration. The membranes introduced in this thesis represent the first polymeric membranes ever reported for highly selective separation of similarly sized small organic molecules based on charge and size differences with outstanding fluxes. Owing to its strong hydrophilic and amorphous character, the membranes also demonstrate excellent air-dehumidification performance as compared to previously reported thin film composite membranes. Moreover, the use of TMSC enables the creation of the previously unfeasible cellulose–polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) and cellulose–polyethyleneimine (PEI) blend membranes

  12. Bioconversion of different sizes of microcrystalline cellulose pretreated by microwave irradiation with/without NaOH

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Peng, Huadong; Chen, Hongzhang; Qu, Yongshui; Li, Hongqiang; Xu, Jian

    2014-01-01

    Highlights: • High concentration of alkali or temperature was necessary in cellulose degradation. • Effects of alkali pretreatment could be enhanced with the addition of microwave irradiation. • The structures diversities of microcrystalline cellulose were eliminated in the fermentation. • The significance of particle size and treat condition varied with reaction time. - Abstract: The process of microwave irradiation (MWI) pretreatment on microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) with different sizes with/without NaOH was investigated on the variation of the ratio of degradated solid residue (R DS ), particle size, crystallinity index (CrI), crystallite size (Sc) and specific surface area (SSA). High concentration of alkali or high temperature was necessary in dissolving or decomposing the cellulose. Appropriate pretreatment severity eliminated the effects of structural diversities in feedstocks, which led to convergence in the ethanol fermentation. After the reaction proceeded to 120 h, the samples could be converted to glucose completely and the highest ethanol yield of the theoretical was 58.91% for all the samples pretreated by the combined treatment of MWI and NaOH. In addition, the statistical analysis implied that when reaction time got to 24 h, particle size and pretreatment condition affected much more significant than other factors

  13. Physicochemical analysis of cellulose from microalgae ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    USER

    2016-06-15

    Jun 15, 2016 ... The extraction method of algae cellulose was a modification of ... triplicate. Characterization of cellulose. Analysis of ... The current analysis of the cellulose extracted .... Cellulose nanomaterials review: structure, properties and.

  14. Isolation and Characterization of Two Cellulose Morphology Mutants of Gluconacetobacter hansenii ATCC23769 Producing Cellulose with Lower Crystallinity

    Science.gov (United States)

    Deng, Ying; Nagachar, Nivedita; Fang, Lin; Luan, Xin; Catchmark, Jeffrey M.; Tien, Ming; Kao, Teh-hui

    2015-01-01

    Gluconacetobacter hansenii, a Gram-negative bacterium, produces and secrets highly crystalline cellulose into growth medium, and has long been used as a model system for studying cellulose synthesis in higher plants. Cellulose synthesis involves the formation of β-1,4 glucan chains via the polymerization of glucose units by a multi-enzyme cellulose synthase complex (CSC). These glucan chains assemble into ordered structures including crystalline microfibrils. AcsA is the catalytic subunit of the cellulose synthase enzymes in the CSC, and AcsC is required for the secretion of cellulose. However, little is known about other proteins required for the assembly of crystalline cellulose. To address this question, we visually examined cellulose pellicles formed in growth media of 763 individual colonies of G. hansenii generated via Tn5 transposon insertion mutagenesis, and identified 85 that produced cellulose with altered morphologies. X-ray diffraction analysis of these 85 mutants identified two that produced cellulose with significantly lower crystallinity than wild type. The gene disrupted in one of these two mutants encoded a lysine decarboxylase and that in the other encoded an alanine racemase. Solid-state NMR analysis revealed that cellulose produced by these two mutants contained increased amounts of non-crystalline cellulose and monosaccharides associated with non-cellulosic polysaccharides as compared to the wild type. Monosaccharide analysis detected higher percentages of galactose and mannose in cellulose produced by both mutants. Field emission scanning electron microscopy showed that cellulose produced by the mutants was unevenly distributed, with some regions appearing to contain deposition of non-cellulosic polysaccharides; however, the width of the ribbon was comparable to that of normal cellulose. As both lysine decarboxylase and alanine racemase are required for the integrity of peptidoglycan, we propose a model for the role of peptidoglycan in the

  15. Isolation and characterization of two cellulose morphology mutants of Gluconacetobacter hansenii ATCC23769 producing cellulose with lower crystallinity.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ying Deng

    Full Text Available Gluconacetobacter hansenii, a Gram-negative bacterium, produces and secrets highly crystalline cellulose into growth medium, and has long been used as a model system for studying cellulose synthesis in higher plants. Cellulose synthesis involves the formation of β-1,4 glucan chains via the polymerization of glucose units by a multi-enzyme cellulose synthase complex (CSC. These glucan chains assemble into ordered structures including crystalline microfibrils. AcsA is the catalytic subunit of the cellulose synthase enzymes in the CSC, and AcsC is required for the secretion of cellulose. However, little is known about other proteins required for the assembly of crystalline cellulose. To address this question, we visually examined cellulose pellicles formed in growth media of 763 individual colonies of G. hansenii generated via Tn5 transposon insertion mutagenesis, and identified 85 that produced cellulose with altered morphologies. X-ray diffraction analysis of these 85 mutants identified two that produced cellulose with significantly lower crystallinity than wild type. The gene disrupted in one of these two mutants encoded a lysine decarboxylase and that in the other encoded an alanine racemase. Solid-state NMR analysis revealed that cellulose produced by these two mutants contained increased amounts of non-crystalline cellulose and monosaccharides associated with non-cellulosic polysaccharides as compared to the wild type. Monosaccharide analysis detected higher percentages of galactose and mannose in cellulose produced by both mutants. Field emission scanning electron microscopy showed that cellulose produced by the mutants was unevenly distributed, with some regions appearing to contain deposition of non-cellulosic polysaccharides; however, the width of the ribbon was comparable to that of normal cellulose. As both lysine decarboxylase and alanine racemase are required for the integrity of peptidoglycan, we propose a model for the role of

  16. Binding Preferences, Surface Attachment, Diffusivity, and Orientation of a Family 1 Carbohydrate-Binding Module on Cellulose

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Nimlos, M. R.; Beckham, G. T.; Matthews, J. F.; Bu, L.; Himmel, M. E.; Crowley, M. F.

    2012-06-08

    Cellulase enzymes often contain carbohydrate-binding modules (CBMs) for binding to cellulose. The mechanisms by which CBMs recognize specific surfaces of cellulose and aid in deconstruction are essential to understand cellulase action. The Family 1 CBM from the Trichoderma reesei Family 7 cellobiohydrolase, Cel7A, is known to selectively bind to hydrophobic surfaces of native cellulose. It is most commonly suggested that three aromatic residues identify the planar binding face of this CBM, but several recent studies have challenged this hypothesis. Here, we use molecular simulation to study the CBM binding orientation and affinity on hydrophilic and hydrophobic cellulose surfaces. Roughly 43 {mu}s of molecular dynamics simulations were conducted, which enables statistically significant observations. We quantify the fractions of the CBMs that detach from crystal surfaces or diffuse to other surfaces, the diffusivity along the hydrophobic surface, and the overall orientation of the CBM on both hydrophobic and hydrophilic faces. The simulations demonstrate that there is a thermodynamic driving force for the Cel7A CBM to bind preferentially to the hydrophobic surface of cellulose relative to hydrophilic surfaces. In addition, the simulations demonstrate that the CBM can diffuse from hydrophilic surfaces to the hydrophobic surface, whereas the reverse transition is not observed. Lastly, our simulations suggest that the flat faces of Family 1 CBMs are the preferred binding surfaces. These results enhance our understanding of how Family 1 CBMs interact with and recognize specific cellulose surfaces and provide insights into the initial events of cellulase adsorption and diffusion on cellulose.

  17. Preparation nanowhiskers pulp from residue of palm fiber Attalea funifera Martius; Preparacao de nanowhiskers de celulose a partir do residuo da fibra de piacava da palmeira Attalea funifera Martius

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Silva, J.B.A. da; Miranda, C.S.; Jose, N.M.; Vargas, F.P.; Druzian, J.I., E-mail: janiabet@yahoo.com.b [Universidade Federal da Bahia (UFBA), Salvador, BA (Brazil)

    2010-07-01

    The residue from piassava fiber is higher in cellulose and lignin. This study aimed to extract the pulp and the development of methodology for preparation nanowhiskers from residue fiber. The first step extraction of cellulose, the second step to obtain the nanoparticles by acid hydrolysis (H{sub 2}SO{sub 4}). The samples were characterized by: SEM, chemical composition, TGA, FTIR and XRD. The XRD result shows that cellulose is of type I and TGA shows two events at 54 deg C and 370 deg C attributed to mass loss of water and cellulose, respectively. After hydrolysis, X-ray diffraction showed an intense reflection 2{theta}= 22.3 deg and an increase in the degree of crystallinity to 70% which is an indication of the formation of nanowhiskers. (author)

  18. Engineering the Oryza sativa cell wall with rice NAC transcription factors regulating secondary wall formation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kouki eYoshida

    2013-10-01

    Full Text Available Plant tissues that require structural rigidity synthesize a thick, strong secondary cell wall of lignin, cellulose and hemicelluloses in a complicated bridged structure. Master regulators of secondary wall synthesis were identified in dicots, and orthologs of these regulators have been identified in monocots, but regulation of secondary cell wall formation in monocots has not been extensively studied. Here we demonstrate that the rice transcription factors SECONDARY WALL NAC DOMAIN PROTEINs (SWNs can regulate secondary wall formation in rice (Oryza sativa and are potentially useful for engineering the monocot cell wall. The OsSWN1 promoter is highly active in sclerenchymatous cells of the leaf blade and less active in xylem cells. By contrast, the OsSWN2 promoter is highly active in xylem cells and less active in sclerenchymatous cells. OsSWN2 splicing variants encode two proteins; the shorter protein (OsSWN2S has very low transcriptional activation ability, but the longer protein (OsSWN2L and OsSWN1 have strong transcriptional activation ability. In rice, expression of an OsSWN2S chimeric repressor, driven by the OsSWN2 promoter, resulted in stunted growth and para-wilting (leaf rolling and browning under normal water conditions due to impaired vascular vessels. The same OsSWN2S chimeric repressor, driven by the OsSWN1 promoter, caused a reduction of cell wall thickening in sclerenchymatous cells, a drooping leaf phenotype, reduced lignin and xylose contents and increased digestibility as forage. These data suggest that OsSWNs regulate secondary wall formation in rice and manipulation of OsSWNs may enable improvements in monocotyledonous crops for forage or biofuel applications.

  19. Composition and architecture of the cell walls of grasses and the mechanisms of synthesis of cell wall polysaccharides. Final report for period September 1, 1988 - April 30, 2001; FINAL

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Carpita, Nicholas C.

    2001-01-01

    This program was devoted toward complete understanding of the polysaccharide structure and architecture of the primary cell walls grasses and cereals, and the biosynthesis of the mixed-linkage beta-glucane, a cellulose interacting polymer that is synthesized uniquely by grass species and close relatives. With these studies as focal point, the support from DOE was instrumental in the development of new analytical means that enabled us to characterize carbohydrate structure, to reveal new features of cell wall dynamics during cell growth, and to apply these techniques in other model organisms. The support by DOE in these basic studies was acknowledged on numerous occasions in review articles covering current knowledge of cell wall structure, architecture, dynamics, biosynthesis, and in all genes related to cell wall biogenesis

  20. Simultaneous saccharification and cofermentation of lignocellulosic residues from commercial furfural production and corn kernels using different nutrient media

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Cristhian Carrasco

    2011-07-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background As the supply of starch grain and sugar cane, currently the main feedstocks for bioethanol production, become limited, lignocelluloses will be sought as alternative materials for bioethanol production. Production of cellulosic ethanol is still cost-inefficient because of the low final ethanol concentration and the addition of nutrients. We report the use of simultaneous saccharification and cofermentation (SSCF of lignocellulosic residues from commercial furfural production (furfural residue, FR and corn kernels to compare different nutritional media. The final ethanol concentration, yield, number of live yeast cells, and yeast-cell death ratio were investigated to evaluate the effectiveness of integrating cellulosic and starch ethanol. Results Both the ethanol yield and number of live yeast cells increased with increasing corn-kernel concentration, whereas the yeast-cell death ratio decreased in SSCF of FR and corn kernels. An ethanol concentration of 73.1 g/L at 120 h, which corresponded to a 101.1% ethanol yield based on FR cellulose and corn starch, was obtained in SSCF of 7.5% FR and 14.5% corn kernels with mineral-salt medium. SSCF could simultaneously convert cellulose into ethanol from both corn kernels and FR, and SSCF ethanol yield was similar between the organic and mineral-salt media. Conclusions Starch ethanol promotes cellulosic ethanol by providing important nutrients for fermentative organisms, and in turn cellulosic ethanol promotes starch ethanol by providing cellulosic enzymes that convert the cellulosic polysaccharides in starch materials into additional ethanol. It is feasible to produce ethanol in SSCF of FR and corn kernels with mineral-salt medium. It would be cost-efficient to produce ethanol in SSCF of high concentrations of water-insoluble solids of lignocellulosic materials and corn kernels. Compared with prehydrolysis and fed-batch strategy using lignocellulosic materials, addition of starch

  1. Bioethanol production from rice straw residues

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Elsayed B. Belal

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available A rice straw -cellulose utilizing mold was isolated from rotted rice straw residues. The efficient rice straw degrading microorganism was identified as Trichoderma reesei. The results showed that different carbon sources in liquid culture such as rice straw, carboxymethyl cellulose, filter paper, sugar cane bagasse, cotton stalk and banana stalk induced T. reesei cellulase production whereas glucose or Potato Dextrose repressed the synthesis of cellulase. T. reesei cellulase was produced by the solid state culture on rice straw medium. The optimal pH and temperature for T. reesei cellulase production were 6 and 25 ºC, respectively. Rice straw exhibited different susceptibilities towards cellulase to their conversion to reducing sugars. The present study showed also that, the general trend of rice straw bioconversion with cellulase was more than the general trend by T. reesei. This enzyme effectively led to enzymatic conversion of acid, alkali and ultrasonic pretreated cellulose from rice straw into glucose, followed by fermentation into ethanol. The combined method of acid pretreatment with ultrasound and subsequent enzyme treatment resulted the highest conversion of lignocellulose in rice straw to sugar and consequently, highest ethanol concentration after 7 days fermentation with S. cerevisae yeast. The ethanol yield in this study was about 10 and 11 g.L-1.

  2. Examining an underappreciated control on lignin decomposition in soils? Effects of reactive manganese species on intact plant cell walls

    Science.gov (United States)

    Keiluweit, M.; Bougoure, J.; Pett-Ridge, J.; Kleber, M.; Nico, P. S.

    2011-12-01

    Lignin comprises a dominant proportion of carbon fluxes into the soil (representing up to 50% of plant litter and roots). Two lines of evidence suggest that manganese (Mn) acts as a strong controlling factor on the residence time of lignin in soil ecosystems. First, Mn content is highly correlated with litter decomposition in temperate and boreal forest soil ecosystems and, second, microbial agents of lignin degradation have been reported to rely on reactive Mn(III)-complexes to specifically oxidize lignin. However, few attempts have been made to isolate the mechanisms responsible for the apparent Mn-dependence of lignin decomposition in soils. Here we tested the hypothesis that Mn(III)-oxalate complexes may act as a perforating 'pretreatment' for structurally intact plant cell walls. We propose that these diffusible oxidizers are small enough to penetrate and react with non-porous ligno-cellulose in cell walls. This process was investigated by reacting single Zinnia elegans tracheary elements with Mn(III)-oxalate complexes in a continuous flow-through microreactor. The uniformity of cultured tracheary elements allowed us to examine Mn(III)-induced changes in cell wall chemistry and ultrastructure on the micro-scale using fluorescence and electron microscopy as well as synchrotron-based infrared and X-ray spectromicroscopy. Our results show that Mn(III)-complexes substantially oxidize specific lignin components of the cell wall, solubilize decomposition products, severely undermine the cell wall integrity, and cause cell lysis. We conclude that Mn(III)-complexes induce oxidative damage in plant cell walls that renders ligno-cellulose substrates more accessible for microbial lignin- and cellulose-decomposing enzymes. Implications of our results for the rate limiting impact of soil Mn speciation and availability on litter decomposition in forest soils will be discussed.

  3. Genome-wide transcriptional profiling of Botrytis cinerea genes targeting plant cell walls during infections of different hosts

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Barbara eBlanco-Ulate

    2014-09-01

    Full Text Available Cell walls are barriers that impair colonization of host tissues, but also are important reservoirs of energy-rich sugars. Growing hyphae of necrotrophic fungal pathogens, such as Botrytis cinerea (Botrytis, henceforth, secrete enzymes that disassemble cell wall polysaccharides. In this work we describe the annotation of 275 putative secreted Carbohydrate-Active enZymes (CAZymes identified in the Botrytis B05.10 genome. Using RNAseq we determined which Botrytis CAZymes were expressed during infections of lettuce leaves, ripe tomato fruit, and grape berries. On the three hosts, Botrytis expressed a common group of 229 potentially secreted CAZymes, including 28 pectin backbone-modifying enzymes, 21 hemicellulose-modifying proteins, 18 enzymes that might target pectin and hemicellulose side-branches, and 16 enzymes predicted to degrade cellulose. The diversity of the Botrytis CAZymes may be partly responsible for its wide host range. Thirty-six candidate CAZymes with secretion signals were found exclusively when Botrytis interacted with ripe tomato fruit and grape berries. Pectin polysaccharides are notably abundant in grape and tomato cell walls, but lettuce leaf walls have less pectin and are richer in hemicelluloses and cellulose. The results of this study not only suggest that Botrytis targets similar wall polysaccharide networks on fruit and leaves, but also that it may selectively attack host wall polysaccharide substrates depending on the host tissue.

  4. The Arabidopsis mutant cev1 links cell wall signaling to jasmonate and ethylene responses.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ellis, Christine; Karafyllidis, Ioannis; Wasternack, Claus; Turner, John G

    2002-07-01

    Biotic and abiotic stresses stimulate the synthesis of jasmonates and ethylene, which, in turn, induce the expression of genes involved in stress response and enhance defense responses. The cev1 mutant has constitutive expression of stress response genes and has enhanced resistance to fungal pathogens. Here, we show that cev1 plants have increased production of jasmonate and ethylene and that its phenotype is suppressed by mutations that interrupt jasmonate and ethylene signaling. Genetic mapping, complementation analysis, and sequence analysis revealed that CEV1 is the cellulose synthase CeSA3. CEV1 was expressed predominantly in root tissues, and cev1 roots contained less cellulose than wild-type roots. Significantly, the cev1 mutant phenotype could be reproduced by treating wild-type plants with cellulose biosynthesis inhibitors, and the cellulose synthase mutant rsw1 also had constitutive expression of VSP. We propose that the cell wall can signal stress responses in plants.

  5. Optimizing Extraction of Cellulose and Synthesizing Pharmaceutical Grade Carboxymethyl Sago Cellulose from Malaysian Sago Pulp

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Anand Kumar Veeramachineni

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available Sago biomass is an agro-industrial waste produced in large quantities, mainly in the Asia-Pacific region and in particular South-East Asia. This work focuses on using sago biomass to obtain cellulose as the raw material, through chemical processing using acid hydrolysis, alkaline extraction, chlorination and bleaching, finally converting the material to pharmaceutical grade carboxymethyl sago cellulose (CMSC by carboxymethylation. The cellulose was evaluated using Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA, Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR, X-Ray Diffraction (XRD, Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC and Field Emission Scanning Electronic Microscopy (FESEM. The extracted cellulose was analyzed for cellulose composition, and subsequently modified to CMSC with a degree of substitution (DS 0.6 by typical carboxymethylation reactions. X-ray diffraction analysis indicated that the crystallinity of the sago cellulose was reduced after carboxymethylation. FTIR and NMR studies indicate that the hydroxyl groups of the cellulose fibers were etherified through carboxymethylation to produce CMSC. Further characterization of the cellulose and CMSC were performed using FESEM and DSC. The purity of CMSC was analyzed according to the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM International standards. In this case, acid and alkaline treatments coupled with high-pressure defibrillation were found to be effective in depolymerization and defibrillation of the cellulose fibers. The synthesized CMSC also shows no toxicity in the cell line studies and could be exploited as a pharmaceutical excipient.

  6. A thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) method to determine the catalytic conversion of cellulose from carbon-supported hydrogenolysis process

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Leal, Glauco F.; Ramos, Luiz A.; Barrett, Dean H.; Curvelo, Antonio Aprígio S.; Rodella, Cristiane B.

    2015-01-01

    Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • A new method to determine the catalytic conversion of cellulose using TGA has been developed. • TGA is able to differentiate between carbon from cellulose and carbon from the catalyst. • Building an analytical curve from TGA results enables the accurate determination of cellulose conversion. - Abstract: The ability to determine the quantity of solid reactant that has been transformed after a catalytic reaction is fundamental in accurately defining the conversion of the catalyst. This quantity is also central when investigating the recyclability of a solid catalyst as well as process control in an industrial catalytic application. However, when using carbon-supported catalysts for the conversion of cellulose this value is difficult to obtain using only a gravimetric method. The difficulty lies in weighing errors caused by loss of the solid mixture (catalyst and non-converted cellulose) after the reaction and/or moisture adsorption by the substrate. These errors are then propagated into the conversion calculation giving erroneous results. Thus, a quantitative method using thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) has been developed to determine the quantity of cellulose after a catalytic reaction by using a tungsten carbide catalyst supported on activated carbon. Stepped separation of TGA curves was used for quantitative analysis where three thermal events were identified: moisture loss, cellulose decomposition and CO/CO 2 formation. An analytical curve was derived and applied to quantify the residual cellulose after catalytic reactions which were performed at various temperatures and reaction times. The catalytic conversion was calculated and compared to the standard gravimetric method. Results showed that catalytic cellulose conversion can be determined using TGA and exhibits lower uncertainty (±2%) when compared to gravimetric determination (±5%). Therefore, it is a simple and relatively inexpensive method to determine catalytic

  7. Variations of insecticide residual bio-efficacy on different types of walls: results from a community-based trial in south Cameroon

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Etang Josiane

    2011-11-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Determination of residual activity of insecticides is essential information for the selection of appropriate indoor spraying operation. The present study was undertaken to evaluate the residual effect of three candidate insecticide formulations on different indoor surfaces in order to guide future interventions, in the context of Cameroon and other African countries. Methods The study was conducted in the Ntougou neighbourhood in Yaoundé (capital city of Cameroon. Bendiocarb WP, lambda-cyhalothrin CS and deltamethrin WG were sprayed on the indoor wall surfaces of local cement, wood and mud houses. Their effects on the knockdown and mortality of the Kisumu susceptible strain of Anopheles gambiae s.s were assessed each month from March to September 2009, using the WHO plastic cones test. Knockdown and mortality rates were compared between different surfaces using Chi-square test. A Kaplan-Meir model was used to estimate the time of treatment failure. Results With bendiocarb WP, the knockdown rates were frequently above 98% during 13 weeks after spraying, except on mud walls where it significantly decreased at the 13th week (P th (83% and the 20th (88% weeks respectively (P 98%; while it varied between 60 and 100% on wood or mud surfaces. The survival estimates of bendiocarb WP treatments remaining effective in killing An. gambiae s.s. (mortality rate ≥ 80% was > 13 weeks on cement and wood surfaces and 13 weeks on mud surfaces. Those of lambda-cyhalothrin CS were > 26 weeks on wood surfaces, and 20 weeks on concrete and mud surfaces. By contrast, those of deltamethrin WG were 26 weeks on concrete, 20 weeks on mud surfaces and 15 weeks on wood surfaces. Conclusion Current data suggest variable durations of spray cycles for each product, according to the type of wall surfaces, highlighting the importance of testing candidate products in local context before using them in large scale.

  8. A Molecular Description of Cellulose Biosynthesis

    Science.gov (United States)

    McNamara, Joshua T.; Morgan, Jacob L.W.; Zimmer, Jochen

    2016-01-01

    Cellulose is the most abundant biopolymer on Earth, and certain organisms from bacteria to plants and animals synthesize cellulose as an extracellular polymer for various biological functions. Humans have used cellulose for millennia as a material and an energy source, and the advent of a lignocellulosic fuel industry will elevate it to the primary carbon source for the burgeoning renewable energy sector. Despite the biological and societal importance of cellulose, the molecular mechanism by which it is synthesized is now only beginning to emerge. On the basis of recent advances in structural and molecular biology on bacterial cellulose synthases, we review emerging concepts of how the enzymes polymerize glucose molecules, how the nascent polymer is transported across the plasma membrane, and how bacterial cellulose biosynthesis is regulated during biofilm formation. Additionally, we review evolutionary commonalities and differences between cellulose synthases that modulate the nature of the cellulose product formed. PMID:26034894

  9. Influence of steaming explosion time on the physic-chemical properties of cellulose from Lespedeza stalks (Lespedeza crytobotrya).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Kun; Jiang, Jian-Xin; Xu, Feng; Sun, Run-Cang

    2009-11-01

    The synergistic effect of steam explosion pretreatment and sodium hydroxide post-treatment of Lespedeza stalks (Lespedeza crytobotrya) has been investigated in this study. In this case, Lespedeza stalks were firstly exploded at a fixed steam pressure (22.5 kg/m(2)) for 2-10 min. Then the steam-exploded Lespedeza stalks was extracted with 1 M NaOH at 50 degrees C for 3 h with a shrub to water ratio of 1:20 (g/ml), which yielded 57.3%, 53.1%, 55.4%, 52.8%, 53.2%, and 56.4% (% dry weight) cellulose rich fractions, comparing to 68.0% from non-steam-exploded material. The content of glucose in cellulose rich residues increased with increment of the steaming time and reached to 94.10% at the most severity. The similar increasing trend occurred during the dissolution of hemicelluloses. It is evident that at shorter steam explosion time, autohydrolysis mainly occurred on the hemicelluloses and the amorphous area of cellulose. The crystalline region of cellulose was depolymerized under a prolonged incubation time. The characteristics of the cellulose rich fractions in terms of FT-IR and CP/MAS (13)C NMR spectroscopy and thermal analysis were discussed, and the surface structure was also investigated by SEM.

  10. Regiocontroll synthesis cellulose-graft-polycaprolactone copolymer (2,3-di-O-PCL-cellulose by a new route

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    K. L. Wang

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available A new and convenient route to the regiocontrolled synthesis of a cellulose-based derivate copolymer (2,3-di-O-polycaprolactone-cellulose grafting ε-caprolactone (ε-CL from α-cellulose, cellulose-graft-polycaprolactone (cellulose-g-PCL, by a classical ring-opening polymerization (ROP reaction, using stannous octoate (Sn(Oct2 as catalyst, in 68% concentration of zinc chloride aqueous solution at 120 °C was presented. By controlling the hydroxyl of cellulose/ε-CL, catalyst/monomer ratio and the reaction time, the molecular architecture of the copolymers can be altered. The solubility of cellulose in zinc chloride aqueous was indicated by UV/VIS spectrometer and rheological measurements. The structures and thermal properties of cellulose-g-polycaprolactone copolymers were characterized using Fourier Transform Infrared (FT-IR, Proton Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (1H NMR, X-ray Diffraction (XRD, Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA, Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC and Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectrometry (ICP-OES. The interesting results confirm that zinc chloride solution can break the intra-molecular hydrogen bonds of cellulose selectively (not only O3H···O5, but also O2H···O6, and has no effect on the inter-molecular hydrogen bonds (O6H···O3. And the grafting reactivity of hydroxyl on cellulose is C2–OH > C3–OH >> C6–OH in zinc chloride solution, and this is clearly different from other researches. Most importantly, this work confirms that the method to regiocontrolled synthesis cellulose-based derivative polymers by regiobreaking hydrogen bonds is feasible. It is strongly believed that the new discovery may give a novel, environmental, simple and inexpensive method to modify cellulose chemically with various side chains grafted on a given hydroxyl, through liberating hydroxyl as reactive group from hydrogen bonds broken selectively by different solvents.

  11. Carbon-13 solid state NMR studies in the aromatization of residual coals from hydropyrolised cellulose; Estudo por {sup 13} C RMN em estado solido da aromatizacao em carvoes residuais de celulose hidropirolisada

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Rocha, J.D.; Luengo, C.A. [Universidade Estadual de Campinas, SP (Brazil). Inst. de Fisica; Snape, C.A. [Dept. Pure and Apllied Chemistry, Glasgow (United Kingdom)

    1997-12-31

    Pure cellulose was pyrolyzed is a fixed-bed reactor under hydrogen pressure (hydropyrolysis). Residual chars were collected and analysed by solid state nmr {sup 13} C (CP-MAS) and elemental. Hydrophyrolysis parameters such as final temperature in the range of 300 to 520 deg C and hydrogen pressure from 5 to 100 atm gave different char samples. CP-MAS spectra were obtained in a BRUKER MSL-100 spectrometer. The results showed that the aromatic and aliphatic fractions had strong dependence with temperature and no influence with pressure. Elemental analysis indicated the carbon content increased more with temperature than the pressure increasing. (author) 6 refs., 2 figs., 2 tabs.

  12. High Dehumidification Performance of Amorphous Cellulose Composite Membranes prepared from Trimethylsilyl Cellulose

    KAUST Repository

    Puspasari, Tiara; Akhtar, Faheem Hassan; Ogieglo, Wojciech; Alharbi, Ohoud; Peinemann, Klaus-Viktor

    2018-01-01

    Cellulose is widely regarded as an environmentally friendly, natural and low cost material which can significantly contribute the sustainable economic growth. In this study, cellulose composite membranes were prepared via regeneration

  13. Production of bacterial cellulose and enzyme from waste fiber sludge

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-01-01

    Background Bacterial cellulose (BC) is a highly crystalline and mechanically stable nanopolymer, which has excellent potential as a material in many novel applications, especially if it can be produced in large amounts from an inexpensive feedstock. Waste fiber sludge, a residue with little or no value, originates from pulp mills and lignocellulosic biorefineries. A high cellulose and low lignin content contributes to making the fiber sludge suitable for bioconversion, even without a thermochemical pretreatment step. In this study, the possibility to combine production of BC and hydrolytic enzymes from fiber sludge was investigated. The BC was characterized using field-emission scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction analysis, and its mechanical properties were investigated. Results Bacterial cellulose and enzymes were produced through sequential fermentations with the bacterium Gluconacetobacter xylinus and the filamentous fungus Trichoderma reesei. Fiber sludges from sulfate (SAFS) and sulfite (SIFS) processes were hydrolyzed enzymatically without prior thermochemical pretreatment and the resulting hydrolysates were used for BC production. The highest volumetric yields of BC from SAFS and SIFS were 11 and 10 g/L (DW), respectively. The BC yield on initial sugar in hydrolysate-based medium reached 0.3 g/g after seven days of cultivation. The tensile strength of wet BC from hydrolysate medium was about 0.04 MPa compared to about 0.03 MPa for BC from a glucose-based reference medium, while the crystallinity was slightly lower for BC from hydrolysate cultures. The spent hydrolysates were used for production of cellulase with T. reesei. The cellulase activity (CMCase activity) in spent SAFS and SIFS hydrolysates reached 5.2 U/mL (87 nkat/mL), which was similar to the activity level obtained in a reference medium containing equal amounts of reducing sugar. Conclusions It was shown that waste fiber sludge is a suitable raw material for production of

  14. Preparation of cellulose II and IIII films by allomorphic conversion of bacterial cellulose I pellicles

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Faria-Tischer, Paula C.S.; Tischer, Cesar A.; Heux, Laurent; Le Denmat, Simon; Picart, Catherine; Sierakowski, Maria-R.

    2015-01-01

    The structural changes resulting from the conversion of native cellulose I (Cel I) into allomorphs II (Cel II) and III I (Cel III I ) have usually been studied using powder samples from plant or algal cellulose. In this work, the conversion of Cel I into Cel II and Cel III I was performed on bacterial cellulose films without any mechanical disruption. The surface texture of the films was observed by atomic force microscopy (AFM) and the morphology of the constituting cellulose ribbons, by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The structural changes were characterized using solid-state NMR spectroscopy as well as X-ray and electron diffraction. The allomorphic change into Cel II and Cel III I resulted in films with different crystallinity, roughness and hydrophobic/hydrophilicity surface and the films remained intact during all process of allomorphic conversion. - Highlights: • Description of a method to modify the allomorphic structure of bacterial cellulose films • Preparation of films with specific morphologies and hydrophobic/hydrophilic surface characters • First report on cellulose III films from bacterial cellulose under swelling conditions • Detailed characterization of cellulose II and III films with complementary techniques • Development of films with specific properties as potential support for cells, enzymes, and drugs

  15. Computer Simulations Reveal Multiple Functions for Aromatic Residues in Cellulase Enzymes (Fact Sheet)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    2012-07-01

    NREL researchers use high-performance computing to demonstrate fundamental roles of aromatic residues in cellulase enzyme tunnels. National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) computer simulations of a key industrial enzyme, the Trichoderma reesei Family 6 cellulase (Cel6A), predict that aromatic residues near the enzyme's active site and at the entrance and exit tunnel perform different functions in substrate binding and catalysis, depending on their location in the enzyme. These results suggest that nature employs aromatic-carbohydrate interactions with a wide variety of binding affinities for diverse functions. Outcomes also suggest that protein engineering strategies in which mutations are made around the binding sites may require tailoring specific to the enzyme family. Cellulase enzymes ubiquitously exhibit tunnels or clefts lined with aromatic residues for processing carbohydrate polymers to monomers, but the molecular-level role of these aromatic residues remains unknown. In silico mutation of the aromatic residues near the catalytic site of Cel6A has little impact on the binding affinity, but simulation suggests that these residues play a major role in the glucopyranose ring distortion necessary for cleaving glycosidic bonds to produce fermentable sugars. Removal of aromatic residues at the entrance and exit of the cellulase tunnel, however, dramatically impacts the binding affinity. This suggests that these residues play a role in acquiring cellulose chains from the cellulose crystal and stabilizing the reaction product, respectively. These results illustrate that the role of aromatic-carbohydrate interactions varies dramatically depending on the position in the enzyme tunnel. As aromatic-carbohydrate interactions are present in all carbohydrate-active enzymes, the results have implications for understanding protein structure-function relationships in carbohydrate metabolism and recognition, carbon turnover in nature, and protein engineering

  16. Polymorphy in native cellulose: recent developments

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Atalla, R.H.

    1984-01-01

    In a number of earlier studies, the authors developed a model of cellulose structure based on the existence of two stable, linearly ordered conformations of the cellulose chain that are dominant in celluloses I and II, respectively. The model rests on extensive Raman spectral observations together with conformational considerations and solid-state 13 C-NMR studies. More recently, they have proposed, on the basis of high resolution solid-state 13 C-NMR observations, that native celluloses are composites of two distinct crystalline forms that coexist in different proportions in all native celluloses. In the present work, they examine the Raman spectra of the native celluloses, and reconcile their view of conformational differences with the new level of crystalline polymorphy of native celluloses revealed in the solid-state 13 C-NMR investigations

  17. Biochemistry of cellulose degradation and cellulose utilization for feeds and for protein

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sadara, J C; Lachke, A H; Shewale, J G

    1979-01-01

    A review discussing production of single-cell protein, fuel, and glucose from cellulose decomposition; surface or solid fermentations of single-cell protein; production of cellulases; and the biochemistry of cellulose degradation was presented.

  18. Grain and cellulosic ethanol: History, economics, and energy policy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Solomon, Barry D.; Barnes, Justin R.; Halvorsen, Kathleen E.

    2007-01-01

    The United States (US) and Brazil have been the two leading producers of fuel ethanol since the 1970s. National policies have supported the production and use of ethanol from corn and sugarcane. US support in particular has included exemption from federal gasoline excise taxes, whole or partial exemption from road use (sales) taxes in nine states, a federal production tax credit, and a federal blender's credit. In the last decade the subsidization of grain-based ethanol has been increasingly criticized as economically inefficient and of questionable social benefit. In addition, much greater production of ethanol from corn may conflict with food production needs. A promising development is the acceleration of the technical readiness of cellulosic alcohol fuels, which can be produced from the woody parts of trees and plants, perennial grasses, or residues. This technology is now being commercialized and has greater long-term potential than grain ethanol. Cellulosic ethanol is projected to be much more cost-effective, environmentally beneficial, and have a greater energy output to input ratio than grain ethanol. The technology is being developed in North America, Brazil, Japan and Europe. In this paper, we will review the historical evolution of US federal and state energy policy support for and the currently attractive economics of the production and use of ethanol from biomass. The various energy and economic policies will be reviewed and assessed for their potential effects on cellulosic ethanol development relative to gasoline in the US. (author)

  19. The method for measuring residual stress in stainless steel pipes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shimov, Georgy; Rozenbaum, Mikhail; Serebryakov, Alexandr; Serebryakov, Andrey

    2016-01-01

    The main reason of appearance and growth of corrosion damages of the nuclear steam generator heat exchanger tubes is the process of stress-corrosion cracking of metal under the influence of residual tensile stress. Methods used in the production for estimating residual stresses (such as a method of ring samples) allow measuring only the average tangential stress of the pipe wall. The method of ring samples does not allow to assess the level of residual stress in the surface layer of the pipe. This paper describes an experimental method for measuring the residual stresses on the pipe surface by etching a thin surface layer of the metal. The construction and working principle of a trial installation are described. The residual stresses in the wall of the tubes 16 × 1.5 mm (steel AISI 321) for nuclear steam generators is calculated. Keywords: heat exchange pipes, stress corrosion cracking, residual stresses, stress distribution, stress measurement.

  20. A role for CSLD3 during cell-wall synthesis in apical plasma membranes of tip-growing root-hair cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Park, Sungjin; Szumlanski, Amy L; Gu, Fangwei; Guo, Feng; Nielsen, Erik

    2011-07-17

    In plants, cell shape is defined by the cell wall, and changes in cell shape and size are dictated by modification of existing cell walls and deposition of newly synthesized cell-wall material. In root hairs, expansion occurs by a process called tip growth, which is shared by root hairs, pollen tubes and fungal hyphae. We show that cellulose-like polysaccharides are present in root-hair tips, and de novo synthesis of these polysaccharides is required for tip growth. We also find that eYFP-CSLD3 proteins, but not CESA cellulose synthases, localize to a polarized plasma-membrane domain in root hairs. Using biochemical methods and genetic complementation of a csld3 mutant with a chimaeric CSLD3 protein containing a CESA6 catalytic domain, we provide evidence that CSLD3 represents a distinct (1→4)-β-glucan synthase activity in apical plasma membranes during tip growth in root-hair cells.

  1. All-cellulose composites of regenerated cellulose fibres by surface selective dissolution

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Soykeabkaew, N.; Nishino, T.; Peijs, Ton

    2009-01-01

    All-cellulose composites of Lyocell and high modulus/strength cellulose fibres were successfully prepared using a surface selective dissolution method. The effect of immersion time of the fibres in the solvent during composite's preparation and the effect of the starting fibre's structure on their

  2. Evaluation of soluble fraction and enzymatic residual fraction of dilute dry acid, ethylenediamine, and steam explosion pretreated corn stover on the enzymatic hydrolysis of cellulose.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Qin, Lei; Liu, Li; Li, Wen-Chao; Zhu, Jia-Qing; Li, Bing-Zhi; Yuan, Ying-Jin

    2016-06-01

    This study is aimed to examine the inhibition of soluble fraction (SF) and enzymatic residual fraction (ERF) in dry dilute acid (DDA), ethylenediamine (EDA) and steam explosion (SE) pretreated corn stover (CS) on the enzymatic digestibility of cellulose. SF of DDA, EDA and SE pretreated CS has high xylose, soluble lignin and xylo-oligomer content, respectively. SF of EDA pretreated CS leads to the highest inhibition, followed by SE and DDA pretreated CS. Inhibition of ERF of DDA and SE pretreated CS is higher than that of EDA pretreated CS. The inhibition degree (A0/A) of SF is 1.76 and 1.21 times to that of ERF for EDA and SE pretreated CS, respectively. The inhibition degree of ERF is 1.05 times to that of SF in DDA pretreated CS. The quantitative analysis shows that SF of EDA pretreated CS, SF and ERF of SE pretreated CS cause significant inhibition during enzymatic hydrolysis. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  3. Engineering yeast for the expression and secretion of cellulase cocktails

    Science.gov (United States)

    Enzyme systems that digest the cellulose in plant cell walls have potential value in the biorefining of renewable feedstocks such as crop residues, straws, and grasses to biofuels and other bioproducts. The bacterium Clostridium cellulovorans is a useful source of biomass-degrading enzymes because ...

  4. Assessment of biomass residue availability and bioenergy yields in Ghana

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kemausuor, Francis; Kamp, Andreas; Thomsen, Sune Tjalfe

    2014-01-01

    is expected to increase with more efficient applications, such as the production of biogas and liquid biofuels for cooking, transportation and the generation of power. The aim of this study is to establish the amount of Ghana's energy demand that can be satisfied by using the country's crop residues, animal...... manure, logging residues and municipal waste. The study finds that the technical potential of bioenergy from these sources is 96 PJ in 2700 Mm3 of biogas or 52 PJ in 2300 ML of cellulosic ethanol. The biogas potential is sufficient to replace more than a quarter of Ghana's present woodfuel use...

  5. Structural Studies of Complex Carbohydrates of Plant Cell Walls

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Darvill, Alan [Univ. of Georgia, Athens, GA (United States); Hahn, Michael G. [Univ. of Georgia, Athens, GA (United States); O' Neill, Malcolm A. [Univ. of Georgia, Athens, GA (United States); York, William S. [Univ. of Georgia, Athens, GA (United States)

    2015-02-17

    Most of the solar energy captured by land plants is converted into the polysaccharides (cellulose, hemicellulose, and pectin) that are the predominant components of the cell wall. These walls, which account for the bulk of plant biomass, have numerous roles in the growth and development of plants. Moreover, these walls have a major impact on human life as they are a renewable source of biomass, a source of diverse commercially useful polymers, a major component of wood, and a source of nutrition for humans and livestock. Thus, understanding the molecular mechanisms that lead to wall assembly and how cell walls and their component polysaccharides contribute to plant growth and development is essential to improve and extend the productivity and value of plant materials. The proposed research will develop and apply advanced analytical and immunological techniques to study specific changes in the structures and interactions of the hemicellulosic and pectic polysaccharides that occur during differentiation and in response to genetic modification and chemical treatments that affect wall biosynthesis. These new techniques will make it possible to accurately characterize minute amounts of cell wall polysaccharides so that subtle changes in structure that occur in individual cell types can be identified and correlated to the physiological or developmental state of the plant. Successful implementation of this research will reveal fundamental relationships between polysaccharide structure, cell wall architecture, and cell wall functions.

  6. Influence of cultivar, cooking, and storage on cell-wall polysaccharide composition of winter squash (Cucurbita maxima).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ratnayake, R M Sunil; Melton, Laurence D; Hurst, Paul L

    2003-03-26

    Changes in the cell-wall polysaccharides (CWP) of the edible tissues of four winter squash cultivars during storage and after cooking were investigated. A procedure for isolating cell walls of tissues containing high levels of starch was used. The starch-free CWP were sequentially fractionated using CDTA, dilute Na(2)CO(3), and 4 M KOH. Cellulose made up 40-42% of the total CWP for three cultivars (Delica, CF 2, and CF 4) at harvest but was 35% in the softer Red Warren. The pectic polysaccharides of Delica, CF 2, and CF 4 cell walls are more branched than those from Red Warren squash. The higher proportion of uronic acid in the pectic polysaccharides of Red Warren squash correlates with its lower firmness. Cooking resulted in an increase in the water-soluble pectins and a decrease in the pectins associated with cellulose. The total CWP content of the squash cultivars remained unchanged for up to 2 months of storage and then markedly decreased between 2 and 3 months of storage. The galactose content of Delica and Red Warren cell walls remained relatively constant from harvest to 2 months of storage and then decreased markedly during 2-3 months of storage.

  7. Effect of polyethelene oxide on the thermal degradation of cellulose biofilm – Low cost material for soft tissue repair in dentistry

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tyler, Rakim; Schiraldi, David; Roperto, Renato; Faddoul, Fady; Teich, Sorin

    2017-01-01

    Background Bio cellulose is a byproduct of sweet tea fermentation known as kombusha. During the biosynthesis by bacteria cellulose chains are polymerized by enzyme from activated glucose. The single chains are then extruded through the bacterial cell wall. Interestingly, a potential of the Kombucha’s byproduct bio cellulose (BC) as biomaterial had come into focus only in the past few decades. The unique physical and mechanical properties such as high purity, an ultrafine and highly crystalline network structure, a superior mechanical strength, flexibility, pronounced permeability to gases and liquids, and an excellent compatibility with living tissue that reinforced by biodegradability, biocompatibility, large swelling ratios. Material and Methods The bio-cellulose film specimens were provided by the R.P Dressel dental materials laboratory, Department of Comprehensive Care, School of Dental Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, US. The films were harvested, washed with water and dried at room temperature overnight. 1wt% of PEG-2000 and 10wt% of NaOH were added into ultrapure water to prepare PEG/NaOH solution. Then bio-cellulose film was added to the mixture and swell for 3 h at room temperature. All bio-cellulose film specimens were all used in the TA Instruments Q500 Thermogravmetric Analyzer to investigate weight percent lost and degradation. The TGA was under ambient air conditions at a heating rate of 10ºC/min. Results and Conclusions PEG control exhibited one transition with the peak at 380ºC. Cellulose and cellulose/ PEG films showed 3 major transitions. Interestingly, the cellulose/PEG film showed slightly elevated temperatures when compared to the corresponding transitions for cellulose control. The thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA) degradation curves were analyzed. Cellulose control film exhibited two zero order transitions, that indicate the independence of the rate of degradation from the amount on the initial substance. The

  8. Effects of reactive Mn(III)-oxalate complexes on structurally intact plant cell walls

    Science.gov (United States)

    Summering, J. A.; Keiluweit, M.; Goni, M. A.; Nico, P. S.; Kleber, M.

    2011-12-01

    Lignin components in the in plant litter are commonly assumed to have longer residence times in soil than many other compounds, which are supposedly, more easily degradable. The supposed resistance of lignin compounds to decomposition is generally attributed to the complex chain of biochemical steps required to create footholds in the non-porous structure of ligno-cellulose in cell walls. Interestingly, Mn(III) complexes have shown the ability to degrade ligno-cellulose. Mn(III) chelated by ligands such as oxalate are soluble oxidizers with a high affinity for lignin structures. Here we determined (i) the formation and decay kinetics of the Mn(III)-oxalate complexes in aqueous solution and (ii) the effects that these complexes have on intact ligno-cellulose. UV/vis spectroscopy and iodometric titrations confirmed the transient nature of Mn(III)-oxalate complexes with decay rates being in the order of hours. Zinnia elegans tracheary elements - a model ligno-cellulose substrate - were treated with Mn(III)-oxalate complexes in a newly developed flow-through reactor. Soluble decomposition products released during the treatment were analyzed by GC/MS and the degree of cell integrity was measured by cell counts, pre- and post-treatment counts indicate a decrease in intact Zinnia elegans as a result of Mn(III)-treatment. GC/MS results showed the release of a multitude of solubilized lignin breakdown products from plant cell walls. We conclude that Mn(III)-oxalate complexes have the ability to lyse intact plant cells and solubilize lignin. Lignin decomposition may thus be seen as resource dependent, with Mn(III) a powerful resource that should be abundant in terrestrial characterized by frequent redox fluctuations.

  9. 21 CFR 573.420 - Ethyl cellulose.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 6 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Ethyl cellulose. 573.420 Section 573.420 Food and... Listing § 573.420 Ethyl cellulose. The food additive ethyl cellulose may be safely used in animal feed in accordance with the following prescribed conditions: (a) The food additive is a cellulose ether containing...

  10. 21 CFR 172.868 - Ethyl cellulose.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 3 2010-04-01 2009-04-01 true Ethyl cellulose. 172.868 Section 172.868 Food and... Multipurpose Additives § 172.868 Ethyl cellulose. The food additive ethyl cellulose may be safely used in food in accordance with the following prescribed conditions: (a) The food additive is a cellulose ether...

  11. Analysis of prestressed double-wall tubing for LMFBR steam generators

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Uber, C.F.; Langford, P.J.

    1981-01-01

    A radial interface pressure is provided between the inner and outer tubes of each double-wall tube in a steam generator design now being developed for commercial breeder reactor plants. This paper describes a finite element analysis of the manufacturing technique used to prestress the double-wall tube. The analytical predictions are compared with experimental measurements of the residual interface pressure. Resulting residual stress states are used as the starting point for operating condition analyses. 9 refs

  12. Identification, Characterization and Expression Analysis of Cell Wall Related Genes in Sorghum bicolor (L. Moench, a Food, Fodder and Biofuel Crop

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    KRISHAN MOHAN RAI

    2016-08-01

    Full Text Available Biomass based alternative fuels offer a solution to the world’s ever-increasing energy demand. With the ability to produce high biomass in marginal lands with low inputs, sorghum has a great potential to meet second-generation biofuel needs. Despite the sorghum crop importance in biofuel and fodder industry, there is no comprehensive information available on the cell wall related genes and gene families (biosynthetic and modification. It is important to identify the cell wall related genes to understand the cell wall biosynthetic process as well as to facilitate biomass manipulation. Genome-wide analysis using gene family specific Hidden Markov Model of conserved domains identified 520 genes distributed among 20 gene families related to biosynthesis/modification of various cell wall polymers such as cellulose, hemicellulose, pectin and lignin. Chromosomal localization analysis of these genes revealed that about 65% of cell wall related genes were confined to four chromosomes (Chr. 1-4. Further, 53 tandem duplication events involving 146 genes were identified in these gene families which could be associated with expansion of genes within families in sorghum. Additionally, we also identified 137 Simple Sequence Repeats related to 112 genes and target sites for 10 miRNAs in some important families such as cellulose synthase, cellulose synthase-like and laccases, etc. To gain further insight into potential functional roles, expression analysis of these gene families was performed using publicly available data sets in various tissues and under abiotic stress conditions. Expression analysis showed tissue specificity as well as differential expression under abiotic stress conditions. Overall, our study provides a comprehensive information on cell wall related genes families in sorghum which offers a valuable resource to develop strategies for altering biomass composition by plant breeding and genetic engineering approaches.

  13. comparative assessment residual soils in residual soils in parts of e

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    eobe

    residual soil formed from Zuma rock. The Zuma r is an igneous .... The liquid limit (LL) is the lowest water content above which soil .... where this effect begins to be counteracted by the saturation of the ... retaining walls, tunnel linings and timbering of excavation. .... event of pore pressure build up due to excessive moisture.

  14. Internally plasticised cellulose polymers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Burnup, M.; Hayes, G.F.; Fydelor, P.J.

    1981-01-01

    Plasticised cellulose polymers comprise base polymer having a chain of β-anhydroglucose units joined by ether linkages, with at least one of said units carrying at least one chemically unreactive side chain derived from an allylic monomer or a vinyl substituted derivative of ferrocene. The side chains are normally formed by radiation grafting. These internally plasticised celluloses are useful in particular as inhibitor coatings for rocket motor propellants and in general wherever cellulose polymers are employed. (author)

  15. Cellulose Nanomaterials in Water Treatment Technologies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carpenter, Alexis Wells; de Lannoy, Charles François; Wiesner, Mark R.

    2015-01-01

    Cellulose nanomaterials are naturally occurring with unique structural, mechanical and optical properties. While the paper and packaging, automotive, personal care, construction, and textiles industries have recognized cellulose nanomaterials’ potential, we suggest cellulose nanomaterials have great untapped potential in water treatment technologies. In this review, we gather evidence of cellulose nanomaterials’ beneficial role in environmental remediation and membranes for water filtration, including their high surface area-to-volume ratio, low environmental impact, high strength, functionalizability, and sustainability. We make direct comparison between cellulose nanomaterials and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) in terms of physical and chemical properties, production costs, use and disposal in order to show the potential of cellulose nanomaterials as a sustainable replacement for CNTs in water treatment technologies. Finally, we comment on the need for improved communication and collaboration across the myriad industries invested in cellulose nanomaterials production and development to achieve an efficient means to commercialization. PMID:25837659

  16. Cellulose nanomaterials in water treatment technologies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carpenter, Alexis Wells; de Lannoy, Charles-François; Wiesner, Mark R

    2015-05-05

    Cellulose nanomaterials are naturally occurring with unique structural, mechanical and optical properties. While the paper and packaging, automotive, personal care, construction, and textiles industries have recognized cellulose nanomaterials' potential, we suggest cellulose nanomaterials have great untapped potential in water treatment technologies. In this review, we gather evidence of cellulose nanomaterials' beneficial role in environmental remediation and membranes for water filtration, including their high surface area-to-volume ratio, low environmental impact, high strength, functionalizability, and sustainability. We make direct comparison between cellulose nanomaterials and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) in terms of physical and chemical properties, production costs, use and disposal in order to show the potential of cellulose nanomaterials as a sustainable replacement for CNTs in water treatment technologies. Finally, we comment on the need for improved communication and collaboration across the myriad industries invested in cellulose nanomaterials production and development to achieve an efficient means to commercialization.

  17. Etched-hole formation in LR-115 cellulose nitrate detector irradiated with fast neutrons

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sawamura, Teruko; Yamazaki, Hatsuo

    1988-01-01

    This paper deals with the neutron detection sensitivity of LR-115 cellulose nitrate by counting the etched holes of α-tracks produced by the (n,α) reactions of the constituent nuclei of the cellulose nitrate. A formula for the etched-hole formation efficiency is derived, and applied to obtain the efficiency for each of the (n,α) reactions of 14 N, 16 O and 12 C by using an experimental expression relating the track-to-bulk etch-rate ratio to the residual range of the α-particle. From the efficiencies obtained, and the reaction cross sections, the neutron detection sensitivity is evaluated against neutron energy up to 11 MeV, and compared with the experimental values in the energy region between 2.2 and 5 MeV; the agreement is fairly good in the region. (author)

  18. Cellulose accessibility limits the effectiveness of minimum cellulase loading on the efficient hydrolysis of pretreated lignocellulosic substrates

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Saddler Jack N

    2011-02-01

    Full Text Available Abstract A range of lignocellulosic feedstocks (including agricultural, softwood and hardwood substrates were pretreated with either sulfur dioxide-catalyzed steam or an ethanol organosolv procedure to try to establish a reliable assessment of the factors governing the minimum protein loading that could be used to achieve efficient hydrolysis. A statistical design approach was first used to define what might constitute the minimum protein loading (cellulases and β-glucosidase that could be used to achieve efficient saccharification (defined as at least 70% glucan conversion of the pretreated substrates after 72 hours of hydrolysis. The likely substrate factors that limit cellulose availability/accessibility were assessed, and then compared with the optimized minimum amounts of protein used to obtain effective hydrolysis. The optimized minimum protein loadings to achieve efficient hydrolysis of seven pretreated substrates ranged between 18 and 63 mg protein per gram of glucan. Within the similarly pretreated group of lignocellulosic feedstocks, the agricultural residues (corn stover and corn fiber required significantly lower protein loadings to achieve efficient hydrolysis than did the pretreated woody biomass (poplar, douglas fir and lodgepole pine. Regardless of the substantial differences in the source, structure and chemical composition of the feedstocks, and the difference in the pretreatment technology used, the protein loading required to achieve efficient hydrolysis of lignocellulosic substrates was strongly dependent on the accessibility of the cellulosic component of each of the substrates. We found that cellulose-rich substrates with highly accessible cellulose, as assessed by the Simons' stain method, required a lower protein loading per gram of glucan to obtain efficient hydrolysis compared with substrates containing less accessible cellulose. These results suggest that the rate-limiting step during hydrolysis is not the catalytic

  19. Posidonia oceanica as a Renewable Lignocellulosic Biomass for the Synthesis of Cellulose Acetate and Glycidyl Methacrylate Grafted Cellulose

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Elena Vismara

    2013-05-01

    Full Text Available High-grade cellulose (97% α-cellulose content of 48% crystallinity index was extracted from the renewable marine biomass waste Posidonia oceanica using H2O2 and organic peracids following an environmentally friendly and chlorine-free process. This cellulose appeared as a new high-grade cellulose of waste origin quite similar to the high-grade cellulose extracted from more noble starting materials like wood and cotton linters. The benefits of α-cellulose recovery from P. oceanica were enhanced by its transformation into cellulose acetate CA and cellulose derivative GMA-C. Fully acetylated CA was prepared by conventional acetylation method and easily transformed into a transparent film. GMA-C with a molar substitution (MS of 0.72 was produced by quenching Fenton’s reagent (H2O2/FeSO4 generated cellulose radicals with GMA. GMA grafting endowed high-grade cellulose from Posidonia with adsorption capability. GMA-C removes β-naphthol from water with an efficiency of 47%, as measured by UV-Vis spectroscopy. After hydrolysis of the glycidyl group to glycerol group, the modified GMA-C was able to remove p-nitrophenol from water with an efficiency of 92%, as measured by UV-Vis spectroscopy. α-cellulose and GMA-Cs from Posidonia waste can be considered as new materials of potential industrial and environmental interest.

  20. Loop variants of the thermophile Rasamsonia emersonii Cel7A with improved activity against cellulose

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Sørensen, Trine Holst; Skovbo Windahl, Michael; McBrayer, Brett

    2017-01-01

    Cel7A cellobiohydrolases perform processive hydrolysis on one strand of cellulose, which is threaded through the enzyme's substrate binding tunnel. The tunnel structure results from a groove in the catalytic domain, which is covered by a number of loops. These loops have been identified as potent......Cel7A cellobiohydrolases perform processive hydrolysis on one strand of cellulose, which is threaded through the enzyme's substrate binding tunnel. The tunnel structure results from a groove in the catalytic domain, which is covered by a number of loops. These loops have been identified...... as potential targets for engineering of this industrially important enzyme family, but only few systematic studies on this have been made. Here we show that two asparagine residues (N194 and N197) positioned in the loop covering the glucopyranose subsite −4 (recently denoted B2 loop) of the thermostable Cel7A...... with alanine leads to faster enzyme-substrate dissociation. Conversely, these residues appeared to have little or no effect on the rate of association. We suggest that the controlled adjustment of the enzyme-substrate dissociation prompts faster cellulolytic enzymes....

  1. Discovery of LPMO activity on hemicelluloses shows the importance of oxidative processes in plant cell wall degradation

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Agger, Jane W.; Isaksen, Trine; Várnai, Anikó

    2014-01-01

    of LPMOs, and considering the complexity and copolymeric nature of the plant cell wall, it has been speculated that some LPMOs may act on other substrates, in particular the hemicelluloses that tether to cellulose microfibrils. We demonstrate that an LPMO from Neurospora crassa, NcLPMO9C, indeed degrades...... walls. Products generated by NcLPMO9C were analyzed using high performance anion exchange chromatography and multidimensional mass spectrometry. We show that NcLPMO9C generates oxidized products from a variety of substrates and that its product profile differs from those of hydrolytic enzymes acting...... on the same substrates. The enzyme particularly acts on the glucose backbone of xyloglucan, accepting various substitutions (xylose, galactose) in almost all positions. Because the attachment of xyloglucan to cellulose hampers depolymerization of the latter, it is possible that the beneficial effect...

  2. Cellulose ionics: switching ionic diode responses by surface charge in reconstituted cellulose films.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aaronson, Barak D B; Wigmore, David; Johns, Marcus A; Scott, Janet L; Polikarpov, Igor; Marken, Frank

    2017-09-25

    Cellulose films as well as chitosan-modified cellulose films of approximately 5 μm thickness, reconstituted from ionic liquid media onto a poly(ethylene-terephthalate) (PET, 6 μm thickness) film with a 5, 10, 20, or 40 μm diameter laser-drilled microhole, show significant current rectification in aqueous NaCl. Reconstituted α-cellulose films provide "cationic diodes" (due to predominant cation conductivity) whereas chitosan-doped cellulose shows "anionic diode" effects (due to predominant anion conductivity). The current rectification, or "ionic diode" behaviour, is investigated as a function of NaCl concentration, pH, microhole diameter, and molecular weight of the chitosan dopant. Future applications are envisaged exploiting the surface charge induced switching of diode currents for signal amplification in sensing.

  3. Co-production of bio-ethanol, electricity and heat from biomass residues

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Reith, J.H.; Den Uil, H.; Van Veen, H. [ECN Biomass, Petten (Netherlands); De Laat, W.T.A.M.; Niessen, J.J. [Royal Nedalco, Bergen op Zoom (Netherlands); De Jong, E.; Elbersen, H.W.; Weusthuis, R. [Agrotechnological Research Institute ATO, BU Renewable Resources, Wageningen (Netherlands); Van Dijken, J.P.; Raamsdonk, L. [Delft University of Technology, Delft (Netherlands)

    2002-07-01

    The use of lignocellulose biomass residues as a feedstock offers good perspectives for large scale production of fuel ethanol at competitive costs. An evaluation was performed to assess the international status of lignocellulose-to-bioethanol technology and the economical and ecological system performance, to identify RandD approaches for further development. Deriving fermentable sugars from the hemicellulose and cellulose fractions of lignocellulose materials via suitable pretreatment and enzymatic cellulose hydrolysis is a critical RandD issue. Further development of pretreatment via mild, low temperature alkaline extraction or weak acid hydrolysis using CO2, dissolved in pressurized hot water ('carbonic acid process') shows good perspectives. Enzymatic cellulose hydrolysis with the currently available industrial cellulases accounts for 36-45% of ethanol production costs. At least a 10-fold increase of cellulase cost-effectiveness is required. Despite substantial RandD efforts, no suitable fermentation system is currently available for the fermentation of pentoses (mainly xylose) from the hemicellulose fraction. Several strains of anaerobic, thermophilic bacteria are able to convert all (hemi)cellulose components into ethanol. Follow-up RandD will focus on isolation of suitable strain(s) from this group. The system evaluation shows a 40-55% energetic efficiency (LHV basis) for conversion of lignocellulose feedstocks to ethanol. Thermal conversion of non-fermentable residues (mainly lignin) in a Biomass-Integrated-Gasifier/Combined Cycle (BIG/CC) system can provide the total steam and electricity requirement for the production process and an electricity surplus for export to the grid, giving a total system efficiency of 56-68%. Water consumption in the process (28-54 liter water/liter ethanol) is much higher than in current ethanol production (lo-15 l/l ethanol). The large amount of process water (used in the pretreatment and cellulose hydrolysis

  4. Chemical Synthesis of Oligosaccharides related to the Cell Walls of Plants and Algae

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kinnaert, Christine; Daugaard, Mathilde; Nami, Faranak

    2017-01-01

    in good quantities and with high purity. This review contains an overview of those plant and algal polysaccharides, which have been elucidated to date. The majority of the content is devoted to detailed summaries of the chemical syntheses of oligosaccharide fragments of cellulose, hemicellulose, pectin......Plant cell walls are composed of an intricate network of polysaccharides and proteins that varies during the developmental stages of the cell. This makes it very challenging to address the functions of individual wall components in cells, especially for highly complex glycans. Fortunately...

  5. Nanofibers of cellulose bagasse from Agave tequilana Weber var. azul by electrospinning: preparation and characterization.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Robles-García, Miguel Ángel; Del-Toro-Sánchez, Carmen Lizette; Márquez-Ríos, Enrique; Barrera-Rodríguez, Arturo; Aguilar, Jacobo; Aguilar, José A; Reynoso-Marín, Francisco Javier; Ceja, I; Dórame-Miranda, R; Rodríguez-Félix, Francisco

    2018-07-15

    In this study, cellulose of bagasse from Agave tequilana Weber var. azul was extracted to elaborate nanofibers by the electrospinning technique. Fiber characterization was performed using Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), x-ray, Fournier Transform-InfraRed (FT-IR) spectroscopy, and thermal analysis by Differential Scanning Calorimetry-Thermogravimetric Analysis (DSC-TGA). Different diameters (ranging from 54.57 ± 0.02 to 171 ± 0.01 nm) of nanofibers were obtained. Cellulose nanofibers were analyzed by means of x-ray diffraction, where we observed a total loss of crystallinity in comparison with the cellulose, while FT-IR spectroscopy revealed that the hemicellulose and lignin present in the agave bagasse were removed. Thermal analysis showed that nanofibers exhibit enhanced thermal properties, and the zeta potential value (-32.5 mV) demonstrated moderate stability in the sample. In conclusion, the nanofibers obtained provide other alternatives-of-use for this agro-industrial residue and could have potential in various industrial applications, among these encapsulation of bioactive compounds and reinforcing material, to mention a few. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  6. Raman spectroscopy in the analysis of cellulose nanomaterials

    Science.gov (United States)

    Umesh P. Agarwal

    2017-01-01

    Cellulose nanomaterials (CNs) are new types of materials derived from celluloses and offer unique challenges and opportunities for Raman spectroscopic investigations. CNs can be classified into the categories of cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs, also known as cellulose whisker) and cellulose nanofibrils (CNFs, also known as nanofibrillated cellulose or NFCs) which when...

  7. A Multi-Factor Analysis of Sustainable Agricultural Residue Removal Potential

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Jared Abodeely; David Muth; Paul Adler; Eleanor Campbell; Kenneth Mark Bryden

    2012-10-01

    Agricultural residues have significant potential as a near term source of cellulosic biomass for bioenergy production, but sustainable removal of agricultural residues requires consideration of the critical roles that residues play in the agronomic system. Previous work has developed an integrated model to evaluate sustainable agricultural residue removal potential considering soil erosion, soil organic carbon, greenhouse gas emission, and long-term yield impacts of residue removal practices. The integrated model couples the environmental process models WEPS, RUSLE2, SCI, and DAYCENT. This study uses the integrated model to investigate the impact of interval removal practices in Boone County, Iowa, US. Residue removal of 4.5 Mg/ha was performed annually, bi-annually, and tri-annually and were compared to no residue removal. The study is performed at the soil type scale using a national soil survey database assuming a continuous corn rotation with reduced tillage. Results are aggregated across soil types to provide county level estimates of soil organic carbon changes and individual soil type soil organic matter content if interval residue removal were implemented. Results show interval residue removal is possible while improving soil organic matter. Implementation of interval removal practices provide greater increases in soil organic matter while still providing substantial residue for bioenergy production.

  8. Cellulose acetate propionate coated titanium: characterization and biotechnological application

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Guilherme da Silva Gomes

    2007-12-01

    Full Text Available Surfaces of pure titanium and Ti coated with cellulose acetate propionate (CAP have been characterized by means of scanning electron microscopy X ray coupled with elemental microanalysis (SEM-EDS, ellipsometry, atomic force microscopy (AFM and contact angle measurements. Coating Ti surfaces with CAP ultrathin films reduced original surface roughness. Surface energy and wettability of CAP covered Ti surfaces pure Ti surfaces were similar. The adsorption of lysozyme (LYZ, an antibacterial protein, onto Ti and CAP-coated Ti surfaces has been studied by means of ellipsometry and atomic force microscopy (AFM. The adsorption of LYZ was mainly driven by hydrophobic interaction between protein hydrophobic residues and CAP propyl groups. Pure Ti and CAP coated Ti surfaces presented no cytotoxicity effect and proved to be adequate substrates for cell adhesion. The biocompatibility of CAP coated Ti surfaces was attributed to the surface enrichment in glucopyranosyl residues and short alkyl side groups.

  9. Brittle stalk 2 encodes a putative glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchored protein that affects mechanical strength of maize tissues by altering the composition and structure of secondary cell walls.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ching, Ada; Dhugga, Kanwarpal S; Appenzeller, Laura; Meeley, Robert; Bourett, Timothy M; Howard, Richard J; Rafalski, Antoni

    2006-10-01

    A spontaneous maize mutant, brittle stalk-2 (bk2-ref), exhibits dramatically reduced tissue mechanical strength. Reduction in mechanical strength in the stalk tissue was highly correlated with a reduction in the amount of cellulose and an uneven deposition of secondary cell wall material in the subepidermal and perivascular sclerenchyma fibers. Cell wall accounted for two-thirds of the observed reduction in dry matter content per unit length of the mutant stalk in comparison to the wildtype stalk. Although the cell wall composition was significantly altered in the mutant in comparison to the wildtype stalks, no compensation by lignin and cell wall matrix for reduced cellulose amount was observed. We demonstrate that Bk2 encodes a Cobra-like protein that is homologous to the rice Bc1 protein. In the bk2-ref gene, a 1 kb transposon-like element is inserted in the beginning of the second exon, disrupting the open reading frame. The Bk2 gene was expressed in the stalk, husk, root, and leaf tissues, but not in the embryo, endosperm, pollen, silk, or other tissues with comparatively few or no secondary cell wall containing cells. The highest expression was in the isolated vascular bundles. In agreement with its role in secondary wall formation, the expression pattern of the Bk2 gene was very similar to that of the ZmCesA10, ZmCesA11, and ZmCesA12 genes, which are known to be involved in secondary wall formation. We have isolated an independent Mutator-tagged allele of bk2, referred to as bk2-Mu7, the phenotype of which is similar to that of the spontaneous mutant. Our results demonstrate that mutations in the Bk2 gene affect stalk strength in maize by interfering with the deposition of cellulose in the secondary cell wall in fiber cells.

  10. Sugar-rich sweet sorghum is distinctively affected by wall polymer features for biomass digestibility and ethanol fermentation in bagasse.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Meng; Feng, Shengqiu; Wu, Leiming; Li, Ying; Fan, Chunfen; Zhang, Rui; Zou, Weihua; Tu, Yuanyuan; Jing, Hai-Chun; Li, Shizhong; Peng, Liangcai

    2014-09-01

    Sweet sorghum has been regarded as a typical species for rich soluble-sugar and high lignocellulose residues, but their effects on biomass digestibility remain unclear. In this study, we examined total 63 representative sweet sorghum accessions that displayed a varied sugar level at stalk and diverse cell wall composition at bagasse. Correlative analysis showed that both soluble-sugar and dry-bagasse could not significantly affect lignocellulose saccharification under chemical pretreatments. Comparative analyses of five typical pairs of samples indicated that DP of crystalline cellulose and arabinose substitution degree of non-KOH-extractable hemicelluloses distinctively affected lignocellulose crystallinity for high biomass digestibility. By comparison, lignin could not alter lignocellulose crystallinity, but the KOH-extractable G-monomer predominately determined lignin negative impacts on biomass digestions, and the G-levels released from pretreatments significantly inhibited yeast fermentation. The results also suggested potential genetic approaches for enhancing soluble-sugar level and lignocellulose digestibility and reducing ethanol conversion inhibition in sweet sorghum. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  11. Cell-wall structural changes in wheat straw pretreated for bioethanol production

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jørgensen Henning

    2008-04-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Pretreatment is an essential step in the enzymatic hydrolysis of biomass and subsequent production of bioethanol. Recent results indicate that only a mild pretreatment is necessary in an industrial, economically feasible system. The Integrated Biomass Utilisation System hydrothermal pretreatment process has previously been shown to be effective in preparing wheat straw for these processes without the application of additional chemicals. In the current work, the effect of the pretreatment on the straw cell-wall matrix and its components are characterised microscopically (atomic force microscopy and scanning electron microscopy and spectroscopically (attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy in order to understand this increase in digestibility. Results The hydrothermal pretreatment does not degrade the fibrillar structure of cellulose but causes profound lignin re-localisation. Results from the current work indicate that wax has been removed and hemicellulose has been partially removed. Similar changes were found in wheat straw pretreated by steam explosion. Conclusion Results indicate that hydrothermal pretreatment increases the digestibility by increasing the accessibility of the cellulose through a re-localisation of lignin and a partial removal of hemicellulose, rather than by disruption of the cell wall.

  12. Extraction of cellulose from pistachio shell and physical and mechanical characterisation of cellulose-based nanocomposites

    Science.gov (United States)

    Movva, Mounika; Kommineni, Ravindra

    2017-04-01

    Cellulose is an important nanoentity that have been used for the preparation of composites. The present work focuses on the extraction of cellulose from pistachio shell and preparing a partially degradable nanocomposite with extracted cellulose. Physical and microstructural characteristics of nanocellulose extracted from pistachio shell powder (PSP) through various stages of chemical treatment are identified from scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infra-red spectroscopy (FTIR), x-ray powder diffraction (XRD), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). Later, characterized nanocellulose is reinforced in a polyester matrix to fabricate nanocellulose-based composites according to the ASTM standard. The resulting nanocellulose composite performance is evaluated in the mechanical perspective through tensile and flexural loading. SEM, FTIR, and XRD showed that the process for extraction is efficient in obtaining 95% crystalline cellulose. Cellulose also showed good thermal stability with a peak thermal degradation temperature of 361 °C. Such cellulose when reinforced in a matrix material showed a noteworthy rise in tensile and flexural strengths of 43 MPa and 127 MPa, at a definite weight percent of 5%.

  13. Cell Wall Composition, Biosynthesis and Remodeling during Pollen Tube Growth

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jean-Claude Mollet

    2013-03-01

    Full Text Available The pollen tube is a fast tip-growing cell carrying the two sperm cells to the ovule allowing the double fertilization process and seed setting. To succeed in this process, the spatial and temporal controls of pollen tube growth within the female organ are critical. It requires a massive cell wall deposition to promote fast pollen tube elongation and a tight control of the cell wall remodeling to modify the mechanical properties. In addition, during its journey, the pollen tube interacts with the pistil, which plays key roles in pollen tube nutrition, guidance and in the rejection of the self-incompatible pollen. This review focuses on our current knowledge in the biochemistry and localization of the main cell wall polymers including pectin, hemicellulose, cellulose and callose from several pollen tube species. Moreover, based on transcriptomic data and functional genomic studies, the possible enzymes involved in the cell wall remodeling during pollen tube growth and their impact on the cell wall mechanics are also described. Finally, mutant analyses have permitted to gain insight in the function of several genes involved in the pollen tube cell wall biosynthesis and their roles in pollen tube growth are further discussed.

  14. Saccharification of cellulose by acetolysis

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Tanaka, T; Yamanaka, S; Takinami, K

    1978-01-01

    For saccharification of cellulose, an acetolysis method using assimilable acid with a microorganism was applied. Based on this method, a new method which gave totally assimilable products was established. The rigid crystalline structure of cellulose was disrupted by acetolysis with 2-2.5 times as much acetic anhydride as cellulose on a weight basis and 1 N sulfuric acid as a catalyst. Then for cleavage of O-acetyl ester and glycosidic bonds, the resulting amorphous acetolysate of cellulose could easily be hydrolyzed by heating in 1 N sulfuric acid at 120/sup 0/C for 1-1.5 h without over-disruption of glucose. Ninety-eight % of the cellulose used was recovered in the form of hydrolysate having about 30% saccharide concentration. The hydrolysate obtained was composed of 74% glucose, 13% cellobiose and 11% mono-O-acetyl glucose on a weight basis.

  15. Understanding the relationship between cotton fiber properties and non-cellulosic cell wall polysaccharides

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Rajasundaram, Dhivyaa; Runavot, Jean-Luc; Guo, Xiaoyuan

    2014-01-01

    cotton fibers, which are of both biological and industrial importance. To this end, we attempted to study cotton fiber characteristics together with glycan arrays using regression based approaches. Taking advantage of the comprehensive microarray polymer profiling technique (CoMPP), 32 cotton lines from...... different cotton species were studied. The glycan array was generated by sequential extraction of cell wall polysaccharides from mature cotton fibers and screening samples against eleven extensively characterized cell wall probes. Also, phenotypic characteristics of cotton fibers such as length, strength...

  16. Evaluation of microcrystalline cellulose modifed from alpha ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Alpha cellulose was obtained from Costus afer and part of it was modified to microcrystalline cellulose (CAMCC). The physicochemical properties of the microcrystalline cellulose were determined and compared with those of commercial microcrystalline cellulose (Avicel 101). The swelling capacity, hydration capacity, loss ...

  17. A monolithic functional film of nanotubes/cellulose/ionic liquid for high performance supercapacitors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Basiricò, Lucia; Lanzara, Giulia

    2014-12-01

    A novel monolithic, pre-fabricated, fully functional film made of a nanostructured free-standing layer is presented for a new and competitive class of easy-to-assemble flexible supercapacitors whose design is in-between the all solid state and the traditional liquid electrolyte. The film is made of two vertically aligned multi-walled carbon nanotube (VANT) electrodes that store ions, embedded-in, and monolithically interspaced by a solution of microcrystalline cellulose in a room temperature ionic liquid (RTIL) electrolyte (1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate-EMIM Ac). The fine tuning of VANTs length and electrolyte/cellulose amount leads, in a sole and continuous block, to ions storage and physical separation between the electrodes without the need of the additional separator layer that is typically used in supercapacitors. Thus, physical discontinuities that can induce disturbances to ions mobility, are fully eliminated significantly reducing the equivalent series resistance and increasing the knee frequency, hence outclassing the best supercapacitors based on VANTs and non-aqueous electrolytes. The excellent electrochemical response can also be addressed to the chosen electrolyte that, not only has the advantage of leading to a significantly simpler and more affordable fabrication procedure, but has higher ionic conductivity, lower viscosity and higher ions mobility than other electrolytes capable of dissolving cellulose.

  18. Cellulose fibers obtained by organosolv process from date palm rachis (Phoenix dactylifera L.)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ammar, H; Abid, M; Abid, S

    2012-01-01

    In this preliminary study, the chemical composition of Tunisian DPR was established and discussed. The main characteristic of this agri-residue was its high lignin content in comparison with that of alfa plant. CIMV process was used to selectively separate cellulose fibres, hemicelluloses and lignin at atmospheric pressure. The obtained unbleached pulp was analysed in accordance with Kappa index and degree of polymerisation and then bleached by treating successively with peroxyacids and hydrogen peroxide in basic media.

  19. Cellulose utilization: an overview

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bassham, J A

    1975-01-01

    To summarize, the conversion of cellulose to ethanol via hydrolysis to glucose followed by fermentation appears to be highly efficient in terms of energy conservation, yield, and quality of product, especially when reasonably high quality cellulosic waste is available.

  20. Engineering control of bacterial cellulose production using a genetic toolkit and a new cellulose-producing strain

    Science.gov (United States)

    Florea, Michael; Hagemann, Henrik; Santosa, Gabriella; Micklem, Chris N.; Spencer-Milnes, Xenia; de Arroyo Garcia, Laura; Paschou, Despoina; Lazenbatt, Christopher; Kong, Deze; Chughtai, Haroon; Jensen, Kirsten; Freemont, Paul S.; Kitney, Richard; Reeve, Benjamin; Ellis, Tom

    2016-01-01

    Bacterial cellulose is a strong and ultrapure form of cellulose produced naturally by several species of the Acetobacteraceae. Its high strength, purity, and biocompatibility make it of great interest to materials science; however, precise control of its biosynthesis has remained a challenge for biotechnology. Here we isolate a strain of Komagataeibacter rhaeticus (K. rhaeticus iGEM) that can produce cellulose at high yields, grow in low-nitrogen conditions, and is highly resistant to toxic chemicals. We achieved external control over its bacterial cellulose production through development of a modular genetic toolkit that enables rational reprogramming of the cell. To further its use as an organism for biotechnology, we sequenced its genome and demonstrate genetic circuits that enable functionalization and patterning of heterologous gene expression within the cellulose matrix. This work lays the foundations for using genetic engineering to produce cellulose-based materials, with numerous applications in basic science, materials engineering, and biotechnology. PMID:27247386

  1. The feasibility of producing adequate feedstock for year–round cellulosic ethanol production in an intensive agricultural fuelshed

    Science.gov (United States)

    Uden, Daniel R.; Mitchell, Rob B.; Allen, Craig R.; Guan, Qingfeng; McCoy, Tim D.

    2013-01-01

    To date, cellulosic ethanol production has not been commercialized in the United States. However, government mandates aimed at increasing second-generation biofuel production could spur exploratory development in the cellulosic ethanol industry. We conducted an in-depth analysis of the fuelshed surrounding a starch-based ethanol plant near York, Nebraska that has the potential for cellulosic ethanol production. To assess the feasibility of supplying adequate biomass for year-round cellulosic ethanol production from residual maize (Zea mays) stover and bioenergy switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) within a 40-km road network service area of the existing ethanol plant, we identified ∼14,000 ha of marginally productive cropland within the service area suitable for conversion from annual rowcrops to switchgrass and ∼132,000 ha of maize-enrolled cropland from which maize stover could be collected. Annual maize stover and switchgrass biomass supplies within the 40-km service area could range between 429,000 and 752,000 metric tons (mT). Approximately 140–250 million liters (l) of cellulosic ethanol could be produced, rivaling the current 208 million l annual starch-based ethanol production capacity of the plant. We conclude that sufficient quantities of biomass could be produced from maize stover and switchgrass near the plant to support year-round cellulosic ethanol production at current feedstock yields, sustainable removal rates and bioconversion efficiencies. Modifying existing starch-based ethanol plants in intensive agricultural fuelsheds could increase ethanol output, return marginally productive cropland to perennial vegetation, and remove maize stover from productive cropland to meet feedstock demand.

  2. Benzoic acid fermentation from starch and cellulose via a plant-like β-oxidation pathway in Streptomyces maritimus

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Noda Shuhei

    2012-04-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Benzoic acid is one of the most useful aromatic compounds. Despite its versatility and simple structure, benzoic acid production using microbes has not been reported previously. Streptomyces are aerobic, Gram-positive, mycelia-forming soil bacteria, and are known to produce various kinds of antibiotics composed of many aromatic residues. S. maritimus possess a complex amino acid modification pathway and can serve as a new platform microbe to produce aromatic building-block compounds. In this study, we carried out benzoate fermentation using S. maritimus. In order to enhance benzoate productivity using cellulose as the carbon source, we constructed endo-glucanase secreting S. maritimus. Results After 4 days of cultivation using glucose, cellobiose, or starch as a carbon source, the maximal level of benzoate reached 257, 337, and 460 mg/l, respectively. S. maritimus expressed β-glucosidase and high amylase-retaining activity compared to those of S. lividans and S. coelicolor. In addition, for effective benzoate production from cellulosic materials, we constructed endo-glucanase-secreting S. maritimus. This transformant efficiently degraded the phosphoric acid swollen cellulose (PASC and then produced 125 mg/l benzoate. Conclusions Wild-type S. maritimus produce benzoate via a plant-like β-oxidation pathway and can assimilate various carbon sources for benzoate production. In order to encourage cellulose degradation and improve benzoate productivity from cellulose, we constructed endo-glucanase-secreting S. maritimus. Using this transformant, we also demonstrated the direct fermentation of benzoate from cellulose. To achieve further benzoate productivity, the L-phenylalanine availability needs to be improved in future.

  3. Opportunity for profitable investments in cellulosic biofuels

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Babcock, Bruce A.; Marette, Stephan; Treguer, David

    2011-01-01

    Research efforts to allow large-scale conversion of cellulose into biofuels are being undertaken in the US and EU. These efforts are designed to increase logistic and conversion efficiencies, enhancing the economic competitiveness of cellulosic biofuels. However, not enough attention has been paid to the future market conditions for cellulosic biofuels, which will determine whether the necessary private investment will be available to allow a cellulosic biofuels industry to emerge. We examine the future market for cellulosic biofuels, differentiating between cellulosic ethanol and 'drop-in' cellulosic biofuels that can be transported with petroleum fuels and have equivalent energy values. We show that emergence of a cellulosic ethanol industry is unlikely without costly government subsidies, in part because of strong competition from conventional ethanol and limits on ethanol blending. If production costs of drop-in cellulosic biofuels fall enough to become competitive, then their expansion will not necessarily cause feedstock prices to rise. As long as local supplies of feedstocks that have no or low-valued alternative uses exist, then expansion will not cause prices to rise significantly. If cellulosic feedstocks come from dedicated biomass crops, then the supply curves will have a steeper slope because of competition for land. (author)

  4. Alternative fuels from waste cellulosic substrates and poly furfuryl alcohol

    CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

    Kumar, R

    2012-03-01

    Full Text Available ? Corresponding author. Tel.: +27 41 5083263; fax: +27 41 5832325. Q1 Fuel xxx (2011) xxx?xxx Contents lists available at .e JFUE 5575 No. of Pages 4, Model 5G 29 September 2011 E-mail address: krrakesh72@gmail.com (R. Kumar). There are many different... 141 142 143 144 145 146 147 148 149 150 151 152 153 154 155values from 5.39 MJ/kg to 19.48 MJ/kg (Table 1). Cellulosic biomass 156in the form of flakes as wood chips and forest residues are the com- 157monly available substrates...

  5. Combining FT-IR spectroscopy and multivariate analysis for qualitative and quantitative analysis of the cell wall composition changes during apples development.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Szymanska-Chargot, M; Chylinska, M; Kruk, B; Zdunek, A

    2015-01-22

    The aim of this work was to quantitatively and qualitatively determine the composition of the cell wall material from apples during development by means of Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy. The FT-IR region of 1500-800 cm(-1), containing characteristic bands for galacturonic acid, hemicellulose and cellulose, was examined using principal component analysis (PCA), k-means clustering and partial least squares (PLS). The samples were differentiated by development stage and cultivar using PCA and k-means clustering. PLS calibration models for galacturonic acid, hemicellulose and cellulose content from FT-IR spectra were developed and validated with the reference data. PLS models were tested using the root-mean-square errors of cross-validation for contents of galacturonic acid, hemicellulose and cellulose which was 8.30 mg/g, 4.08% and 1.74%, respectively. It was proven that FT-IR spectroscopy combined with chemometric methods has potential for fast and reliable determination of the main constituents of fruit cell walls. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  6. Chemo-catalytic valorization of cellulose

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Palkovits, R. [RWTH Aachen Univ. (Germany). Inst. fuer Technische und Makromolekulare Chemie

    2012-07-01

    Cellulose can be utilized as carbon source for the production of novel platform molecules as well as fuel motifs. Promising transformation strategies cover the hydrolytic hydrogenation or hydrogenolysis of cellulose to sugar alcohols, the hydrolysis of cellulose to glucose followed by dehydration to 5-hydroxymethylfurfural or levulinic acid and the further hydrogenation of levulinic acid to {gamma}-valerolactone. Main challenges result from the high degree of functionalization of cellulosic feedstocks. In line, processes are carried out in liquid phase utilizing rather polar solvents and aiming for a tailored defunctionalisation of these oxygen rich compounds. Consequently, such transformations require novel strategies concerning the development of suitable catalysts and appropriate process concepts. (orig.)

  7. Analysis of ethanol production potential from cellulosic feedstocks

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Stone, J E

    1982-03-01

    This report provides a comprehensive and scientific overview of results emerging from research on ethanol producton from cellulosic materials and indicates those areas which appear to warrant additional support. Many published economic analyses of production costs are examined, but the emphasis of the report is on research and on its potential for reducing the cost of ethanol production. The author concludes that the uncertainty surrounding the cost of producing ethanol from cellulosic feedstocks via enzymatic hydrolysis will not be resolved until a pilot plant has been built of sufficient size to produce realistic engineering data. He gives five reasons why Canada should build such a pilot plant: Canada's apparent leadership in developing a steam pre-treatment process, the desirability of encouraging developments and building a cadre of experts in biotechnology, the absence of a pilot plant in Canada where the various organisms and biochemical processes involved in ethanol production and by-product utilization can be developed on a reasonably large scale, Canadian expertise in lignin chemistry which might be used to capitalize upon the reactive lignin residue, and research in progress at National Research Council and elsewhere on the conversion of C/sub 5/ sugars to ethanol. 37 refs., 2 figs., 4 tabs.

  8. The Synthesis of a Novel Cellulose Physical Gel

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jiufang Duan

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Cellulose possessing β-cyclodextrin (β-CD was used as a host molecule and cellulose possessing ferrocene (Fc as a guest polymer. Infrared spectra, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC, ultraviolet spectroscopy (UV, and contact angle analysis were used to characterise the material structure and the inclusion behaviour. The results showed that the β-CD-cellulose and the Fc-cellulose can form inclusion complexes. Moreover, ferrocene oxidation, and reduction of state can be adjusted by sodium hypochlorite (NaClO as an oxidant and glutathione (GSH as a reductant. In this study, a physical gel based on β-CD-cellulose/Fc-cellulose was formed under mild conditions in which autonomous healing between cut surfaces occurred after 24 hours. The physical gel can be controlled in the sol-gel transition. The compressive strength of the Fc-cellulose/β-CD-cellulose gel increased with increased cellulose concentration. The host-guest interaction between the side chains of cellulose could strengthen the gel. The cellulose physical gel may eventually be used as a stimulus-responsive, healing material in biomedical applications.

  9. Improvement of the enzymatic hydrolysis of furfural residues by pretreatment with combined green liquor and ethanol organosolv.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yu, Hailong; Xing, Yang; Lei, Fuhou; Liu, Zhiping; Liu, Zuguang; Jiang, Jianxin

    2014-09-01

    Furfural residues (FRs) were pretreated with ethanol and a green liquor (GL) catalyst to produce fermentable sugar. Anthraquinone (AQ) was used as an auxiliary reagent to improve delignification and reduce cellulose decomposition. The results showed that 42.7% of lignin was removed and 96.5% of cellulose was recovered from substrates pretreated with 1.0 mL GL/g of dry substrate and 0.4% (w/w) AQ at 140°C for 1h. Compared with raw material, ethanol-GL pretreatment of FRs increased the glucose yield from 69.0% to 85.9% after 96 h hydrolysis with 18 FPU/g-cellulose for cellulase, 27 CBU/g-cellulose for β-glucosidase. The Brauner-Emmett-Teller surface area was reduced during pretreatment, which did not inhibit the enzymatic hydrolysis. Owing to the reduced surface area, the unproductive binding of cellulase to lignin was decreased, thus improving the enzymatic hydrolysis. The degree of polymerization of cellulose from FRs was too low to be a key factor for improving enzymatic hydrolysis. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  10. Steam explosion distinctively enhances biomass enzymatic saccharification of cotton stalks by largely reducing cellulose polymerization degree in G. barbadense and G. hirsutum.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huang, Yu; Wei, Xiaoyang; Zhou, Shiguang; Liu, Mingyong; Tu, Yuanyuan; Li, Ao; Chen, Peng; Wang, Yanting; Zhang, Xuewen; Tai, Hongzhong; Peng, Liangcai; Xia, Tao

    2015-04-01

    In this study, steam explosion pretreatment was performed in cotton stalks, leading to 5-6 folds enhancements on biomass enzymatic saccharification distinctive in Gossypium barbadense and Gossypium hirsutum species. Sequential 1% H2SO4 pretreatment could further increase biomass digestibility of the steam-exploded stalks, and also cause the highest sugar-ethanol conversion rates probably by releasing less inhibitor to yeast fermentation. By comparison, extremely high concentration alkali (16% NaOH) pretreatment with raw stalks resulted in the highest hexoses yields, but it had the lowest sugar-ethanol conversion rates. Characterization of wall polymer features indicated that biomass saccharification was enhanced with steam explosion by largely reducing cellulose DP and extracting hemicelluloses. It also showed that cellulose crystallinity and arabinose substitution degree of xylans were the major factors on biomass digestibility in cotton stalks. Hence, this study has provided the insights into cell wall modification and biomass process technology in cotton stalks and beyond. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  11. Neutron diffraction measurements of residual stress in a powder metallurgy component

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schneider, L.C.R.; Hainsworth, S.V.; Cocks, A.C.F.; Fitzpatrick, M.E.

    2005-01-01

    Residual stresses in a typical industrial green component were determined using neutron diffraction. The measured residual stresses were found to correlate with cross-sectional variations. Residual stress at the edge of the compact in contact with the die wall during compaction reached up to +80 MPa (tension) and -100 MPa (compression)

  12. Cellulose microfibril structure: inspirations from plant diversity

    Science.gov (United States)

    Roberts, A. W.

    2018-03-01

    Cellulose microfibrils are synthesized at the plasma membrane by cellulose synthase catalytic subunits that associate to form cellulose synthesis complexes. Variation in the organization of these complexes underlies the variation in cellulose microfibril structure among diverse organisms. However, little is known about how the catalytic subunits interact to form complexes with different morphologies. We are using an evolutionary approach to investigate the roles of different catalytic subunit isoforms in organisms that have rosette-type cellulose synthesis complexes.

  13. Effect of water content and organic carbon on remote sensing of crop residue cover

    Science.gov (United States)

    Serbin, G.; Hunt, E. R., Jr.; Daughtry, C. S. T.; McCarty, G. W.; Brown, D. J.; Doraiswamy, P. C.

    2009-04-01

    Crop residue cover is an important indicator of tillage method. Remote sensing of crop residue cover is an attractive and efficient method when compared with traditional ground-based methods, e.g., the line-point transect or windshield survey. A number of spectral indices have been devised for residue cover estimation. Of these, the most effective are those in the shortwave infrared portion of the spectrum, situated between 1950 and 2500 nm. These indices include the hyperspectral Cellulose Absorption Index (CAI), and advanced multispectral indices, i.e., the Lignin-Cellulose Absorption (LCA) index and the Shortwave Infrared Normalized Difference Residue Index (SINDRI), which were devised for the NASA Terra Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) sensor. Spectra of numerous soils from U.S. Corn Belt (Indiana and Iowa) were acquired under wetness conditions varying from saturation to oven-dry conditions. The behavior of soil reflectance with water content was also dependent on the soil organic carbon content (SOC) of the soils, and the location of the spectral bands relative to significant water absorptions. High-SOC soils showed the least change in spectral index values with increase in soil water content. Low-SOC soils, on the other hand, showed measurable difference. For CAI, low-SOC soils show an initial decrease in index value followed by an increase, due to the way that water content affects CAI spectral bands. Crop residue CAI values decrease with water content. For LCA, water content increases decrease crop residue index values and increase them for soils, resulting in decreased contrast. SINDRI is also affected by SOC and water content. As such, spatial information on the distribution of surface soil water content and SOC, when used in a geographic information system (GIS), will improve the accuracy of remotely-sensed crop residue cover estimates.

  14. Investigation of Mechanical and Thermal Properties of Polymer Composites Reinforced by Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotube for Reduction of Residual Stresses

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ahmad Reza Ghasemi

    2014-08-01

    Full Text Available The micromechanical models are used to investigate mechanical and thermal properties of a polymer matrix nanocomposite containing multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT in their effects to reduce residual stresses in nanocomposites. To do this, first nanotubes with different weights and volume fractions were dispersed in ML-506 epoxy resin. By using different micromechanical models, the effect additional nanotubes on elastic modulus and coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE of nanotubes/epoxy were studied as critical parameters. Comparing the model and available experimental results, the modified Halpin-Tsai model and the modified Schapery model were chosen to calculate the mechanical and thermal properties of the nanocomposites. Then, using the matrix reinforced with MWCNT and classical micromechanics models the elastic modulus and coefficients of thermal expansion of the nanocomposites were determined for a single orthotropic ply. The results showed that the rule of mixture (ROM and Hashin-Rosen model to determine the longitudinal and transverse elastic moduli and Van Fo Fy model to calculate the coefficient of thermal expansion were in good agreements with the experimental results of a single-layer nanocomposite. Finally, the classical laminated plate theory (CLPT was used to calculate the residual stresses of the CNT/carbon fiber/epoxy composites with different weights and volume fractions of MWCNT for angle-ply, cross-ply and quasi-isotropic laminated composite materials. The results showed that residual stresses were reduced using a maximum of 1% wt or 0.675% volume fraction of the MWCNT in polymer composites. Also, the highest reduction in residual stresses was observed in [02/902] cross-ply laminated composite materials.

  15. Examination of water phase transitions in Loblolly pine and cell wall components by differential scanning calorimetry

    Science.gov (United States)

    Samuel L. Zelinka; Michael J. Lambrecht; Samuel V. Glass; Alex C. Wiedenhoeft; Daniel J. Yelle

    2012-01-01

    This paper examines phase transformations of water in wood and isolated wood cell wall components using differential scanning calorimetry with the purpose of better understanding "Type II water" or "freezable bound water" that has been reported for cellulose and other hydrophilic polymers. Solid loblolly pine (Pinus taeda...

  16. Irradiation effects in wood and cellulose

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    McLaren, K.G.

    1976-01-01

    For cellulosic materials the predominant effect of high energy radiation is depolymerisation and degradation by chain scission, although there is some evidence that crosslinking or cellulose stabilisation can occur under certain conditions. When the cellulose is in the form of a natural product such as wood, where it is intimately associated with other polysaccharides, lignins, resins and gums, the effects of radiation can be significantly modified. Examination of cellulose produced by chemical pulping treatment of wood which had been previously given small doses of radiation, showed significant differences in the extent of cellulose depolymerisation with different wood species. The relevance of this work to the paper pulp industry will also be discussed. (author)

  17. RADIOCHEMICAL YIELDS OF GRAFT POLYMERIZATION REACTIONS OF CELLULOSE

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Arthur, Jr, J C; Blouin, F A

    1963-12-15

    The preparation of radioinduced graft polymers of cotton cellulose, while retaining the fibrous nature and high molecular weight of the cellulose, depended primarily on the radiochemical yields of cellulose reactions and of graft polymerization reactions. Yields of the initial major molecular changes in cellulosic polymer indicated that, in the case of scission of the molecule and carboxyl group formation, chain reactions were not initiated by radiation; however, in the case of carbonyl group formation chain reactions were initiated but quickly terminated. Generally, experimental procedures, used in graft polymerization reactions, were: simultaneous irradiation reactions, that is, application of monomers or solutions of monomers to cellulose or chemically modified celluloses, then irradiation; and post-irradiation reactions, that is, irradiation of cellulose or chemically modified celluloses, then after removal from the field of radiation, contacting the irradiated cellulose with monomer. Some of the most important factors influencing the radiochemical yields of graft polymerization reactions, of styrene and acrylonitrile onto cellulose were: concentration of monomer in treating solution; solvent; ratio of monomer solution to cellulose; prior chemical modification of cellulose; and absence of oxygen, particularly in post-irradiation reactions. Experimental data are presented, and the direct and indirect effects of Co/sup 60/ gamma radiation on these reactions are discussed. (auth)

  18. Compositions and methods relating to transgenic plants and cellulosic ethanol production

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tien, Ming [State College, PA; Carlson, John [Port Matilda, PA; Liang, Haiying [Clemson, SC

    2012-04-24

    Transgenic lignocellulosic plants are provided according to embodiments of the present invention, the transgenic plants transformed with an expression cassette encoding a protein operably linked to a signal peptide which targets the protein to a cell wall of the transgenic plant, where at least 5% of the total amino acid residues of the protein are tyrosine, lysine, serine, threonine or cysteine. Methods of increasing lignin-protein bonds in a lignocellulosic plant are provided according to embodiments of the present invention which include expressing a recombinant nucleic acid in a lignocellulosic plant, the recombinant nucleic acid encoding a protein operably linked to a signal peptide which targets the protein to the cell wall of a plant, where at least 5% of the total amino acid residues of the protein are tyrosine, lysine, serine, threonine or cysteine.

  19. Compositions and methods relating to transgenic plants and cellulosic ethanol production

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Tien, Ming; Carlson, John; Liang, Haiying

    2015-06-02

    Transgenic lignocellulosic plants are provided according to embodiments of the present invention, the transgenic plants transformed with an expression cassette encoding a protein operably linked to a signal peptide which targets the protein to a cell wall of the transgenic plant, where at least 5% of the total amino acid residues of the protein are tyrosine, lysine, serine, threonine or cysteine. Methods of increasing lignin-protein bonds in a lignocellulosic plant are provided according to embodiments of the present invention which include expressing a recombinant nucleic acid in a lignocellulosic plant, the recombinant nucleic acid encoding a protein operably linked to a signal peptide which targets the protein to the cell wall of a plant, where at least 5% of the total amino acid residues of the protein are tyrosine, lysine, serine, threonine or cysteine.

  20. Pretreatment assisted synthesis and characterization of cellulose nanocrystals and cellulose nanofibers from absorbent cotton.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abu-Danso, Emmanuel; Srivastava, Varsha; Sillanpää, Mika; Bhatnagar, Amit

    2017-09-01

    In this work, cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) and cellulose nanofibers (CNFs) were synthesized from absorbent cotton. Two pretreatments viz. dewaxing and bleaching with mild alkali were applied to the precursor (cotton). Acid hydrolysis was conducted with H 2 SO 4 and dissolution of cotton was achieved with a mixture of NaOH-thiourea-urea-H 2 O at -3°C. Synthesized cellulose samples were characterized using FTIR, XRD, SEM, BET, and zeta potential. It seems that synthesis conditions contributed to negative surface charge on cellulose samples and CNCs had the higher negative surface charge compared to CNFs. Furthermore, BET surface area, pore volume and pore diameter of CNCs were found to be higher as compared to CNFs. The dewaxed cellulose nanofibers (CNF D) had a slightly higher BET surface area (0.47m 2 /g) and bigger pore diameter (59.87Å) from attenuated contraction compared to waxed cellulose nanofibers (CNFW) (0.38m 2 /g and 44.89Å). The XRD of CNCs revealed a semi-crystalline structure and the dissolution agents influenced the crystallinity of CNFs. SEM images showed the porous nature of CNFs, the flaky nature and the nano-sized width of CNCs. Synthesized CNF D showed a better potential as an adsorbent with an average lead removal efficiency of 91.49% from aqueous solution. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  1. Fluorescent cellulose nanocrystals via supramolecular assembly of terpyridine-modified cellulose nanocrystals and terpyridine-modified perylene

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hassan, Mohammad L.; Moorefield, Charles M.; Elbatal, Hany S.; Newkome, George R.; Modarelli, David A.; Romano, Natalie C.

    2012-01-01

    Highlights: ► Surfaces of cellulose nanocrystals were modified with terpyridine ligands. ► Fluorescent nanocrystals could be obtained via self-assembly of terpyridine-modified perylene dye onto the terpyridine-modified cellulose nanocrystals. ► Further self-assembly of azide-functionalized terpyridine onto the fluorescent cellulose nanocrystals was possible to obtain nanocellulosic material with expected use in bioimaging. - Abstract: Due to their natural origin, biocompatibility, and non-toxicity, cellulose nanocrystals are promising candidates for applications in nanomedicine. Highly fluorescent nanocellulosic material was prepared via surface modification of cellulose nanocrystals with 2,2′:6′,2″-terpyridine side chains followed by supramolecular assembly of terpyridine-modified perylene dye onto the terpyridine-modified cellulose nanocrystals (CTP) via Ru III /Ru II reduction. The prepared terpyridine-modified cellulose-Ru II -terpyridine-modified perylene (CTP-Ru II -PeryTP) fluorescent nanocrystals were characterized using cross-polarized/magic angle spin 13 C nuclear magnetic resonance (CP/MAS 13 C NMR), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), UV–visible, and fluorescence spectroscopy. In addition, further self-assembly of terpyridine units with azide functional groups onto CTP-Ru II -PeryTP was possible via repeating the Ru III /Ru II reduction protocol to prepare supramolecular fluorescent nanocrystals with azide functionality (CTP-Ru II -PeryTP-Ru II -AZTP). The prepared derivative may have potential application in bio-imaging since the terminal azide groups can be easily reacted with antigens via “Click” chemistry reaction.

  2. Evaluation of elastic modulus and hardness of crop stalks cell walls by nano-indentation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yan Wu; Siqun Wang; Dingguo Zhou; Cheng Xing; Yang Zhang; Zhiyong Cai

    2010-01-01

    Agricultural biomaterials such as crop stalks are natural sources of cellulosic fiber and have great potential as reinforced materials in bio-composites. In order to evaluate their potential as materials for reinforcement, the nano-mechanical properties of crop-stalk cell walls, i.e. those of cotton (Gossypium herbaceu) stalk, soybean (Glycine max) stalk, cassava (...

  3. Current characterization methods for cellulose nanomaterials.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Foster, E Johan; Moon, Robert J; Agarwal, Umesh P; Bortner, Michael J; Bras, Julien; Camarero-Espinosa, Sandra; Chan, Kathleen J; Clift, Martin J D; Cranston, Emily D; Eichhorn, Stephen J; Fox, Douglas M; Hamad, Wadood Y; Heux, Laurent; Jean, Bruno; Korey, Matthew; Nieh, World; Ong, Kimberly J; Reid, Michael S; Renneckar, Scott; Roberts, Rose; Shatkin, Jo Anne; Simonsen, John; Stinson-Bagby, Kelly; Wanasekara, Nandula; Youngblood, Jeff

    2018-04-23

    A new family of materials comprised of cellulose, cellulose nanomaterials (CNMs), having properties and functionalities distinct from molecular cellulose and wood pulp, is being developed for applications that were once thought impossible for cellulosic materials. Commercialization, paralleled by research in this field, is fueled by the unique combination of characteristics, such as high on-axis stiffness, sustainability, scalability, and mechanical reinforcement of a wide variety of materials, leading to their utility across a broad spectrum of high-performance material applications. However, with this exponential growth in interest/activity, the development of measurement protocols necessary for consistent, reliable and accurate materials characterization has been outpaced. These protocols, developed in the broader research community, are critical for the advancement in understanding, process optimization, and utilization of CNMs in materials development. This review establishes detailed best practices, methods and techniques for characterizing CNM particle morphology, surface chemistry, surface charge, purity, crystallinity, rheological properties, mechanical properties, and toxicity for two distinct forms of CNMs: cellulose nanocrystals and cellulose nanofibrils.

  4. Valorization of residual Empty Palm Fruit Bunch Fibers (EPFBF) by microfluidization: production of nanofibrillated cellulose and EPFBF nanopaper.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ferrer, Ana; Filpponen, Ilari; Rodríguez, Alejandro; Laine, Janne; Rojas, Orlando J

    2012-12-01

    Different cellulose pulps were produced from sulfur-free chemical treatments of Empty Palm Fruit Bunch Fibers (EPFBF), a by-product from palm oil processing. The pulps were microfluidized for deconstruction into nanofibrillated cellulose (NFC) and nanopaper was manufactured by using an overpressure device. The morphological and structural features of the obtained NFCs were characterized via atomic force and scanning electron microscopies. The physical properties as well as the interactions with water of sheets from three different pulps were compared with those of nanopaper obtained from the corresponding NFC. Distinctive chemical and morphological characteristics and ensuing nanopaper properties were generated by the EPFBF fibers. The NFC grades obtained compared favorably with associated materials typically produced from bleached wood fibers. Lower water absorption, higher tensile strengths (107-137 MPa) and elastic modulus (12-18 GPa) were measured, which opens the possibility for valorization of such widely available bioresource. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  5. Laser cleaning of particulates from paper: Comparison between sized ground wood cellulose and pure cellulose

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Arif, S.; Kautek, W.

    2013-01-01

    Visible laser cleaning of charcoal particulates from yellow acid mechanical ground wood cellulose paper was compared with that from bleached sulphite softwood cellulose paper. About one order of magnitude of fluence range is available for a cleaning dynamics between the cleaning threshold and the destruction threshold for two laser pulses. Wood cellulose paper exhibited a higher destruction threshold of the original paper than that of the contaminated specimen because of heat transfer from the hot or evaporating charcoal particulates. In contrast, the contaminated bleached cellulose paper exhibited a higher destruction threshold due to shading by the particulates. The graphite particles are not only detached thermo-mechanically, but also by evaporation or combustion. A cleaning effect was found also outside the illuminated areas due to lateral blasting. Infrared measurements revealed dehydration/dehydrogenation reactions and cross-links by ether bonds together with structural changes of the cellulose chain arrangement and the degree of crystallinity.

  6. The productive cellulase binding capacity of cellulosic substrates.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Karuna, Nardrapee; Jeoh, Tina

    2017-03-01

    Cellulosic biomass is the most promising feedstock for renewable biofuel production; however, the mechanisms of the heterogeneous cellulose saccharification reaction are still unsolved. As cellulases need to bind isolated molecules of cellulose at the surface of insoluble cellulose fibrils or larger aggregated cellulose structures in order to hydrolyze glycosidic bonds, the "accessibility of cellulose to cellulases" is considered to be a reaction limiting property of cellulose. We have defined the accessibility of cellulose to cellulases as the productive binding capacity of cellulose, that is, the concentration of productive binding sites on cellulose that are accessible for binding and hydrolysis by cellulases. Productive cellulase binding to cellulose results in hydrolysis and can be quantified by measuring hydrolysis rates. In this study, we measured the productive Trichoderma reesei Cel7A (TrCel7A) binding capacity of five cellulosic substrates from different sources and processing histories. Swollen filter paper and bacterial cellulose had higher productive binding capacities of ∼6 µmol/g while filter paper, microcrystalline cellulose, and algal cellulose had lower productive binding capacities of ∼3 µmol/g. Swelling and regenerating filter paper using phosphoric acid increased the initial accessibility of the reducing ends to TrCel7A from 4 to 6 µmol/g. Moreover, this increase in initial productive binding capacity accounted in large part for the difference in the overall digestibility between filter paper and swollen filter paper. We further demonstrated that an understanding of how the productive binding capacity declines over the course of the hydrolysis reaction has the potential to predict overall saccharification time courses. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2017;114: 533-542. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  7. Ductile all-cellulose nanocomposite films fabricated from core-shell structured cellulose nanofibrils.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Larsson, Per A; Berglund, Lars A; Wågberg, Lars

    2014-06-09

    Cellulosic materials have many desirable properties such as high mechanical strength and low oxygen permeability and will be an important component in a sustainable biomaterial-based society, but unfortunately they often lack the ductility and formability offered by petroleum-based materials. This paper describes the fabrication and characterization of nanocomposite films made of core-shell modified cellulose nanofibrils (CNFs) surrounded by a shell of ductile dialcohol cellulose, created by heterogeneous periodate oxidation followed by borohydride reduction of the native cellulose in the external parts of the individual fibrils. The oxidation with periodate selectively produces dialdehyde cellulose, and the process does not increase the charge density of the material. Yet the modified cellulose fibers could easily be homogenized to CNFs. Prior to film fabrication, the CNF was shown by atomic force microscopy to be 0.5-2 μm long and 4-10 nm wide. The films were fabricated by filtration, and besides uniaxial tensile testing at different relative humidities, they were characterized by scanning electron microscopy and oxygen permeability. The strength-at-break at 23 °C and 50% RH was 175 MPa, and the films could, before rupture, be strained, mainly by plastic deformation, to about 15% and 37% at 50% RH and 90% RH, respectively. This moisture plasticization was further utilized to form a demonstrator consisting of a double-curved structure with a nominal strain of 24% over the curvature. At a relative humidity of 80%, the films still acted as a good oxygen barrier, having an oxygen permeability of 5.5 mL·μL/(m(2)·24 h·kPa). These properties indicate that this new material has a potential for use as a barrier in complex-shaped structures and hence ultimately reduce the need for petroleum-based plastics.

  8. Evaluation of electricity generation from lignin residue and biogas in cellulosic ethanol production.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Gang; Bao, Jie

    2017-11-01

    This study takes the first insight on the rigorous evaluation of electricity generation based on the experimentally measured higher heating value (HHV) of lignin residue, as well as the chemical oxygen demand (COD) and biological oxygen demand (BOD 5 ) of wastewater. For producing one metric ton of ethanol fuel from five typical lignocellulose substrates, including corn stover, wheat straw, rice straw, sugarcane bagasse and poplar sawdust, 1.26-1.85tons of dry lignin residue is generated from biorefining process and 0.19-0.27tons of biogas is generated from anaerobic digestion of wastewater, equivalent to 4335-5981kWh and 1946-2795kWh of electricity by combustion of the generated lignin residue and biogas, respectively. The electricity generation not only sufficiently meets the electricity needs of process requirement, but also generates more than half of electricity surplus selling to the grid. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  9. 21 CFR 172.870 - Hydroxypropyl cellulose.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 3 2010-04-01 2009-04-01 true Hydroxypropyl cellulose. 172.870 Section 172.870... CONSUMPTION Multipurpose Additives § 172.870 Hydroxypropyl cellulose. The food additive hydroxypropyl cellulose may be safely used in food, except standardized foods that do not provide for such use, in...

  10. Topochemical distribution of lignin and hydroxycinnamic acids in sugar-cane cell walls and its correlation with the enzymatic hydrolysis of polysaccharides

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Koch Gerald

    2011-03-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Lignin and hemicelluloses are the major components limiting enzyme infiltration into cell walls. Determination of the topochemical distribution of lignin and aromatics in sugar cane might provide important data on the recalcitrance of specific cells. We used cellular ultraviolet (UV microspectrophotometry (UMSP to topochemically detect lignin and hydroxycinnamic acids in individual fiber, vessel and parenchyma cell walls of untreated and chlorite-treated sugar cane. Internodes, presenting typical vascular bundles and sucrose-storing parenchyma cells, were divided into rind and pith fractions. Results Vascular bundles were more abundant in the rind, whereas parenchyma cells predominated in the pith region. UV measurements of untreated fiber cell walls gave absorbance spectra typical of grass lignin, with a band at 278 nm and a pronounced shoulder at 315 nm, assigned to the presence of hydroxycinnamic acids linked to lignin and/or to arabino-methylglucurono-xylans. The cell walls of vessels had the highest level of lignification, followed by those of fibers and parenchyma. Pith parenchyma cell walls were characterized by very low absorbance values at 278 nm; however, a distinct peak at 315 nm indicated that pith parenchyma cells are not extensively lignified, but contain significant amounts of hydroxycinnamic acids. Cellular UV image profiles scanned with an absorbance intensity maximum of 278 nm identified the pattern of lignin distribution in the individual cell walls, with the highest concentration occurring in the middle lamella and cell corners. Chlorite treatment caused a rapid removal of hydroxycinnamic acids from parenchyma cell walls, whereas the thicker fiber cell walls were delignified only after a long treatment duration (4 hours. Untreated pith samples were promptly hydrolyzed by cellulases, reaching 63% of cellulose conversion after 72 hours of hydrolysis, whereas untreated rind samples achieved only 20

  11. Chiral symmetry breaking for domain wall fermions in quenched lattice QCD

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wu Lingling

    2001-01-01

    The domain wall fermion formulation exhibits full chiral symmetry for finite lattice spacing except for the effects of mixing between the domain walls. Close to the continuum limit these symmetry breaking effects should be described by a single residual mass. We determine this mass from the conservation law obeyed by the conserved axial current in quenched simulations with β = 5.7 and 6.0 and domain wall separations varying between 12 and 48 on 8 3 x 32 and 16 3 x 32 lattices. Using the resulting values for the residual mass we perform two complete and independent calculations of the pion decay constant. Good agreement is found between these two methods and with experiment

  12. Cellulose Nanocrystals vs. Cellulose Nanofibrils: A Comparative study on Their Microstructures and Effects as Polymer Reinforcing Agents

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xuezhu Xu; Fei Liu; Long Jiang; J.Y. Zhu; Darrin Haagenson; Dennis P. Wiesenborn

    2013-01-01

    Both cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) and cellulose nanofibrils (CNFs) are nanoscale cellulose fibers that have shown reinforcing effects in polymer nanocomposites. CNCs and CNFs are different in shape, size and composition. This study systematically compared their morphologies, crystalline structure, dispersion properties in polyethylene oxide (PEO) matrix, interactions...

  13. Effects of cooking on the cell walls (dietary fiber) of 'Scarlet Warren' winter squash ( Cucurbita maxima ) studied by polysaccharide linkage analysis and solid-state (13)C NMR.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ratnayake, R M Sunil; Sims, Ian M; Newman, Roger H; Melton, Laurence D

    2011-07-13

    Cell wall polysaccharides of 'Scarlet Warren' winter squash ( Cucurbita maxima ) were investigated before and after thermal processing. Linkage analysis of polysaccharides was done by gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The linkage analysis showed the cell wall polysaccharide compositions of raw and cooked squash were similar. The total pectic polysaccharides (galacturonan, rhamnogalacturonan, arabinan, and arabinogalactan) contents of the cell walls of both raw and cooked squash were 39 mol %. The amounts of pectic polysaccharides and xyloglucan in the cell walls of squash showed little alteration on heating. The cellulose content of the raw and cooked cell walls was relatively high at 47 mol %, whereas the xyloglucan content was low at 4 mol %. Solid-state (13)C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy techniques were used to examine the molecular motion of the polysaccharides in the cell walls. The mobility of highly flexible galactan depends on the water content of the sample, but no difference was seen between raw and cooked samples. Likewise, the mobility of semimobile pectic polysaccharides was apparently unaltered by cooking. No change was detected in the rigid cellulose microfibrils on cooking.

  14. Cellulose Anionic Hydrogels Based on Cellulose Nanofibers As Natural Stimulants for Seed Germination and Seedling Growth.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Hao; Yang, Minmin; Luan, Qian; Tang, Hu; Huang, Fenghong; Xiang, Xia; Yang, Chen; Bao, Yuping

    2017-05-17

    Cellulose anionic hydrogels were successfully prepared by dissolving TEMPO-oxidized cellulose nanofibers in NaOH/urea aqueous solution and being cross-linked with epichlorohydrin. The hydrogels exhibited microporous structure and high hydrophilicity, which contribute to the excellent water absorption property. The growth indexes, including the germination rate, root length, shoot length, fresh weight, and dry weight of the seedlings, were investigated. The results showed that cellulose anionic hydrogels with suitable carboxylate contents as plant growth regulators could be beneficial for seed germination and growth. Moreover, they presented preferable antifungal activity during the breeding and growth of the sesame seed breeding. Thus, the cellulose anionic hydrogels with suitable carboxylate contents could be applied as soilless culture mediums for plant growth. This research provided a simple and effective method for the fabrication of cellulose anionic hydrogel and evaluated its application in agriculture.

  15. Graft Copolymerization Of Methyl Methacrylate Onto Agave Cellulose

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Noor Afizah Rosli; Ishak Ahmad; Ibrahim Abdullah; Farah Hannan Anuar

    2014-01-01

    The grafting polymerization of methyl methacrylate (MMA) and Agave cellulose was prepared and the grafting reaction conditions were optimized by varying the reaction time and temperature, and ratio of monomer to cellulose. The resulting graft copolymers were characterized by Fourier transform infrared, X-ray diffraction analysis, thermogravimetric analysis, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The experimental results showed that the optimal conditions were at a temperature of 45 degree Celsius for 90 min with ratio monomer to cellulose at 1:1 (g/ g). An additional peak at 1738 cm -1 which was attributed to the C=O of ester stretching vibration of poly(methyl methacrylate), appeared in the spectrum of grafted Agave cellulose. A slight decrease of crystallinity index upon grafting was found from 0.74 to 0.68 for cellulose and grafted cellulose, respectively. Grafting of MMA onto cellulose enhanced its thermal stability and SEM observation further furnished evidence of grafting MMA onto Agave cellulose with increasing cellulose diameter and surface roughness. (author)

  16. Cellulose: To depolymerize… or not to?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Coseri, Sergiu

    Oxidation of the primary OH groups in cellulose is a pivotal reaction both at lab and industrial scale, leading to the value-added products, i.e. oxidized cellulose which have tremendous applications in medicine, pharmacy and hi-tech industry. Moreover, the introduction of carboxyl moieties creates prerequisites for further cellulose functionalization through covalent attachment or electrostatic interactions, being an essential achievement designed to boost the area of cellulose-based nanomaterials fabrication. Various methods for the cellulose oxidation have been developed in the course of time, aiming the selective conversion of the OH groups. These methods use: nitrogen dioxide in chloroform, alkali metal nitrites and nitrates, strong acids alone or in combination with permanganates or sodium nitrite, ozone, and sodium periodate or lead (IV) tetraacetate. In the case of the last two reagents, cellulose dialdehydes derivatives are formed, which are further oxidized by sodium chlorite or hydrogen peroxide to form dicarboxyl groups. A major improvement in the cellulose oxidation was represented by the introduction of the stable nitroxyl radicals, such as 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-1-oxyl (TEMPO). However, a major impediment for the researchers working in this area is related with the severe depolymerisation occurred during the TEMPO-mediated conversion of CH 2 OH into COOH groups. On the other hand, the cellulose depolymerisation represent the key step, in the general effort of searching for alternative strategies to develop new renewable, carbon-neutral energy sources. In this connection, exploiting the biomass feed stocks to produce biofuel and other low molecular organic compounds, involves a high amount of research to improve the overall reaction conditions, limit the energy consumption, and to use benign reagents. This work is therefore focused on the parallelism between these two apparently antagonist processes involving cellulose, building a necessary

  17. Prevalence and trends of cellulosics in pharmaceutical dosage forms.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mastropietro, David J; Omidian, Hossein

    2013-02-01

    Many studies have shown that cellulose derivatives (cellulosics) can provide various benefits when used in virtually all types of dosage forms. Nevertheless, the popularity of their use in approved drug products is rather unknown. This research reports the current prevalence and trends of use for 15 common cellulosics in prescription drug products. The cellulosics were powdered and microcrystalline cellulose (MCC), ethyl cellulose, hydroxypropyl cellulose (HPC), hydroxyethyl cellulose (HEC), hypromellose (HPMC), HPMC phthalate, HPMC acetate succinate, cellulose acetate (CA), CA phthalate, sodium (Na) and calcium (Ca) carboxymethylcellulose (CMC), croscarmellose sodium (XCMCNa), methyl cellulose, and low substituted HPC. The number of brand drug products utilizing each cellulosics was determined using the online drug index Rxlist. A total of 607 brand products were identified having one or more of the cellulosics as an active or inactive ingredient. An array of various dosage forms was identified and revealed HPMC and MCC to be the most utilized cellulosics in all products followed by XCMCNa and HPC. Many products contained two or more cellulosics in the formulation (42% containing two, 23% containing three, and 4% containing 4-5). The largest combination occurrence was HPMC with MCC. The use of certain cellulosics within different dosage form types was found to contain specific trends. All injectables utilized only CMCNa, and the same with all ophthalmic solutions utilizing HPMC, and otic suspensions utilizing HEC. Popularity and trends regarding cellulosics use may occur based on many factors including functionality, safety, availability, stability, and ease of manufacturing.

  18. Cellulose-Based Bio- and Nanocomposites: A Review

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Susheel Kalia

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available Cellulose macro- and nanofibers have gained increasing attention due to the high strength and stiffness, biodegradability and renewability, and their production and application in development of composites. Application of cellulose nanofibers for the development of composites is a relatively new research area. Cellulose macro- and nanofibers can be used as reinforcement in composite materials because of enhanced mechanical, thermal, and biodegradation properties of composites. Cellulose fibers are hydrophilic in nature, so it becomes necessary to increase their surface roughness for the development of composites with enhanced properties. In the present paper, we have reviewed the surface modification of cellulose fibers by various methods. Processing methods, properties, and various applications of nanocellulose and cellulosic composites are also discussed in this paper.

  19. Cellulose-Based Nanomaterials for Energy Applications.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Xudong; Yao, Chunhua; Wang, Fei; Li, Zhaodong

    2017-11-01

    Cellulose is the most abundant natural polymer on earth, providing a sustainable green resource that is renewable, degradable, biocompatible, and cost effective. Recently, nanocellulose-based mesoporous structures, flexible thin films, fibers, and networks are increasingly developed and used in photovoltaic devices, energy storage systems, mechanical energy harvesters, and catalysts components, showing tremendous materials science value and application potential in many energy-related fields. In this Review, the most recent advancements of processing, integration, and application of cellulose nanomaterials in the areas of solar energy harvesting, energy storage, and mechanical energy harvesting are reviewed. For solar energy harvesting, promising applications of cellulose-based nanostructures for both solar cells and photoelectrochemical electrodes development are reviewed, and their morphology-related merits are discussed. For energy storage, the discussion is primarily focused on the applications of cellulose-based nanomaterials in lithium-ion batteries, including electrodes (e.g., active materials, binders, and structural support), electrolytes, and separators. Applications of cellulose nanomaterials in supercapacitors are also reviewed briefly. For mechanical energy harvesting, the most recent technology evolution in cellulose-based triboelectric nanogenerators is reviewed, from fundamental property tuning to practical implementations. At last, the future research potential and opportunities of cellulose nanomaterials as a new energy material are discussed. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  20. Deposition of lignin droplets produced during dilute acid pretreatment of maize stems retards enzymatic hydrolysis of cellulose.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Selig, Michael J; Viamajala, Sridhar; Decker, Stephen R; Tucker, Melvin P; Himmel, Michael E; Vinzant, Todd B

    2007-01-01

    Electron microscopy of lignocellulosic biomass following high-temperature pretreatment revealed the presence of spherical formations on the surface of the residual biomass. The hypothesis that these droplet formations are composed of lignins and possible lignin carbohydrate complexes is being explored. Experiments were conducted to better understand the formation of these "lignin" droplets and the possible implications they might have on the enzymatic saccharification of pretreated biomass. It was demonstrated that these droplets are produced from corn stover during pretreatment under neutral and acidic pH at and above 130 degrees C, and that they can deposit back onto the surface of residual biomass. The deposition of droplets produced under certain pretreatment conditions (acidic pH; T > 150 degrees C) and captured onto pure cellulose was shown to have a negative effect (5-20%) on the enzymatic saccharification of this substrate. It was noted that droplet density (per unit area) was greater and droplet size more variable under conditions where the greatest impact on enzymatic cellulose conversion was observed. These results indicate that this phenomenon has the potential to adversely affect the efficiency of enzymatic conversion in a lignocellulosic biorefinery.

  1. Acetone-based cellulose solvent.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kostag, Marc; Liebert, Tim; Heinze, Thomas

    2014-08-01

    Acetone containing tetraalkylammonium chloride is found to be an efficient solvent for cellulose. The addition of an amount of 10 mol% (based on acetone) of well-soluble salt triethyloctylammonium chloride (Et3 OctN Cl) adjusts the solvent's properties (increases the polarity) to promote cellulose dissolution. Cellulose solutions in acetone/Et3 OctN Cl have the lowest viscosity reported for comparable aprotic solutions making it a promising system for shaping processes and homogeneous chemical modification of the biopolymer. Recovery of the polymer and recycling of the solvent components can be easily achieved. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  2. Regioselective Synthesis of Cellulose Ester Homopolymers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Daiqiang Xu; Kristen Voiges; Thomas Elder; Petra Mischnick; Kevin J. Edgar

    2012-01-01

    Regioselective synthesis of cellulose esters is extremely difficult due to the small reactivity differences between cellulose hydroxyl groups, small differences in steric demand between acyl moieties of interest, and the difficulty of attaching and detaching many protecting groups in the presence of cellulose ester moieties without removing the ester groups. Yet the...

  3. ISOLATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF CELLULOSE AND LIGNIN FROM STEAM-EXPLODED LIGNOCELLULOSIC BIOMASS

    OpenAIRE

    Maha M. Ibrahim; Foster A. Agblevor; Waleed K. El-Zawawy

    2010-01-01

    The isolation of cellulose from different lignocellulosic biomass sources such as corn cob, banana plant, cotton stalk, and cotton gin waste, was studied using a steam explosion technology as a pre-treatment process for different times followed by alkaline peroxide bleaching. The agricultural residues were steam-exploded at 220 ºC for 1-4 min for the corn cob, 2 and 4 min for the banana plant, 3-5 min for the cotton gin waste, and for 5 min for the cotton stalk. The steamed fibers were water ...

  4. Comparison the physicochemical properties of bunch press fibre cellulose and cyclone fibre cellulose of waste from industry Crude Palm Oil (CPO

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Irfan Gustian

    2013-10-01

    Full Text Available Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE Study on comparison the physicochemical properties of bunch press fibre cellulose (Bpfc and cyclone fibre cellulose (Cfc wastes from industry Crude Palm oil (CPO have been performed. The physicochemical properties both of celluloses have been done such as the average degree of polymerization (DP, solubility properties, functional group analysis, thermal properties and X-ray diffraction patterns. The average degrees of polymerization (DP have been obtained 2195 and 567 for Bpfc and Cfc. Bunch press fibre cellulose and cyclone fibre cellulose were soluble in cupriethylenediamine (CED. FT-IR analysis showed the same pattern of spectrum but different intensities. Thermal stability of bunch press fibre cellulose and cyclone fibre cellulose remains stable up to a temperature of 250 °C. Glass transition bunch press fibre cellulose greater than the glass transition cyclone fibre cellulose and X-ray diffraction pattern shows the same pattern and intensity varies.

  5. Chapter 2.1 Integrated Production of Cellulose Nanofibrils and Cellulosic Biofuel by Enzymatic Hydrolysis of wood Fibers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ronald Sabo; J.Y. Zhu

    2013-01-01

    One key barrier to converting woody biomass to biofuel through the sugar platform is the low efficiency of enzymatic cellulose saccharification due to the strong recalcitrance of the crystalline cellulose. Significant past research efforts in cellulosic biofuels have focused on overcoming the recalcitrance of lignocelluloses to enhance the saccharification of...

  6. The cellulose resource matrix.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Keijsers, Edwin R P; Yılmaz, Gülden; van Dam, Jan E G

    2013-03-01

    The emerging biobased economy is causing shifts from mineral fossil oil based resources towards renewable resources. Because of market mechanisms, current and new industries utilising renewable commodities, will attempt to secure their supply of resources. Cellulose is among these commodities, where large scale competition can be expected and already is observed for the traditional industries such as the paper industry. Cellulose and lignocellulosic raw materials (like wood and non-wood fibre crops) are being utilised in many industrial sectors. Due to the initiated transition towards biobased economy, these raw materials are intensively investigated also for new applications such as 2nd generation biofuels and 'green' chemicals and materials production (Clark, 2007; Lange, 2007; Petrus & Noordermeer, 2006; Ragauskas et al., 2006; Regalbuto, 2009). As lignocellulosic raw materials are available in variable quantities and qualities, unnecessary competition can be avoided via the choice of suitable raw materials for a target application. For example, utilisation of cellulose as carbohydrate source for ethanol production (Kabir Kazi et al., 2010) avoids the discussed competition with easier digestible carbohydrates (sugars, starch) deprived from the food supply chain. Also for cellulose use as a biopolymer several different competing markets can be distinguished. It is clear that these applications and markets will be influenced by large volume shifts. The world will have to reckon with the increase of competition and feedstock shortage (land use/biodiversity) (van Dam, de Klerk-Engels, Struik, & Rabbinge, 2005). It is of interest - in the context of sustainable development of the bioeconomy - to categorize the already available and emerging lignocellulosic resources in a matrix structure. When composing such "cellulose resource matrix" attention should be given to the quality aspects as well as to the available quantities and practical possibilities of processing the

  7. Cellulose nanocrystals reinforced foamed nitrile rubber nanocomposites.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Yukun; Zhang, Yuanbing; Xu, Chuanhui; Cao, Xiaodong

    2015-10-05

    Research on foamed nitrile rubber (NBR)/cellulose nanocrystals (CNs) nanocomposites is rarely found in the literatures. In this paper, CNs suspension and NBR latex was mixed to prepared the foamed NBR/CNs nanocomposites. We found that the CNs mainly located in the cell walls, effectively reinforcing the foamed NBR. The strong interaction between the CNs and NBR matrix restricted the mobility of NBR chains surrounding the CNs, hence increasing the crosslink density of the NBR matrix. CNs exhibited excellent reinforcement on the foamed NBR: a remarkable increase nearly 76% in the tensile strength of the foamed nanocomposites was achieved with a load of only 15 phr CNs. Enhanced mechanical properties make the foamed NBR/CNs nanocomposites a promising damping material for industrial applications with a potential to reduce the petroleum consumption. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  8. 21 CFR 172.872 - Methyl ethyl cellulose.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 3 2010-04-01 2009-04-01 true Methyl ethyl cellulose. 172.872 Section 172.872... CONSUMPTION Multipurpose Additives § 172.872 Methyl ethyl cellulose. The food additive methyl ethyl cellulose... a cellulose ether having the general formula [C6H(10 -x-y)O5(CH3)x(C2H5)y]n, where x is the number...

  9. [Impedance between modiolus and different walls of scala tympani].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Du, Qiang; Wang, Zhengmin

    2008-10-01

    To compare the impedance between the modiolus and the inner wall of scala tympani with that between the modiolus and the outer wall of scala tympani. The impedances between the modiolus and the inner wall of scala tympani and the impedance between the modiolus and the outer wall of scala tympani were measured, calculated and compared under different stimulating rates 0.1, 1.0, 10.0 kHz. The impedance between the modiolus and the inner wall of scala tympani is less than that between the modiolus and the outer wall of scala tympani (P < 0.05). To effectively stimulate the residual neurons in the spiral ganglion, the electrodes should be kept close to the inner wall of scale tympani.

  10. Ionic liquid processing of cellulose.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Hui; Gurau, Gabriela; Rogers, Robin D

    2012-02-21

    Utilization of natural polymers has attracted increasing attention because of the consumption and over-exploitation of non-renewable resources, such as coal and oil. The development of green processing of cellulose, the most abundant biorenewable material on Earth, is urgent from the viewpoints of both sustainability and environmental protection. The discovery of the dissolution of cellulose in ionic liquids (ILs, salts which melt below 100 °C) provides new opportunities for the processing of this biopolymer, however, many fundamental and practical questions need to be answered in order to determine if this will ultimately be a green or sustainable strategy. In this critical review, the open fundamental questions regarding the interactions of cellulose with both the IL cations and anions in the dissolution process are discussed. Investigations have shown that the interactions between the anion and cellulose play an important role in the solvation of cellulose, however, opinions on the role of the cation are conflicting. Some researchers have concluded that the cations are hydrogen bonding to this biopolymer, while others suggest they are not. Our review of the available data has led us to urge the use of more chemical units of solubility, such as 'g cellulose per mole of IL' or 'mol IL per mol hydroxyl in cellulose' to provide more consistency in data reporting and more insight into the dissolution mechanism. This review will also assess the greenness and sustainability of IL processing of biomass, where it would seem that the choices of cation and anion are critical not only to the science of the dissolution, but to the ultimate 'greenness' of any process (142 references).

  11. Comparison of sample digestion techniques for the determination of trace and residual catalyst metal content in single-wall carbon nanotubes by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Grinberg, Patricia, E-mail: patricia.grinberg@nrc.ca [Measurement Science and Standards, National Research Council Canada, Ottawa (Canada); Sturgeon, Ralph E. [Measurement Science and Standards, National Research Council Canada, Ottawa (Canada); Diehl, Liange de O.; Bizzi, Cezar A. [Measurement Science and Standards, National Research Council Canada, Ottawa (Canada); Chemistry Department, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Santa Maria (Brazil); Flores, Erico M.M. [Chemistry Department, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Santa Maria (Brazil)

    2015-03-01

    A single-wall carbon nanotube material produced by laser ablation of renewable biochar in the presence of Ni and Co catalyst was characterized for residual catalyst (Co and Ni) as well as trace metal impurity content (Fe, Mo, Cr, Pb and Hg) by isotope dilution ICP-MS following sample digestion. Several matrix destruction procedures were evaluated, including a multi-step microwave-assisted acid digestion, dry ashing at 450 °C and microwave-induced combustion with oxygen. Results were benchmarked against those derived from neutron activation analysis and also supported by solid sampling continuum source GF-AAS for several of the elements. Although laborious to execute, the multi-step microwave-assisted acid digestion proved to be most reliable for recovery of the majority of the analytes, although content of Cr remained biased low for each approach, likely due to its presence as refractory carbide. - Highlights: • Determination of trace and residual catalyst metal content in Single-Wall Carbon Nanotubes by Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry. • Comparative study of digestion methodology combined with high precision isotope dilution ICP-MS for quantitation of elements of toxicologic relevance. • Results were benchmarked against those derived from neutron activation analysis and also supported by solid sampling continuum source GF-AAS for several of the elements.

  12. Addressing the Recalcitrance of Cellulose Degradation through Cellulase Discovery, Nano-scale Elucidation of Molecular Mechanisms, and Kinetic Modeling

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Walker, Larry P., Bergstrom, Gary; Corgie, Stephane; Craighead, Harold; Gibson, Donna; Wilson, David

    2011-06-13

    This research project was designed to play a vital role in the development of low cost sugars from cellulosic biomass and contributing to the national effort to displace fossil fuel usage in the USA transportation sector. The goal was to expand the portfolio of cell wall degrading enzymes through innovative research at the nano-scale level, prospecting for novel cellulases and building a kinetic framework for the development of more effective enzymatic conversion processes. More precisely, the goal was to elucidate the molecular mechanisms for some cellulases that are very familiar to members of our research team and to investigate what we hope are novel cellulases or new enzyme combinations from the world of plant pathogenic fungi and bacteria. Hydrolytic activities of various cellulases and cellulase cocktails were monitored at the nanoscale of cellulose fibrils and the microscale of pretreated cellulose particles, and we integrated this insight into a heterogeneous reaction framework. The over-riding approach for this research program was the application of innovative and cutting edge optical and high-throughput screening and analysis techniques for observing how cellulases hydrolyze real substrates.

  13. Setting of loose-fill insulation materials in walls; Saetningsfri indblaesning af loesfyldsisolering i vaegge

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Rasmussen, T.V.

    2001-07-01

    The report describes material behaviour, which significantly influences the settling of loose-fill insulation materials. The specific application presented here is loose-fill insulation material injected in walls as thermal insulation. The physical formulation of the issue to be discussed is that the mass is kept in position in the cavity by frictional forces, which counteracts the settling but complicates injection. The purpose of this study is to investigate whether there is a possibility that decreased friction will be able to release settling. Cellulose loose-fill material injected in a 0.1 m thick and 1 m wide gypsum wall with a minimum density of 48 kg/m3 was found not to settle if kept at a constant relative humidity, RH 50 %. A minimum density of 53 kg/m3 is necessary if the thickness of the wall is increased from 0.1 m to 0.3 m. If changing the constant environment from RH 50 % to RH 80 % a minimum density of 63 kg/m3 is necessary. Furthermore, results so far show that cellulose loose-fill material spread on the attic floor will have a density after settling of 48 kg /M3 for a constant RH 50 %, corresponding to 43 kg/m3 dry material. The results were found by using a model and tests. (au)

  14. Transcriptome and secretome analyses of the wood decay fungus Wolfiporia cocos support alternative mechanisms of lignocellulose conversion

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jill Gaskell; Robert A. Blanchette; Philip E. Stewart; Sandra Splinter BonDurant; Marie Adams; Grzegorz Sabat; Philip Kersten; Daniel Cullen

    2016-01-01

    Certain wood decay basidiomycetes, collectively referred to as brown rot fungi, rapidly depolymerize cellulose while leaving behind the bulk of cell wall lignin as a modified residue. The mechanism(s) employed is unclear, but considerable evidence implicates the involvement of diffusible oxidants generated via Fenton-like chemistry. Toward a better understanding of...

  15. Reaction mechanisms in cellulose pyrolysis: a literature review

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Molton, P.M.; Demmitt, T.F.

    1977-08-01

    A bibliographic review of 195 references is presented outlining the history of the research into the mechanisms of cellulose pyrolysis. Topics discussed are: initial product identification, mechanism of initial formation of levoglucosan, from cellulose and from related compounds, decomposition of cellulose to other compounds, formation of aromatics, pyrolysis of levoglucosan, crosslinking of cellulose, pyrolytic reactions of cellulose derivatives, and the effects of inorganic salts on the pyrolysis mechanism. (JSR)

  16. Use of agroindustrial waste in the preparation of nanocomposites based on bacterial cellulose and hydroxyapatite; Utilizacao de residuos agroindustriais na elaboracao de bionanocompositos baseados em celulose bacteriana e hidroxiapatita

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Duarte, Eden B.; Chagas, Bruna S. das; Feitosa, Judith P.A. [Universidade Federal do Ceara (UFC), Fortaleza, CE (Brazil); Andrade, Fabia K.; Borges, Maria F.; Muniz, Celli R.; Souza Filho, Men de Sa M.; Rosa, Morsyleide F., E-mail: morsyleide.rosa@embrapa.br [Embrapa Agroindustria Tropical, Fortaleza, CE (Brazil); Brigida, Ana I. [Embrapa Agroindustria de Alimentos, Barra de Guaratiba, Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil); Morais, Joao P.S. [Embrapa Algodao, Campina Grande, PB (Brazil)

    2015-07-01

    Environmental issues have supported the interest in renewable sources and agroindustrial residues became a significant resource for the production of new materials. The present work presents the use of agroindustrial residues to obtain bacterial cellulose (BC) for further elaboration of nanocomposites with hydroxyapatite (HA). The production of BC membranes occurred in Hestrin & Schramm medium, cashew juice and sisal liquid waste cultivated under static conditions. After the incubation period, the BC membranes were purified and nanocomposites prepared by successive immersion of the purified membranes in solutions of Calcium Chloride (CaCl{sub 2}), and Sodium Phosphate (Na{sub 2}HPO{sub 4}), followed by drying and subsequent characterization. The materials obtained were characterized by Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA) and X-ray Diffraction (XRD). Additionally, in vitro tests were performed for nanocomposites. The results showed the production of cellulose from the three substrates studied, without the need for further supplementation or pH change. In all characterizations, structure and typical behavior of bacterial cellulose were found. The composites showed bioactivity and the adsorption capacity of proteins, which lead to potential biocompatibility of these materials. (author)

  17. Effect of ionizing radiation on starch and cellulose

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Klenha, J.; Bockova, J.

    1973-09-01

    The investigation is reported of the effects of ionizing radiation both on macromolecular systems generally and on polysaccharides, starch and cellulose. Attention is focused on changes in the physical and physico-chemical properties of starch and cellulose, such as starch swelling, gelation, viscosity, solubility, reaction with iodine, UV, IR and ESR spectra, chemical changes resulting from radiolysis and from the effect of amylases on irradiated starch, changes in cellulose fibre strength, water absorption, stain affinity, and also the degradation of cellulose by radiation and the effect of cellulases on irradiated cellulose. Practical applications of the findings concerning cellulose degradation are discussed. (author)

  18. High Performance Regenerated Cellulose Membranes from Trimethylsilyl Cellulose

    KAUST Repository

    Ali, Ola

    2013-01-01

    Regenerated cellulose (RC) membranes are extensively used in medical and pharmaceutical separation processes due to their biocompatibility, low fouling tendency and solvent resistant properties. They typically possess ultrafiltration

  19. Phenotype-Based Screening of Small Molecules to Modify Plant Cell Walls Using BY-2 Cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Okubo-Kurihara, Emiko; Matsui, Minami

    2018-01-01

    The plant cell wall is an important and abundant biomass with great potential for use as a modern recyclable resource. For effective utilization of this cellulosic biomass, its ability to degrade efficiently is key point. With the aim of modifying the cell wall to allow easy decomposition, we used chemical biological technology to alter its structure. As a first step toward evaluating the chemicals in the cell wall we employed a phenotype-based approach using high-throughput screening. As the plant cell wall is essential in determining cell morphology, phenotype-based screening is particularly effective in identifying compounds that bring about alterations in the cell wall. For rapid and reproducible screening, tobacco BY-2 cell is an excellent system in which to observe cell morphology. In this chapter, we provide a detailed chemical biological methodology for studying cell morphology using tobacco BY-2 cells.

  20. Pretreatment of forest residues of Douglas fir by wet explosion for enhanced enzymatic saccharification.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Biswas, Rajib; Teller, Philip J; Ahring, Birgitte K

    2015-09-01

    The logging and lumbering industry in the Pacific Northwest region generates huge amount of forest residues, offering an inexpensive raw material for biorefineries. Wet explosion (WEx) pretreatment was applied to the recalcitrant biomass to optimize process conditions including temperature (170-190 °C), time (10-30 min), and oxygen loading (0.5-7.5% of DM) through an experimental design. Optimal pH for enzymatic hydrolysis of the optimized samples and a complete mass balance have been evaluated. Results indicated that cellulose digestibility improved in all conditions tested with maximum digestibility achieved at 190 °C, time 30 min, and oxygen loading of 7.5%. Glucose yield at optimal pH of 5.5 was 63.3% with an excellent recovery of cellulose and lignin of 99.9% and 96.3%, respectively. Hemicellulose sugars recovery for xylose and mannose was found to be 69.2% and 76.0%, respectively, indicating that WEx is capable of producing relative high sugar yield even from the recalcitrant forest residues. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  1. Chemical and functional properties of cell wall polymers from two cherry varieties at two developmental stages.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Basanta, María F; de Escalada Plá, Marina F; Stortz, Carlos A; Rojas, Ana M

    2013-01-30

    The cell wall polysaccharides of Regina and Sunburst cherry varieties at two developmental stages were extracted sequentially, and their changes in monosaccharide composition and functional properties were studied. The loosely-attached pectins presented a lower d-galacturonic acid/rhamnose ratio than ionically-bound pectins, as well as lower thickening effects of their respective 2% aqueous solution: the lowest Newtonian viscosity and shear rate dependence during the pseudoplastic phase. The main constituents of the cell wall matrix were covalently bound pectins (probably through diferulate cross-linkings), with long arabinan side chains at the RG-I cores. This pectin domain was also anchored into the XG-cellulose elastic network. Ripening occurred with a decrease in the proportion of HGs, water extractable GGM and xylogalacturonan, and with a concomitant increase in neutral sugars. Ripening was also associated with higher viscosities and thickening effects, and to larger distribution of molecular weights. The highest firmness and compactness of Regina cherry may be associated with its higher proportion of calcium-bound HGs localized in the middle lamellae of cell walls, as well as to some higher molar proportion of NS (Rha and Ara) in covalently bound pectins. These pectins showed significantly better hydration properties than hemicellulose and cellulose network. Chemical composition and functional properties of cell wall polymers were dependent on cherry variety and ripening stage, and helped explain the contrasting firmness of Regina and Sunburst varieties. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  2. Comparison of Influenza Virus Particle Purification Using Magnetic Sulfated Cellulose Particles with an Established Centrifugation Method for Analytics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Serve, Anja; Pieler, Michael Martin; Benndorf, Dirk; Rapp, Erdmann; Wolff, Michael Werner; Reichl, Udo

    2015-11-03

    A method for the purification of influenza virus particles using novel magnetic sulfated cellulose particles is presented and compared to an established centrifugation method for analytics. Therefore, purified influenza A virus particles from adherent and suspension MDCK host cell lines were characterized on the protein level with mass spectrometry to compare the viral and residual host cell proteins. Both methods allowed one to identify all 10 influenza A virus proteins, including low-abundance proteins like the matrix protein 2 and nonstructural protein 1, with a similar impurity level of host cell proteins. Compared to the centrifugation method, use of the novel magnetic sulfated cellulose particles reduced the influenza A virus particle purification time from 3.5 h to 30 min before mass spectrometry analysis.

  3. A thermophilic ionic liquid-tolerant cellulase cocktail for the production of cellulosic biofuels.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Joshua I Park

    Full Text Available Generation of biofuels from sugars in lignocellulosic biomass is a promising alternative to liquid fossil fuels, but efficient and inexpensive bioprocessing configurations must be developed to make this technology commercially viable. One of the major barriers to commercialization is the recalcitrance of plant cell wall polysaccharides to enzymatic hydrolysis. Biomass pretreatment with ionic liquids (ILs enables efficient saccharification of biomass, but residual ILs inhibit both saccharification and microbial fuel production, requiring extensive washing after IL pretreatment. Pretreatment itself can also produce biomass-derived inhibitory compounds that reduce microbial fuel production. Therefore, there are multiple points in the process from biomass to biofuel production that must be interrogated and optimized to maximize fuel production. Here, we report the development of an IL-tolerant cellulase cocktail by combining thermophilic bacterial glycoside hydrolases produced by a mixed consortia with recombinant glycoside hydrolases. This enzymatic cocktail saccharifies IL-pretreated biomass at higher temperatures and in the presence of much higher IL concentrations than commercial fungal cocktails. Sugars obtained from saccharification of IL-pretreated switchgrass using this cocktail can be converted into biodiesel (fatty acid ethyl-esters or FAEEs by a metabolically engineered strain of E. coli. During these studies, we found that this biodiesel-producing E. coli strain was sensitive to ILs and inhibitors released by saccharification. This cocktail will enable the development of novel biomass to biofuel bioprocessing configurations that may overcome some of the barriers to production of inexpensive cellulosic biofuels.

  4. A Thermophilic Ionic Liquid-Tolerant Cellulase Cocktail for the Production of Cellulosic Biofuels

    Science.gov (United States)

    Park, Joshua I.; Steen, Eric J.; Burd, Helcio; Evans, Sophia S.; Redding-Johnson, Alyssa M.; Batth, Tanveer; Benke, Peter I.; D'haeseleer, Patrik; Sun, Ning; Sale, Kenneth L.; Keasling, Jay D.; Lee, Taek Soon; Petzold, Christopher J.; Mukhopadhyay, Aindrila; Singer, Steven W.; Simmons, Blake A.; Gladden, John M.

    2012-01-01

    Generation of biofuels from sugars in lignocellulosic biomass is a promising alternative to liquid fossil fuels, but efficient and inexpensive bioprocessing configurations must be developed to make this technology commercially viable. One of the major barriers to commercialization is the recalcitrance of plant cell wall polysaccharides to enzymatic hydrolysis. Biomass pretreatment with ionic liquids (ILs) enables efficient saccharification of biomass, but residual ILs inhibit both saccharification and microbial fuel production, requiring extensive washing after IL pretreatment. Pretreatment itself can also produce biomass-derived inhibitory compounds that reduce microbial fuel production. Therefore, there are multiple points in the process from biomass to biofuel production that must be interrogated and optimized to maximize fuel production. Here, we report the development of an IL-tolerant cellulase cocktail by combining thermophilic bacterial glycoside hydrolases produced by a mixed consortia with recombinant glycoside hydrolases. This enzymatic cocktail saccharifies IL-pretreated biomass at higher temperatures and in the presence of much higher IL concentrations than commercial fungal cocktails. Sugars obtained from saccharification of IL-pretreated switchgrass using this cocktail can be converted into biodiesel (fatty acid ethyl-esters or FAEEs) by a metabolically engineered strain of E. coli. During these studies, we found that this biodiesel-producing E. coli strain was sensitive to ILs and inhibitors released by saccharification. This cocktail will enable the development of novel biomass to biofuel bioprocessing configurations that may overcome some of the barriers to production of inexpensive cellulosic biofuels. PMID:22649505

  5. Characterization of cellulose acetate obtained from sugarcane bagasse by {sup 1}H-NMR; Caracterizacao de acetato de celulose obtido a partir do bagaco de cana-de-acucar por {sup 1}H-RMN

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Cerqueira, Daniel A.; Rodrigues Filho, Guimes, E-mail: d.a.cerqueira@gmail.co [Universidade Federal de Uberlendia (IQ/UFU), MG (Brazil). Inst. de Quimica; Carvalho, Rui A. [Universidade de Coimbra (UC) (Portugal). Dept. de Bioquimica; Valente, Artur J.M. [Universidade de Coimbra (UC) (Portugal). Dept. de Quimica

    2009-07-01

    Cellulose from sugarcane bagasse was used for synthesizing cellulose acetate with different degrees of substitution, which were characterized by {sup 1}H-NMR through the relationship between the peak areas of the hydrogen atoms present at the acetate groups (-(C=O)OCH{sub 3} ) and the peaks of the hydrogen bonded to the carbon atoms of the glycosidic rings. Suppression was carried out in order to remove the peak of residual water in the materials and the peak related to impurities in cellulose triacetate. Degree of substitution values obtained through the resonance deconvolution were compared to those obtained by chemical determination through an acid-base titration. The determined degrees of substitution of the cellulose samples were 2.94 and 2.60. (author)

  6. Residual stress measurement of large scaled welded pipe using neutron diffraction method. Effect of SCC crack propagation and repair weld on residual stress distribution

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Suzuki, Hiroshi; Katsuyama, Jinya; Tobita, Tohru; Morii, Yukio

    2011-01-01

    The RESA-1 neutron engineering diffractometer in the JRR-3 (Japan Research Reactor No.3) at the Japan Atomic Energy Agency, which is used for stress measurements, was upgraded to realize residual stress measurements of large scaled mechanical components. A series of residual stress measurements was made to obtain through-thickness residual stress distributions in a Type 304 stainless steel butt-welded pipe of 500A-sch.80 using the upgraded RESA-1 diffractometer. We evaluated effects of crack propagation such as stress corrosion cracking (SCC) and a part-circumference repair weld on the residual stress distributions induced by girth welding. Measured residual stress distributions near original girth weld revealed good agreement with typical results shown in some previous works using finite element method, deep hole drilling as well as neutron diffraction. After introducing a mock crack with 10 mm depth in the heat affected zone on the inside wall of the pipe by electro discharge machining, the axial residual stresses were found to be released in the part of the mock crack. However, changes in the through-wall bending stress component and the self-equilibrated stress component were negligible and hence the axial residual stress distribution in the ligament was remained in the original residual stresses near girth weld without the mock crack. Furthermore, changes in hoop and radial residual stress were also small. The residual stress distributions after a part repair welding on the outer circumference of the girth weld were significantly different from residual stress distributions near the original girth weld. The through-thickness average axial residual stress was increased due to increase of the tensile membrane stress and mitigation of the bending stress after repair welding. Throughout above studies, we evidenced that the neutron diffraction technique is useful and powerful tool for measuring residual stress distributions in large as well as thick mechanical

  7. Thermogravimetric study of the pyrolysis of biomass residues from tomato processing industry

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mangut, V.; Sabio, E.; Ganan, J.; Gonzalez, J.F.; Ramiro, A.; Gonzalez, C.M.; Roman, S.; Al-Kassir, A. [Department of Chemical and Energy Engineering, University of Extremadura, Avda. de Elvas s/n, 06071 Badajoz (Spain)

    2006-01-15

    There is an increasing concern with the environmental problems associated with the increasing CO{sub 2}, NO{sub x} and SO{sub x} emissions resulting from the rising use of fossil fuels. Renewable energy, mainly biomass, can contribute to reduce the fossil fuels consumption. Biomass is a renewable resource with a widespread world distribution. Tomato processing industry produces a high amount of biomass residue (peel and seeds) that could be used for thermal energy and electricity. A characterization and thermogravimetric study has been carried out. The residue has a high HHV and volatile content, and a low ash, and S contents. A kinetic model has been developed based on the degradation of hemicellulose, cellulose, lignin and oil that describe the pyrolysis of peel, seeds and peel and seeds residues. (author)

  8. Preparation of membranes from cellulose obtained of sugarcane bagasse

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pereira, Paulo Henrique Fernandes; Cioffi, Maria Odila Hilario; Voorwald, Herman Jacobus Cornelis; Pinho, Maria Noberta de; Silva, Maria Lucia Caetano Pinto da

    2010-01-01

    In this work, cellulose obtained from sugarcane bagasse to produce both cellulose and acetylated cellulose to prepare asymmetric membranes. Membranes was procedure used a mixture of materials of DMAc/ LiCl systemic in different conditions. Cellulose and acetylated cellulose were characterized by thermogravimetric (TG), Xray diffraction (XRD) and scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). Observed less stability thermal of acetylated cellulose when compared of cellulose. All membranes procedure were asymmetric, characterized by presence of a dense skin and porous support can be observed. SEM showed that the morphology of the superficial of membranes depends on the method preparation. (author)

  9. Overview of Cellulose Nanomaterials, Their Capabilities and Applications

    Science.gov (United States)

    Robert J. Moon; Gregory T. Schueneman; John Simonsen

    2016-01-01

    Cellulose nanomaterials (CNs) are a new class of cellulose particles with properties and functionalities distinct from molecular cellulose and wood pulp, and as a result, they are being developed for applications that were once thought impossible for cellulosic materials. Momentum is growing in CN research and development, and commercialization in this field is...

  10. Lignocellulose fermentation and residual solids characterization for senescent switchgrass fermentation by Clostridium thermocellum in the presence and absence of continuous in situ ball-milling

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Balch, Michael L.; Holwerda, Evert K.; Davis, Mark F.; Sykes, Robert W.; Happs, Renee M.; Kumar, Rajeev; Wyman, Charles E.; Lynd, Lee R.

    2017-04-12

    Milling during lignocellulosic fermentation, henceforth referred to as cotreatment, is investigated as an alternative to thermochemical pretreatment as a means of enhancing biological solubilization of lignocellulose. We investigate the impact of milling on soluble substrate fermentation by Clostridium thermocellum with comparison to yeast, document solubilization for fermentation of senescent switchgrass with and without ball milling, and characterize residual solids. Soluble substrate fermentation by C. thermocellum proceeded readily in the presence of continuous ball milling but was completely arrested for yeast. Total fractional carbohydrate solubilization achieved after fermentation of senescent switchgrass by C. thermocellum for 5 days was 0.45 without cotreatment or pretreatment, 0.81 with hydrothermal pretreatment (200 degrees C, 15 minutes, severity 4.2), and 0.88 with cotreatment. Acetate and ethanol were the main fermentation products, and were produced at similar ratios with and without cotreatment. Analysis of solid residues was undertaken using molecular beam mass spectrometry (PyMBMS) and solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR) in order to provide insight into changes in plant cell walls during processing via various modes. The structure of lignin present in residual solids remaining after fermentation with cotreatment appeared to change little, with substantially greater changes observed for hydrothermal pretreatment - particularly with respect to formation of C-C bonds. The observation of high solubilization with little apparent modification of the residue is consistent with cotreatment enhancing solubilization primarily by increasing the access of saccharolytic enzymes to the feedstock, and C. thermocellum being able to attack all the major linkages in cellulosic biomass provided that these linkages are accessible.

  11. Method of forming an electrically conductive cellulose composite

    Science.gov (United States)

    Evans, Barbara R [Oak Ridge, TN; O'Neill, Hugh M [Knoxville, TN; Woodward, Jonathan [Ashtead, GB

    2011-11-22

    An electrically conductive cellulose composite includes a cellulose matrix and an electrically conductive carbonaceous material incorporated into the cellulose matrix. The electrical conductivity of the cellulose composite is at least 10 .mu.S/cm at 25.degree. C. The composite can be made by incorporating the electrically conductive carbonaceous material into a culture medium with a cellulose-producing organism, such as Gluconoacetobacter hansenii. The composites can be used to form electrodes, such as for use in membrane electrode assemblies for fuel cells.

  12. Radiation pretreatment of cellulose for energy production

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dela Rosa, A. M.; Dela Mines, A. S.; Banzon, R. B.; Simbul-Nuguid, Z. F.

    The effect of radiation pretreatment of agricultural cellulosic wastes was investigated through hydrolytic reactions of cellulose. Gamma irradiation significantly increased the acid hydrolysis of rice straw, rice hull and corn husk. The yields of reducing sugar were higher with increasing radiation dose in these materials. The observed radiation effect varied with the cellulosic material but it correlated with neither the cellulose content nor the lignin content. Likewise, the radiation pretreatment accelerated the subsequent enzymatic hydrolysis of rice straw and rice hull by cellulase. The irradiated rice straw appeared to be a better growth medium for the cellulolytic microorganism, Myrothecium verrucaria, than the non-irradiated material. This was attributed to increased digestibility of the cellulose by the microorganism.

  13. Radiation pretreatment of cellulose for energy production

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dela Rosa, A.M.; Dela Mines, A.S.; Banzon, R.B.; Simbul-Nuguid, Z.F.

    1983-01-01

    The effect of radiation pretreatment of agricultural cellulosic wastes was investigated through hydrolytic reactions of cellulose. Gamma irradiation significantly increased the acid hydrolysis of rice straw, rice hull and corn husk. The yields of reducing sugar were higher with increasing radiation dose in these materials. The observed radiation effect varied with the cellulose material but it correlated with neither the cellulose content nor the lignin content. Likewise, the radiation pretreatment accelerated the subsequent enzymatic hydrolysis of rice straw and rice hull by cellulase. The irradiated rice straw appeared to be a better growth medium for the cellulolytic microorganism, Myrothecium verrucaria, than the non-irradiated material. This was attributed to increased digestibility of the cellulose by the microorganism. (author)

  14. Cellulose binding domain proteins

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shoseyov, Oded; Shpiegl, Itai; Goldstein, Marc; Doi, Roy

    1998-01-01

    A cellulose binding domain (CBD) having a high affinity for crystalline cellulose and chitin is disclosed, along with methods for the molecular cloning and recombinant production thereof. Fusion products comprising the CBD and a second protein are likewise described. A wide range of applications are contemplated for both the CBD and the fusion products, including drug delivery, affinity separations, and diagnostic techniques.

  15. Properties of microcrystalline cellulose obtained from coconut ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    The study revealed that the cellulose material compares favourably with Avicel PH 101 as well as official requirement specified in the British Pharmacopoeia 1993 for microcrystalline cellulose. Keywords: Coconut fruit fibre, microcrystalline cellulose, powder properties. Journal of Pharmacy and Bioresources Vol. 3 (1) 2006: ...

  16. Structure/Function Analysis of Cotton-Based Peptide-Cellulose Conjugates: Spatiotemporal/Kinetic Assessment of Protease Aerogels Compared to Nanocrystalline and Paper Cellulose

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    J. Vincent Edwards

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available Nanocellulose has high specific surface area, hydration properties, and ease of derivatization to prepare protease sensors. A Human Neutrophil Elastase sensor designed with a nanocellulose aerogel transducer surface derived from cotton is compared with cotton filter paper, and nanocrystalline cellulose versions of the sensor. X-ray crystallography was employed along with Michaelis–Menten enzyme kinetics, and circular dichroism to contrast the structure/function relations of the peptide-cellulose conjugate conformation to enzyme/substrate binding and turnover rates. The nanocellulosic aerogel was found to have a cellulose II structure. The spatiotemporal relation of crystallite surface to peptide-cellulose conformation is discussed in light of observed enzyme kinetics. A higher substrate binding affinity (Km of elastase was observed with the nanocellulose aerogel and nanocrystalline peptide-cellulose conjugates than with the solution-based elastase substrate. An increased Km observed for the nanocellulosic aerogel sensor yields a higher enzyme efficiency (kcat/Km, attributable to binding of the serine protease to the negatively charged cellulose surface. The effect of crystallite size and β-turn peptide conformation are related to the peptide-cellulose kinetics. Models demonstrating the orientation of cellulose to peptide O6-hydroxymethyl rotamers of the conjugates at the surface of the cellulose crystal suggest the relative accessibility of the peptide-cellulose conjugates for enzyme active site binding.

  17. Structure/Function Analysis of Cotton-Based Peptide-Cellulose Conjugates: Spatiotemporal/Kinetic Assessment of Protease Aerogels Compared to Nanocrystalline and Paper Cellulose

    Science.gov (United States)

    Edwards, J. Vincent; Fontenot, Krystal; Liebner, Falk; Pircher, Nicole Doyle nee; French, Alfred D.; Condon, Brian D.

    2018-01-01

    Nanocellulose has high specific surface area, hydration properties, and ease of derivatization to prepare protease sensors. A Human Neutrophil Elastase sensor designed with a nanocellulose aerogel transducer surface derived from cotton is compared with cotton filter paper, and nanocrystalline cellulose versions of the sensor. X-ray crystallography was employed along with Michaelis–Menten enzyme kinetics, and circular dichroism to contrast the structure/function relations of the peptide-cellulose conjugate conformation to enzyme/substrate binding and turnover rates. The nanocellulosic aerogel was found to have a cellulose II structure. The spatiotemporal relation of crystallite surface to peptide-cellulose conformation is discussed in light of observed enzyme kinetics. A higher substrate binding affinity (Km) of elastase was observed with the nanocellulose aerogel and nanocrystalline peptide-cellulose conjugates than with the solution-based elastase substrate. An increased Km observed for the nanocellulosic aerogel sensor yields a higher enzyme efficiency (kcat/Km), attributable to binding of the serine protease to the negatively charged cellulose surface. The effect of crystallite size and β-turn peptide conformation are related to the peptide-cellulose kinetics. Models demonstrating the orientation of cellulose to peptide O6-hydroxymethyl rotamers of the conjugates at the surface of the cellulose crystal suggest the relative accessibility of the peptide-cellulose conjugates for enzyme active site binding. PMID:29534033

  18. Residual stress concerns in containment analysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Costantini, F.; Kulak, R. F.; Pfeiffer, P. A.

    1997-01-01

    The manufacturing of steel containment vessels starts with the forming of flat plates into curved plates. A steel containment structure is made by welding individual plates together to form the sections that make up the complex shaped vessels. The metal forming and welding process leaves residual stresses in the vessel walls. Generally, the effect of metal forming residual stresses can be reduced or virtually eliminated by thermally stress relieving the vesseL In large containment vessels this may not be practical and thus the residual stresses due to manufacturing may become important. The residual stresses could possibly tiect the response of the vessel to internal pressurization. When the level of residual stresses is significant it will affect the vessel's response, for instance the yielding pressure and possibly the failure pressure. The paper will address the effect of metal forming residual stresses on the response of a generic pressure vessel to internal pressurization. A scoping analysis investigated the effect of residual forming stresses on the response of an internally pressurized vessel. A simple model was developed to gain understanding of the mechanics of the problem. Residual stresses due to the welding process were not considered in this investigation

  19. Enhancement of Cellulose Degradation by Cattle Saliva

    Science.gov (United States)

    Seki, Yasutaka; Kikuchi, Yukiko; Kimura, Yoshihiro; Yoshimoto, Ryo; Takahashi, Masatoshi; Aburai, Kenichi; Kanai, Yoshihiro; Ruike, Tatsushi; Iwabata, Kazuki; Sugawara, Fumio; Sakai, Hideki; Abe, Masahiko; Sakaguchi, Kengo

    2015-01-01

    Saccharification of cellulose is a promising technique for producing alternative source of energy. However, the efficiency of conversion of cellulose into soluble sugar using any currently available methodology is too low for industrial application. Many additives, such as surfactants, have been shown to enhance the efficiency of cellulose-to-sugar conversion. In this study, we have examined first whether cattle saliva, as an additive, would enhance the cellulase-catalyzed hydrolysis of cellulose, and subsequently elucidated the mechanism by which cattle saliva enhanced this conversion. Although cattle saliva, by itself, did not degrade cellulose, it enhanced the cellulase-catalyzed degradation of cellulose. Thus, the amount of reducing sugar produced increased approximately 2.9-fold by the addition of cattle saliva. We also found that non-enzymatic proteins, which were present in cattle saliva, were responsible for causing the enhancement effect. Third, the mechanism of cattle saliva mediated enhancement of cellulase activity was probably similar to that of the canonical surfactants. Cattle saliva is available in large amounts easily and cheaply, and it can be used without further purification. Thus, cattle saliva could be a promising additive for efficient saccharification of cellulose on an industrial scale. PMID:26402242

  20. One-step Fabrication of Cellulose/Graphene Conductive Paper

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    KaiWen Mou; LuMing Yang; HuangWei Xiong; RuiTao Cha

    2017-01-01

    In this study,a straightforward,one-step wet-end formation process was employed to prepare cellulose/graphene conductive paper for antistatic packing materials.Cationic polyacrylamide was introduced into the cellulose/graphene slurry to improve the graphene loading on the surfaces of the cellulose fibers.The effect of the super calender process on the properties of the cellulose/graphene conductive paper was investigated.When 55 wt% graphene was added,the volume resistivity of the cellulose/graphene conductive paper was 94.70 Ω·cm,decreasing to 35.46 Ω·cm after the super calender process.The cellulose/graphene conductive paper possessed excellent anti-static ability and could be used as an anti-static material.

  1. The plant cell wall in the feeding sites of cyst nematodes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bohlmann, Holger; Sobczak, Miroslaw

    2014-01-01

    Plant parasitic cyst nematodes (genera Heterodera and Globodera) are serious pests for many crops. They enter the host roots as migratory second stage juveniles (J2) and migrate intracellularly toward the vascular cylinder using their stylet and a set of cell wall degrading enzymes produced in the pharyngeal glands. They select an initial syncytial cell (ISC) within the vascular cylinder or inner cortex layers to induce the formation of a multicellular feeding site called a syncytium, which is the only source of nutrients for the parasite during its entire life. A syncytium can consist of more than hundred cells whose protoplasts are fused together through local cell wall dissolutions. While the nematode produces a cocktail of cell wall degrading and modifying enzymes during migration through the root, the cell wall degradations occurring during syncytium development are due to the plants own cell wall modifying and degrading proteins. The outer syncytial cell wall thickens to withstand the increasing osmotic pressure inside the syncytium. Furthermore, pronounced cell wall ingrowths can be formed on the outer syncytial wall at the interface with xylem vessels. They increase the surface of the symplast-apoplast interface, thus enhancing nutrient uptake into the syncytium. Processes of cell wall degradation, synthesis and modification in the syncytium are facilitated by a variety of plant proteins and enzymes including expansins, glucanases, pectate lyases and cellulose synthases, which are produced inside the syncytium or in cells surrounding the syncytium.

  2. The plant cell wall in the feeding sites of cyst nematodes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Holger eBohlmann

    2014-03-01

    Full Text Available Plant parasitic cyst nematodes (genera Heterodera and Globodera are serious pests for many crops. They enter the host roots as migratory second stage juveniles (J2 and migrate intracellularly towards the vascular cylinder using their stylet and a set of cell wall degrading enzymes produced in the pharyngeal glands. They select an initial syncytial cell (ISC within the vascular cylinder or inner cortex layers to induce the formation of a multicellular feeding site called a syncytium, which is the only source of nutrients for the parasite during its entire life. A syncytium can consist of more than hundred cells whose protoplasts are fused together through local cell wall dissolutions. While the nematode produces a cocktail of cell wall degrading and modifying enzymes during migration through the root, the cell wall degradations occurring during syncytium development are due to the plants own cell wall modifying and degrading proteins. The outer syncytial cell wall thickens to withstand the increasing osmotic pressure inside the syncytium. Furthermore, pronounced cell wall ingrowths can be formed on the outer syncytial wall at the interface with xylem vessels. They increase the surface of the symplast-apoplast interface, thus enhancing nutrient uptake into the syncytium. Processes of cell wall degradation, synthesis and modification in the syncytium are facilitated by a variety of plant proteins and enzymes including expansins, glucanases, pectate lyases and cellulose synthases, which are produced inside the syncytium or in cells surrounding the syncytium.

  3. Cellulose nanomaterials review: structure, properties and nanocomposites

    Science.gov (United States)

    Robert J. Moon; Ashlie Martini; John Nairn; John Simonsen; Jeff Youngblood

    2011-01-01

    This critical review provides a processing-structure-property perspective on recent advances in cellulose nanoparticles and composites produced from them. It summarizes cellulose nanoparticles in terms of particle morphology, crystal structure, and properties. Also described are the self-assembly and rheological properties of cellulose nanoparticle suspensions. The...

  4. Cellulose powder from Cladophora sp. algae.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ek, R; Gustafsson, C; Nutt, A; Iversen, T; Nyström, C

    1998-01-01

    The surface are and crystallinity was measured on a cellulose powder made from Cladophora sp. algae. The algae cellulose powder was found to have a very high surface area (63.4 m2/g, N2 gas adsorption) and build up of cellulose with a high crystallinity (approximately 100%, solid state NMR). The high surface area was confirmed by calculations from atomic force microscope imaging of microfibrils from Cladophora sp. algae.

  5. Using carboxylated nanocrystalline cellulose as an additive in cellulosic paper and poly (vinyl alcohol) fiber paper.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cha, Ruitao; Wang, Chengyu; Cheng, Shaoling; He, Zhibin; Jiang, Xingyu

    2014-09-22

    Specialty paper (e.g. cigarette paper and battery diaphragm paper) requires extremely high strength properties. The addition of strength agents plays an important role in increasing strength properties of paper. Nanocrystalline cellulose (NCC), or cellulose whiskers, has the potential to enhance the strength properties of paper via improving inter-fibers bonding. This paper was to determine the potential of using carboxylated nanocrystalline cellulose (CNCC) to improve the strength properties of paper made of cellulosic fiber or poly (vinyl alcohol) (PVA) fiber. The results indicated that the addition of CNCC can effectively improve the strength properties. At a CNCC dosage of 0.7%, the tear index and tensile index of the cellulosic paper reached the maximum of 12.8 mN m2/g and 100.7 Nm/g, respectively. More importantly, when increasing the CNCC dosage from 0.1 to 1.0%, the tear index and tensile index of PVA fiber paper were increased by 67.29%, 22.55%, respectively. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  6. Microscopic structure and properties changes of cassava stillage residue pretreated by mechanical activation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liao, Zhengda; Huang, Zuqiang; Hu, Huayu; Zhang, Yanjuan; Tan, Yunfang

    2011-09-01

    This study has focused on the pretreatment of cassava stillage residue (CSR) by mechanical activation (MA) using a self-designed stirring ball mill. The changes in surface morphology, functional groups and crystalline structure of pretreated CSR were examined by using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction (XRD) under reasonable conditions. The results showed that MA could significantly damage the crystal structure of CSR, resulting in the variation of surface morphology, the increase of amorphous region ratio and hydrogen bond energy, and the decrease in crystallinity and crystalline size. But no new functional groups generated during milling, and the crystal type of cellulose in CSR still belonged to cellulose I after MA. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  7. Biodegradation evaluation of bacterial cellulose, vegetable cellulose and poly (3-hydroxybutyrate in soil

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Suellen Brasil Schröpfer

    2015-04-01

    Full Text Available In recent years, the inappropriate disposal of polymeric materials has increased due to industrial development and increase of population consumption. This problem may be minimized by using biodegradable polymers, such as bacterial cellulose and poly(hydroxybutyrate, from renewable resources. This work was aimed at monitoring and evaluating degradation of bacterial cellulose, vegetable cellulose and poly(3-hydroxybutyrate using Thermogravimetric Analysis and Scanning Electron Microscopy. Controlled mass polymer samples were buried in pots containing soil. Samples were removed in 30 day intervals up to 180 days. The results show that the mass of the polymer increased in the first month when in contact with the soil but then it was degraded as evidenced by mass loss and changes on the sample surface.

  8. {sup 1}H-NMR characterization of cellulose acetate obtained from sugarcane bagasse; Caracterizacao de acetato de celulose obtido a partir do bagaco de cana-de-acucar por {sup 1}H-RMN

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Cerqueira, Daniel A., E-mail: daniel.cerqueira@ufba.b [Universidade Federal da Bahia (UFBA), Salvador, BA (Brazil). Inst. de Ciencias Ambientais e Desenvolvimento Sustentavel; Rodrigues Filho, Guimes [Universidade Federal de Uberlandia (UFU), MG (Brazil). Inst. de Quimica; Carvalho, Rui de A. [Universidade de Coimbra (Portugal). Dept. de Bioquimica; Valente, Artur J.M. [Universidade de Coimbra (Portugal). Dept. de Quimica

    2010-07-01

    Cellulose from sugarcane bagasse was used for synthesizing cellulose acetate with different degrees of substitution, which were characterized by {sup 1}H-NMR through the relationship between the peak areas of the hydrogen atoms of the acetate groups (-(C=O)OCH{sub 3}) and the peaks of the hydrogen bonded to the carbon atoms of the glycosidic rings. Suppression of some signals was carried out in order to remove the residual water resonance in the materials and those related to impurities in cellulose triacetate as well. A deconvolution method for the computation of the degree of substitution of acetylation is proposed. The degrees of substitution for the cellulose samples were 2.94 and 2.60, in good agreement with those obtained by chemical determination through an acid-base titration. (author)

  9. Evaluation of cell wall preparations for proteomics: a new procedure for purifying cell walls from Arabidopsis hypocotyls

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Canut Hervé

    2006-05-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The ultimate goal of proteomic analysis of a cell compartment should be the exhaustive identification of resident proteins; excluding proteins from other cell compartments. Reaching such a goal closely depends on the reliability of the isolation procedure for the cell compartment of interest. Plant cell walls possess specific difficulties: (i the lack of a surrounding membrane may result in the loss of cell wall proteins (CWP during the isolation procedure, (ii polysaccharide networks of cellulose, hemicelluloses and pectins form potential traps for contaminants such as intracellular proteins. Several reported procedures to isolate cell walls for proteomic analyses led to the isolation of a high proportion (more than 50% of predicted intracellular proteins. Since isolated cell walls should hold secreted proteins, one can imagine alternative procedures to prepare cell walls containing a lower proportion of contaminant proteins. Results The rationales of several published procedures to isolate cell walls for proteomics were analyzed, with regard to the bioinformatic-predicted subcellular localization of the identified proteins. Critical steps were revealed: (i homogenization in low ionic strength acid buffer to retain CWP, (ii purification through increasing density cushions, (iii extensive washes with a low ionic strength acid buffer to retain CWP while removing as many cytosolic proteins as possible, and (iv absence of detergents. A new procedure was developed to prepare cell walls from etiolated hypocotyls of Arabidopsis thaliana. After salt extraction, a high proportion of proteins predicted to be secreted was released (73%, belonging to the same functional classes as proteins identified using previously described protocols. Finally, removal of intracellular proteins was obtained using detergents, but their amount represented less than 3% in mass of the total protein extract, based on protein quantification. Conclusion The

  10. Bacterial cellulose/boehmite composites

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Salvi, Denise T.B. de; Barud, Hernane S.; Messaddeq, Younes; Ribeiro, Sidney J.L.; Caiut, Jose Mauricio A.

    2011-01-01

    Composites based on bacterial cellulose membranes and boehmite were obtained. SEM results indicate that the bacterial cellulose (BC) membranes are totally covered by boehmite and obtained XRD patterns suggest structural changes due to this boehmite addition. Thermal stability is accessed through TG curves and is dependent on boehmite content. Transparency is high comparing to pure BC as can be seen through UV-vis absorption spectroscopy. (author)

  11. Altered Cell Wall Plasticity Can Restrict Plant Growth under Ammonium Nutrition.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Podgórska, Anna; Burian, Maria; Gieczewska, Katarzyna; Ostaszewska-Bugajska, Monika; Zebrowski, Jacek; Solecka, Danuta; Szal, Bożena

    2017-01-01

    Plants mainly utilize inorganic forms of nitrogen (N), such as nitrate (NO 3 - ) and ammonium (NH 4 + ). However, the composition of the N source is important, because excess of NH 4 + promotes morphological disorders. Plants cultured on NH 4 + as the sole N source exhibit serious growth inhibition, commonly referred to as "ammonium toxicity syndrome." NH 4 + -mediated suppression of growth may be attributable to both repression of cell elongation and reduction of cell division. The precondition for cell enlargement is the expansion of the cell wall, which requires the loosening of the cell wall polymers. Therefore, to understand how NH 4 + nutrition may trigger growth retardation in plants, properties of their cell walls were analyzed. We found that Arabidopsis thaliana using NH 4 + as the sole N source has smaller cells with relatively thicker cell walls. Moreover, cellulose, which is the main load-bearing polysaccharide revealed a denser assembly of microfibrils. Consequently, the leaf blade tissue showed elevated tensile strength and indicated higher cell wall stiffness. These changes might be related to changes in polysaccharide and ion content of cell walls. Further, NH 4 + toxicity was associated with altered activities of cell wall modifying proteins. The lower activity and/or expression of pectin hydrolyzing enzymes and expansins might limit cell wall expansion. Additionally, the higher activity of cell wall peroxidases can lead to higher cross-linking of cell wall polymers. Overall, the NH 4 + -mediated inhibition of growth is related to a more rigid cell wall structure, which limits expansion of cells. The changes in cell wall composition were also indicated by decreased expression of Feronia , a receptor-like kinase involved in the control of cell wall extension.

  12. The dynamic interplay of plasma membrane domains and cortical microtubules in secondary cell wall patterning

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yoshihisa eOda

    2013-12-01

    Full Text Available Patterning of the cellulosic cell wall underlies the shape and function of plant cells. The cortical microtubule array plays a central role in the regulation of cell wall patterns. However, the regulatory mechanisms by which secondary cell wall patterns are established through cortical microtubules remain to be fully determined. Our recent study in xylem vessel cells revealed that a mutual inhibitory interaction between cortical microtubules and distinct plasma membrane domains leads to distinctive patterning in secondary cell walls. Our research revealed that the recycling of active and inactive ROP proteins by a specific GAP and GEF pair establishes distinct de novo plasma membrane domains. Active ROP recruits a plant-specific microtubule-associated protein, MIDD1, which mediates the mutual interaction between cortical microtubules and plasma membrane domains. In this mini review, we summarize recent research regarding secondary wall patterning, with a focus on the emerging interplay between plasma membrane domains and cortical microtubules through MIDD1 and ROP.

  13. Coarse-grained model for the interconversion between different crystalline cellulose allomorphs

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Langan, Paul [ORNL

    2012-01-01

    We present the results of Langevin dynamics simulations on a coarse grained model for crystalline cellulose. In particular, we analyze two different cellulose crystalline forms: cellulose I (the natural form of cellulose) and cellulose IIII (obtained after cellulose I is treated with anhydrous liquid ammonia). Cellulose IIII has been the focus of wide interest in the field of cellulosic biofuels as it can be efficiently hydrolyzed to glucose (its enzymatic degradation rates are up to 5 fold higher than those of cellulose I ). In turn, glucose can eventually be fermented into fuels. The coarse-grained model presented in this study is based on a simplified geometry and on an effective potential mimicking the changes in both intracrystalline hydrogen bonds and stacking interactions during the transition from cellulose I to cellulose IIII. The model accurately reproduces both structural and thermomechanical properties of cellulose I and IIII. The work presented herein describes the structural transition from cellulose I to cellulose IIII as driven by the change in the equilibrium state of two degrees of freedom in the cellulose chains. The structural transition from cellulose I to cellulose IIII is essentially reduced to a search for optimal spatial arrangement of the cellulose chains.

  14. Alpha autoradiography by cellulose nitrate layer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Simonovic, J.; Vukovic, J.; Antanasijevic, R.

    1977-01-01

    From domestic cellulose nitrate bulk material thin layers for α-particle autoradiography were prepared. An artificial test specimen of a uniformly alpha labelled grid source was used. The efficiency of autoradiography by cellulose nitrate was calculated comparing with data from an Ilford K2 nuclear emulsion exposed under the same conditions as the cellulose nitrate film. The resolution was determined as the distance from grid pitch edge at which the track density fell considerably. (Auth.)

  15. Dissolution Behavior of Cellulose in IL + DMSO Solvent: Effect of Alkyl Length in Imidazolium Cation on Cellulose Dissolution

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Airong Xu

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Four cellulose solvents including [C2mim][CH3COO] + DMSO, [C4mim][CH3COO] + DMSO, [C6mim][CH3COO] + DMSO, and [C8mim][CH3COO] + DMSO were prepared by adding dimethyl sulfoxide DMSO in 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate [C2mim][CH3COO], 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate [C4mim][CH3COO], 1-hexyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate [C6mim][CH3COO], and 1-octyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate [C8mim][CH3COO], respectively. The solubilities of cellulose in these solvents were determined at 25°C. The effect of the alkyl chain length in imidazolium cation on cellulose solubility was investigated. With increasing alkyl chain length in imidazolium cation, the solubility of cellulose increases, but further increase in alkyl chain length results in decreases in cellulose.

  16. Characterization of blend hydrogels based on plasticized starch/cellulose acetate/carboxymethyl cellulose synthesized by electron beam irradiation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Senna, Magdy M., E-mail: magdysenna@hotmail.com [Radiation Chemistry Department, National Center for Radiation Research and Technology, Atomic Energy Authority, Cairo (Egypt); Mostafa, Abo El-Khair B. [Chemistry Department, College for Girls, Ain Shams University, Cairo (Egypt); Mahdy, Sanna R.; El-Naggar, Abdel Wahab M. [Radiation Chemistry Department, National Center for Radiation Research and Technology, Atomic Energy Authority, Cairo (Egypt)

    2016-11-01

    Highlights: • Semi-interpenetrating (IPN) blend hydrogels were synthesized by EB irradiation. • The hydrogels were based on starch/cellulose acetate/carboxymethyl cellulose blends. • The gelation, swelling, thermal and mechanical properties of hydrogels were studied. • The thermal stability was studied by determining kinetic energy by different methods. - Abstract: Blend hydrogels based on aqueous solutions of plasticized starch and different ratios of cellulose acetate (CA) and carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) were prepared by electron beam irradiation (EB). The blends before and after EB irradiation were characterized by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The physico-chemical properties of blend hydrogels prepared by electron beam irradiation were improved compared to unirradiated blends.

  17. Characterization of blend hydrogels based on plasticized starch/cellulose acetate/carboxymethyl cellulose synthesized by electron beam irradiation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Senna, Magdy M.; Mostafa, Abo El-Khair B.; Mahdy, Sanna R.; El-Naggar, Abdel Wahab M.

    2016-01-01

    Highlights: • Semi-interpenetrating (IPN) blend hydrogels were synthesized by EB irradiation. • The hydrogels were based on starch/cellulose acetate/carboxymethyl cellulose blends. • The gelation, swelling, thermal and mechanical properties of hydrogels were studied. • The thermal stability was studied by determining kinetic energy by different methods. - Abstract: Blend hydrogels based on aqueous solutions of plasticized starch and different ratios of cellulose acetate (CA) and carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) were prepared by electron beam irradiation (EB). The blends before and after EB irradiation were characterized by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The physico-chemical properties of blend hydrogels prepared by electron beam irradiation were improved compared to unirradiated blends.

  18. The role of cell walls and pectins in cation exchange and surface area of plant roots.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Szatanik-Kloc, A; Szerement, J; Józefaciuk, G

    2017-08-01

    We aimed to assess role of cell walls in formation of cation exchange capacity, surface charge, surface acidity, specific surface, water adsorption energy and surface charge density of plant roots, and to find the input of the cell wall pectins to the above properties. Whole roots, isolated cell walls and the residue after the extraction of pectins from the cell walls of two Apiaceae L. species (celeriac and parsnip) were studied using potentiometric titration curves and water vapor adsorption - desorption isotherms. Total amount of surface charge, as well as the cation exchange capacity were markedly higher in roots than in their cell walls, suggesting large contribution of other cell organelles to the binding of cations by the whole root cells. Significantly lower charge of the residues after removal of pectins was noted indicating that pectins play the most important role in surface charge formation of cell walls. The specific surface was similar for all of the studied materials. For the separated cell walls it was around 10% smaller than of the whole roots, and it increased slightly after the removal of pectins. The surface charge density and water vapor adsorption energy were the highest for the whole roots and the lowest for the cell walls residues after removal of pectins. The results indicate that the cell walls and plasma membranes are jointly involved in root ion exchange and surface characteristics and their contribution depends upon the plant species. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

  19. Residual Stress Testing of Outer 3013 Containers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dunn, K.

    2004-01-01

    A Gas Tungsten Arc Welded (GTAW) outer 3013 container and a laser welded outer 3013 container have been tested for residual stresses according to the American Society for Testing Materials (ASTM) Standard G-36-94 [1]. This ASTM standard describes a procedure for conducting stress-corrosion cracking tests in boiling magnesium chloride (MgCl2) solution. Container sections in both the as-fabricated condition as well as the closure welded condition were evaluated. Significantly large residual stresses were observed in the bottom half of the as-fabricated container, a result of the base to can fabrication weld because through wall cracks were observed perpendicular to the weld. This observation indicates that regardless of the closure weld technique, sufficient residual stresses exist in the as-fabricated container to provide the stress necessary for stress corrosion cracking of the container, at the base fabrication weld. Additionally, sufficiently high residual stresses were observed in both the lid and the body of the GTAW as well as the laser closure welded containers. The stresses are oriented perpendicular to the closure weld in both the container lid and the container body. Although the boiling MgCl2 test is not a quantitative test, a comparison of the test results from the closure welds shows that there are noticeably more through wall cracks in the laser closure welded container than in the GTAW closure welded container

  20. Evolution of the cell wall components during terrestrialization

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alicja Banasiak

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available Colonization of terrestrial ecosystems by the first land plants, and their subsequent expansion and diversification, were crucial for the life on the Earth. However, our understanding of these processes is still relatively poor. Recent intensification of studies on various plant organisms have identified the plant cell walls are those structures, which played a key role in adaptive processes during the evolution of land plants. Cell wall as a structure protecting protoplasts and showing a high structural plasticity was one of the primary subjects to changes, giving plants the new properties and capabilities, which undoubtedly contributed to the evolutionary success of land plants. In this paper, the current state of knowledge about some main components of the cell walls (cellulose, hemicelluloses, pectins and lignins and their evolutionary alterations, as preadaptive features for the land colonization and the plant taxa diversification, is summarized. Some aspects related to the biosynthesis and modification of the cell wall components, with particular emphasis on the mechanism of transglycosylation, are also discussed. In addition, new surprising discoveries related to the composition of various cell walls, which change how we perceive their evolution, are presented, such as the presence of lignin in red algae or MLG (1→3,(1→4-β-D-glucan in horsetails. Currently, several new and promising projects, regarding the cell wall, have started, deciphering its structure, composition and metabolism in the evolutionary context. That additional information will allow us to better understand the processes leading to the terrestrialization and the evolution of extant land plants.