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Sample records for sulfo-oxidizing bacterial consortium

  1. BACTERIAL CONSORTIUM

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    Payel Sarkar

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Petroleum aromatic hydrocarbons like benzen e, toluene, ethyl benzene and xylene, together known as BTEX, has almost the same chemical structure. These aromatic hydrocarbons are released as pollutants in th e environment. This work was taken up to develop a solvent tolerant bacterial cons ortium that could degrade BTEX compounds as they all share a common chemical structure. We have isolated almost 60 different types of bacterial strains from different petroleum contaminated sites. Of these 60 bacterial strains almost 20 microorganisms were screene d on the basis of capability to tolerate high concentration of BTEX. Ten differe nt consortia were prepared and the compatibility of the bacterial strains within the consortia was checked by gram staining and BTEX tolerance level. Four successful mi crobial consortia were selected in which all the bacterial strains concomitantly grew in presence of high concentration of BTEX (10% of toluene, 10% of benzene 5% ethyl benzene and 1% xylene. Consortium #2 showed the highest growth rate in pr esence of BTEX. Degradation of BTEX by consortium #2 was monitored for 5 days by gradual decrease in the volume of the solvents. The maximum reduction observed wa s 85% in 5 days. Gas chromatography results also reveal that could completely degrade benzene and ethyl benzene within 48 hours. Almost 90% degradation of toluene and xylene in 48 hours was exhibited by consortium #2. It could also tolerate and degrade many industrial solvents such as chloroform, DMSO, acetonitrile having a wide range of log P values (0.03–3.1. Degradation of aromatic hydrocarbon like BTEX by a solvent tolerant bacterial consortium is greatly significant as it could degrade high concentration of pollutants compared to a bacterium and also reduces the time span of degradation.

  2. Preparation of S-sulfo albumin film and its cell adhesive property

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yamazoe, Hironori; Yamauchi, Kiyoshi; Tanabe, Toshizumi

    2009-01-01

    Recently, large-scale production of the pharmaceutical grade recombinant human serum albumin was achieved, and several clinical trials have proved its safety and efficacy. Albumin is thought to be a candidate for a safe biopolymer sources for application to biomaterials. In this study, we treated albumin with sodium sulfite and sodium tetrathionate to give S-sulfo albumin, which was found to loose native albumin structure by CD spectra analysis and dye-binding assay. A water-insoluble S-sulfo albumin films were prepared by drying S-sulfo albumin solution and subsequent reformation of disulfide bonds by the oxidation with iodine. Ultimate strength, ultimate elongation and Young's modulus of S-sulfo albumin film prepared at room temperature were 3.3 ± 0.4 MPa, 30.8 ± 3.2% and 40.8 ± 3.3 MPa before oxidative treatment and changed to 13.8 ± 4.2 MPa, 5.6 ± 2.8% and 401.7 ± 15.3 MPa after oxidative treatment. When the film was prepared at 60 deg. C, similar tendency was observed. Thus, the disulfide bonds formation between albumin molecules by oxidative treatment converted the film stronger and stiffer. Cell adhesion and proliferation on the films were evaluated using mouse L929 fibroblast cells. Cell adhesion largely depended on the albumin structure; that is, cells did not attach to native albumin coated surfaces, while cell adhesion and proliferation occurred on the S-sulfo albumin films which lost their native albumin structure. Eighty percent of seeded cells were adhered on S-sulfo albumin films and proliferated well in a similar manner to those on the conventional culture dish. Our results indicate that S-sulfo albumin is a favorable cell culture substrate.

  3. Ability of sea-water bacterial consortium to produce electricity and denitrify water

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    Maruvada, Nagasamrat V. V.; Tommasi, Tonia; Kaza, Kesava Rao; Ruggeri, Bernardo

    Sea is a store house for varied types of microbes with an ability to reduce and oxidize substances like iron, sulphur, carbon dioxide, etc. Most of these processes happen in the sea water environment, but can be applied for purification of wastewater. In the present paper, we discuss the use of a consortium of seawater bacteria in a fuel cell to produce electricity by oxidizing organic matter and reducing nitrates. We also discuss how the growth of the bacterial consortium can lead to an increased electricity production and decreased diffusional resistance in the cell. The analysis was done using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), and linear sweep voltammetry (LSV). Here, we use bicarbonate buffered solution, which is the natural buffering agent found in sea. We show that the seawater bacterial consortium can be used in both the anode and cathode parts of the cell. The results confirm the adaptability of the seawater bacteria to different environments and can be used for various applications. Heritage, Erasmus Mundus Programme, European Commission.

  4. Removal of Triphenylmethane Dyes by Bacterial Consortium

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    Jihane Cheriaa

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available A new consortium of four bacterial isolates (Agrobacterium radiobacter; Bacillus spp.; Sphingomonas paucimobilis, and Aeromonas hydrophila-(CM-4 was used to degrade and to decolorize triphenylmethane dyes. All bacteria were isolated from activated sludge extracted from a wastewater treatment station of a dyeing industry plant. Individual bacterial isolates exhibited a remarkable color-removal capability against crystal violet (50 mg/L and malachite green (50 mg/L dyes within 24 h. Interestingly, the microbial consortium CM-4 shows a high decolorizing percentage for crystal violet and malachite green, respectively, 91% and 99% within 2 h. The rate of chemical oxygen demand (COD removal increases after 24 h, reaching 61.5% and 84.2% for crystal violet and malachite green, respectively. UV-Visible absorption spectra, FTIR analysis and the inspection of bacterial cells growth indicated that color removal by the CM-4 was due to biodegradation. Evaluation of mutagenicity by using Salmonella typhimurium test strains, TA98 and TA100 studies revealed that the degradation of crystal violet and malachite green by CM-4 did not lead to mutagenic products. Altogether, these results demonstrated the usefulness of the bacterial consortium in the treatment of the textile dyes.

  5. Mineralization of linear alkylbenzene sulfonate by a four-member aerobic bacterial consortium

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jimenez, L.; Breen, A.; Thomas, N.; Sayler, G.S.; Federle, T.W.

    1991-01-01

    A bacterial consortium capable of linear alkylbenzene sulfonate (LAS) mineralization under aerobic conditions was isolated from a chemostat inoculated with activated sludge. The consortium, designated KJB, consisted of four members, all of which were gram-negative, rod-shaped bacteria that grew in pairs and short chains. Three isolates had biochemical properties characteristic of Pseudomonas spp.; the fourth showed characteristics of the Aeromonas spp. Cell suspensions were grown together in minimal medium with [ 14 C]LAS as the only carbon source. After 13 days of incubation, more than 25% of the [ 14 C]LAS was mineralized to 14 CO 2 by the consortium. Pure bacterial cultures and combinations lacking any one member of the KJB bacterial consortium did not mineralize LAS. Three isolates carried out primary biodegradation of the surfactant, and one did not. This study shows that the four bacteria complemented each other and synergistically mineralized LAS, indicating catabolic cooperation among the four consortium members

  6. The bioleaching potential of a bacterial consortium.

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    Latorre, Mauricio; Cortés, María Paz; Travisany, Dante; Di Genova, Alex; Budinich, Marko; Reyes-Jara, Angélica; Hödar, Christian; González, Mauricio; Parada, Pilar; Bobadilla-Fazzini, Roberto A; Cambiazo, Verónica; Maass, Alejandro

    2016-10-01

    This work presents the molecular foundation of a consortium of five efficient bacteria strains isolated from copper mines currently used in state of the art industrial-scale biotechnology. The strains Acidithiobacillus thiooxidans Licanantay, Acidiphilium multivorum Yenapatur, Leptospirillum ferriphilum Pañiwe, Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans Wenelen and Sulfobacillus thermosulfidooxidans Cutipay were selected for genome sequencing based on metal tolerance, oxidation activity and bioleaching of copper efficiency. An integrated model of metabolic pathways representing the bioleaching capability of this consortium was generated. Results revealed that greater efficiency in copper recovery may be explained by the higher functional potential of L. ferriphilum Pañiwe and At. thiooxidans Licanantay to oxidize iron and reduced inorganic sulfur compounds. The consortium had a greater capacity to resist copper, arsenic and chloride ion compared to previously described biomining strains. Specialization and particular components in these bacteria provided the consortium a greater ability to bioleach copper sulfide ores. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  7. Bacterial consortium for copper extraction from sulphide ore consisting mainly of chalcopyrite

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    E. Romo

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available The mining industry is looking forward for bacterial consortia for economic extraction of copper from low-grade ores. The main objective was to determine an optimal bacterial consortium from several bacterial strains to obtain copper from the leach of chalcopyrite. The major native bacterial species involved in the bioleaching of sulphide ore (Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans, Acidithiobacillus thiooxidans, Leptospirillum ferrooxidans and Leptospirillum ferriphilum were isolated and the assays were performed with individual bacteria and in combination with At. thiooxidans. In conclusion, it was found that the consortium integrated by At. ferrooxidans and At. thiooxidans removed 70% of copper in 35 days from the selected ore, showing significant differences with the other consortia, which removed only 35% of copper in 35 days. To validate the assays was done an escalation in columns, where the bacterial consortium achieved a higher percentage of copper extraction regarding to control.

  8. Laboratory scale bioremediation of diesel hydrocarbon in soil by indigenous bacterial consortium.

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    Sharma, Anjana; Rehman, Meenal Budholia

    2009-09-01

    In vitro experiment was performed by taking petrol pump soils and diesel in flasks with the micronutrients and macronutrients supplements. Cemented bioreactors having sterilized soil and diesel was used for in vivo analysis of diesel hydrocarbon degradation. There were two sets of experiments, first having three bioreactors (1) inoculated by KI. pneumoniae subsp. aerogenes with soil and diesel; (2) with addition of NH4NO3; and (3) served as control. In second set, one bioreactor was inoculated by bacterial consortium containing Moraxella saccharolytica, Alteromonas putrefaciens, KI. pneumoniae subsp. aerogenes and Pseudomonas fragi along with soil and diesel. The remaining two bioreactors (having NH4NO3 and control) were similar to the first set. The experiments were incubated for 30 days. Ability of bacterial inoculum to degrade diesel was analyzed through GC-MS. Smaller chain compounds were obtained after experimental period of 30 days. Rate of diesel degradation was better with the present bacterial consortium than individual bacteria. Present bacterial consortium can be a better choice for faster and complete remediation of contaminated hydrocarbon soils.

  9. A Novel Methylotrophic Bacterial Consortium for Treatment of Industrial Effluents.

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    Hingurao, Krushi; Nerurkar, Anuradha

    2018-01-01

    Considering the importance of methylotrophs in industrial wastewater treatment, focus of the present study was on utilization of a methylotrophic bacterial consortium as a microbial seed for biotreatment of a variety of industrial effluents. For this purpose, a mixed bacterial methylotrophic AC (Ankleshwar CETP) consortium comprising of Bordetella petrii AC1, Bacillus licheniformis AC4, Salmonella subterranea AC5, and Pseudomonas stutzeri AC8 was used. The AC consortium showed efficient biotreatment of four industrial effluents procured from fertilizer, chemical and pesticide industries, and common effluent treatment plant by lowering their chemical oxygen demand (COD) of 950-2000 mg/l to below detection limit in 60-96 h in 6-l batch reactor and 9-15 days in 6-l continuous reactor. The operating variables of wastewater treatment, viz. COD, BOD, pH, MLSS, MLVSS, SVI, and F/M ratio of these effluents, were also maintained in the permissible range in both batch and continuous reactors. Therefore, formation of the AC consortium has led to the development of an efficient microbial seed capable of treating a variety of industrial effluents containing pollutants generated from their respective industries.

  10. In-Vessel Co-Composting of Food Waste Employing Enriched Bacterial Consortium.

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    Awasthi, Mukesh Kumar; Wang, Quan; Wang, Meijing; Chen, Hongyu; Ren, Xiuna; Zhao, Junchao; Zhang, Zengqiang

    2018-03-01

    The aim of the present study is to develop a good initial composting mix using a bacterial consortium and 2% lime for effective co-composting of food waste in a 60-litre in-vessel composter. In the experiment that lasted for 42 days, the food waste was first mixed with sawdust and 2% lime (by dry mass), then one of the reactors was inoculated with an enriched bacterial consortium, while the other served as control. The results show that inoculation of the enriched natural bacterial consortium effectively overcame the oil-laden co-composting mass in the composter and increased the rate of mineralization. In addition, CO 2 evolution rate of (0.81±0.2) g/(kg·day), seed germination index of (105±3) %, extractable ammonium mass fraction of 305.78 mg/kg, C/N ratio of 16.18, pH=7.6 and electrical conductivity of 3.12 mS/cm clearly indicate that the compost was well matured and met the composting standard requirements. In contrast, control treatment exhibited a delayed thermophilic phase and did not mature after 42 days, as evidenced by the maturity parameters. Therefore, a good composting mix and potential bacterial inoculum to degrade the oil are essential for food waste co-composting systems.

  11. In-Vessel Co-Composting of Food Waste Employing Enriched Bacterial Consortium

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    Mukesh Kumar Awasthi

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available The aim of the present study is to develop a good initial composting mix using a bacterial consortium and 2 % lime for effective co-composting of food waste in a 60-litre in-vessel composter. In the experiment that lasted for 42 days, the food waste was first mixed with sawdust and 2 % lime (by dry mass, then one of the reactors was inoculated with an enriched bacterial consortium, while the other served as control. The results show that inoculation of the enriched natural bacterial consortium effectively overcame the oil-laden co-composting mass in the composter and increased the rate of mineralization. In addition, CO2 evolution rate of (0.81±0.2 g/(kg·day, seed germination index of (105±3 %, extractable ammonium mass fraction of 305.78 mg/kg, C/N ratio of 16.18, pH=7.6 and electrical conductivity of 3.12 mS/cm clearly indicate that the compost was well matured and met the composting standard requirements. In contrast, control treatment exhibited a delayed thermophilic phase and did not mature after 42 days, as evidenced by the maturity parameters. Therefore, a good composting mix and potential bacterial inoculum to degrade the oil are essential for food waste co-composting systems.

  12. Decolorization of azo dyes (Direct Blue 151 and Direct Red 31 by moderately alkaliphilic bacterial consortium

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    Sylvine Lalnunhlimi

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Removal of synthetic dyes is one of the main challenges before releasing the wastes discharged by textile industries. Biodegradation of azo dyes by alkaliphilic bacterial consortium is one of the environmental-friendly methods used for the removal of dyes from textile effluents. Hence, this study presents isolation of a bacterial consortium from soil samples of saline environment and its use for the decolorization of azo dyes, Direct Blue 151 (DB 151 and Direct Red 31 (DR 31. The decolorization of azo dyes was studied at various concentrations (100–300 mg/L. The bacterial consortium, when subjected to an application of 200 mg/L of the dyes, decolorized DB 151 and DR 31 by 97.57% and 95.25% respectively, within 5 days. The growth of the bacterial consortium was optimized with pH, temperature, and carbon and nitrogen sources; and decolorization of azo dyes was analyzed. In this study, the decolorization efficiency of mixed dyes was improved with yeast extract and sucrose, which were used as nitrogen and carbon sources, respectively. Such an alkaliphilic bacterial consortium can be used in the removal of azo dyes from contaminated saline environment.

  13. Bacterial community composition characterization of a lead-contaminated Microcoleus sp. consortium.

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    Giloteaux, Ludovic; Solé, Antoni; Esteve, Isabel; Duran, Robert

    2011-08-01

    A Microcoleus sp. consortium, obtained from the Ebro delta microbial mat, was maintained under different conditions including uncontaminated, lead-contaminated, and acidic conditions. Terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism and 16S rRNA gene library analyses were performed in order to determine the effect of lead and culture conditions on the Microcoleus sp. consortium. The bacterial composition inside the consortium revealed low diversity and the presence of specific terminal-restriction fragments under lead conditions. 16S rRNA gene library analyses showed that members of the consortium were affiliated to the Alpha, Beta, and Gammaproteobacteria and Cyanobacteria. Sequences closely related to Achromobacter spp., Alcaligenes faecalis, and Thiobacillus species were exclusively found under lead conditions while sequences related to Geitlerinema sp., a cyanobacterium belonging to the Oscillatoriales, were not found in presence of lead. This result showed a strong lead selection of the bacterial members present in the Microcoleus sp. consortium. Several of the 16S rRNA sequences were affiliated to nitrogen-fixing microorganisms including members of the Rhizobiaceae and the Sphingomonadaceae. Additionally, confocal laser scanning microscopy and scanning and transmission electron microscopy showed that under lead-contaminated condition Microcoleus sp. cells were grouped and the number of electrodense intracytoplasmic inclusions was increased.

  14. Evaluating robustness of a diesel-degrading bacterial consortium isolated from contaminated soil

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Sydow, Mateusz; Owsianiak, Mikolaj; Szczepaniak, Zuzanna

    2016-01-01

    It is not known whether diesel-degrading bacterial communities are structurally and functionally robust when exposed to different hydrocarbon types. Here, we exposed a diesel-degrading consortium to model either alkanes, cycloalkanes or aromatic hydrocarbons as carbon sources to study its...... structural resistance. The structural resistance was low, with changes in relative abundances of up to four orders of magnitude, depending on hydrocarbon type and bacterial taxon. This low resistance is explained by the presence of hydrocarbon-degrading specialists in the consortium and differences in growth...... kinetics on individual hydrocarbons. However, despite this low resistance, structural and functional resilience were high, as verified by re-exposing the hydrocarbon-perturbed consortium to diesel fuel. The high resilience is either due to the short exposure time, insufficient for permanent changes...

  15. Exploring the potential of fungal-bacterial consortium for low-cost biodegradation and detoxification of textile effluent

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    Lade Harshad

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available In the present study, the enrichment and isolation of textile effluent decolorizing bacteria were carried out in wheat bran (WB medium. The isolated bacterium Providencia rettgeri strain HSL1 was then tested for decolorization of textile effluent in consortium with a dyestuff degrading fungus Aspergillus ochraceus NCIM 1146. Decolorization study suggests that A. ochraceus NCIM 1146 and P. rettgeri strain HSL1 alone re moves only 6 and 32% of textile effluent American Dye Manufacturing Institute respectively in 30 h at 30 ±0.2°C of microaerophilic incubation, while the fungal-bacterial consortium does 92% ADMI removal within the same time period. The fungal-bacterial consortium exhibited enhanced decolorization rate due to the induction in activities of catalytic enzymes laccase (196%, lignin peroxidase (77%, azoreductase (80% and NADH-DCIP reductase (84%. The HPLC analysis confirmed the biodegradation of textile effluent into various metabolites. Detoxification studies of textile effluent before and after treatment with fungal-bacterial consortium revealed reduced toxicity of degradation metabolites. The efficient degradation and detoxification by fungal-bacterial consortium pre-grown in agricultural based medium thus suggest a promising approach in designing low-cost treatment technologies for textile effluent.

  16. Enrichment and cultivation of a sulfide-oxidizing bacteria consortium for its deploying in full-scale biogas desulfurization

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    González Sánchez, Armando; Flores Márquez, Trinidad Eliseo; Revah, Sergio; Morgan Sagastume, Juan Manuel

    2014-01-01

    Operational experiences and strategies to get suitable chemolithoautotrophic sulfide-oxidizing biomass from activated sludge wastewater treatment plant for its deploying in a full-scale biogas desulfurization plant are described. An economic nutrient source was applied to foster microbial selection and rapid growth. Respirometry was implemented on full-scale installations to monitor the ability of the specialized bacteria consortium to oxidize reduced sulfur i.e. H 2 S. During the deployment in the full-scale desulfurization reactor, intermittent sulfide feed from biogas scrubbing was performed to accelerate the startup the desulfurization process. - Highlights: • A simple method for reaching high amounts of specialized sulfide-oxidizing bacterial consortium from activated sludge was developed. • The full-scale desulfurization process can be continuously monitored by respirometry allowing fast decision making if problems arise. • The dissolved sulfide concentration was estimated with an empirical correlation between measurements of ORP, dissolved oxygen and pH

  17. Biodegradation of BOD and ammonia-free using bacterial consortium in aerated fixed film bioreactor (AF2B)

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    Prayitno, Rulianah, Sri; Saroso, Hadi; Meilany, Diah

    2017-06-01

    BOD and Ammonia-free (NH3-N) are pollutants of hospital wastewater which often exceed the quality standards. It is because biological processes in wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) have not been effective in degrading BOD and NH3-N. Therefore, a study on factors that influence the biodegradation of BOD and NH3-N by choosing the type of bacteria to improve the mechanisms of biodegradation processes is required. Bacterial consortium is a collection of several types of bacteria obtained from isolation process, which is known to be more effective than a single bacterial in degrading pollutants. On the other hand, AF2B is a type of reactor in wastewater treatment system. The AF2B contains a filter media that has a large surface area so that the biodegradation process of pollutants by microorganism can be improved. The objective of this research is to determine the effect of volume of starter and air supplies on decreasing BOD and NH3-N in hospital wastewater using bacterial consortium in the AF2B on batch process. The research was conducted in three stages: the making of the growth curve of the bacterial consortium, bacterial consortium acclimatization, and hospital wastewater treatment in the AF2B with batch process. The variables used are the volume of starter (65%, 75%, and 85% in volume) and air supplies (2.5, 5, and 7.5 L/min). Meanwhile, the materials used are hospital wastewater, bacterial consortium (Pseudomonas diminuta, Pseudomonas capica, Bacillius sp, and Nitrobacter sp), blower, and AF2B. AF2B is a plastic basin containing a filter media with a wasp-nest shape used as a medium for growing the bacterial consortium. In the process of making the growth curve, a solid form of bacterial consortium was dissolved in sterilized water, then grown in a nutrient broth (NB). Then, shaking and sampling were done at any time to determine the path growth of bacterial consortium. In the acclimatization process, bacterial isolates were grown using hospital wastewater as a

  18. Bioremoval of Am-241 and Cs-137 from liquid radioactive wasters by bacterial consortiums

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ferreira, Rafael Vicente de Padua; Lima, Josenilson B. de; Gomes, Mirella C.; Borba, Tania R.; Bellini, Maria Helena; Marumo, Julio Takehiro; Sakata, Solange Kazumi

    2011-01-01

    This paper evaluates the capacity of two bacterial consortiums of impacted areas in removing the Am-241 and Cs-137 from liquid radioactive wastes.The experiments indicated that the two study consortiums were able to remove 100% of the Cs-137 and Am-241 presents in the waste from 4 days of contact. These results suggest that the bio removal with the selected consortiums, can be a viable technique for the treatment of radioactive wastes containing Am-241 and Cs-137

  19. Critical evaluation of post-consumption food waste composting employing thermophilic bacterial consortium.

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    Awasthi, Mukesh Kumar; Selvam, Ammaiyappan; Lai, Ka Man; Wong, Jonathan W C

    2017-12-01

    Effect of single-function (oil degrading) and multi-functional bacterial consortium with zeolite as additive for post-consumption food waste (PCFW) composting was investigated through assessing the oil content reduction in a computer controlled 20-L composter. Three treatments of PCFWs combined with 10% zeolite were developed: Treatment-2 and Treatment-3 were inoculated with multi-functional (BC-1) and oil degrading bacterial consortium (BC-2), respectively, while T-1 was without bacterial inoculation and served as control. Results revealed that BC-2 inoculated treatment (T-3) was superior to control treatment and marginally better than T-2 in terms of oil degradation. The reduction of oil content was >97.8% in T-3 and 92.27% in T-2, while total organic matter degradation was marginally higher in T-2 (42.95%) than T-3 (41.67%). Other parameters of compost maturity including germination test indicated that T-2 was marginally better than T-3 and significantly enhanced the oily PCFW decomposition and shortened the composting period by 20days. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  20. Naphthalene degradation by bacterial consortium (DV-AL) developed from Alang-Sosiya ship breaking yard, Gujarat, India.

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    Patel, Vilas; Jain, Siddharth; Madamwar, Datta

    2012-03-01

    Naphthalene degrading bacterial consortium (DV-AL) was developed by enrichment culture technique from sediment collected from the Alang-Sosiya ship breaking yard, Gujarat, India. The 16S rRNA gene based molecular analyzes revealed that the bacterial consortium (DV-AL) consisted of four strains namely, Achromobacter sp. BAB239, Pseudomonas sp. DV-AL2, Enterobacter sp. BAB240 and Pseudomonas sp. BAB241. Consortium DV-AL was able to degrade 1000 ppm of naphthalene in Bushnell Haas medium (BHM) containing peptone (0.1%) as co-substrate with an initial pH of 8.0 at 37°C under shaking conditions (150 rpm) within 24h. Maximum growth rate and naphthalene degradation rate were found to be 0.0389 h(-1) and 80 mg h(-1), respectively. Consortium DV-AL was able to utilize other aromatic and aliphatic hydrocarbons such as benzene, phenol, carbazole, petroleum oil, diesel fuel, and phenanthrene and 2-methyl naphthalene as sole carbon source. Consortium DV-AL was also efficient to degrade naphthalene in the presence of other pollutants such as petroleum hydrocarbons and heavy metals. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  1. Bioremediation and reclamation of soil contaminated with petroleum oil hydrocarbons by exogenously seeded bacterial consortium: a pilot-scale study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mukherjee, Ashis K; Bordoloi, Naba K

    2011-03-01

    Spillage of petroleum hydrocarbons causes significant environmental pollution. Bioremediation is an effective process to remediate petroleum oil contaminant from the ecosystem. The aim of the present study was to reclaim a petroleum oil-contaminated soil which was unsuitable for the cultivation of crop plants by using petroleum oil hydrocarbon-degrading microbial consortium. Bacterial consortium consisting of Bacillus subtilis DM-04 and Pseudomonas aeruginosa M and NM strains were seeded to 20% (v/w) petroleum oil-contaminated soil, and bioremediation experiment was carried out for 180 days under laboratory condition. The kinetics of hydrocarbon degradation was analyzed using biochemical and gas chromatographic (GC) techniques. The ecotoxicity of the elutriates obtained from petroleum oil-contaminated soil before and post-treatment with microbial consortium was tested on germination and growth of Bengal gram (Cicer aretinum) and green gram (Phaseolus mungo) seeds. Bacterial consortium showed a significant reduction in total petroleum hydrocarbon level in contaminated soil (76% degradation) as compared to the control soil (3.6% degradation) 180 days post-inoculation. The GC analysis confirmed that bacterial consortium was more effective in degrading the alkane fraction compared to aromatic fraction of crude petroleum oil hydrocarbons in soil. The nitrogen, sulfur, and oxygen compounds fraction was least degraded. The reclaimed soil supported the germination and growth of crop plants (C. aretinum and P. mungo). In contrast, seeds could not be germinated in petroleum oil-contaminated soil. The present study reinforces the application of bacterial consortium rather than individual bacterium for the effective bioremediation and reclamation of soil contaminated with petroleum oil.

  2. Microbial activity of soil with sulfentrazone associated with phytoremediator species and inoculation with a bacterial consortium

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    Christiane Augusta Diniz Melo

    Full Text Available ABSTRACT Phytostimulation plays a key role in the process of rhizodegradation of herbicides in soil. Additionally, bio-enhancement associated with phytoremediation may increase the efficiency of the decontamination process of soils with herbicides. Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate the biomass and microbial activity of soil contaminated with sulfentrazone and cultivated with phytoremediator species plus a bacterial consortium. The experiment was conducted in a greenhouse, carried out with a 2 × 4 × 4 completely randomized factorial design with 4 replications. The first factor consisted of the presence or absence of bio-enhancement with a bacterial consortium composed of Pseudomonas bacteria; the second factor consisted of a monoculture or mixed cultivation of 2 phytoremediator species Canavalia ensiformis and Helianthus annuus, besides the absence of cultivation; the third factor was made up by the bio-remediation time (25, 45, 65, and 85 days after thinning. Uncultivated soils displayed low values of microbial biomass carbon and microbial quotient as well as high values of metabolic quotient throughout the bio-remediation time, indicating the importance of cultivating phytoremediator species for the stimulation of soil microbiota. Bio-enhancement with the bacterial consortium, in general, promoted an increase in the microbial biomass and activity of soil contaminated with sulfentrazone. In the presence of the bacterial consortium, Canavalia ensiformis stimulated a greater activity of associated microbiota and supported a higher microbial biomass. Phytoremediation associated with microbial bio-enhancement are thus promising techniques for the bio-remediation for soils contaminated with sulfentrazone. This technique enhances the biomass and activity of soil microorganisms.

  3. Development of an Efficient Bacterial Consortium for the Potential Remediation of Hydrocarbons from Contaminated Sites.

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    Patowary, Kaustuvmani; Patowary, Rupshikha; Kalita, Mohan C; Deka, Suresh

    2016-01-01

    The intrinsic biodegradability of hydrocarbons and the distribution of proficient degrading microorganisms in the environment are very crucial for the implementation of bioremediation practices. Among others, one of the most favorable methods that can enhance the effectiveness of bioremediation of hydrocarbon-contaminated environment is the application of biosurfactant producing microbes. In the present study, the biodegradation capacities of native bacterial consortia toward total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH) with special emphasis to poly aromatic hydrocarbons were determined. The purpose of the study was to isolate TPH degrading bacterial strains from various petroleum contaminated soil of Assam, India and develop a robust bacterial consortium for bioremediation of crude oil of this native land. From a total of 23 bacterial isolates obtained from three different hydrocarbons contaminated samples five isolates, namely KS2, PG1, PG5, R1, and R2 were selected as efficient crude oil degraders with respect to their growth on crude oil enriched samples. Isolates KS2, PG1, and R2 are biosurfactant producers and PG5, R1 are non-producers. Fourteen different consortia were designed involving both biosurfactant producing and non-producing isolates. Consortium 10, which comprises two Bacillus strains namely, Bacillus pumilus KS2 and B. cereus R2 (identified by 16s rRNA sequencing) has shown the best result in the desired degradation of crude oil. The consortium showed degradation up to 84.15% of TPH after 5 weeks of incubation, as revealed from gravimetric analysis. FTIR (Fourier transform infrared) and GCMS (Gas chromatography-mass spectrometer) analyses were correlated with gravimetric data which reveals that the consortium has removed a wide range of petroleum hydrocarbons in comparison with abiotic control including different aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons.

  4. Development of an efficient bacterial consortium for the potential remediation of hydrocarbons from contaminated sites

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    Kaustuvmani Patowary

    2016-07-01

    Full Text Available The intrinsic biodegradability of hydrocarbons and the distribution of proficient degrading microorganisms in the environment are very crucial for the implementation of bioremediation practices. Among others, one of the most favorable methods that can enhance the effectiveness of bioremediation of hydrocarbon-contaminated environment is the application of biosurfactant producing microbes. In the present study, the biodegradation capacities of native bacterial consortia towards total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH with special emphasis to poly aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs were determined. The purpose of the study was to isolate TPH degrading bacterial strains from various petroleum contaminated soil of Assam, India and develop a robust bacterial consortium for bioremediation of crude oil of this native land. From a total of 23 bacterial isolates obtained from three different hydrocarbons contaminated samples 5 isolates, namely KS2, PG1, PG5, R1 and R2 were selected as efficient crude oil degraders with respect to their growth on crude oil enriched samples. Isolates KS2, PG1 and R2 are biosurfactant producers and PG5, R1 are non-producers. Fourteen different consortia were designed involving both biosurfactant producing and non-producing isolates. Consortium 10, which comprises two Bacillus strains namely, Bacillus pumilus KS2 and Bacillus cereus R2 (identified by 16s rRNA sequencing has shown the best result in the desired degradation of crude oil. The consortium showed degradation up to 84.15% of total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH after five weeks of incubation, as revealed from gravimetric analysis. FTIR (Fourier transform infrared and GCMS (Gas chromatography-mass spectrometer analyses were correlated with gravimetric data which reveals that the consortium has removed a wide range of petroleum hydrocarbons in comparison with abiotic control including different aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons.

  5. Performance of a pilot-scale packed bed reactor for perchlorate reduction using a sulfur oxidizing bacterial consortium.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Boles, Amber R; Conneely, Teresa; McKeever, Robert; Nixon, Paul; Nüsslein, Klaus R; Ergas, Sarina J

    2012-03-01

    A novel sulfur-utilizing perchlorate reducing bacterial consortium successfully treated perchlorate (ClO₄⁻) in prior batch and bench-scale packed bed reactor (PBR) studies. This study examined the scale up of this process for treatment of water from a ClO ₄⁻ and RDX contaminated aquifer in Cape Cod Massachusetts. A pilot-scale upflow PBR (∼250-L) was constructed with elemental sulfur and crushed oyster shell packing media. The reactor was inoculated with sulfur oxidizing ClO₄⁻ reducing cultures enriched from a wastewater seed. Sodium sulfite provided a good method of dissolved oxygen removal in batch cultures, but was found to promote the growth of bacteria that carry out sulfur disproportionation and sulfate reduction, which inhibited ClO₄⁻ reduction in the pilot system. After terminating sulfite addition, the PBR successfully removed 96% of the influent ClO₄⁻ in the groundwater at an empty bed contact time (EBCT) of 12 h (effluent ClO₄⁻ of 4.2 µg L(-1)). Simultaneous ClO₄⁻ and NO₃⁻ reduction was observed in the lower half of the reactor before reactions shifted to sulfur disproportionation and sulfate reduction. Analyses of water quality profiles were supported by molecular analysis, which showed distinct groupings of ClO₄⁻ and NO₃⁻ degrading organisms at the inlet of the PBR, while sulfur disproportionation was the primary biological process occurring in the top potion of the reactor. Copyright © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  6. Differential biotin labelling of the cell envelope proteins in lipopolysaccharidic diderm bacteria: Exploring the proteosurfaceome of Escherichia coli using sulfo-NHS-SS-biotin and sulfo-NHS-PEG4-bismannose-SS-biotin.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Monteiro, Ricardo; Chafsey, Ingrid; Leroy, Sabine; Chambon, Christophe; Hébraud, Michel; Livrelli, Valérie; Pizza, Mariagrazia; Pezzicoli, Alfredo; Desvaux, Mickaël

    2018-06-15

    Surface proteins are the major factor for the interaction between bacteria and its environment, playing an important role in infection, colonisation, virulence and adaptation. However, the study of surface proteins has proven difficult mainly due to their hydrophobicity and/or relatively low abundance compared with cytoplasmic proteins. To overcome these issues new proteomic strategies have been developed, such as cell-surface protein labelling using biotinylation reagents. Sulfo-NHS-SS-biotin is the most commonly used reagent to investigate the proteins expressed at the cell surface of various organisms but its use in lipopolysaccharidic diderm bacteria (archetypical Gram-negative bacteria) remains limited to a handful of species. While generally pass over in silence, some periplasmic proteins, but also some inner membrane lipoproteins, integral membrane proteins and cytoplasmic proteins (cytoproteins) are systematically identified following this approach. To limit cell lysis and diffusion of the sulfo-NHS-SS-biotin through the outer membrane, biotin labelling was tested over short incubation times and proved to be as efficient for 1 min at room temperature. To further limit labelling of protein located below the outer membrane, the use of high-molecular weight sulfo-NHS-PEG4-bismannose-SS-biotin appeared to recover differentially cell-envelope proteins compared to low-molecular weight sulfo-NHS-SS-biotin. Actually, the sulfo-NHS-SS-biotin recovers at a higher extent the proteins completely or partly exposed in the periplasm than sulfo-NHS-PEG4-bismannose-SS-biotin, namely periplasmic and integral membrane proteins as well as inner membrane and outer membrane lipoproteins. These results highlight that protein labelling using biotinylation reagents of different sizes provides a sophisticated and accurate way to differentially explore the cell envelope proteome of lipopolysaccharidic diderm bacteria. While generally pass over in silence, some periplasmic proteins

  7. Improvement of simultaneous Cr(VI) and phenol removal by an immobilised bacterial consortium and characterisation of biodegradation products.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ontañon, Ornella M; González, Paola S; Barros, Germán G; Agostini, Elizabeth

    2017-07-25

    Microbial bioremediation emerged some decades ago as an eco-friendly technology to restore polluted sites. Traditionally, the search for microorganisms suitable for bioremediation has been based on the selection of isolated strains able to remove a specific type of pollutant. However, this strategy has now become obsolete, since co-pollution is a global reality. Thus, current studies attempt to find bacterial cultures capable of coping with a mixture of organic and inorganic compounds. In this sense, the bacterial consortium SFC 500-1 has demonstrated efficiency for Cr(VI) and phenol removal, both of which are found in many industrial wastewaters. In the present study, the ability of SFC 500-1 for simultaneous removal was improved through its entrapment in a Ca-alginate matrix. This strategy led to an increased removal of Cr(VI), which was partially reduced to Cr(III). Immobilised cells were able to tolerate and degrade phenol up to 1,500mg/l at high rates, forming catechol and cis,cis-muconate as oxidation intermediates. Successful removal potential through 5 cycles of reuse, as well as after long-term storage, was another important advantage of the immobilised consortium. These characteristics make SFC 500-1 an interesting system for potential application in the biotreatment of co-polluted effluents. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  8. Chemometric formulation of bacterial consortium-AVS for improved decolorization of resonance-stabilized and heteropolyaromatic dyes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kumar, Madhava Anil; Kumar, Vaidyanathan Vinoth; Premkumar, Manickam Periyaraman; Baskaralingam, Palanichamy; Thiruvengadaravi, Kadathur Varathachary; Dhanasekaran, Anuradha; Sivanesan, Subramanian

    2012-11-01

    A bacterial consortium-AVS, consisting of Pseudomonas desmolyticum NCIM 2112, Kocuria rosea MTCC 1532 and Micrococcus glutamicus NCIM 2168 was formulated chemometrically, using the mixture design matrix based on the design of experiments methodology. The formulated consortium-AVS decolorized acid blue 15 and methylene blue with a higher average decolorization rate, which is more rapid than that of the pure cultures. The UV-vis spectrophotometric, Fourier transform infra red spectrophotometric and high performance liquid chromatographic analysis confirm that the decolorization was due to biodegradation by oxido-reductive enzymes, produced by the consortium-AVS. The toxicological assessment of plant growth parameters and the chlorophyll pigment concentrations of Phaseolus mungo and Triticum aestivum seedlings revealed the reduced toxic nature of the biodegraded products. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  9. A proteomics approach to study synergistic and antagonistic interactions of the fungal-bacterial consortium Fusarium oxysporum wild-type MSA 35.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moretti, Marino; Grunau, Alexander; Minerdi, Daniela; Gehrig, Peter; Roschitzki, Bernd; Eberl, Leo; Garibaldi, Angelo; Gullino, Maria Lodovica; Riedel, Kathrin

    2010-09-01

    Fusarium oxysporum is an important plant pathogen that causes severe damage of many economically important crop species. Various microorganisms have been shown to inhibit this soil-borne plant pathogen, including non-pathogenic F. oxysporum strains. In this study, F. oxysporum wild-type (WT) MSA 35, a biocontrol multispecies consortium that consists of a fungus and numerous rhizobacteria mainly belonging to gamma-proteobacteria, was analyzed by two complementary metaproteomic approaches (2-DE combined with MALDI-Tof/Tof MS and 1-D PAGE combined with LC-ESI-MS/MS) to identify fungal or bacterial factors potentially involved in antagonistic or synergistic interactions between the consortium members. Moreover, the proteome profiles of F. oxysporum WT MSA 35 and its cured counter-part CU MSA 35 (WT treated with antibiotics) were compared with unravel the bacterial impact on consortium functioning. Our study presents the first proteome mapping of an antagonistic F. oxysporum strain and proposes candidate proteins that might play an important role for the biocontrol activity and the close interrelationship between the fungus and its bacterial partners.

  10. Bioremediation of high molecular weight polyaromatic hydrocarbons co-contaminated with metals in liquid and soil slurries by metal tolerant PAHs degrading bacterial consortium.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thavamani, Palanisami; Megharaj, Mallavarapu; Naidu, Ravi

    2012-11-01

    Bioremediation of polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) contaminated soils in the presence of heavy metals have proved to be difficult and often challenging due to the ability of toxic metals to inhibit PAH degradation by bacteria. In this study, a mixed bacterial culture designated as consortium-5 was isolated from a former manufactured gas plant (MGP) site. The ability of this consortium to utilise HMW PAHs such as pyrene and BaP as a sole carbon source in the presence of toxic metal Cd was demonstrated. Furthermore, this consortium has proven to be effective in degradation of HMW PAHs even from the real long term contaminated MGP soil. Thus, the results of this study demonstrate the great potential of this consortium for field scale bioremediation of PAHs in long term mix contaminated soils such as MGP sites. To our knowledge this is the first study to isolate and characterize metal tolerant HMW PAH degrading bacterial consortium which shows great potential in bioremediation of mixed contaminated soils such as MGP.

  11. Bacterial diversity and reductive dehalogenase redundancy in a 1,2-dichloroethane-degrading bacterial consortium enriched from a contaminated aquifer

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wittebolle Lieven

    2010-02-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Bacteria possess a reservoir of metabolic functionalities ready to be exploited for multiple purposes. The use of microorganisms to clean up xenobiotics from polluted ecosystems (e.g. soil and water represents an eco-sustainable and powerful alternative to traditional remediation processes. Recent developments in molecular-biology-based techniques have led to rapid and accurate strategies for monitoring and identification of bacteria and catabolic genes involved in the degradation of xenobiotics, key processes to follow up the activities in situ. Results We report the characterization of the response of an enriched bacterial community of a 1,2-dichloroethane (1,2-DCA contaminated aquifer to the spiking with 5 mM lactate as electron donor in microcosm studies. After 15 days of incubation, the microbial community structure was analyzed. The bacterial 16S rRNA gene clone library showed that the most represented phylogenetic group within the consortium was affiliated with the phylum Firmicutes. Among them, known degraders of chlorinated compounds were identified. A reductive dehalogenase genes clone library showed that the community held four phylogenetically-distinct catalytic enzymes, all conserving signature residues previously shown to be linked to 1,2-DCA dehalogenation. Conclusions The overall data indicate that the enriched bacterial consortium shares the metabolic functionality between different members of the microbial community and is characterized by a high functional redundancy. These are fundamental features for the maintenance of the community's functionality, especially under stress conditions and suggest the feasibility of a bioremediation treatment with a potential prompt dehalogenation and a process stability over time.

  12. Identification and characterization of an anaerobic ethanol-producing cellulolytic bacterial consortium from Great Basin hot springs with agricultural residues and energy crops.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhao, Chao; Deng, Yunjin; Wang, Xingna; Li, Qiuzhe; Huang, Yifan; Liu, Bin

    2014-09-01

    In order to obtain the cellulolytic bacterial consortia, sediments from Great Basin hot springs (Nevada, USA) were sampled and enriched with cellulosic biomass as the sole carbon source. The bacterial composition of the resulting anaerobic ethanol-producing celluloytic bacterial consortium, named SV79, was analyzed. With methods of the full-length 16S rRNA librarybased analysis and denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis, 21 bacteria belonging to eight genera were detected from this consortium. Clones with closest relation to the genera Acetivibrio, Clostridium, Cellulosilyticum, Ruminococcus, and Sporomusa were predominant. The cellulase activities and ethanol productions of consortium SV79 using different agricultural residues (sugarcane bagasse and spent mushroom substrate) and energy crops (Spartina anglica, Miscanthus floridulus, and Pennisetum sinese Roxb) were studied. During cultivation, consortium SV79 produced the maximum filter paper activity (FPase, 9.41 U/ml), carboxymethylcellulase activity (CMCase, 6.35 U/ml), and xylanase activity (4.28 U/ml) with sugarcane bagasse, spent mushroom substrate, and S. anglica, respectively. The ethanol production using M. floridulus as substrate was up to 2.63 mM ethanol/g using gas chromatography analysis. It has high potential to be a new candidate for producing ethanol with cellulosic biomass under anoxic conditions in natural environments.

  13. Acclimation of a marine microbial consortium for efficient Mn(II) oxidation and manganese containing particle production

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhou, Hao; Pan, Haixia; Xu, Jianqiang; Xu, Weiping; Liu, Lifen

    2016-01-01

    Highlights: • An efficient Mn(II) oxidation marine sediments microbial community was obtained. • High-throughput sequencing indicated new Mn(II) oxidation associated genus. • Na_3MnPO_4CO_3 and MnCO_3 were synthesized by the consortium. • Consortium exhibited Mn(II) oxidation performance over a range of harsh conditions. - Abstract: Sediment contamination with metals is a widespread concern in the marine environment. Manganese oxidizing bacteria (MOB) are extensively distributed in various environments, but a marine microbial community containing MOB is rarely reported. In this study, a consortium of marine metal-contaminated sediments was acclimated using Mn(II). The shift in community structure was determined through high-throughput sequencing. In addition, the consortium resisted several harsh conditions, such as toxic metals (1 mM Cu(II) and Fe(III)), and exhibited high Mn(II) oxidation capacities even the Mn(II) concentration was up to 5 mM. Meanwhile, biogenic Mn containing particles were characterized by scanning electron microscope (SEM), X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), and N_2 adsorption/desorption. Dye removal performance of the Mn containing particles was assayed using methylene blue, and 20.8 mg g"−"1 adsorption capacity was obtained. Overall, this study revealed several new genera associated with Mn(II) oxidation and rare biogenic Na_3MnPO_4CO_3_. Results suggested the complexity of natural microbe-mediated Mn transformation.

  14. 21 CFR 172.810 - Dioctyl sodium sulfo-suc-cinate.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... (CONTINUED) FOOD FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION (CONTINUED) FOOD ADDITIVES PERMITTED FOR DIRECT ADDITION TO FOOD FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION Multipurpose Additives § 172.810 Dioctyl sodium sulfo-suc-cinate. The food additive... gums or hydrophilic colloids. (d) As an emulsifying agent for cocoa fat in noncarbonated beverages...

  15. Characterization of TEMPO-oxidized bacterial cellulose

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nascimento, Eligenes S.; Pereira, Andre L.S.; Lima, Helder L.; Barroso, Maria K. de A.; Barros, Matheus de O.; Morais, Joao P.S.; Borges, Maria de F.; Rosa, Morsyleide de F.

    2015-01-01

    The aim of this study was to characterize the TEMPO-oxidized bacterial cellulose, as a preliminary research for further application in nanocomposites. Bacterial cellulose (BC) was selectively oxidized at C-6 carbon by TEMPO radical. Oxidized bacterial cellulose (BCOX) was characterized by TGA, FTIR, XRD, and zeta potential. BCOX suspension was stable at pH 7.0, presented a crystallinity index of 83%, in spite of 92% of BC, because of decrease in the free hydroxyl number. FTIR spectra showed characteristic BC bands and, in addition, band of carboxylic group, proving the oxidation. BCOX DTG showed, in addition to characteristic BC thermal events, a maximum degradation peak at 233 °C, related to sodium anhydro-glucuronate groups formed during the cellulose oxidation. Thus, BC can be TEMPO-oxidized without great loss in its structure and properties. (author)

  16. Biodegradation of low and high molecular weight hydrocarbons in petroleum refinery wastewater by a thermophilic bacterial consortium.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pugazhendi, Arulazhagan; Abbad Wazin, Hadeel; Qari, Huda; Basahi, Jalal Mohammad Al-Badry; Godon, Jean Jacques; Dhavamani, Jeyakumar

    2017-10-01

    Clean-up of contaminated wastewater remains to be a major challenge in petroleum refinery. Here, we describe the capacity of a bacterial consortium enriched from crude oil drilling site in Al-Khobar, Saudi Arabia, to utilize polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) as sole carbon source at 60°C. The consortium reduced low molecular weight (LMW; naphthalene, phenanthrene, fluorene and anthracene) and high molecular weight (HMW; pyrene, benzo(e)pyrene and benzo(k)fluoranthene) PAH loads of up to 1.5 g/L with removal efficiencies of 90% and 80% within 10 days. PAH biodegradation was verified by the presence of PAH metabolites and evolution of carbon dioxide (90 ± 3%). Biodegradation led to a reduction of the surface tension to 34 ± 1 mN/m thus suggesting biosurfactant production by the consortium. Phylogenetic analysis of the consortium revealed the presence of the thermophilic PAH degrader Pseudomonas aeruginosa strain CEES1 (KU664514) and Bacillus thermosaudia (KU664515) strain CEES2. The consortium was further found to treat petroleum wastewater in continuous stirred tank reactor with 96 ± 2% chemical oxygen demand removal and complete PAH degradation in 24 days.

  17. Acclimation of a marine microbial consortium for efficient Mn(II) oxidation and manganese containing particle production

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zhou, Hao, E-mail: zhouhao@dlut.edu.cn [Key Laboratory of Industrial Ecology and Environmental Engineering (Ministry of Education), School of Food and Environment, Dalian University of Technology, Panjin 124221 (China); Pan, Haixia [Key Laboratory of Industrial Ecology and Environmental Engineering (Ministry of Education), School of Food and Environment, Dalian University of Technology, Panjin 124221 (China); Xu, Jianqiang [School of Life Science and Medicine, Dalian University of Technology, Panjin 124221 (China); Xu, Weiping; Liu, Lifen [Key Laboratory of Industrial Ecology and Environmental Engineering (Ministry of Education), School of Food and Environment, Dalian University of Technology, Panjin 124221 (China)

    2016-03-05

    Highlights: • An efficient Mn(II) oxidation marine sediments microbial community was obtained. • High-throughput sequencing indicated new Mn(II) oxidation associated genus. • Na{sub 3}MnPO{sub 4}CO{sub 3} and MnCO{sub 3} were synthesized by the consortium. • Consortium exhibited Mn(II) oxidation performance over a range of harsh conditions. - Abstract: Sediment contamination with metals is a widespread concern in the marine environment. Manganese oxidizing bacteria (MOB) are extensively distributed in various environments, but a marine microbial community containing MOB is rarely reported. In this study, a consortium of marine metal-contaminated sediments was acclimated using Mn(II). The shift in community structure was determined through high-throughput sequencing. In addition, the consortium resisted several harsh conditions, such as toxic metals (1 mM Cu(II) and Fe(III)), and exhibited high Mn(II) oxidation capacities even the Mn(II) concentration was up to 5 mM. Meanwhile, biogenic Mn containing particles were characterized by scanning electron microscope (SEM), X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), and N{sub 2} adsorption/desorption. Dye removal performance of the Mn containing particles was assayed using methylene blue, and 20.8 mg g{sup −1} adsorption capacity was obtained. Overall, this study revealed several new genera associated with Mn(II) oxidation and rare biogenic Na{sub 3}MnPO{sub 4}CO{sub 3.} Results suggested the complexity of natural microbe-mediated Mn transformation.

  18. Study of the Bioremediation of Atrazine under Variable Carbon and Nitrogen Sources by Mixed Bacterial Consortium Isolated from Corn Field Soil in Fars Province of Iran

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nasseri, Simin; Hashemi, Hassan

    2013-01-01

    Atrazine herbicide that is widely used in corn production is frequently detected in water resources. The main objectives of this research were focused on assessing the effects of carbon and nitrogen sources on atrazine biodegradation by mixed bacterial consortium and by evaluating the feasibility of using mixed bacterial consortium in soil culture. Shiraz corn field soil with a long history of atrazine application has been explored for their potential of atrazine biodegradation. The influence of different carbon compounds and the effect of nitrogen sources and a different pH (5.5–8.5) on atrazine removal efficiency by mixed bacterial consortium in liquid culture were investigated. Sodium citrate and sucrose had the highest atrazine biodegradation rate (87.22%) among different carbon sources. Atrazine biodegradation rate decreased more quickly by the addition of urea (26.76%) compared to ammonium nitrate. Based on the data obtained in this study, pH of 7.0 is optimum for atrazine biodegradation. After 30 days of incubation, the percent of atrazine reduction rates were significantly enhanced in the inoculated soils (60.5%) as compared to uninoculated control soils (12%) at the soil moisture content of 25%. In conclusion, bioaugmentation of soil with mixed bacterial consortium may enhance the rate of atrazine degradation in a highly polluted soil. PMID:23533452

  19. Aerobic De-Epoxydation of Trichothecene Mycotoxins by a Soil Bacterial Consortium Isolated Using In Situ Soil Enrichment

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wei-Jie He

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available Globally, the trichothecene mycotoxins deoxynivalenol (DON and nivalenol (NIV are among the most widely distributed mycotoxins that contaminate small grain cereals. In this study, a bacterial consortium, PGC-3, with de-epoxydation activity was isolated from soil by an in situ soil enrichment method. Screening of 14 soil samples that were sprayed with DON revealed that 4 samples were able to biotransform DON into de-epoxydized DON (dE-DON. Among these, the PGC-3 consortium showed the highest and most stable activity to biotransform DON into dE-DON and NIV into dE-NIV. PGC-3 exhibited de-epoxydation activity at a wide range of pH (5–10 and temperatures (20–37 °C values under aerobic conditions. Sequential subculturing with a continued exposure to DON substantially reduced the microbial population diversity of this consortium. Analyses of the 16S rDNA sequences indicated that PGC-3 comprised 10 bacterial genera. Among these, one species, Desulfitobacterium, showed a steady increase in relative abundance, from 0.03% to 1.55% (a 52-fold increase, as higher concentrations of DON were used in the subculture media, from 0 to 500 μg/mL. This study establishes the foundation to further develop bioactive agents that can detoxify trichothecene mycotoxins in cereals and enables for the characterization of detoxifying genes and their regulation.

  20. Characterization of the biodegradation, bioremediation and detoxification capacity of a bacterial consortium able to degrade the fungicide thiabendazole.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Perruchon, Chiara; Pantoleon, Anastasios; Veroutis, Dimitrios; Gallego-Blanco, Sara; Martin-Laurent, F; Liadaki, Kalliopi; Karpouzas, Dimitrios G

    2017-12-01

    Thiabendazole (TBZ) is a persistent fungicide used in the post-harvest treatment of fruits. Its application results in the production of contaminated effluents which should be treated before their environmental discharge. In the absence of efficient treatment methods in place, biological systems based on microbial inocula with specialized degrading capacities against TBZ could be a feasible treatment approach. Only recently the first bacterial consortium able to rapidly transform TBZ was isolated. This study aimed to characterize its biodegradation, bioremediation and detoxification potential. The capacity of the consortium to mineralize 14 C-benzyl-ring labelled TBZ was initially assessed. Subsequent tests evaluated its degradation capacity under various conditions (range of pH, temperatures and TBZ concentration levels) and relevant practical scenarios (simultaneous presence of other postharvest compounds) and its bioaugmentation potential in soils contaminated with increasing TBZ levels. Finally cytotoxicity assays explored its detoxification potential. The consortium effectively mineralized the benzoyl ring of the benzimidazole moiety of TBZ and degraded spillage level concentrations of the fungicide in aqueous cultures (750 mg L -1 ) and in soil (500 mg kg -1 ). It maintained its high degradation capacity in a wide range of pH (4.5-7.5) and temperatures (15-37 °C) and in the presence of other pesticides (ortho-phenylphenol and diphenylamine). Toxicity assays using the human liver cancer cell line HepG2 showed a progressive decrease in cytotoxicity, concomitantly with the biodegradation of TBZ, pointing to a detoxification process. Overall, the bacterial consortium showed high potential for future implementation in bioremediation and biodepuration applications.

  1. Study of the Bioremediation of Atrazine under Variable Carbon and Nitrogen Sources by Mixed Bacterial Consortium Isolated from Corn Field Soil in Fars Province of Iran

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mansooreh Dehghani

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Atrazine herbicide that is widely used in corn production is frequently detected in water resources. The main objectives of this research were focused on assessing the effects of carbon and nitrogen sources on atrazine biodegradation by mixed bacterial consortium and by evaluating the feasibility of using mixed bacterial consortium in soil culture. Shiraz corn field soil with a long history of atrazine application has been explored for their potential of atrazine biodegradation. The influence of different carbon compounds and the effect of nitrogen sources and a different pH (5.5–8.5 on atrazine removal efficiency by mixed bacterial consortium in liquid culture were investigated. Sodium citrate and sucrose had the highest atrazine biodegradation rate (87.22% among different carbon sources. Atrazine biodegradation rate decreased more quickly by the addition of urea (26.76% compared to ammonium nitrate. Based on the data obtained in this study, pH of 7.0 is optimum for atrazine biodegradation. After 30 days of incubation, the percent of atrazine reduction rates were significantly enhanced in the inoculated soils (60.5% as compared to uninoculated control soils (12% at the soil moisture content of 25%. In conclusion, bioaugmentation of soil with mixed bacterial consortium may enhance the rate of atrazine degradation in a highly polluted soil.

  2. Degradation of paracetamol by pure bacterial cultures and their microbial consortium.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Lili; Hu, Jun; Zhu, Runye; Zhou, Qingwei; Chen, Jianmeng

    2013-04-01

    Three bacterial strains utilizing paracetamol as the sole carbon, nitrogen, and energy source were isolated from a paracetamol-degrading aerobic aggregate, and assigned to species of the genera Stenotrophomonas and Pseudomonas. The Stenotrophomonas species have not included any known paracetamol degraders until now. In batch cultures, the organisms f1, f2, and fg-2 could perform complete degradation of paracetamol at concentrations of 400, 2,500, and 2,000 mg/L or below, respectively. A combination of three microbial strains resulted in significantly improved degradation and mineralization of paracetamol. The co-culture was able to use paracetamol up to concentrations of 4,000 mg/L, and mineralized 87.1 % of the added paracetamol at the initial of 2,000 mg/L. Two key metabolites of the biodegradation pathway of paracetamol, 4-aminophenol, and hydroquinone were detected. Paracetamol was degraded predominantly via 4-aminophenol to hydroquinone with subsequent ring fission, suggesting new pathways for paracetamol-degrading bacteria. The degradation of paracetamol could thus be performed by the single isolates, but is stimulated by a synergistic interaction of the three-member consortium, suggesting a possible complementary interaction among the various isolates. The exact roles of each of the strains in the consortium need to be further elucidated.

  3. Biodegradation of marine crude oil pollution using a salt-tolerant bacterial consortium isolated from Bohai Bay, China.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Xinfei; Zhao, Lin; Adam, Mohamed

    2016-04-15

    This study aims at constructing an efficient bacterial consortium to biodegrade crude oil spilled in China's Bohai Sea. In this study, TCOB-1 (Ochrobactrum), TCOB-2 (Brevundimonas), TCOB-3 (Brevundimonas), TCOB-4 (Bacillus) and TCOB-5 (Castellaniella) were isolated from Bohai Bay. Through the analysis of hydrocarbon biodegradation, TCOB-4 was found to biodegrade more middle-chain n-alkanes (from C17 to C23) and long-chain n-alkanes (C31-C36). TCOB-5 capable to degrade more n-alkanes including C24-C30 and aromatics. On the basis of complementary advantages, TCOB-4 and TCOB-5 were chosen to construct a consortium which was capable of degrading about 51.87% of crude oil (2% w/v) after 1week of incubation in saline MSM (3% NaCl). It is more efficient compared with single strain. In order to biodegrade crude oil, the construction of bacterial consortia is essential and the principle of complementary advantages could reduce competition between microbes. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  4. Bacterial community analysis in chlorpyrifos enrichment cultures via DGGE and use of bacterial consortium for CP biodegradation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Akbar, Shamsa; Sultan, Sikander; Kertesz, Michael

    2014-10-01

    The organophosphate pesticide chlorpyrifos (CP) has been used extensively since the 1960s for insect control. However, its toxic effects on mammals and persistence in environment necessitate its removal from contaminated sites, biodegradation studies of CP-degrading microbes are therefore of immense importance. Samples from a Pakistani agricultural soil with an extensive history of CP application were used to prepare enrichment cultures using CP as sole carbon source for bacterial community analysis and isolation of CP metabolizing bacteria. Bacterial community analysis (denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis) revealed that the dominant genera enriched under these conditions were Pseudomonas, Acinetobacter and Stenotrophomonas, along with lower numbers of Sphingomonas, Agrobacterium and Burkholderia. Furthermore, it revealed that members of Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes, α- and γ-Proteobacteria and Actinobacteria were present at initial steps of enrichment whereas β-Proteobacteria appeared in later steps and only Proteobacteria were selected by enrichment culturing. However, when CP-degrading strains were isolated from this enrichment culture, the most active organisms were strains of Acinetobacter calcoaceticus, Pseudomonas mendocina and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. These strains degraded 6-7.4 mg L(-1) day(-1) of CP when cultivated in mineral medium, while the consortium of all four strains degraded 9.2 mg L(-1) day(-1) of CP (100 mg L(-1)). Addition of glucose as an additional C source increased the degradation capacity by 8-14 %. After inoculation of contaminated soil with CP (200 mg kg(-1)) disappearance rates were 3.83-4.30 mg kg(-1) day(-1) for individual strains and 4.76 mg kg(-1) day(-1) for the consortium. These results indicate that these organisms are involved in the degradation of CP in soil and represent valuable candidates for in situ bioremediation of contaminated soils and waters.

  5. Selection, isolation and growth kinetic study of a bacterial consortium obtained from the Potengi mangrove in the presence of crude oil

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Costa, C.C.; Vaz, M.R.F.; Santos, E.S.; Macedo, G.R. [Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN), Natal, RN (Brazil). Dept. de Engenharia Quimica], E-mail: natcintia@gmail.com; Costa, J.G. da [Universidade Federal do Amazonas (UFAM), Coari, AM (Brazil). Inst. de Saude e Biotecnologia

    2011-10-15

    The selection, isolation and kinetic study of a bacterial consortium obtained from a sample of soil from the Potengi mangrove, located in the city of Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil, has been carried out using the enrichment culture technique to observe aspects such as the evaluation of main growth parameters. The kinetic study used a rotary incubator shaker at 150rpm, under 30 deg C. The bacterial consortium isolated from the estuary of the Potengi River showed a good acclimation in minimum mineral medium with 1% (v/v) of oil. The cell concentration reached 2.55 g/L at 16h of cultivation and surface tension dropped. The maximum productivity in cells obtained was of 0.3 g/L.h, the specific velocity of growth was of 0.075h{sup -1}, with a generation time (tg) of 9.24h. This study seeks to demonstrate that the consortium can be used as inoculants in biological treatments, capable of reducing the waste's degradation time. (author)

  6. Enhancement of pyrene degradation efficacy of Synechocystis sp., by construction of an artificial microalgal-bacterial consortium

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jignasa G. Patel

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available This study was carried out to investigate the ability of microalgae Synechocystis sp. to high molecular weight Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon pyrene (PYR and artificial microalgal–bacterial consortium at different concentrations. The consortium consisted of one axenic species Synechocystis sp. and two PYR-degrading bacteria with known complementary degradative capabilities viz. Pseudomonas sp. and Bacillus sp. The influence of PYR on growth in terms of chlorophyll-a were analysed, and it was found that in the presence of bacteria, Synechocystis sp. tremendously increased in growth as well as biodegradation capability, whereas Synechocystis sp. alone exhibited concentration-dependent decrease in growth and biodegradation ability. Degradation of PYR shows that the consortium could eliminate PYR by 94.1% at 50 mg/L; however, Synechocystis sp alone could degrade up to 36% at 1.5 mg/L after 16 days of incubation. The study revealed that microalgae grew better in the presence of the aerobic heterotrophic bacteria and provided them with necessary organics for efficient PYR degradation activities. Moreover, consortium JP-NKA7B2 grows efficiently on other xenobiotic compounds. The artificial consortia JP-NK is thus proven to be an effective and promising system for bioremediating PYR compound and could be suggested in degradation of PYR compound in hydrocarbon-polluted areas in situ and ex situ.

  7. Bioremoval of Am-241 and Cs-137 from liquid radioactive wasters by bacterial consortiums; Biorremocao de Am-241 e Cs-137 de rejeitos radioativos liquidos por consorcios bacterianos

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ferreira, Rafael Vicente de Padua; Lima, Josenilson B. de; Gomes, Mirella C.; Borba, Tania R.; Bellini, Maria Helena; Marumo, Julio Takehiro; Sakata, Solange Kazumi, E-mail: rpadua@ipen.b, E-mail: sksakata@ipen.b, E-mail: jblima@ipen.b, E-mail: mbmarumo@ipen.b, E-mail: jtmarumo@ipen.b [Instituto de Pesquisas Energeticas e Nucleares (IPEN/CNEN-SP), Sao Paulo, SP (Brazil)

    2011-10-26

    This paper evaluates the capacity of two bacterial consortiums of impacted areas in removing the Am-241 and Cs-137 from liquid radioactive wastes.The experiments indicated that the two study consortiums were able to remove 100% of the Cs-137 and Am-241 presents in the waste from 4 days of contact. These results suggest that the bio removal with the selected consortiums, can be a viable technique for the treatment of radioactive wastes containing Am-241 and Cs-137

  8. Genome-Centric Analysis of a Thermophilic and Cellulolytic Bacterial Consortium Derived from Composting

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lemos, Leandro N.; Pereira, Roberta V.; Quaggio, Ronaldo B.; Martins, Layla F.; Moura, Livia M. S.; da Silva, Amanda R.; Antunes, Luciana P.; da Silva, Aline M.; Setubal, João C.

    2017-01-01

    Microbial consortia selected from complex lignocellulolytic microbial communities are promising alternatives to deconstruct plant waste, since synergistic action of different enzymes is required for full degradation of plant biomass in biorefining applications. Culture enrichment also facilitates the study of interactions among consortium members, and can be a good source of novel microbial species. Here, we used a sample from a plant waste composting operation in the São Paulo Zoo (Brazil) as inoculum to obtain a thermophilic aerobic consortium enriched through multiple passages at 60°C in carboxymethylcellulose as sole carbon source. The microbial community composition of this consortium was investigated by shotgun metagenomics and genome-centric analysis. Six near-complete (over 90%) genomes were reconstructed. Similarity and phylogenetic analyses show that four of these six genomes are novel, with the following hypothesized identifications: a new Thermobacillus species; the first Bacillus thermozeamaize genome (for which currently only 16S sequences are available) or else the first representative of a new family in the Bacillales order; the first representative of a new genus in the Paenibacillaceae family; and the first representative of a new deep-branching family in the Clostridia class. The reconstructed genomes from known species were identified as Geobacillus thermoglucosidasius and Caldibacillus debilis. The metabolic potential of these recovered genomes based on COG and CAZy analyses show that these genomes encode several glycoside hydrolases (GHs) as well as other genes related to lignocellulose breakdown. The new Thermobacillus species stands out for being the richest in diversity and abundance of GHs, possessing the greatest potential for biomass degradation among the six recovered genomes. We also investigated the presence and activity of the organisms corresponding to these genomes in the composting operation from which the consortium was built

  9. Amorphous structure of iron oxide of bacterial origin

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hashimoto, Hideki; Fujii, Tatsuo [Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University, Okayama 700-8530 (Japan); Kohara, Shinji [Japan Synchrotron Radiation Research Institute, Sayo, Hyogo 679-5198 (Japan); Asaoka, Hiroshi [Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University, Okayama 700-8530 (Japan); Kusano, Yoshihiro [Department of Fine and Applied Arts, Kurashiki University of Science and the Arts, Kurashiki, Okayama 712-8505 (Japan); Ikeda, Yasunori [Research Institute for Production Development, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-0805 (Japan); Nakanishi, Makoto [Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University, Okayama 700-8530 (Japan); Benino, Yasuhiko; Nanba, Tokuro [Graduate School of Environmental Science, Okayama University, Okayama 700-8530 (Japan); Takada, Jun, E-mail: jtakada@cc.okayama-u.ac.jp [Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University, Okayama 700-8530 (Japan); JST, CREST, Okayama 700-8530 (Japan)

    2012-12-14

    In nature, there are various iron oxides produced by the water-habitant bacterial group called 'iron-oxidizing bacteria'. These iron oxides have been studied mainly from biological and geochemical perspectives. Today, attempts are made to use such iron oxides as novel functional materials in several applications. However, their quantitative structural characteristics are still unclear. We studied the structure of iron oxide of microtubular form consisting of amorphous nanoparticles formed by an iron-oxidizing bacterium, Leptothrix ochracea, using a combination of high-energy X-ray diffraction and reverse Monte Carlo simulation. We found that its structure consists of a framework of corner- and edge-sharing distorted FeO{sub 6} octahedral units, while SiO{sub 4} tetrahedral units are isolated in the framework. The results reveal the atomic arrangement of iron oxide of bacterial origin, which is essential for investigating its potential as a functional material. -- Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The amorphous structure of bacterial iron oxide was investigated. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The structure was simulated by high-energy X-ray diffraction and reverse Monte Carlo simulation. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The structure was constructed of a framework of corner- and edge-sharing distorted FeO{sub 6} octahedral units. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer SiO{sub 4} tetrahedral units were distributed isolatedly in the framework of FeO{sub 6} octahedral units.

  10. Denitrification of groundwater using a sulfur-oxidizing autotrophic denitrifying anaerobic fluidized-bed MBR: performance and bacterial community structure.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Lili; Zhang, Chao; Hu, Chengzhi; Liu, Huijuan; Qu, Jiuhui

    2015-03-01

    This paper investigates a novel sulfur-oxidizing autotrophic denitrifying anaerobic fluidized bed membrane bioreactor (AnFB-MBR) that has the potential to overcome the limitations of conventional sulfur-oxidizing autotrophic denitrification systems. The AnFB-MBR produced consistent high-quality product water when fed by a synthetic groundwater with NO3 (-)-N ranging 25-80 mg/L and operated at hydraulic retention times of 0.5-5.0 h. A nitrate removal rate of up to 4.0 g NO3 (-)-N/Lreactord was attained by the bioreactor, which exceeded any reported removal capacity. The flux of AnFB-MBR was maintained in the range of 1.5-15 L m(-2) h(-1). Successful membrane cleaning was practiced with cleaning cycles of 35-81 days, which had no obvious effect on the AnFB-MBR performance. The (15) N-tracer analyses elucidated that nitrogen was converted into (15) N2-N and (15) N-biomass accounting for 88.1-93.1 % and 6.4-11.6 % of the total nitrogen produced, respectively. Only 0.3-0.5 % of removed nitrogen was in form of (15)N2O-N in sulfur-oxidizing autotrophic denitrification process, reducing potential risks of a significant amount of N2O emissions. The sulfur-oxidizing autotrophic denitrifying bacterial consortium was composed mainly of bacteria from Proteobacteria, Chlorobi, and Chloroflexi phyla, with genera Thiobacillus, Sulfurimonas, and Ignavibacteriales dominating the consortium. The pyrosequencing assays also suggested that the stable microbial communities corresponded to the elevated performance of the AnFB-MBR. Overall, this research described relatively high nitrate removal, acceptable flux, indicating future potential for the technology in practice.

  11. Compatible bacterial mixture, tolerant to desiccation, improves maize plant growth.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Molina-Romero, Dalia; Baez, Antonino; Quintero-Hernández, Verónica; Castañeda-Lucio, Miguel; Fuentes-Ramírez, Luis Ernesto; Bustillos-Cristales, María Del Rocío; Rodríguez-Andrade, Osvaldo; Morales-García, Yolanda Elizabeth; Munive, Antonio; Muñoz-Rojas, Jesús

    2017-01-01

    Plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) increase plant growth and crop productivity. The inoculation of plants with a bacterial mixture (consortium) apparently provides greater benefits to plant growth than inoculation with a single bacterial strain. In the present work, a bacterial consortium was formulated containing four compatible and desiccation-tolerant strains with potential as PGPR. The formulation had one moderately (Pseudomonas putida KT2440) and three highly desiccation-tolerant (Sphingomonas sp. OF178, Azospirillum brasilense Sp7 and Acinetobacter sp. EMM02) strains. The four bacterial strains were able to adhere to seeds and colonize the rhizosphere of plants when applied in both mono-inoculation and multi-inoculation treatments, showing that they can also coexist without antagonistic effects in association with plants. The effects of the bacterial consortium on the growth of blue maize were evaluated. Seeds inoculated with either individual bacterial strains or the bacterial consortium were subjected to two experimental conditions before sowing: normal hydration or desiccation. In general, inoculation with the bacterial consortium increased the shoot and root dry weight, plant height and plant diameter compared to the non-inoculated control or mono-inoculation treatments. The bacterial consortium formulated in this work had greater benefits for blue maize plants even when the inoculated seeds underwent desiccation stress before germination, making this formulation attractive for future field applications.

  12. Compatible bacterial mixture, tolerant to desiccation, improves maize plant growth.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dalia Molina-Romero

    Full Text Available Plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR increase plant growth and crop productivity. The inoculation of plants with a bacterial mixture (consortium apparently provides greater benefits to plant growth than inoculation with a single bacterial strain. In the present work, a bacterial consortium was formulated containing four compatible and desiccation-tolerant strains with potential as PGPR. The formulation had one moderately (Pseudomonas putida KT2440 and three highly desiccation-tolerant (Sphingomonas sp. OF178, Azospirillum brasilense Sp7 and Acinetobacter sp. EMM02 strains. The four bacterial strains were able to adhere to seeds and colonize the rhizosphere of plants when applied in both mono-inoculation and multi-inoculation treatments, showing that they can also coexist without antagonistic effects in association with plants. The effects of the bacterial consortium on the growth of blue maize were evaluated. Seeds inoculated with either individual bacterial strains or the bacterial consortium were subjected to two experimental conditions before sowing: normal hydration or desiccation. In general, inoculation with the bacterial consortium increased the shoot and root dry weight, plant height and plant diameter compared to the non-inoculated control or mono-inoculation treatments. The bacterial consortium formulated in this work had greater benefits for blue maize plants even when the inoculated seeds underwent desiccation stress before germination, making this formulation attractive for future field applications.

  13. Structural transformations of heat-treated bacterial iron oxide

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hashimoto, Hideki, E-mail: hideki-h@cc.okayama-u.ac.jp [Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University, Okayama 700-8530 (Japan); JST, CREST, Okayama 700-8530 (Japan); Fujii, Tatsuo [Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University, Okayama 700-8530 (Japan); Kohara, Shinji [Japan Synchrotron Radiation Research Institute, Sayo, Hyogo 679-5198 (Japan); Nakanishi, Koji [Office of Society-Academia Collaboration for Innovation, Kyoto University, Uji 611-0011 (Japan); Yogi, Chihiro [SR Center, Ritsumeikan University, Kusatsu, Shiga 525-8577 (Japan); Peterlik, Herwig [Faculty of Physics, University of Vienna, A-1090 Vienna (Austria); Nakanishi, Makoto [Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University, Okayama 700-8530 (Japan); Takada, Jun [Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University, Okayama 700-8530 (Japan); JST, CREST, Okayama 700-8530 (Japan)

    2015-04-01

    A bacterial siliceous iron oxide microtubule (diameter: ca. 1 μm, 15Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3}·8SiO{sub 2}·P{sub 2}O{sub 5}·30H{sub 2}O) produced by Leptothrix ochracea was heat treated in air and its structural transformation was investigated in detail by microscopy, diffractometry, and spectroscopy. Although the heat-treated bacterial iron oxide retained its original microtubular structure, its nanoscopic, middle-range, and local structures changed drastically. Upon heat treatment, nanosized pores were formed and their size changed depending on temperature. The Fe–O–Si linkages were gradually cleaved with increasing temperature, causing the progressive separation of Fe and Si ions into iron oxide and amorphous silicate phases, respectively. Concomitantly, global connectivity and local structure of FeO{sub 6} octahedra in the iron oxide nanoparticles systematically changed depending on temperature. These comprehensive investigations clearly revealed various structural changes of the bacterial iron oxide which is an important guideline for the future exploration of novel bio-inspired materials. - Highlights: • Structural transformation of a bacterial iron oxide microtubule was investigated. • Si–O–Fe was cleaved with increasing temperature to form α-Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3}/silicate composite. • Crystallization to 2Fh started at 500 °C to give α-Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} >700 °C. • FeO{sub 6} octahedra were highly distorted <500 °C. • Formation of face-sharing FeO{sub 6} was promoted >500 °C, releasing the local strain of FeO{sub 6}.

  14. Biodegradation of phenanthrene in bioaugmented microcosm by consortium ASP developed from coastal sediment of Alang-Sosiya ship breaking yard.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Patel, Vilas; Patel, Janki; Madamwar, Datta

    2013-09-15

    A phenanthrene-degrading bacterial consortium (ASP) was developed using sediment from the Alang-Sosiya shipbreaking yard at Gujarat, India. 16S rRNA gene-based molecular analyses revealed that the bacterial consortium consisted of six bacterial strains: Bacillus sp. ASP1, Pseudomonas sp. ASP2, Stenotrophomonas maltophilia strain ASP3, Staphylococcus sp. ASP4, Geobacillus sp. ASP5 and Alcaligenes sp. ASP6. The consortium was able to degrade 300 ppm of phenanthrene and 1000 ppm of naphthalene within 120 h and 48 h, respectively. Tween 80 showed a positive effect on phenanthrene degradation. The consortium was able to consume maximum phenanthrene at the rate of 46 mg/h/l and degrade phenanthrene in the presence of other petroleum hydrocarbons. A microcosm study was conducted to test the consortium's bioremediation potential. Phenanthrene degradation increased from 61% to 94% in sediment bioaugmented with the consortium. Simultaneously, bacterial counts and dehydrogenase activities also increased in the bioaugmented sediment. These results suggest that microbial consortium bioaugmentation may be a promising technology for bioremediation. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  15. Immobilized enzymes to convert N-sulfo, N-acetyl heparosan to a critical intermediate in the production of bioengineered heparin.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xiong, Jian; Bhaskar, Ujjwal; Li, Guoyun; Fu, Li; Li, Lingyun; Zhang, Fuming; Dordick, Jonathan S; Linhardt, Robert J

    2013-09-10

    Heparin is a critically important anticoagulant drug that is prepared from pig intestine. In 2007-2008, there was a crisis in the heparin market when the raw material was adulterated with the toxic polysaccharide, oversulfated chondroitin sulfate, which was associated with 100 deaths in the U.S. alone. As the result of this crisis, our laboratory and others have been actively pursuing alternative sources for this critical drug, including synthetic heparins and bioengineered heparin. In assessing the bioengineering processing costs it has become clear that the use of both enzyme-catalyzed cofactor recycling and enzyme immobilization will be needed for commercialization. In the current study, we examine the use of immobilization of C₅-epimerase and 2-O-sulfotransferase involved in the first enzymatic step in the bioengineered heparin process, as well as arylsulfotransferase-IV involved in cofactor recycling in all three enzymatic steps. We report the successful immobilization of all three enzymes and their use in converting N-sulfo, N-acetyl heparosan into N-sulfo, N-acetyl 2-O-sulfo heparin. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  16. 40 CFR 721.10175 - 1-Propanaminium, N-(3-aminopropyl)-2-hydroxy-N,N-dimethyl-3-sulfo-, N-(C12-18 and C18-unsatd...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 30 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false 1-Propanaminium, N-(3-aminopropyl)-2... 1-Propanaminium, N-(3-aminopropyl)-2-hydroxy-N,N-dimethyl-3-sulfo-, N-(C12-18 and C18-unsatd. acyl... chemical substance identified as 1-Propanaminium, N-(3-aminopropyl)-2-hydroxy-N,N-dimethyl-3-sulfo-, N-(C12...

  17. Bacterial consortia for crude oil spill remediation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chhatre, S.; Purohit, H.; Shanker, R.; Khanna, P.

    1996-01-01

    Oil spills generate enormous public concern and highlight the need for cost effective ad environmentally acceptable mitigation technologies. Physico-chemical methods are not completely effective after a spill. Hence, there is a need for improved and alternative technologies. Bioremediation is the most environmentally sound technology for clean up. This report intends to determine the potential of a bacterial consortium for degradation of Gulf and Bombay High crude oil. A four membered consortium was designed that could degrade 70% of the crude oil. A member of consortium produced a biosurfactant, rhamnolipid, that emulsified crude oil efficiently for effective degradation by the other members of consortium. The wide range of hydrocarbonoclastic capabilities of the selected members of bacterial consortium leads to the degradation of both aromatic and aliphatic fractions of crude oil in 72 hours. (Author)

  18. Characterization and uranium bioleaching performance of mixed iron- and sulfur-oxidizers versus iron-oxidizers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Qian Li; Jing Sun; Dexin Ding; Qingliang Wang; Wenge Shi; Eming Hu; Xiaoyu Jiang; University of South China, Hengyang; Xingxing Wang

    2017-01-01

    In order to develop and apply mixed iron- and sulfur-oxidizers in uranium bioleaching, the characteristics of a mixed iron- and sulfur-oxidizing consortium (Consortium ISO) were comparatively investigated versus an iron-oxidizing consortium (Consortium IO). The results showed, the Consortium ISO exerted stronger oxidative ability and acid-producing ability than Consortium IO did. The synergy of sulfur-oxidizers and iron-oxidizers could change the structure and properties of the passivation substance, and work positively for eliminating the accumulation of passivation substance. In the bioleaching process, the uranium bioleaching experiments showed the recovery percentage of uranium reached 99.5% with Consortium ISO, 6.3% more than that of Consortium IO. (author)

  19. Characterization of TEMPO-oxidized bacterial cellulose; Caracterizacao de celulose bacteriana tempo-oxidada

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Nascimento, Eligenes S.; Pereira, Andre L.S.; Lima, Helder L.; Barroso, Maria K. de A., E-mail: eligenessampaio@hotmail.com [Universidade Federal Ceara (UFC), Fortaleza, CE (Brazil); Barros, Matheus de O. [Instituto Federal do Ceara (IFCE), Fortaleza, CE (Brazil); Morais, Joao P.S. [Embrapa Algodao, Campina Grande, PB (Brazil); Borges, Maria de F.; Rosa, Morsyleide de F. [Embrapa Agroindustria Tropical, Fortaleza, CE (Brazil)

    2015-07-01

    The aim of this study was to characterize the TEMPO-oxidized bacterial cellulose, as a preliminary research for further application in nanocomposites. Bacterial cellulose (BC) was selectively oxidized at C-6 carbon by TEMPO radical. Oxidized bacterial cellulose (BCOX) was characterized by TGA, FTIR, XRD, and zeta potential. BCOX suspension was stable at pH 7.0, presented a crystallinity index of 83%, in spite of 92% of BC, because of decrease in the free hydroxyl number. FTIR spectra showed characteristic BC bands and, in addition, band of carboxylic group, proving the oxidation. BCOX DTG showed, in addition to characteristic BC thermal events, a maximum degradation peak at 233 °C, related to sodium anhydro-glucuronate groups formed during the cellulose oxidation. Thus, BC can be TEMPO-oxidized without great loss in its structure and properties. (author)

  20. Inhibition of bacterial ammonia oxidation by organohydrazines in soil microcosms

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yucheng eWu

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Hydroxylamine oxidation by hydroxylamine oxidoreductase (HAO is a key step for energy-yielding in support of the growth of ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB. Organohydrazines have been shown to inactivate HAO from Nitrosomonas europaea, and may serve as selective inhibitors to differentiate bacterial from archaeal ammonia oxidation due to the absence of bacterial HAO gene homologue in known ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA. In this study, the effects of three organohydrazines on activity, abundance and composition of AOB and AOA were evaluated in soil microcosms. The results indicate that phenylhydrazine and methylhydrazine at the concentration of 100 mol per gram dry weight soil completely suppressed the activity of soil nitrification. DGGE fingerprinting and sequencing analysis of bacterial ammonia monooxygenase subunit A gene (amoA clearly demonstrated that nitrification activity change is well paralleled with the growth of Nitrosomonas europaea-like AOB in soil microcosms. No significant correlation between AOA community structure and nitrification activity was observed among all treatments during the incubation period, although incomplete inhibition of nitrification activity occurred in 2-hydroxyethylhydrazine-amended soil microcosms. These findings show that the HAO-targeted organohydrazines can effectively inhibit bacterial nitrification in soil, and the mechanism of organohydrazine affecting AOA remains unclear.

  1. A physiologically based kinetic model for bacterial sulfide oxidation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Klok, Johannes B M; de Graaff, Marco; van den Bosch, Pim L F; Boelee, Nadine C; Keesman, Karel J; Janssen, Albert J H

    2013-02-01

    In the biotechnological process for hydrogen sulfide removal from gas streams, a variety of oxidation products can be formed. Under natron-alkaline conditions, sulfide is oxidized by haloalkaliphilic sulfide oxidizing bacteria via flavocytochrome c oxidoreductase. From previous studies, it was concluded that the oxidation-reduction state of cytochrome c is a direct measure for the bacterial end-product formation. Given this physiological feature, incorporation of the oxidation state of cytochrome c in a mathematical model for the bacterial oxidation kinetics will yield a physiologically based model structure. This paper presents a physiologically based model, describing the dynamic formation of the various end-products in the biodesulfurization process. It consists of three elements: 1) Michaelis-Menten kinetics combined with 2) a cytochrome c driven mechanism describing 3) the rate determining enzymes of the respiratory system of haloalkaliphilic sulfide oxidizing bacteria. The proposed model is successfully validated against independent data obtained from biological respiration tests and bench scale gas-lift reactor experiments. The results demonstrate that the model is a powerful tool to describe product formation for haloalkaliphilic biomass under dynamic conditions. The model predicts a maximum S⁰ formation of about 98 mol%. A future challenge is the optimization of this bioprocess by improving the dissolved oxygen control strategy and reactor design. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  2. Report on assessment of the mechanism of bacterially assisted oxidation of pyritic uranium tailings

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Halbert, B.B.; Scharer, J.M.; Knapp, R.A.

    1984-07-01

    The oxidation of pyritic minerals has been shown to be catalyzed by the presence of iron- and sulphur-oxidizing bacteria. Thiobacillus ferroxidans plays the most significant role in the formation and propagation of acidic conditions. Optimum growth conditions for the T. ferroxidans occurs at a temperature of 35 degrees C and pH of 2 to 3. Bacterially assisted oxidation of pyrite involves both direct and indirect contact mechanisms. The direct contact mechanism entails enzymatic oxidation of the insoluble sulphide moiety. The indirect mechanism involves bacterial oxidation of the dissolved ferrous component to the ferric state. The ferric iron, in turn, acts as the prime oxidant of pyrite and is reduced to ferrous iron. The re-oxidation of the dissolved ferrous component which is catalyzed by bacterial activity, completes the cyclic process. The rate of bacterial oxidation is affected by: the geochemistry and reactivity of the pyritic material; the amount of pyrite present in the waste material and the exposed surface area of the pyritic component; the availability of oxygen and carbon dioxide; the pH and temperature of the leach solution; and the presence (or absence) of organic inhibitors. Of the above factors, oxygen has been frequently identified as the rate limiting reactant in tailings

  3. Bioremediation of gasoline contaminated soil by a bacterial consortium amended with poultry litter, coir pith and rhamnolipid biosurfactant

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rahman, K.S.M.; Banat, I.M.; Thahira, J.; Thayumanavan, T.; Lakshmanaperumalsamy, P.

    2002-01-01

    The aim of the present study was to find methods for enhancing rates of hydrocarbon biodegradation in gasoline contaminated soil by ex situ bioremediation. Red soil (RS) was treated with gasoline-spilled soil (GS) from a gasoline station and different combinations of amendments were prepared using (i) mixed bacterial consortium (MC), (ii) poultry litter (PL), (iii) coir pith (CP) and (iv) rhamnolipid biosurfactant (BS) produced by Pseudomonas sp. DS10-129. The study was conducted for a period of 90 days during which bacterial growth, hydrocarbon degradation and growth parameters of Phaseolus aureus RoxB including seed germination, chlorophyll content, shoot and root length were measured. Approximately 67% and 78% of the hydrocarbons were effectively degraded within 60 days in soil samples amended with RS + GS + MC + PL + CP + BS at 0.1% and 1%. Maximum percentage of seed germination, shoot length, root length and chlorophyll content in P. aureus were recorded after 60 days in the above amendments. Further incubation to 90 days did not exhibit significant improvements. Statistical analysis using analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Duncan's multiple range test (DMRT) revealed that the level of amendments, incubation time and combination of amendments significantly influenced bacterial growth, hydrocarbon degradation, seed germination and chlorophyll content at a 1% probability level. All tested additives MC, PL, CP and rhamnolipid BS had significant positive effects on the bioremediation of GS. (author)

  4. Molecular analysis of the bacterial diversity in a specialized consortium for diesel oil degradation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Paixao, Douglas Antonio Alvaredo; Accorsini, Fabio Raphael; Vidotti, Maria Benincasa; Lemos, Eliana Gertrudes de Macedo [Universidade Estadual Paulista (FCAV/UNESP), Jaboticabal, SP (Brazil). Fac. de Ciencias Agrarias e Veterinarias], Emails: douglas_unespfcav@yahoo.com.br, vidotti@netsite.com.bregerle@fcav.unesp.br; Dimitrov, Mauricio Rocha [Universidade de Sao Paulo (USP), SP (Brazil)], Email: mau_dimitrov@yahoo.com.br; Pereira, Rodrigo Matheus [EMBRAPARA Soybean - Empresa Brasileira de Pesquisa Agropecuaria (EMBRAPA - Soja), Londrina, PR (Brazil)], Email: poetbr@gmail.com

    2010-05-15

    Diesel oil is a compound derived from petroleum, consisting primarily of hydrocarbons. Poor conditions in transportation and storage of this product can contribute significantly to accidental spills causing serious ecological problems in soil and water and affecting the diversity of the microbial environment. The cloning and sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene is one of the molecular techniques that allows estimation and comparison of the microbial diversity in different environmental samples. The aim of this work was to estimate the diversity of microorganisms from the Bacteria domain in a consortium specialized in diesel oil degradation through partial sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene. After the extraction of DNA metagenomics, the material was amplified by PCR reaction using specific oligonucleotide primers for the 16S rRNA gene. The PCR products were cloned into a pGEM-T-Easy vector (Promega), and Escherichia coli was used as the host cell for recombinant DNAs. The partial clone sequencing was obtained using universal oligonucleotide primers from the vector. The genetic library obtained generated 431 clones. All the sequenced clones presented similarity to phylum Proteobacteria, with Gammaproteobacteria the most present group (49.8 % of the clones), followed by Alphaproteobacteira (44.8 %) and Betaproteobacteria (5.4 %). The Pseudomonas genus was the most abundant in the metagenomics library, followed by the Parvibaculum and the Sphingobium genus, respectively. After partial sequencing of the 16S rRNA, the diversity of the bacterial consortium was estimated using DOTUR software. When comparing these sequences to the database from the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI), a strong correlation was found between the data generated by the software used and the data deposited in NCBI. (author)

  5. Effective bioremediation of a petroleum-polluted saline soil by a surfactant-producing Pseudomonas aeruginosa consortium

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ali Ebadi

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available Bacteria able to produce biosurfactants can use petroleum-based hydrocarbons as a carbon source. Herein, four biosurfactant-producing Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains, isolated from oil-contaminated saline soil, were combined to form a bacterial consortium. The inoculation of the consortium to contaminated soil alleviated the adverse effects of salinity on biodegradation and increased the rate of degradation of petroleum hydrocarbon approximately 30% compared to the rate achieved in non-treated soil. In saline condition, treatment of polluted soil with the consortium led to a significant boost in the activity of dehydrogenase (approximately 2-fold. A lettuce seedling bioassay showed that, following the treatment, the soil's level of phytotoxicity was reduced up to 30% compared to non-treated soil. Treatment with an appropriate bacterial consortium can represent an effective means of reducing the adverse effects of salinity on the microbial degradation of petroleum and thus provides enhancement in the efficiency of microbial remediation of oil-contaminated saline soils.

  6. Efficiency of consortium for in-situ bioremediation and CO2 evolution method of refines petroleum oil in microcosms study

    OpenAIRE

    Dutta, Shreyasri; Singh, Padma

    2017-01-01

    An in-situ bioremediation study was conducted in a laboratory by using mixed microbial consortium. An indigenous microbial consortium was developed by assemble of two Pseudomonas spp. and two Aspergillus spp. which were isolated from various oil contaminated sites of India. The laboratory feasibility study was conducted in a 225 m2 block. Six treatment options-Oil alone, Oil+Best remediater, Oil+Bacterial consortium, Oil+Fungal consortium, Oil+Mixed microbial consortium, Oil+Indigenous microf...

  7. Processing and characterization of new oxy-sulfo-telluride glasses in the Ge-Sb-Te-S-O system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Smith, C.; Jackson, J.; Petit, L.; Rivero-Baleine, C.; Richardson, K.

    2010-01-01

    New oxy-sulfo-telluride glasses have been prepared in the Ge-Sb-Te-S-O system employing a two-step melting process which involves the processing of a chalcogenide glass (ChG) and subsequent melting with TeO 2 or Sb 2 O 3 . The progressive incorporation of O at the expense of S was found to increase the density and the glass transition temperature and to decrease the molar volume of the investigated oxy-sulfo-telluride glasses. We also observed a shift of the vis-NIR cut-off wavelength to longer wavelength probably due to changes in Sb coordination within the glass matrix and overall matrix polarizability. Using Raman spectroscopy, correlations have been shown between the formation of Ge- and Sb-based oxysulfide structural units and the S/O ratio. Lastly, two glasses with similar composition (Ge 20 Sb 6 S 64 Te 3 O 7 ) processed by melting the Ge 23 Sb 7 S 70 glass with TeO 2 or the Ge 23 Sb 2 S 72 Te 4 glass with Sb 2 O 3 were found to have slightly different physical, thermal, optical and structural properties. These changes are thought to result mainly from the higher moisture content and sensitivity of the TeO 2 starting materials as compared to that of the Sb 2 O 3 . - Graphical abstract: In this paper, we discuss our most recent findings on the processing and characterization of new ChG glasses prepared with small levels of Te, melted either with TeO 2 or Sb 2 O 3 powders. We explain how these new oxy-sulfo-telluride glasses are prepared and we correlate the physical, thermal and optical properties of the investigated glasses to the structure changes induced by the addition of oxygen in the Ge-Sb-S-Te glass network.

  8. Exploration on trickle leaching of uranium ore by refreshed liquor of bacterial oxidation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chen Shian; Huang Xiangfu; Fan Baotuan

    1995-01-01

    The paper describes the adaptation of the domesticated thiobacillus ferroxidans to the trickle leaching conditions of uranium ore. When the bacterial leaching liquor through multiple cycles of oxidation and regeneration was used to return to the trickle leaching, the following results were obtained: the extraction rate was more than 95%, the acid consumption was saved by 30%, and the consumed 2.0% pyrolusite (MnO 2 40%) was eliminated. The following problems are discussed: the basic principle, process and some factors influencing the process of the trickle leaching of uranium ore using regenerated liquor of bacterial oxidation, counter-current trickle leaching mode, oxidation and regeneration techniques of bacterial leaching liquor and other technological problems on the process of uranium extraction by thiobacillus ferroxidans

  9. Recovery of valuable metals from polymetallic mine tailings by natural microbial consortium.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vardanyan, Narine; Sevoyan, Garegin; Navasardyan, Taron; Vardanyan, Arevik

    2018-05-28

    Possibilities for the recovery of non-ferrous and precious metals from Kapan polymetallic mine tailings (Armenia) were studied. The aim of this paper was to study the possibilities of bioleaching of samples of concentrated tailings by the natural microbial consortium of drainage water. The extent of extraction of metals from the samples of concentrated tailings by natural microbial consortium reached 41-55% and 53-73% for copper and zinc, respectively. Metal leaching efficiencies of pure culture Leptospirillum ferrooxidans Teg were higher, namely 47-93% and 73-81% for copper and zinc, respectively. The content of gold in solid phase of tailings increased about 7-16% and 2-9% after bio-oxidation process by L. ferrooxidans Teg and natural microbial consortium, respectively. It was shown that bioleaching of the samples of tailings could be performed using the natural consortium of drainage water. However, to increase the intensity of the recovery of valuable metals, natural consortium of drainage water combined with iron-oxidizing L. ferrooxidans Teg has been proposed.

  10. Influence of organic substrates on the kinetics of bacterial As(III) oxidation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lescure, T.; Joulian, C.; Bauda, P.; Hénault, C.; Battaglia-Brunet, F.

    2012-04-01

    Soil microflora plays a major role on the behavior of metals and metalloids. Arsenic speciation, in particular, is related to the activity of bacteria able to oxidize, reduce or methylate this element, and determines mobility, bioavailability and toxicity of As. Arsenite (AsIII) is more toxic and more mobile than arsenate (AsV). Bacterial As(III)-oxidation tends to reduce the toxicity of arsenic in soils and the risk of transfer toward underlying aquifers, that would affect the quality of water resources. Previous results suggest that organic matter may affect kinetics or efficiency of bacterial As(III)-oxidation in presence of oxygen, thus in conventional physico-chemical conditions of a surface soil. Different hypothesis can be proposed to explain the influence of organic matter on As(III) oxidation. Arsenic is a potential energy source for bacteria. The presence of easily biodegradable organic matter may inhibit the As(III) oxidation process because bacteria would first metabolize these more energetic substrates. A second hypothesis would be that, in presence of organic matter, the Ars system involved in bacterial resistance to arsenic would be more active and would compete with the Aio system of arsenite oxidation, decreasing the global As(III) oxidation rate. In addition, organic matter influences the solubility of iron oxides which often act as the main pitfalls of arsenic in soils. The concentration and nature of organic matter could therefore have a significant influence on the bioavailability of arsenic and hence on its environmental impact. The influence of organic matter on biological As(III) oxidation has not yet been determined in natural soils. In this context, soil amendment with organic matter during operations of phytostabilization or, considering diffuse pollutions, through agricultural practices, may affect the mobility and bio-availability of the toxic metalloid. The objective of the present project is to quantify the influence of organic matter

  11. Biogas production from various coal types using beef cattle rumen's liquid as a source of microorganisms consortium

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kurnani, Tubagus Benito Achmad; Harlia, Ellin; Hidayati, Yuli Astuti; Marlina, Eulis Tanti; Sugiarto, A. N.; Rahmah, K. N.; Joni, I. M.

    2018-02-01

    Nowadays, Indonesia is developing Coal-Bed Methane (CBM) production, but its production is not sufficient yet. Basically, CBM is produced naturally along with coal formation, i.e. through the activity of indigenous microorganisms. In this regard, to increase the production of CBM, adding a consortium of microorganisms into the coal deposit can be an option. One source of a consortium of bacteria available in nature is the rumen contents of ruminant livestock such as beef cattle. The purpose of this research was to know the capability of bacteria in rumen contents of beef cattle to produce CBM from various types of coal. In addition, to get a better concentration of bacteria than previous research so that it can be used as a reference for CBM production in the future. This explorative research used an experimental method with descriptive explanation. CBM production was performed using Hungate tube as a digester with three coal substrates, namely lignite, sub-bituminous and bituminous. This experiment also used 10-7 diluted rumen content of beef cattle as a source. The parameters measured were bacterial density, the amount of CBM, carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide on day 2, 5, 10 and 14. The treatment and parameters measurement were carried out in triplicates. This study finding showed that the highest bacterial density in all three types of coal was obtained on day 10 as well as the amount of CBM, carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide. These results are higher than the results from previous research therefore, this treatment can be used as an inoculant in a solid form for easy distribution.

  12. ABILITY OF BACTERIAL CONSORTIUM: Bacillus coagulans, Bacilus licheniformis, Bacillus pumilus, Bacillus subtilis, Nitrosomonas sp. and Pseudomonas putida IN BIOREMEDIATION OF WASTE WATER IN CISIRUNG WASTE WATER TREATMENT PLANT

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ratu SAFITRI

    2015-10-01

    Full Text Available This study was conducted in order to determine the ability of bacterial consortium: Bacillus coagulans, Bacilus licheniformis, Bacillus pumilus, Bacillus subtilis, Nitrosomonas sp., and Pseudomonas putida in bioremediation of wastewater origin Cisirung WWTP. This study uses an experimental method completely randomized design (CRD, which consists of two treatment factors (8x8 factorial design. The first factor is a consortium of bacteria (K, consisting of 8 level factors (k1, k2, k3, k4, k5, k6, k7, and k8. The second factor is the time (T, consisting of a 7 level factors (t0, t1, t2, t3, t4, t5, t6, and t7. Test parameters consist of BOD (Biochemical Oxygen Demand, COD (Chemical Oxygen Demand, TSS (Total Suspended Solid, Ammonia and Population of Microbes during bioremediation. Data were analyzed by ANOVA, followed by Duncan test. The results of this study showed that the consortium of Bacillus pumilus, Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus coagulans, Nitrosomonas sp., and Pseudomonas putida with inoculum concentration of 5% (k6 is a consortium of the most effective in reducing BOD 71.93%, 64.30% COD, TSS 94.85%, and 88.58% of ammonia.

  13. Mechanism of uranium (VI) removal by two anaerobic bacterial communities

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Martins, Monica [Centro de Ciencias do Mar, Universidade do Algarve, FCT-DQF (edificio 8), Campus de Gambelas, 8005-139 Faro (Portugal); Faleiro, Maria Leonor [IBB - Centro de Biomedicina Molecular e Estrutural, Universidade do Algarve, FCT, Campus de Gambelas, 8005-139 Faro (Portugal); Costa, Ana M. Rosa da [Centro de Investigacao em Quimica do Algarve, Universidade do Algarve, FCT, DQF, Campus de Gambelas, 8005-139 Faro (Portugal); Chaves, Sandra; Tenreiro, Rogerio [Universidade de Lisboa, Faculdade de Ciencias, Centro de Biodiversidade, Genomica Integrativa e Funcional (BioFIG), Campus de FCUL, Campo Grande, 1749-016 Lisboa (Portugal); Matos, Antonio Pedro [Servico de Anatomia Patologica, Hospital Curry Cabral, Lisboa (Portugal); Costa, Maria Clara, E-mail: mcorada@ualg.pt [Centro de Ciencias do Mar, Universidade do Algarve, FCT-DQF (edificio 8), Campus de Gambelas, 8005-139 Faro (Portugal)

    2010-12-15

    The mechanism of uranium (VI) removal by two anaerobic bacterial consortia, recovered from an uncontaminated site (consortium A) and other from an uranium mine (consortium U), was investigated. The highest efficiency of U (VI) removal by both consortia (97%) occurred at room temperature and at pH 7.2. Furthermore, it was found that U (VI) removal by consortium A occurred by enzymatic reduction and bioaccumulation, while the enzymatic process was the only mechanism involved in metal removal by consortium U. FTIR analysis suggested that after U (VI) reduction, U (IV) could be bound to carboxyl, phosphate and amide groups of bacterial cells. Phylogenetic analysis of 16S rRNA showed that community A was mainly composed by bacteria closely related to Sporotalea genus and Rhodocyclaceae family, while community U was mainly composed by bacteria related to Clostridium genus and Rhodocyclaceae family.

  14. Mechanism of uranium (VI) removal by two anaerobic bacterial communities

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Martins, Monica; Faleiro, Maria Leonor; Costa, Ana M. Rosa da; Chaves, Sandra; Tenreiro, Rogerio; Matos, Antonio Pedro; Costa, Maria Clara

    2010-01-01

    The mechanism of uranium (VI) removal by two anaerobic bacterial consortia, recovered from an uncontaminated site (consortium A) and other from an uranium mine (consortium U), was investigated. The highest efficiency of U (VI) removal by both consortia (97%) occurred at room temperature and at pH 7.2. Furthermore, it was found that U (VI) removal by consortium A occurred by enzymatic reduction and bioaccumulation, while the enzymatic process was the only mechanism involved in metal removal by consortium U. FTIR analysis suggested that after U (VI) reduction, U (IV) could be bound to carboxyl, phosphate and amide groups of bacterial cells. Phylogenetic analysis of 16S rRNA showed that community A was mainly composed by bacteria closely related to Sporotalea genus and Rhodocyclaceae family, while community U was mainly composed by bacteria related to Clostridium genus and Rhodocyclaceae family.

  15. Oxidative stress and S-100B protein in children with bacterial meningitis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hamed Enas A

    2009-10-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Bacterial meningitis is often associated with cerebral compromise which may be responsible for neurological sequelae in nearly half of the survivors. Little is known about the mechanisms of CNS involvement in bacterial meningitis. Several studies have provided substantial evidence for the key role of nitric oxide (NO and reactive oxygen species in the complex pathophysiology of bacterial meningitis. Methods In the present study, serum and CSF levels of NO, lipid peroxide (LPO (mediators for oxidative stress and lipid peroxidation; total thiol, superoxide dismutase (SOD (antioxidant mediators and S-100B protein (mediator of astrocytes activation and injury, were investigated in children with bacterial meningitis (n = 40. Albumin ratio (CSF/serum is a marker of blood-CSF barriers integrity, while mediator index (mediator ratio/albumin ratio is indicative of intrathecal synthesis. Results Compared to normal children (n = 20, patients had lower serum albumin but higher NO, LPO, total thiol, SOD and S-100B. The ratios and indices of NO and LPO indicate blood-CSF barriers dysfunction, while the ratio of S-100B indicates intrathecal synthesis. Changes were marked among patients with positive culture and those with neurological complications. Positive correlation was found between NO index with CSF WBCs (r = 0.319, p Conclusion This study suggests that loss of integrity of brain-CSF barriers, oxidative stress and S-100B may contribute to the severity and neurological complications of bacterial meningitis.

  16. Microbial ecology of bacterially mediated PCB biodegradation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pettigrew, C.A. Jr.

    1989-01-01

    The roles of plasmid mediated and consortia mediated polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) biodegradation by bacterial populations isolated from PCB contaminated freshwater sediments were investigated. PCB degrading bacteria were isolated by DNA:DNA colony hybridization, batch enrichments, and chemostat enrichment. Analysis of substrate removal and metabolite production were done using chlorinated biphenyl spray plates, reverse phase high pressure liquid chromatography, Cl - detection, and 14 C-labeled substrate mineralization methods. A bacterial consortium, designated LPS10, involved in a concerted metabolic attack on chlorinated biphenyls, was shown to mineralize 4-chlorobiphenyl (4CB) and 4,4'-dichlorobiphenyl (4,4' CB). The LPS10 consortium was isolated by both batch and chemostat enrichment using 4CB and biphenyl (BP) as sole carbon source and was found to have tree bacterial isolates that predominated; these included: Pseudomonas, testosteroni LPS10A which mediated the breakdown of 4CB and 4,4' CB to the putative meta-cleavage product and subsequently to 4-chlorobenzoic acid (4CBA), an isolate tentatively identified as an Arthrobacter sp. LPS10B which mediated 4CBA degradation, and Pseudomonas putida by A LPS10C whose role in the consortium has not been determined

  17. Conditioning highly concentrated borate solutions with calcium sulfo-aluminate cement

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Champenois, J.B.; Cau dit Coumes, C.; Poulesquen, A.; Le Bescop, P.; Damidot, D.

    2012-01-01

    The early age hydration by borate solution of 3 calcium sulfo-aluminate cements (CSA), containing respectively 0%, 10% and 20% of gypsum by weight of cement was studied using isothermal calorimetry and dynamic mode rheo-metry. XRD and TGA analysis were carried out on pastes with increasing hydration degrees (up to 90 days) to specify the mineralogy and to figure out the mechanisms of borate immobilisation. It has been shown that the retarding effect of borate anions is due to the precipitation of the amorphous calcium borate C 2 B 3 H 8 ; borate anions were then incorporated in Aft-type phases. The macroscopic properties of hydrated binders (compressive strength, length change) were also followed during 180 days. It appears that the mechanical strength continuously increases with the hydration degree. Length changes under wet-curing and sealed bag remain moderate and seem to be stabilized after 180 days

  18. SulfoSYS (Sulfolobus Systems Biology) : towards a silicon cell model for the central carbohydrate metabolism of the archaeon Sulfolobus solfataricus under temperature variation

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Albers, Sonja-Verena; Birkeland, Nils-Kare; Driessen, Arnold J. M.; Gertig, Susanne; Haferkamp, Patrick; Klenk, Hans-Peter; Kouril, Theresa; Manica, Andrea; Pham, Trong K.; Ruoff, Peter; Schleper, Christa; Schomburg, Dietmar; Sharkey, Kieran J.; Siebers, Bettina; Sierocinski, Pawel; Steuer, Ralf; van der Oost, John; Westerhoff, Hans V.; Wieloch, Patricia; Wright, Phillip C.; Zaparty, Melanie; Birkeland, Nils-Kåre

    SulfoSYS (Sulfolobus Systems Biology) focuses on the study of the CCM (central carbohydrate metabolism) of Sulfolobus solfataricus and its regulation under temperature variation at the systems level. in Archaea, carbohydrates are metabolized by modifications of the classical pathways known from

  19. SulfoSYS (Sulfolobus Systems Biology): towards a silicon cell model for the central carbohydrate metabolism of the archaeon Sulfolobus solfataricus under temperature variation

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Albers, S.V.; Birkeland, N.K.; Driessen, A.J.M.; Gertig, S.; Haferkamp, P.; Klenk, H.P.; Kouril, T.; Manica, A.; Pham, T.K.; Ruoff, P.; Schleper, C.; Schomburg, D.; Sharkey, K.; Siebers, B.; Sierocinski, P.; Steur, R.; Oost, van der J.; Westerhoff, H.V.; Wieloch, P.; Wright, P.C.; Zaparty, M.

    2009-01-01

    SulfoSYS (Sulfolobus Systems Biology) focuses on the study of the CCM (central carbohydrate metabolism) of Sulfolobus solfataricus and its regulation under temperature variation at the systems level. In Archaea, carbohydrates are metabolized by modifications of the classical pathways known from

  20. Bacterial adhesion on amorphous and crystalline metal oxide coatings

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Almaguer-Flores, Argelia; Silva-Bermudez, Phaedra; Galicia, Rey; Rodil, Sandra E.

    2015-01-01

    Several studies have demonstrated the influence of surface properties (surface energy, composition and topography) of biocompatible materials on the adhesion of cells/bacteria on solid substrates; however, few have provided information about the effect of the atomic arrangement or crystallinity. Using magnetron sputtering deposition, we produced amorphous and crystalline TiO 2 and ZrO 2 coatings with controlled micro and nanoscale morphology. The effect of the structure on the physical–chemical surface properties was carefully analyzed. Then, we studied how these parameters affect the adhesion of Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. Our findings demonstrated that the nano-topography and the surface energy were significantly influenced by the coating structure. Bacterial adhesion at micro-rough (2.6 μm) surfaces was independent of the surface composition and structure, contrary to the observation in sub-micron (0.5 μm) rough surfaces, where the crystalline oxides (TiO 2 > ZrO 2 ) surfaces exhibited higher numbers of attached bacteria. Particularly, crystalline TiO 2 , which presented a predominant acidic nature, was more attractive for the adhesion of the negatively charged bacteria. The information provided by this study, where surface modifications are introduced by means of the deposition of amorphous or crystalline oxide coatings, offers a route for the rational design of implant surfaces to control or inhibit bacterial adhesion. - Highlights: • Amorphous (a) and crystalline (c) TiO 2 and ZrO 2 coatings were deposited. • The atomic ordering influences the coatings surface charge and nano-topography. • The atomic ordering modifies the bacterial adhesion for the same surface chemistry. • S. aureus adhesion was lower on a-TiO 2 and a-ZrO 2 than on their c-oxide counterpart. • E. coli adhesion on a-TiO 2 was lower than on the c-TiO 2

  1. Bacterial adhesion on amorphous and crystalline metal oxide coatings

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Almaguer-Flores, Argelia [Facultad de Odontología, División de Estudios de Posgrado e Investigación, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Circuito exterior s/n, Ciudad Universitaria, 04510 México D.F. (Mexico); Silva-Bermudez, Phaedra, E-mail: suriel21@yahoo.com [Unidad de Ingeniería de Tejidos, Terapia Celular y Medicina Regenerativa, Instituto Nacional de Rehabilitación, Calzada México-Xochimilco No. 289, Col. Arenal de Guadalupe, 14389 México D.F. (Mexico); Instituto de Investigaciones en Materiales, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Circuito Exterior s/n, Ciudad Universitaria, 04510 México D.F. (Mexico); Galicia, Rey; Rodil, Sandra E. [Instituto de Investigaciones en Materiales, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Circuito Exterior s/n, Ciudad Universitaria, 04510 México D.F. (Mexico)

    2015-12-01

    Several studies have demonstrated the influence of surface properties (surface energy, composition and topography) of biocompatible materials on the adhesion of cells/bacteria on solid substrates; however, few have provided information about the effect of the atomic arrangement or crystallinity. Using magnetron sputtering deposition, we produced amorphous and crystalline TiO{sub 2} and ZrO{sub 2} coatings with controlled micro and nanoscale morphology. The effect of the structure on the physical–chemical surface properties was carefully analyzed. Then, we studied how these parameters affect the adhesion of Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. Our findings demonstrated that the nano-topography and the surface energy were significantly influenced by the coating structure. Bacterial adhesion at micro-rough (2.6 μm) surfaces was independent of the surface composition and structure, contrary to the observation in sub-micron (0.5 μm) rough surfaces, where the crystalline oxides (TiO{sub 2} > ZrO{sub 2}) surfaces exhibited higher numbers of attached bacteria. Particularly, crystalline TiO{sub 2}, which presented a predominant acidic nature, was more attractive for the adhesion of the negatively charged bacteria. The information provided by this study, where surface modifications are introduced by means of the deposition of amorphous or crystalline oxide coatings, offers a route for the rational design of implant surfaces to control or inhibit bacterial adhesion. - Highlights: • Amorphous (a) and crystalline (c) TiO{sub 2} and ZrO{sub 2} coatings were deposited. • The atomic ordering influences the coatings surface charge and nano-topography. • The atomic ordering modifies the bacterial adhesion for the same surface chemistry. • S. aureus adhesion was lower on a-TiO{sub 2} and a-ZrO{sub 2} than on their c-oxide counterpart. • E. coli adhesion on a-TiO{sub 2} was lower than on the c-TiO{sub 2}.

  2. Study of belite calcium sulfo-aluminate cement potential for zinc conditioning: From hydration to durability

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Berger, St.

    2009-12-01

    Calcium silicate cements are widely used for low- and intermediate-level radioactive waste conditioning. However, wastes produced by nuclear activities are very diverse and some of their components may chemically react with cement phases. For instance, ashes resulting from the incineration of technological wastes including neoprene and polyvinylchloride may contain substantial amounts of soluble zinc chloride. This compound is known to strongly delay or inhibit Portland cement setting. One approach to limit adverse cement-waste interactions is to select a binder showing a better compatibility with the waste while keeping cement matrix advantages (low cost, simple process, hydration with water provided by the waste...). This work thus investigates the potential of calcium sulfo-aluminate cement for zinc Zn(II) immobilization. Four aspects were considered: hydration (kinetics and products formed), properties of hydrated binders, mechanisms of zinc retention and durability of the cement pastes (based on leaching experiments and modelling). The influence of three main parameters was assessed: the gypsum content of the cement, the concentration of ZnCl 2 and the thermal evolution at early age. It follows that materials based on a calcium sulfo-aluminate cement containing 20% gypsum are interesting candidates for zinc Zn(II) stabilization/solidification: there is no delay in hydration, mineralogy of the hydrated phases is slightly dependent on thermal history, mechanical strength is high, dimensional changes are limited and zinc Zn(II) is well immobilized, even if the cement paste is leached by pure water during a long period (90 d). (author)

  3. Ammonium supply rate influences archaeal and bacterial ammonia oxidizers in a wetland soil vertical profile.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Höfferle, Špela; Nicol, Graeme W; Pal, Levin; Hacin, Janez; Prosser, James I; Mandić-Mulec, Ines

    2010-11-01

    Oxidation of ammonia, the first step in nitrification, is carried out in soil by bacterial and archaeal ammonia oxidizers and recent studies suggest possible selection for the latter in low-ammonium environments. In this study, we investigated the selection of ammonia-oxidizing archaea and bacteria in wetland soil vertical profiles at two sites differing in terms of the ammonium supply rate, but not significantly in terms of the groundwater level. One site received ammonium through decomposition of organic matter, while the second, polluted site received a greater supply, through constant leakage of an underground septic tank. Soil nitrification potential was significantly greater at the polluted site. Quantification of amoA genes demonstrated greater abundance of bacterial than archaeal amoA genes throughout the soil profile at the polluted site, whereas bacterial amoA genes at the unpolluted site were below the detection limit. At both sites, archaeal, but not the bacterial community structure was clearly stratified with depth, with regard to the soil redox potential imposed by groundwater level. However, depth-related changes in the archaeal community structure may also be associated with physiological functions other than ammonia oxidation. © 2010 Federation of European Microbiological Societies. Published by Blackwell Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved.

  4. Production of polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) by bacterial consortium from excess sludge fermentation liquid at laboratory and pilot scales.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jia, Qianqian; Xiong, Huilei; Wang, Hui; Shi, Hanchang; Sheng, Xinying; Sun, Run; Chen, Guoqiang

    2014-11-01

    The generation of polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) from excess sludge fermentation liquid (SFL) was studied at lab and pilot scale. A PHA-accumulated bacterial consortium (S-150) was isolated from activated sludge using simulated SFL (S-SFL) contained high concentration volatile fatty acids (VFA) and nitrogen. The maximal PHA content accounted for 59.18% in S-SFL and dropped to 23.47% in actual SFL (L-SFL) of the dry cell weight (DCW) at lab scale. The pilot-scale integrated system comprised an anaerobic fermentation reactor (AFR), a ceramic membrane system (CMS) and a PHA production bio-reactor (PHAR). The PHA content from pilot-scale SFL (P-SFL) finally reached to 59.47% DCW with the maximal PHA yield coefficient (YP/S) of 0.17 g PHA/g COD. The results indicated that VFA-containing SFL was suitable for PHA production. The adverse impact of excess nitrogen and non-VFAs in SFL might be eliminated by pilot-scale domestication, which might resulted in community structure optimization and substrate selective ability improvement of S-150. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  5. Fungal hyphae stimulate bacterial degradation of 2,6-dichlorobenzamide (BAM)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Knudsen, Berith Elkær; Ellegaard-Jensen, Lea; Albers, Christian Nyrop; Rosendahl, Søren; Aamand, Jens

    2013-01-01

    Introduction of specific degrading microorganisms into polluted soil or aquifers is a promising remediation technology provided that the organisms survive and spread in the environment. We suggest that consortia, rather than single strains, may be better suited to overcome these challenges. Here we introduced a fungal–bacterial consortium consisting of Mortierella sp. LEJ702 and the 2,6-dichlorobenzamide (BAM)-degrading Aminobacter sp. MSH1 into small sand columns. A more rapid mineralisation of BAM was obtained by the consortium compared to MSH1 alone especially at lower moisture contents. Results from quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) demonstrated better spreading of Aminobacter when Mortierella was present suggesting that fungal hyphae may stimulate bacterial dispersal. Extraction and analysis of BAM indicated that translocation of the compound was also affected by the fungal hyphae in the sand. This suggests that fungal–bacterial consortia are promising for successful bioremediation of pesticide contamination. -- Highlights: •Presence of fungi increased the rate of BAM mineralization by Aminobacter sp. MSH1. •Fungal–bacterial consortium enhanced BAM degradation at low moisture contents. •Mortierella hyphae facilitated transport of the BAM degrader Aminobacter sp. MSH1. -- This study brings new knowledge to the benefits of applying bacterial–fungal consortia for bioremediation

  6. The properties of water in swollen cross-linked polystyrene sulfo acids

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gagarin, A. N.; Tokmachev, M. G.; Kovaleva, S. S.; Ferapontov, N. B.

    2008-11-01

    The properties of water in polystyrene sulfo acid gels with various cross-linking degrees were studied by optical volumetry and dynamic desorption porosimetry. The isotherms of water desorption obtained by dynamic desorption porosimetry coincided with isopiestic isotherms, which allowed this method to be recommended for the determination of the amount of water in polymer gels. Joint optical volumetry and dynamic desorption porosimetry studies showed that the interphase boundary in the cross-liked hydrophilic polymer-water system did not coincide with the visible gel boundary, because gels were two-phase systems, which contained water of two types, “free” and “bound.” The influence of the degree of polymer cross-linking on the amounts and properties of water of the two types was studied. It was shown that constants of water distribution in the polymer could be calculated from the dynamic desorption porosimetry data.

  7. Preventing Bacterial Infections using Metal Oxides Nanocoatings on Bone Implant

    Science.gov (United States)

    Duceac, L. D.; Straticiuc, S.; Hanganu, E.; Stafie, L.; Calin, G.; Gavrilescu, S. L.

    2017-06-01

    Nowadays bone implant removal is caused by infection that occurs around it possibly acquired after surgery or during hospitalization. The purpose of this study was to reveal some metal oxides applied as coatings on bone implant thus limiting the usual antibiotics-resistant bacteria colonization. Therefore ZnO, TiO2 and CuO were synthesized and structurally and morphologically analized in order to use them as an alternative antimicrobial agents deposited on bone implant. XRD, SEM, and FTIR characterization techniques were used to identify structure and texture of these nanoscaled metal oxides. These metal oxides nanocoatings on implant surface play a big role in preventing bacterial infection and reducing surgical complications.

  8. Application of Endophytic Pseudomonas fluorescens and a Bacterial Consortium to Brassica napus Can Increase Plant Height and Biomass under Greenhouse and Field Conditions

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Richard D. Lally

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available Plant associated bacteria with plant growth promotion (PGP properties have been proposed for use as environmentally friendly biofertilizers for sustainable agriculture; however, analysis of their efficacy in the field is often limited. In this study, greenhouse and field trials were carried out using individual endophytic Pseudomonas fluorescens strains, the well characterized rhizospheric P. fluorescens F113 and an endophytic microbial consortium of 10 different strains. These bacteria had been previously characterized with respect to their PGP properties in vitro and had been shown to harbor a range of traits associated with PGP including siderophore production, 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (ACC deaminase activity, and inorganic phosphate solubilization. In greenhouse experiments individual strains tagged with gfp and Kmr were applied to Brassica napus as a seed coat and were shown to effectively colonize the rhizosphere and root of B. napus and in addition they demonstrated a significant increase in plant biomass compared with the non-inoculated control. In the field experiment, the bacteria (individual and consortium were spray inoculated to winter oilseed rape B. napus var. Compass which was grown under standard North Western European agronomic conditions. Analysis of the data provides evidence that the application of the live bacterial biofertilizers can enhance aspects of crop development in B. napus at field scale. The field data demonstrated statistically significant increases in crop height, stem/leaf, and pod biomass, particularly, in the case of the consortium inoculated treatment. However, although seed and oil yield were increased in the field in response to inoculation, these data were not statistically significant under the experimental conditions tested. Future field trials will investigate the effectiveness of the inoculants under different agronomic conditions.

  9. Long Term Performance of an Arsenite-Oxidizing-Chlorate-Reducing Microbial Consortium in an Upflow Anaerobic Sludge Bed (UASB) Bioreactor

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sun, Wenjie; Sierra-Alvarez, Reyes; Field, Jim A.

    2011-01-01

    A chlorate (ClO3−) reducing microbial consortium oxidized arsenite (As(III)) to arsenate (As(V)) in an upflow anaerobic sludge-bed bioreactor over 550 d operation. As(III) was converted with high conversion efficiencies (>98%) at volumetric loadings ranging from 0.45 to 1.92 mmol As/(Lreactor d). The oxidation of As(III) was linked to the complete reduction of ClO3− to Cl− and H2O, as demonstrated by a molar ratio of approximately 3.0 mol As(III) oxidized per mole of Cl− formed and by the greatly lowered ClO3−-reducing capacity without As(III) feeding. An autotrophic enrichment culture was established from the bioreactor biofilm. A 16S rRNA gene clone library indicated that the culture was dominated by Dechloromonas, and Stenotrophomonas as well as genera within the family Comamonadaceae. The results indicate that the oxidation of As(III) to less mobile As(V) utilizing ClO3− as a terminal electron acceptor provides a sustainable bioremediation strategy for arsenic contamination in anaerobic environments. PMID:21333531

  10. Hydrogen Peroxide- and Nitric Oxide-mediated Disease Control of Bacterial Wilt in Tomato Plants

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jeum Kyu Hong

    2013-12-01

    Full Text Available Reactive oxygen species (ROS generation in tomato plants by Ralstonia solanacearum infection and the role of hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂ and nitric oxide in tomato bacterial wilt control were demonstrated. During disease development of tomato bacterial wilt, accumulation of superoxide anion (O₂− and H₂O₂ was observed and lipid peroxidation also occurred in the tomato leaf tissues. High doses of H₂O₂and sodium nitroprusside (SNP nitric oxide donor showed phytotoxicity to detached tomato leaves 1 day after petiole feeding showing reduced fresh weight. Both H₂O₂and SNP have in vitro antibacterial activities against R. solanacearum in a dose-dependent manner, as well as plant protection in detached tomato leaves against bacterial wilt by 10⁶ and 10⁷ cfu/ml of R. solanacearum. H₂O₂- and SNP-mediated protection was also evaluated in pots using soil-drench treatment with the bacterial inoculation, and relative ‘area under the disease progressive curve (AUDPC’ was calculated to compare disease protection by H₂O₂ and/or SNP with untreated control. Neither H₂O₂ nor SNP protect the tomato seedlings from the bacterial wilt, but H₂O₂+ SNP mixture significantly decreased disease severity with reduced relative AUDPC. These results suggest that H₂O₂ and SNP could be used together to control bacterial wilt in tomato plants as bactericidal agents.

  11. Biomembrane oxidizing tank used in the process of bacterial heap leaching of uranium ore

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Meng Yunsheng; Fan Baotuan; Liu Jian; Zheng Ying; Liu Chao

    2004-01-01

    The construction characteristic of biomembrane oxidizing tank and specialty of packing material used in the process of bacterial heap leaching of uranium ore are introduced in this paper. Method for designing biomembrane oxidizing tank, layout principle of aeration system and measurements on running management are summarized

  12. Isolation and Partial Characterization of Bacteria in an Anaerobic Consortium That Mineralizes 3-Chlorobenzoic Acid †

    OpenAIRE

    Shelton, Daniel R.; Tiedje, James M.

    1984-01-01

    A methanogenic consortium able to use 3-chlorobenzoic acid as its sole energy and carbon source was enriched from anaerobic sewage sludge. Seven bacteria were isolated from the consortium in mono- or coculture. They included: one dechlorinating bacterium (strain DCB-1), one benzoate-oxidizing bacterium (strain BZ-2), two butyrate-oxidizing bacteria (strains SF-1 and NSF-2), two H2-consuming methanogens (Methanospirillum hungatei PM-1 and Methanobacterium sp. strain PM-2), and a sulfate-reduci...

  13. Biodegradation of di-n-butyl phthalate by bacterial consortium LV-1 enriched from river sludge.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yangyang Wang

    Full Text Available A stable bacterial consortium (LV-1 capable of degrading di-n-butyl phthalate (DBP was enriched from river sludge. Community analysis revealed that the main families of LV-1 are Brucellaceae (62.78% and Sinobacteraceae (14.83%, and the main genera of LV-1 are Brucella spp. (62.78% and Sinobacter spp. (14.83%. The optimal pH and temperature for LV-1 to degrade DBP were pH 6.0 and 30°C, respectively. Inoculum size influenced the degradation ratio when the incubation time was < 24 h. The initial concentration of DBP also influenced the degradation rates of DBP by LV-1, and the degradation rates ranged from 69.0-775.0 mg/l/d in the first 24 h. Degradation of DBP was best fitted by first-order kinetics when the initial concentration was < 300 mg/l. In addition, Cd2+, Cr6+, and Zn2+ inhibited DBP degradation by LV-1 at all considered concentrations, but low concentrations of Pb2+, Cu2+, and Mn2+ enhanced DBP degradation. The main intermediates (mono-ethyl phthalate [MEP], mono-butyl phthalate [MBP], and phthalic acid [PA] were identified in the DBP degradation process, thus a new biochemical pathway of DBP degradation is proposed. Furthermore, LV-1 also degraded other phthalates with shorter ester chains (DMP, DEP, and PA.

  14. Culture-dependent and -independent approaches establish the complexity of a PAH-degrading microbial consortium

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Vinas, M.; Sabate, J.; Solanas, A.M. [Barcelona Univ., Barcelona (Spain). Dept. of Microbiology; Guasp, C.; Lalucat, J. [Illes Balears Univ., Palma de Mallorca (Spain). Dept. of Biology

    2005-11-15

    Microbial consortia are used in the decontamination of polluted environmental sites. A microbial consortium obtained by batch enrichment culture is a closed system with controlled conditions in which micro-organisms with a potentially high growth rate are selected and become dominant. The aim of this study was to identify the members of consortium AM, in which earlier batch enrichment work had shown high biodegradation rates of the aromatic fraction of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH). The AM consortium was obtained by sequential enrichment in liquid culture with a PAH mixture of 3- and 4- ringed PAHs as the sole source of carbon and energy. The consortium was examined using a triple approach method based on various cultivation strategies, denaturing gradient electrophoresis (DGGE) and the screening of 16S and 18S rRNA gene clone libraries. Eleven different sequences by culture-dependent techniques and 7 by both DGGE and clone libraries were obtained, yielding 19 different microbial components. Proteobacteria were the dominant group, representing 83 per cent of the total, while the Cytophaga-Flexibactor-Bacteroides group (CFB) was 11 per cent, and Ascomycota fungi were 6 per cent. It was determined that {beta}-Proteobacteria were predominant in the DGGE and clone library methods, whereas they were a minority in culturable strains. The highest diversity and number of noncoincident sequences was achieved by the cultivation method that showed members of the {alpha},{beta}, and {gamma}-Proteobacteria, CFB bacterial group, and Ascomycota fungi. Only 6 of the 11 strains isolated showed PAH-degrading capability. The bacterial strain (AMS7) and the fungal strain (AMF1) achieved the greatest PAH depletion. Results indicated that polyphasic assessment is necessary for a proper understanding of the composition of a microbial consortium. It was concluded that microbial consortia are more complex than previously realized. 54 refs., 3 tabs., 3 figs.

  15. 40 CFR 721.4575 - L-aspartic acid, N,N′- [(1E) - 1,2 - ethenediylbis[(3-sulfo-4, 1-phenylene)imino [6-(phenylamino...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 30 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false L-aspartic acid, N,Nâ²- [(1E) - 1,2... Substances § 721.4575 L-aspartic acid, N,N′- [(1E) - 1,2 - ethenediylbis[(3-sulfo-4, 1-phenylene)imino [6... uses subject to reporting. (1) The chemical substance identified as l-aspartic acid, N,N′- [(1E) - 1,2...

  16. Matrix composition and community structure analysis of a novel bacterial pyrite leaching community.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ziegler, Sibylle; Ackermann, Sonia; Majzlan, Juraj; Gescher, Johannes

    2009-09-01

    Here we describe a novel bacterial community that is embedded in a matrix of carbohydrates and bio/geochemical products of pyrite (FeS(2)) oxidation. This community grows in stalactite-like structures--snottites--on the ceiling of an abandoned pyrite mine at pH values of 2.2-2.6. The aqueous phase in the matrix contains 200 mM of sulfate and total iron concentrations of 60 mM. Micro-X-ray diffraction analysis showed that jarosite [(K,Na,H(3)O)Fe(3)(SO(4))(2)(OH)(6)] is the major mineral embedded in the snottites. X-ray absorption near-edge structure experiments revealed three different sulfur species. The major signal can be ascribed to sulfate, and the other two features may correspond to thiols and sulfoxides. Arabinose was detected as the major sugar component in the extracellular polymeric substance. Via restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis, a community was found that mainly consists of iron oxidizing Leptospirillum and Ferrovum species but also of bacteria that could be involved in dissimilatory sulfate and dissimilatory iron reduction. Each snottite can be regarded as a complex, self-contained consortium of bacterial species fuelled by the decomposition of pyrite.

  17. Molecular isotopic evidence for anaerobic oxidation of methane in deep-sea hydrothermal vent environment in Okinawa Trough

    Science.gov (United States)

    Uchida, M.; Takai, K.; Inagaki, F.

    2003-04-01

    Large amount of methane in anoxic marine sediments as well as cold seeps and hydrothermal vents is recycled through for an anoxic oxidation of methane processes. Now that combined results of field and laboratory studies revealed that microbiological activity associated with syntrophic consortium of archaea performing reversed methanogenesis and sulfate-reducing bacteria is significant roles in methane recycling, anaerobic oxidation of methane (AOM). In this study, we examined the diversity of archaeal and bacterial assemblages of AOM using compound-specific stable carbon isotopic and phylogenetic analyses. "Iheya North" in Okinawa Trough is sediment-rich, back arc type hydrothermal system (27^o47'N, 126^o53'E). Sediment samples were collected from three sites where are "bubbling sites", yellow-colored microbial mats are formed with continuous bubbling from the seafloor bottom, vent mussel's colonies site together with slowly venting and simmering, and control site off 100 m distance from thermal vent. This subsea floor structure has important effect in the microbial ecosystem and interaction between their activity and geochemical processes in the subseafloor habitats. Culture-independent, molecular biological analysis clearly indicated the presence of thermophilic methanogens in deeper area having higher temperatures and potential activity of AMOs consortium in the shallower area. AMO is composed with sulfate-reducing bacterial components (Desulfosarcina spp.) and anoxic methane oxidizing archaea (ANME-2). These results were consistent with the results of compound-specific carbon analysis of archaeal biomarkers. They showed extremely depleted 13C contents (-80 ppm ˜ -100 ppm), which also appeared to be capable of directly oxidizing methane.

  18. Stable carbon isotope fractionation of chlorinated ethenes by a microbial consortium containing multiple dechlorinating genes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Na; Ding, Longzhen; Li, Haijun; Zhang, Pengpeng; Zheng, Jixing; Weng, Chih-Huang

    2018-08-01

    The study aimed to determine the possible contribution of specific growth conditions and community structures to variable carbon enrichment factors (Ɛ- carbon ) values for the degradation of chlorinated ethenes (CEs) by a bacterial consortium with multiple dechlorinating genes. Ɛ- carbon values for trichloroethylene, cis-1,2-dichloroethylene, and vinyl chloride were -7.24% ± 0.59%, -14.6% ± 1.71%, and -21.1% ± 1.14%, respectively, during their degradation by a microbial consortium containing multiple dechlorinating genes including tceA and vcrA. The Ɛ- carbon values of all CEs were not greatly affected by changes in growth conditions and community structures, which directly or indirectly affected reductive dechlorination of CEs by this consortium. Stability analysis provided evidence that the presence of multiple dechlorinating genes within a microbial consortium had little effect on carbon isotope fractionation, as long as the genes have definite, non-overlapping functions. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  19. A Bacterial Receptor PcrK Senses the Plant Hormone Cytokinin to Promote Adaptation to Oxidative Stress

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fang-Fang Wang

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available Summary: Recognition of the host plant is a prerequisite for infection by pathogenic bacteria. However, how bacterial cells sense plant-derived stimuli, especially chemicals that function in regulating plant development, remains completely unknown. Here, we have identified a membrane-bound histidine kinase of the phytopathogenic bacterium Xanthomonas campestris, PcrK, as a bacterial receptor that specifically detects the plant cytokinin 2-isopentenyladenine (2iP. 2iP binds to the extracytoplasmic region of PcrK to decrease its autokinase activity. Through a four-step phosphorelay, 2iP stimulation decreased the phosphorylation level of PcrR, the cognate response regulator of PcrK, to activate the phosphodiesterase activity of PcrR in degrading the second messenger 3′,5′-cyclic diguanylic acid. 2iP perception by the PcrK-PcrR remarkably improves bacterial tolerance to oxidative stress by regulating the transcription of 56 genes, including the virulence-associated TonB-dependent receptor gene ctrA. Our results reveal an evolutionarily conserved, inter-kingdom signaling by which phytopathogenic bacteria intercept a plant hormone signal to promote adaptation to oxidative stress. : How pathogenic bacteria use receptors to recognize the signals of the host plant is unknown. Wang et al. have identified a bacterial receptor histidine kinase that specifically senses the plant hormone cytokinin. Through a four-step phosphorelay, cytokinin perception triggers degradation of a second messenger, c-di-GMP, to activate the bacterial response to oxidative stress. Keywords: histidine kinase, ligand, cytokinin, autokinase activity, phosphorelay, response regulator, two-component signal transduction system, Xanthomonas campestris pv. campestris, virulence, oxidative stress

  20. Adsorption and oxidation of SO₂in a fixed-bed reactor using activated carbon produced from oxytetracycline bacterial residue and impregnated with copper.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhou, Baohua; Yu, Lei; Song, Hanning; Li, Yaqi; Zhang, Peng; Guo, Bin; Duan, Erhong

    2015-02-01

    The SO₂removal ability (including adsorption and oxidation ability) of activated carbon produced from oxytetracycline bacterial residue and impregnated with copper was investigated. The activated carbon produced from oxytetracycline bacterial residue and modified with copper was characterized by x-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and energy-dispersive spectroscopy. The effects of the catalysts, SO₂concentration, weight hourly space velocity, and temperature on the SO₂adsorption and oxidation activity were evaluated. Activated carbon produced from oxytetracycline bacterial residue and used as catalyst supports for copper oxide catalysts provided high catalytic activity for the adsorbing and oxidizing of SO₂from flue gases.

  1. Determinism and Contingency Shape Metabolic Complementation in an Endosymbiotic Consortium.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ponce-de-Leon, Miguel; Tamarit, Daniel; Calle-Espinosa, Jorge; Mori, Matteo; Latorre, Amparo; Montero, Francisco; Pereto, Juli

    2017-01-01

    Bacterial endosymbionts and their insect hosts establish an intimate metabolic relationship. Bacteria offer a variety of essential nutrients to their hosts, whereas insect cells provide the necessary sources of matter and energy to their tiny metabolic allies. These nutritional complementations sustain themselves on a diversity of metabolite exchanges between the cell host and the reduced yet highly specialized bacterial metabolism-which, for instance, overproduces a small set of essential amino acids and vitamins. A well-known case of metabolic complementation is provided by the cedar aphid Cinara cedri that harbors two co-primary endosymbionts, Buchnera aphidicola BCc and Ca . Serratia symbiotica SCc, and in which some metabolic pathways are partitioned between different partners. Here we present a genome-scale metabolic network (GEM) for the bacterial consortium from the cedar aphid i BSCc. The analysis of this GEM allows us the confirmation of cases of metabolic complementation previously described by genome analysis (i.e., tryptophan and biotin biosynthesis) and the redefinition of an event of metabolic pathway sharing between the two endosymbionts, namely the biosynthesis of tetrahydrofolate. In silico knock-out experiments with i BSCc showed that the consortium metabolism is a highly integrated yet fragile network. We also have explored the evolutionary pathways leading to the emergence of metabolic complementation between reduced metabolisms starting from individual, complete networks. Our results suggest that, during the establishment of metabolic complementation in endosymbionts, adaptive evolution is significant in the case of tryptophan biosynthesis, whereas vitamin production pathways seem to adopt suboptimal solutions.

  2. Biodegradation of oil spill by petroleum refineries using consortia of novel bacterial strains.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Singh, Bina; Bhattacharya, Amit; Channashettar, Veeranna A; Jeyaseelan, C Paul; Gupta, Sachin; Sarma, Priyangshu M; Mandal, Ajoy K; Lal, Banwari

    2012-08-01

    Feasibility study carried out at the site prior to the full scale study showed that the introduced bacterial consortium effectively adapted to the local environment of the soil at bioremediation site. The soil samples were collected from the contaminated fields after treatment with bacterial consortium at different time intervals and analyzed by gas chromatography after extraction with hexane and toluene. At time zero (just before initiation of bioremediation), the concentration of total petroleum hydrocarbons in the soil (25-cm horizon) of plot A, B, C and D was 30.90 %, 18.80 %, 25.90 % and 29.90 % respectively, after 360 days of treatment with microbial consortia was reduced to 0.97 %, 1.0 %, 1.0 %, and 1.1 % respectively. Whereas, only 5 % degradation was observed in the control plot after 365 days (microbial consortium not applied).

  3. NITRIC OXIDE ACTIVITY OF NEUTROPHIL IN BLOOD AND CEREBROSPINAL FLUID OF THE CHILDREN WITH BACTERIAL AND VIRAL MENINGITIS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    V. P. Molochniy

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available The article presents the results of study of nitric oxide activity of neutrophil leucocytic and freeradical processes in blood and cerebrospinal fluid of the children with bacterial and viral meningitison the acute period diseases. The peculiarities or activity of freeradical processes and nitric oxide of cerebrospinal fluid with bacterial meningitis in acute period diseases and activities of studies of ferments with the health children. 

  4. Fungal hyphae stimulate bacterial degradation of 2,6-dichlorobenzamide (BAM).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Knudsen, Berith Elkær; Ellegaard-Jensen, Lea; Albers, Christian Nyrop; Rosendahl, Søren; Aamand, Jens

    2013-10-01

    Introduction of specific degrading microorganisms into polluted soil or aquifers is a promising remediation technology provided that the organisms survive and spread in the environment. We suggest that consortia, rather than single strains, may be better suited to overcome these challenges. Here we introduced a fungal-bacterial consortium consisting of Mortierella sp. LEJ702 and the 2,6-dichlorobenzamide (BAM)-degrading Aminobacter sp. MSH1 into small sand columns. A more rapid mineralisation of BAM was obtained by the consortium compared to MSH1 alone especially at lower moisture contents. Results from quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) demonstrated better spreading of Aminobacter when Mortierella was present suggesting that fungal hyphae may stimulate bacterial dispersal. Extraction and analysis of BAM indicated that translocation of the compound was also affected by the fungal hyphae in the sand. This suggests that fungal-bacterial consortia are promising for successful bioremediation of pesticide contamination. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  5. Isolation and characterization of two novel halotolerant Catechol 2, 3-dioxygenases from a halophilic bacterial consortium

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guo, Guang; Fang, Tingting; Wang, Chongyang; Huang, Yong; Tian, Fang; Cui, Qijia; Wang, Hui

    2015-12-01

    Study of enzymes in halophiles will help to understand the mechanism of aromatic hydrocarbons degradation in saline environment. In this study, two novel catechol 2,3-dioxygenases (C23O1 and C23O2) were cloned and overexpressed from a halophilic bacterial consortium enriched from an oil-contaminated saline soil. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that the novel C23Os and their relatives formed a new branch in subfamily I.2.A of extradiol dioxygenases and the sequence differences were further analyzed by amino acid sequence alignment. Two enzymes with the halotolerant feature were active over a range of 0-30% salinity and they performed more stable at high salinity than in the absence of salt. Surface electrostatic potential and amino acids composition calculation suggested high acidic residues content, accounting for their tolerance to high salinity. Moreover, two enzymes were further characterized. The enzymes activity both increased in the presence of Fe3+, Fe2+, Cu2+ and Al3+ and showed no significant inhibition by other tested metal ions. The optimal temperatures for the C23Os were 40 °C and 60 °C and their best substrates were catechol and 4-methylcatechol respectively. As the firstly isolated and characterized catechol dioxygenases from halophiles, the two halotolerant C23Os presented novel characteristics suggesting their potential application in aromatic hydrocarbons biodegradation.

  6. Chemically emulsified crude oil as substrate for bacterial oxidation : differences in species response

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bruheim, P.; Eimhjellen, K.

    1998-01-01

    The ability of bacterial species to oxidize alkanes in crude oil in water emulsions was studied. Alkanes in crude oil need specific physiological adaptations to the microorganisms. Synthesis of biosurfactants has been considered as a prerequisite for either specific adhesion mechanisms to large oil drops or emulsification of oil followed by uptake of submicron oil droplets. In this study four bacterial species were tested. Emulsions were prepared by nonionic sorbitan ester and polyoxyethylene ether surfactants. The oxidation rates were measured. Both positive and negative effects of surfactant amendments were observed. The same surfactant affected different bacteria in different ways. The response to the surfactant amendment depended on the physiological state of the bacteria. The results showed that surfactants resulted in decreased cell adhesion to the oil phase for all the bacteria. 19 refs., 3 tabs., 4 figs

  7. p-Cresol mineralization by a nitrifying consortium

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Silva-Luna, C. D.; Gomez, J.; Houbron, E.; Cuervo Lopez, F. M.; Texier, A. C.

    2009-01-01

    Nitrification and denitrification processes are considered economically feasible technologies for nitrogen removal from wastewater. Knowledge of the toxic or inhibitory effects of cresols on the nitrifying respiratory process is still insufficient. The aim of this study was to evaluate the kinetic behavior and oxidizing ability of a nitrifying consortium exposed to p-cresol in batch cultures. Biotransformation of p-cresol was investigated by identifying the different intermediates formed. (Author)

  8. Multiple Syntrophic Interactions in a Terephthalate-Degrading Methanogenic Consortium

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lykidis, Athanasios; Chen, Chia-Lung; Tringe, Susannah G.; McHardy, Alice C.; Copeland, Alex 5; Kyrpides, Nikos C.; Hugenholtz, Philip; Liu, Wen-Tso

    2010-08-05

    Terephthalate (TA) is one of the top 50 chemicals produced worldwide. Its production results in a TA-containing wastewater that is treated by anaerobic processes through a poorly understood methanogenic syntrophy. Using metagenomics, we characterized the methanogenic consortium tinside a hyper-mesophilic (i.e., between mesophilic and thermophilic), TA-degrading bioreactor. We identified genes belonging to dominant Pelotomaculum species presumably involved in TA degradation through decarboxylation, dearomatization, and modified ?-oxidation to H{sub 2}/CO{sub 2} and acetate. These intermediates are converted to CH{sub 4}/CO{sub 2} by three novel hyper-mesophilic methanogens. Additional secondary syntrophic interactions were predicted in Thermotogae, Syntrophus and candidate phyla OP5 and WWE1 populations. The OP5 encodes genes capable of anaerobic autotrophic butyrate production and Thermotogae, Syntrophus and WWE1 have the genetic potential to oxidize butyrate to COsub 2}/H{sub 2} and acetate. These observations suggest that the TA-degrading consortium consists of additional syntrophic interactions beyond the standard H{sub 2}-producing syntroph ? methanogen partnership that may serve to improve community stability.

  9. Experimental evidence for the physiological role of bacterial luciferase in the protection of cells against oxidative stress.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Szpilewska, Hanna; Czyz, Agata; Wegrzyn, Grzegorz

    2003-11-01

    The origin and function of bioluminescence was considered a problematic question of the Charles Darwin theory. Early evolution of bacterial luminescence and its current physiological importance seem to be especially mysterious. Recently, it was proposed that stimulation of DNA repair may be a physiological role for production of light by bacterial cells. On the other hand, it was also proposed that primary role of luminescent systems could be detoxification of the deleterious oxygen derivatives. Although some previous results might suggest that this hypothesis can be correct, until now experimental evidence for such a mechanism operating in bacterial cells and having physiological importance was generally lacking. Here we demonstrate that in the presence of various oxidants (hydrogen peroxide, cumene hydroperoxide, t-butyl hydroperoxide, and ferrous ions) at certain concentrations in the culture medium, growth of Vibrio harveyi mutants luxA and luxB, but not of the mutant luxD, is severely impaired relative to wild-type bacteria. This deleterious effect of oxidants on the mutants luxA and luxB could be significantly reduced by addition of the antioxidants A-TEMPO or 40H-TEMPO. We conclude that bacterial luciferase may indeed play a physiological role in the protection of cells against oxidative stress.

  10. Bacterial Oxidation and Reduction of Iron in the Processes of Creation and Treatment of Acid Mining Waters

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Daniel Kupka

    2004-12-01

    Full Text Available Acid mine drainages (AMDs arise at the weathering of sulphidic minerals. The occurrence of acidic streams is commonly associated with the human mining activities. Due to the disruption and excavation of sulphide deposits, the oxidation processes have initiated. Acidic products of sulphide oxidation accelerate the degradation of accompanying minerals. AMDs typically contain high concentrations of sulfuric acid and soluble metals and cause serious ecological problems due to the water pollution and the devastation of adjacent country. Microbial life in these extremely acidic environments may be considerably diverse. AMDs are abundant in bacteria capable to oxidize and/or to reduce iron. The rate of bacterial oxidation of ferrous iron released from pyrite surfaces is up to one million times faster than the chemical oxidation rate at low pH. Bacterial regeneration of ferric iron maintains the continuity of pyrite oxidation and the production of AMDs. Another group of microorganisms living in these environments are acidophilic ferric iron reducing bacteria. This group of microorganisms has been discovered only relatively recently. Acidophilic heterotrophic bacteria reduce ferric iron in either soluble or solid forms to ferrous iron. The reductive dissolution of ferric iron minerals brings about a mobilization of iron as well as associated heavy metals. The Bacterial oxidation and reduction of iron play an important role in the transformation of either crystalline or amorphous iron-containing minerals, including sulphides, oxides, hydroxysulfates, carbonates and silicates. This work discusses the role of acidophilic bacteria in the natural iron cycling and the genesis of acidic effluents. The possibilities of application of iron bacteria in the remediation of AMDs are also considered.

  11. Characterization of a bioflocculant produced by a consortium of Halomonas sp. Okoh and Micrococcus sp. Leo.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Okaiyeto, Kunle; Nwodo, Uchechukwu U; Mabinya, Leonard V; Okoh, Anthony I

    2013-10-16

    The physicochemical and flocculating properties of a bioflocculant produced by a bacterial consortium composed of Halomonas sp. Okoh and Micrococcus sp. Leo were investigated. The purified bioflocculant was cation and pH dependent, and optimally flocculated kaolin clay suspension at a dosage of 0.1 mg/mL. The flocculating activity of the bioflocculant was stimulated in the presence of Ca2+, Mn2+, Al3+ and had a wide pH range of 2-10, with the highest flocculating activity of 86% at pH 8. The bioflocculant was thermostable and retained more than 70% of its flocculating activity after being heated at 80 °C for 30 min. Thermogravimetric analyses revealed a partial thermal decomposition of the biofloculant at 400 °C. The infrared spectrum showed the presence of hydroxyl, carboxyl and amino moieties as functional groups. The bioflocculant produced by the bacterial consortium appears to hold promising alternative to inorganic and synthetic organic flocculants that are widely used in wastewater treatment.

  12. Contribution to the study of wastes stabilization by sulfo-aluminate cement

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Peysson, S.

    2005-02-01

    Calcium sulfo-aluminate cement is mainly composed of yeelimite known to be a precursor of ettringite formation. Ettringite is able to incorporate several heavy metals by isomorphous substitutions without altering its crystalline structure. The design of a binder required for immobilizing heavy metals was undertaken. The hydration study of clinker, and cement containing 4 amounts of gypsum has been carried out by means of XRD, DTA and IR spectrometry. It was pointed out that the addition of gypsum enhances hydration. Two binders were selected: 80/20 and 70/30. The immobilisation of 7 pollutants was very successful. Nevertheless, damages appeared with the binder 70/30 containing sodium chromate and dichromate: sodium caused activation of yeelimite reactivity and important dissolution of gypsum leading to important ettringite production. With a great amount of gypsum (30 %), dissolution led to secondary ettringite formation which damaged the hardened paste. Adding polyol enhances the retention of sodium chromate. On the other hand, the immobilisation of two types of weakly radioactive wastes supplied by CEA has been made. Results obtained in terms of setting time, compressive strength and leaching were excellent. (author)

  13. Antibiotic resistance of bacterial biofilms

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hoiby, N.; Bjarnsholt, T.; Givskov, M.

    2010-01-01

    A biofilm is a structured consortium of bacteria embedded in a self-produced polymer matrix consisting of polysaccharide, protein and DNA. Bacterial biofilms cause chronic infections because they show increased tolerance to antibiotics and disinfectant chemicals as well as resisting phagocytosis...... and other components of the body's defence system. The persistence of, for example, staphylococcal infections related to foreign bodies is due to biofilm formation. Likewise, chronic Pseudomonas aeruginosa lung infection in cystic fibrosis patients is caused by biofilm-growing mucoid strains....... Characteristically, gradients of nutrients and oxygen exist from the top to the bottom of biofilms and these gradients are associated with decreased bacterial metabolic activity and increased doubling times of the bacterial cells; it is these more or less dormant cells that are responsible for some of the tolerance...

  14. Hydrogen Production by Geobacter Species and a Mixed Consortium in a Microbial Electrolysis Cell

    KAUST Repository

    Call, D. F.; Wagner, R. C.; Logan, B. E.

    2009-01-01

    A hydrogen utilizing exoelectrogenic bacterium (Geobacter sulfurreducens) was compared to both a nonhydrogen oxidizer (Geobacter metallireducens) and a mixed consortium in order to compare the hydrogen production rates and hydrogen recoveries

  15. Inhibition of bacterial oxidation of ferrous iron by lead nitrate in sulfate-rich systems.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Hongmei; Gong, Linfeng; Cravotta, Charles A; Yang, Xiaofen; Tuovinen, Olli H; Dong, Hailiang; Fu, Xiang

    2013-01-15

    Inhibition of bacterial oxidation of ferrous iron (Fe(II)) by Pb(NO(3))(2) was investigated with a mixed culture of Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans. The culture was incubated at 30 °C in ferrous-sulfate medium amended with 0-24.2 mM Pb(II) added as Pb(NO(3))(2). Anglesite (PbSO(4)) precipitated immediately upon Pb addition and was the only solid phase detected in the abiotic controls. Both anglesite and jarosite (KFe(3)(SO(4))(2)(OH)(6)) were detected in inoculated cultures. Precipitation of anglesite maintained dissolved Pb concentrations at 16.9-17.6 μM regardless of the concentrations of Pb(NO(3))(2) added. Fe(II) oxidation was suppressed by 24.2 mM Pb(NO(3))(2) addition even when anglesite was removed before inoculation. Experiments with 0-48 mM KNO(3) demonstrated that bacterial Fe(II) oxidation decreased as nitrate concentration increased. Therefore, inhibition of Fe(II) oxidation at 24.2 mM Pb(NO(3))(2) addition resulted from nitrate toxicity instead of Pb addition. Geochemical modeling that considered the initial precipitation of anglesite to equilibrium followed by progressive oxidation of Fe(II) and the precipitation of jarosite and an amorphous iron hydroxide phase, without allowing plumbojarosite to precipitate were consistent with the experimental time-series data on Fe(II) oxidation under biotic conditions. Anglesite precipitation in mine tailings and other sulfate-rich systems maintains dissolved Pb concentrations below the toxicity threshold of A. ferrooxidans. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  16. Effects of aluminium oxide nanoparticles on bacterial growth

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Doskocz Nina

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Production and wide application of nanomaterials have led to nanotechnology development but their release to environment and the induction of toxic reactions, affects the natural microbial communities. Therefore, studies on the impact of nanoparticles on microorganisms and environment are required and needed. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of aluminium oxide nanoparticles on the growth of Pseudomonas putida. To compare the harmfulness of different forms of aluminium oxide, the ecotoxicity of its macro-forms was also evaluated in the study. Research showed that the exposure to nanoparticles can negatively influence microorganisms. The EC50-16h determined in this study was 0.5 mg/l, and NOEC equaled 0.19 mg/l. Nano-Al2O3 proved to be more toxic to P. putida than aluminium oxide. This indicates that the nano-form of a given substance demonstrates different properties and may constitute a far greater danger for the environment than the same substance in the large form. According to EU and US EPA criteria, nano-Al2O3 proved to be very toxic and highly toxic, respectively. Changes in bacterial communities caused by nanoparticles may affect the normal biological, chemical and nutrient cycle in the ecosystem and the effect triggered by nanomaterials in relation to other organisms is unpredictable.

  17. Novel dark fermentation involving bioaugmentation with constructed bacterial consortium for enhanced biohydrogen production from pretreated sewage sludge

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kotay, Shireen Meher; Das, Debabrata [Department of Biotechnology, Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur (India)

    2009-09-15

    The present study summarizes the observations on various nutrient and seed formulation methods using sewage sludge that have been aimed at ameliorating the biohydrogen production potential. Pretreatment methods viz., acid/base treatment, heat treatment, sterilization, freezing-thawing, microwave, ultrasonication and chemical supplementation were attempted on sludge. It was observed that pretreatment was essential not only to reduce the needless, competitive microbial load but also to improve the nutrient solublization of sludge. Heat treatment at 121 C for 20 min was found to be most effective in reducing the microbial load by 98% and hydrolyzing the organic fraction of sludge. However, this pretreatment alone was either not sufficient or inconsistent in developing a suitable microbial consortium for hydrogen production. Hydrogen yield was found to improve 1.5-4 times upon inoculation with H{sub 2}-producing microorganisms. A defined microbial consortium was developed consisting of three established bacteria viz., Enterobacter cloacae IIT-BT 08, Citrobacter freundii IIT-BT L139 and Bacillus coagulans IIT-BT S1. Following pretreatments soluble proteins and lipids (the major component of the sludge) were also found to be consumed besides carbohydrates. This laid out the concurrent proteolytic/lipolytic ability of the developed H{sub 2}-producing consortium. 1:1:1 v/v ratio of these bacteria in consortium was found to give the maximum yield of H{sub 2} from sludge, 39.15 ml H{sub 2}/g COD{sub reduced}. 15%v/v dilution and supplementation with 0.5%w/v cane molasses prior to heat treatment was found to further improve the yield to 41.23 ml H{sub 2}/g COD{sub reduced}. (author)

  18. Characterization of TEMPO-oxidized bacterial cellulose scaffolds for tissue engineering applications

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Luo, Honglin; Xiong, Guangyao; Hu, Da; Ren, Kaijing; Yao, Fanglian; Zhu, Yong; Gao, Chuan; Wan, Yizao

    2013-01-01

    Introduction of active groups on the surface of bacterial cellulose (BC) nanofibers is one of the promising routes of tailoring the performance of BC scaffolds for tissue engineering. This paper reported the introduction of aldehyde groups to BC nanofibers by 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpyperidine-1-oxy radical (TEMPO)-mediated oxidation and evaluation of the potential of the TEMPO-oxidized BC as tissue engineering scaffolds. Periodate oxidation was also conducted for comparison. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analyses were carried out to determine the existence of aldehyde groups on BC nanofibers and the crystallinity. In addition, properties relevant to scaffold applications such as morphology, fiber diameter, mechanical properties, and in vitro degradation were characterized. The results indicated that periodate oxidation could introduce free aldehyde to BC nanofibers and the free aldehyde groups on the TEMPO-oxidized BC tended to transfer to acetal groups. It was also found that the advantageous 3D structure of BC scaffolds remained unchanged and that no significant changes in morphology, fiber diameter, tensile structure and in vitro degradation were found after TEMPO-mediated oxidation while significant differences were observed upon periodate oxidation. The present study revealed that TEMPO-oxidation could impart BC scaffolds with new functions while did not degrade their intrinsic advantages. - Highlights: • TEMPO-mediated oxidation on BC scaffold for tissue engineering use was conducted. • TEMPO-mediated oxidation did not degrade the intrinsic advantages of BC scaffold. • TEMPO-mediated oxidation could impart BC scaffold with new functional groups. • Feasibility of TEMPO-oxidized BC as tissue engineering scaffold was confirmed

  19. Contribution of hot spring bacterial consortium in cadmium and lead bioremediation through quadratic programming model

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sen, Sudip Kumar; Raut, Sangeeta; Dora, Tapas Kumar [Department of Biotechnology, Gandhi Institute of Engineering and Technology, Gunupur, Rayagada 765 022, Odisha (India); Mohapatra, Pradeep Kumar Das, E-mail: pkdmvu@gmail.com [Department of Microbiology, Vidyasagar University, Midnapore 721 102, West Bengal (India)

    2014-01-30

    Highlights: • Adsorption of cadmium and lead using hot spring microbial consortium. • Development of empirical models for % adsorption using ANOVA and response surface methodology. • Fitting of the kinetics of adsorption to Freundlich and Langmuir model. • Optimization of the operating parameters to maximize the % of adsorption. -- Abstract: In the present investigation, a number of experiments have been conducted to isolate microbial strains from Taptapani Hot Spring Odisha, India for bioremediation of cadmium and lead. The strains Stenotrophomonas maltophilia (SS1), Aeromonas veronii (SS2) and Bacillus barbaricus (SS3) have shown better adaptation to metal tolerance test, with different concentrations of cadmium and lead and hence have been selected for further studies of metal microbial interaction and optimization. The results of bioremediation process indicate that consortium of thermophilic isolates adsorbed heavy metals more effectively than the individually treated isolates. Therefore, A 24 full factorial central composite design has been employed to analyze the effect of metal ion concentration, microbial concentration and time on removal of heavy metals with consortium. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) shows a high coefficient of determination value. The kinetic data have been fitted to pseudo-first order and second-order models. The isotherm equilibrium data have been well fitted by the Langmuir and Freundlich models. The optimum removal conditions determined for initial ion concentration was 0.3 g/l; contact time 72 h; microbial concentration, 3 ml/l; and pH 7. At optimum adsorption conditions, the adsorption of cadmium and lead are found to be 92% and 93%, respectively, and presence of metals was confirmed through EDS analysis.

  20. Contribution of hot spring bacterial consortium in cadmium and lead bioremediation through quadratic programming model

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sen, Sudip Kumar; Raut, Sangeeta; Dora, Tapas Kumar; Mohapatra, Pradeep Kumar Das

    2014-01-01

    Highlights: • Adsorption of cadmium and lead using hot spring microbial consortium. • Development of empirical models for % adsorption using ANOVA and response surface methodology. • Fitting of the kinetics of adsorption to Freundlich and Langmuir model. • Optimization of the operating parameters to maximize the % of adsorption. -- Abstract: In the present investigation, a number of experiments have been conducted to isolate microbial strains from Taptapani Hot Spring Odisha, India for bioremediation of cadmium and lead. The strains Stenotrophomonas maltophilia (SS1), Aeromonas veronii (SS2) and Bacillus barbaricus (SS3) have shown better adaptation to metal tolerance test, with different concentrations of cadmium and lead and hence have been selected for further studies of metal microbial interaction and optimization. The results of bioremediation process indicate that consortium of thermophilic isolates adsorbed heavy metals more effectively than the individually treated isolates. Therefore, A 24 full factorial central composite design has been employed to analyze the effect of metal ion concentration, microbial concentration and time on removal of heavy metals with consortium. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) shows a high coefficient of determination value. The kinetic data have been fitted to pseudo-first order and second-order models. The isotherm equilibrium data have been well fitted by the Langmuir and Freundlich models. The optimum removal conditions determined for initial ion concentration was 0.3 g/l; contact time 72 h; microbial concentration, 3 ml/l; and pH 7. At optimum adsorption conditions, the adsorption of cadmium and lead are found to be 92% and 93%, respectively, and presence of metals was confirmed through EDS analysis

  1. Synthesis and characterization of superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles as calcium-responsive MRI contrast agents

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Xu, Pengfei; Shen, Zhiwei; Zhang, Baolin; Wang, Jun; Wu, Renhua

    2016-01-01

    Highlights: • SPIONs were conjugated with EGTA by EDC/sulfo-NHS method. • The presence of Ca"2"+ induced the aggregation of EGTA-SPIONs. • The aggregation of EGTA-SPIONs increased the T2 relaxation time. • EGTA-SPIONs can be used for the calcium imaging with MRI. - Abstract: Superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) as T2 contrast agents have great potential to sense calcium ion (Ca"2"+) using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Here we prepared calcium-responsive SPIONs for MRI, formed by combining poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) and polyethylenimine (PEI) coated iron oxide nanoparticle (PEI/PEG-SPIONs) contrast agents with the straightforward calcium-sensing compound EGTA (ethylene glycol tetraacetic acid). EGTA was conjugated onto PEI/PEG-SPIONs using EDC/sulfo-NHS method. EGTA-SPIONs were characterized using TEM, XPS, DSL, TGA and SQUIID. DSL results show that the SPIONs aggregate in the presence of Ca"2"+. MRI analyses indicate that the water proton T2 relaxation rates in HEPES suspensions of the EGTA-SPIONs significantly increase with the calcium concentration because the SPIONs aggregate in the presence of Ca"2"+. The T2 values decreased 25% when Ca"2"+ concentration decreased from 1.2 to 0.8 mM. The aggregation of EGTA-SPIONs could be reversed by EDTA. EGTA-SPIONs have potential as smart contrast agents for Ca"2"+-sensitive MRI.

  2. Synthesis and characterization of superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles as calcium-responsive MRI contrast agents

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Xu, Pengfei [State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Nonferrous Metals and Specific Materials Processing, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Guilin University of Technology, Jian Gan Road 12, Guilin 541004 (China); Shen, Zhiwei [Second Affiliated Hospital of Shantou University Medical College, Dong Xia North Road, Shantou 515041,China (China); Zhang, Baolin, E-mail: baolinzhang@ymail.com [State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Nonferrous Metals and Specific Materials Processing, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Guilin University of Technology, Jian Gan Road 12, Guilin 541004 (China); Wang, Jun [State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Nonferrous Metals and Specific Materials Processing, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Guilin University of Technology, Jian Gan Road 12, Guilin 541004 (China); Wu, Renhua, E-mail: rhwu@stu.edu.cn [Second Affiliated Hospital of Shantou University Medical College, Dong Xia North Road, Shantou 515041,China (China)

    2016-12-15

    Highlights: • SPIONs were conjugated with EGTA by EDC/sulfo-NHS method. • The presence of Ca{sup 2+} induced the aggregation of EGTA-SPIONs. • The aggregation of EGTA-SPIONs increased the T2 relaxation time. • EGTA-SPIONs can be used for the calcium imaging with MRI. - Abstract: Superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) as T2 contrast agents have great potential to sense calcium ion (Ca{sup 2+}) using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Here we prepared calcium-responsive SPIONs for MRI, formed by combining poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) and polyethylenimine (PEI) coated iron oxide nanoparticle (PEI/PEG-SPIONs) contrast agents with the straightforward calcium-sensing compound EGTA (ethylene glycol tetraacetic acid). EGTA was conjugated onto PEI/PEG-SPIONs using EDC/sulfo-NHS method. EGTA-SPIONs were characterized using TEM, XPS, DSL, TGA and SQUIID. DSL results show that the SPIONs aggregate in the presence of Ca{sup 2+}. MRI analyses indicate that the water proton T2 relaxation rates in HEPES suspensions of the EGTA-SPIONs significantly increase with the calcium concentration because the SPIONs aggregate in the presence of Ca{sup 2+}. The T2 values decreased 25% when Ca{sup 2+} concentration decreased from 1.2 to 0.8 mM. The aggregation of EGTA-SPIONs could be reversed by EDTA. EGTA-SPIONs have potential as smart contrast agents for Ca{sup 2+}-sensitive MRI.

  3. Bacterial community dynamic associated with autochthonous bioaugmentation for enhanced Cu phytoremediation of salt-marsh sediments.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Almeida, C Marisa R; Oliveira, Tânia; Reis, Izabela; Gomes, Carlos R; Mucha, Ana P

    2017-12-01

    Autochthonous bioaugmentation for metal phytoremediation is still little explored, particularly its application to estuarine salt marshes, but results obtained so far are promising. Nevertheless, understanding the behaviour of the microbial communities in the process of bioaugmentation and their role in improving metal phytoremediation is very important to fully validate the application of this biological technology. This study aimed to characterize the bacterial community dynamic associated with the application of autochthonous bioaugmentation in an experimentation which showed that Phragmites australis rhizosphere microorganisms could increase this salt marsh plant potential to phytoremediate Cu contaminated sediments. Bacterial communities present in the autochthonous microbial consortium resistant to Cu added to the medium and in the sediment at the beginning and at the end of the experiment were characterized by ARISA. Complementarily, the consortium and the sediment used for its production were characterized by next generation sequencing using the pyrosequencing platform 454. The microbial consortium resistant to Cu obtained from non-vegetated sediment was dominated by the genus Lactococcus (46%), Raoultella (25%), Bacillus (12%) and Acinetobacter (11%), whereas the one obtained form rhizosediment was dominated by the genus Gluconacetobacter (77%), Bacillus (17%) and Dyella (3%). Results clearly showed that, after two months of experiment, Cu caused a shift in the bacterial community structure of sediments, an effect that was observed either with or without addition of the metal resistant microbial consortium. Therefore, bioaugmentation application improved the process of phytoremediation (metal translocation by the plant was increased) without inducing long term changes in the bacterial community structure of the sediments. So, phytoremediation combined with autochthonous bioaugmentation can be a suitable technology for the recovery of estuarine areas

  4. Hydrogen sulfide oxidation by a microbial consortium in a recirculation reactor system: sulfur formation under oxygen limitation and removal of phenols.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alcantara, Sergio; Velasco, Antonio; Muñoz, Ana; Cid, Juan; Revah, Sergio; Razo-Flores, Elías

    2004-02-01

    Wastewater from petroleum refining may contain a number of undesirable contaminants including sulfides, phenolic compounds, and ammonia. The concentrations of these compounds must be reduced to acceptable levels before discharge. Sulfur formation and the effect of selected phenolic compounds on the sulfide oxidation were studied in autotrophic aerobic cultures. A recirculation reactor system was implemented to improve the elemental sulfur recovery. The relation between oxygen and sulfide was determined calculating the O2/S2- loading rates (Q(O2)/Q(S)2- = Rmt), which adequately defined the operation conditions to control the sulfide oxidation. Sulfur-producing steady states were achieved at Rmt ranging from 0.5 to 1.5. The maximum sulfur formation occurred at Rmt of 0.5 where 85% of the total sulfur added to the reactor as sulfide was transformed to elemental sulfur and 90% of it was recovered from the bottom of the reactor. Sulfide was completely oxidized to sulfate (Rmt of 2) in a stirred tank reactor, even when a mixture of phenolic compounds was present in the medium. Microcosm experiments showed that carbon dioxide production increased in the presence of the phenols, suggesting that these compounds were oxidized and that they may have been used as carbon and energy source by heterotrophic microorganisms present in the consortium.

  5. Impact of heavy metal contamination on oxidative stress of Eisenia andrei and bacterial community structure in Tunisian mine soil.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Boughattas, Iteb; Hattab, Sabrine; Boussetta, Hamadi; Banni, Mohamed; Navarro, Elisabeth

    2017-08-01

    The aims of this work were firstly to study the effect of heavy metal-polluted soils from Tunisian mine on earthworm biochemical biomarkers and on bacterial communities and therefore to analyze the interaction between earth worms and bacterial communities in these contaminated soils. For this purpose, we had introduced earthworm Eisenia andrei in six soils: one from mine spoils and five from agricultural soils, establishing a gradient of contamination. The response of worms to the presence of heavy metal was analyzed at the biochemical and transcriptional levels. In a second time, the impact of worm on bacterial community structure was investigated using automated ribosomal intergenic spacer analysis (ARISA) fingerprinting. An impact of heavy metal-contaminated soils on the oxidative status of E. andrei was observed, but this effect was dependent of the level of heavy metal contamination. Moreover, our results demonstrate that the introduction of earthworms E. andrei has an impact on bacterial community; however, the major change was observed in the less contaminated site. Furthermore, a significant correlation between earthworm oxidative status biomarkers and bacterial community structure was observed, mainly in the mine spoils. Therefore, we contribute to a better understanding of the relationships between epigenic earthworms and bacterial communities in heavy metal-contaminated soils.

  6. Continuously Monocropped Jerusalem Artichoke Changed Soil Bacterial Community Composition and Ammonia-Oxidizing and Denitrifying Bacteria Abundances.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhou, Xingang; Wang, Zhilin; Jia, Huiting; Li, Li; Wu, Fengzhi

    2018-01-01

    Soil microbial communities have profound effects on the growth, nutrition and health of plants in agroecosystems. Understanding soil microbial dynamics in cropping systems can assist in determining how agricultural practices influence soil processes mediated by microorganisms. In this study, soil bacterial communities were monitored in a continuously monocropped Jerusalem artichoke (JA) system, in which JA was successively monocropped for 3 years in a wheat field. Soil bacterial community compositions were estimated by amplicon sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene. Abundances of ammonia-oxidizing and denitrifying bacteria were estimated by quantitative PCR analysis of the amoA , nirS , and nirK genes. Results showed that 1-2 years of monocropping of JA did not significantly impact the microbial alpha diversity, and the third cropping of JA decreased the microbial alpha diversity ( P < 0.05). Principal coordinates analysis and permutational multivariate analysis of variance analyses revealed that continuous monocropping of JA changed soil bacterial community structure and function profile ( P < 0.001). At the phylum level, the wheat field was characterized with higher relative abundances of Latescibacteria , Planctomycetes , and Cyanobacteria , the first cropping of JA with Actinobacteria , the second cropping of JA with Acidobacteria , Armatimonadetes , Gemmatimonadetes , and Proteobacteria . At the genus level, the first cropping of JA was enriched with bacterial species with pathogen-antagonistic and/or plant growth promoting potentials, while members of genera that included potential denitrifiers increased in the second and third cropping of JA. The first cropping of JA had higher relative abundances of KO terms related to lignocellulose degradation and phosphorus cycling, the second cropping of JA had higher relative abundances of KO terms nitrous-oxide reductase and nitric-oxide reductase, and the third cropping of JA had higher relative abundances of KO terms

  7. Continuously Monocropped Jerusalem Artichoke Changed Soil Bacterial Community Composition and Ammonia-Oxidizing and Denitrifying Bacteria Abundances

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xingang Zhou

    2018-04-01

    Full Text Available Soil microbial communities have profound effects on the growth, nutrition and health of plants in agroecosystems. Understanding soil microbial dynamics in cropping systems can assist in determining how agricultural practices influence soil processes mediated by microorganisms. In this study, soil bacterial communities were monitored in a continuously monocropped Jerusalem artichoke (JA system, in which JA was successively monocropped for 3 years in a wheat field. Soil bacterial community compositions were estimated by amplicon sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene. Abundances of ammonia-oxidizing and denitrifying bacteria were estimated by quantitative PCR analysis of the amoA, nirS, and nirK genes. Results showed that 1–2 years of monocropping of JA did not significantly impact the microbial alpha diversity, and the third cropping of JA decreased the microbial alpha diversity (P < 0.05. Principal coordinates analysis and permutational multivariate analysis of variance analyses revealed that continuous monocropping of JA changed soil bacterial community structure and function profile (P < 0.001. At the phylum level, the wheat field was characterized with higher relative abundances of Latescibacteria, Planctomycetes, and Cyanobacteria, the first cropping of JA with Actinobacteria, the second cropping of JA with Acidobacteria, Armatimonadetes, Gemmatimonadetes, and Proteobacteria. At the genus level, the first cropping of JA was enriched with bacterial species with pathogen-antagonistic and/or plant growth promoting potentials, while members of genera that included potential denitrifiers increased in the second and third cropping of JA. The first cropping of JA had higher relative abundances of KO terms related to lignocellulose degradation and phosphorus cycling, the second cropping of JA had higher relative abundances of KO terms nitrous-oxide reductase and nitric-oxide reductase, and the third cropping of JA had higher relative abundances of KO

  8. International Lymphoma Epidemiology Consortium

    Science.gov (United States)

    The InterLymph Consortium, or formally the International Consortium of Investigators Working on Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma Epidemiologic Studies, is an open scientific forum for epidemiologic research in non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

  9. Disinfection of titanium dioxide nanotubes using super-oxidized water decrease bacterial viability without disrupting osteoblast behavior

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Beltrán-Partida, Ernesto [Department of Biomaterials, Dental Materials and Tissue Engineering, Faculty of Dentistry Mexicali, Autonomous University of Baja California, Av. Zotoluca and Chinampas St., 21040 Mexicali, Baja California (Mexico); Department of Corrosion and Materials, Engineering Institute, Autonomous University of Baja California, Blvd. Benito Juarez and Normal St., 21280 Mexicali, Baja California (Mexico); Valdez-Salas, Benjamín, E-mail: benval@uabc.edu.mx [Department of Corrosion and Materials, Engineering Institute, Autonomous University of Baja California, Blvd. Benito Juarez and Normal St., 21280 Mexicali, Baja California (Mexico); Escamilla, Alan; Curiel, Mario [Department of Corrosion and Materials, Engineering Institute, Autonomous University of Baja California, Blvd. Benito Juarez and Normal St., 21280 Mexicali, Baja California (Mexico); Valdez-Salas, Ernesto [Ixchel Medical Centre, Av. Bravo y Obregón, 21000 Mexicali, Baja California (Mexico); Nedev, Nicola [Department of Corrosion and Materials, Engineering Institute, Autonomous University of Baja California, Blvd. Benito Juarez and Normal St., 21280 Mexicali, Baja California (Mexico); Bastidas, Jose M. [National Centre for Metallurgical Research, CSIC, Av. Gregorio del Amo 8, 28040 Madrid (Spain)

    2016-03-01

    Amorphous titanium dioxide (TiO{sub 2}) nanotubes (NTs) on Ti6Al4V alloy were synthesized by anodization using a commercially available super-oxidized water (SOW). The NT surfaces were sterilized by ultraviolet (UV) irradiation and disinfected using SOW. The adhesion and cellular morphology of pig periosteal osteoblast (PPO) cells and the behavior of Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) cultured on the sterilized and disinfected surfaces were investigated. A non-anodized Ti6Al4V disc sterilized by UV irradiation (without SOW) was used as control. The results of this study reveal that the adhesion, morphology and filopodia development of PPO cells in NTs are dramatically improved, suggesting that SOW cleaning may not disrupt the benefits obtained by NTs. Significantly decreased bacterial viability in NTs after cleaning with SOW and comparing with non-cleaned NTs was seen. The results suggest that UV and SOW could be a recommendable method for implant sterilization and disinfection without altering osteoblast behavior while decreasing bacterial viability. - Highlights: • The effect of super-oxidized water cleaning was studied on Ti6Al4V nanotubes. • Super oxidized-water cleaning caused a decline in S. aureus viability. • Osteoblast behavior was not disrupted after super-oxidized water disinfection. • Super-oxidized water is suggested as a cleaning protocol for TiO{sub 2} nanotubes.

  10. Disinfection of titanium dioxide nanotubes using super-oxidized water decrease bacterial viability without disrupting osteoblast behavior

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Beltrán-Partida, Ernesto; Valdez-Salas, Benjamín; Escamilla, Alan; Curiel, Mario; Valdez-Salas, Ernesto; Nedev, Nicola; Bastidas, Jose M.

    2016-01-01

    Amorphous titanium dioxide (TiO_2) nanotubes (NTs) on Ti6Al4V alloy were synthesized by anodization using a commercially available super-oxidized water (SOW). The NT surfaces were sterilized by ultraviolet (UV) irradiation and disinfected using SOW. The adhesion and cellular morphology of pig periosteal osteoblast (PPO) cells and the behavior of Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) cultured on the sterilized and disinfected surfaces were investigated. A non-anodized Ti6Al4V disc sterilized by UV irradiation (without SOW) was used as control. The results of this study reveal that the adhesion, morphology and filopodia development of PPO cells in NTs are dramatically improved, suggesting that SOW cleaning may not disrupt the benefits obtained by NTs. Significantly decreased bacterial viability in NTs after cleaning with SOW and comparing with non-cleaned NTs was seen. The results suggest that UV and SOW could be a recommendable method for implant sterilization and disinfection without altering osteoblast behavior while decreasing bacterial viability. - Highlights: • The effect of super-oxidized water cleaning was studied on Ti6Al4V nanotubes. • Super oxidized-water cleaning caused a decline in S. aureus viability. • Osteoblast behavior was not disrupted after super-oxidized water disinfection. • Super-oxidized water is suggested as a cleaning protocol for TiO_2 nanotubes.

  11. Investigation on paper cup waste degradation by bacterial consortium and Eudrillus eugeinea through vermicomposting.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arumugam, Karthika; Renganathan, Seenivasagan; Babalola, Olubukola Oluranti; Muthunarayanan, Vasanthy

    2018-04-01

    Disposable Paper cups are a threat to the environment and are composed of 90% high strength paper with 5% thin coating of polyethylene. This polyethylene prevents the paper cup from undergoing degradation in the soil. Hence, in the present study two different approaches towards the management of paper cup waste through vermicomposting technology has been presented. The experimental setup includes 2 plastic reactors namely Vermicompost (VC) (Cow dung + Paper cup waste + Earthworm (Eudrillus eugeinea)) and Vermicompost with bacterial consortium (VCB) (Cow dung + Paper cup waste + Eudrillus eugeinea + Microbial consortia such as Bacillus anthracis, B. endophyticus, B. funiculus, B. thuringiensis, B. cereus, B. toyonensis, Virigibacillius chiquenigi, Acinetobacter baumanni and Lactobacillus pantheries). After treatment the physicochemical parameters were analysed. The results showed that the values of TOC (26.52 and 37.47%), TOM (36.01 and 33.13%) and C/N (15.02 and 11.92%) ratio are reduced in both VC and VCB whereas, the values of pH (8.01 and 7.56), EC (1.2-1.9 µs -1 and 1.4-1.9 µs -1 ), TP (46.1 and 51%), TMg (50.52 and 64.3%), TCa (50 and 64%), TNa (1.39 and 1.75%) and TK (1.75 and 1.86%) have increased. This study substantiates the addition of the microbial consortia augmenting the degradation in VCB reactor by reducing the period of process from 19 to 12 weeks. Further the characterisation of the vermicompost prepared from paper cup with FT-IR shows high degradation of carboxylic and aliphatic group; SEM analysis shows the disaggregation of cellulose and lignin; XRD shows the degradation of cellulose. All these analyses endorse the degradation of the paper cup waste faster with microbes (VCB). Thus, this present study high lights management of the paper cup waste in a relatively short period of time. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  12. Putative bacterial interactions from metagenomic knowledge with an integrative systems ecology approach.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bordron, Philippe; Latorre, Mauricio; Cortés, Maria-Paz; González, Mauricio; Thiele, Sven; Siegel, Anne; Maass, Alejandro; Eveillard, Damien

    2016-02-01

    Following the trend of studies that investigate microbial ecosystems using different metagenomic techniques, we propose a new integrative systems ecology approach that aims to decipher functional roles within a consortium through the integration of genomic and metabolic knowledge at genome scale. For the sake of application, using public genomes of five bacterial strains involved in copper bioleaching: Acidiphilium cryptum, Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans, Acidithiobacillus thiooxidans, Leptospirillum ferriphilum, and Sulfobacillus thermosulfidooxidans, we first reconstructed a global metabolic network. Next, using a parsimony assumption, we deciphered sets of genes, called Sets from Genome Segments (SGS), that (1) are close on their respective genomes, (2) take an active part in metabolic pathways and (3) whose associated metabolic reactions are also closely connected within metabolic networks. Overall, this SGS paradigm depicts genomic functional units that emphasize respective roles of bacterial strains to catalyze metabolic pathways and environmental processes. Our analysis suggested that only few functional metabolic genes are horizontally transferred within the consortium and that no single bacterial strain can accomplish by itself the whole copper bioleaching. The use of SGS pinpoints a functional compartmentalization among the investigated species and exhibits putative bacterial interactions necessary for promoting these pathways. © 2015 The Authors. MicrobiologyOpen published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  13. Manganese oxidation and bacterial diversity on different filter media coatings during the start-up of drinking water biofilters

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Breda, I. L.; Ramsay, L.; Roslev, P.

    2017-01-01

    Manganese removal is a typical concern in drinking water production. Biofiltration may be used when treating groundwater sources but the onset of manganese removal in virgin biofilters can vary considerably. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of different filter media on manganese...... by manganese oxide, while 48, 57 and 72 days were required by virgin quartz, calcium carbonate and polystyrene, respectively. The bacterial community was investigated using DAPI staining, quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR), 16S rRNA gene pyrosequencing, and bacterial enrichments. Bacterial abundance...

  14. Diversity of the microbiota involved in wine and organic apple cider submerged vinegar production as revealed by DHPLC analysis and next-generation sequencing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Trček, Janja; Mahnič, Aleksander; Rupnik, Maja

    2016-04-16

    Unfiltered vinegar samples collected from three oxidation cycles of the submerged industrial production of each, red wine and organic apple cider vinegars, were sampled in a Slovene vinegar producing company. The samples were systematically collected from the beginning to the end of an oxidation cycle and used for culture-independent microbial analyses carried out by denaturing high pressure liquid chromatography (DHPLC) and Illumina MiSeq sequencing of 16S rRNA gene variable regions. Both approaches showed a very homogeneous bacterial structure during wine vinegar production but more heterogeneous during organic apple cider vinegar production. In all wine vinegar samples Komagataeibacter oboediens (formerly Gluconacetobacter oboediens) was a predominating species. In apple cider vinegar the acetic acid and lactic acid bacteria were two major groups of bacteria. The acetic acid bacterial consortium was composed of Acetobacter and Komagataeibacter with the Komagataeibacter genus outcompeting the Acetobacter in all apple cider vinegar samples at the end of oxidation cycle. Among the lactic acid bacterial consortium two dominating genera were identified, Lactobacillus and Oenococcus, with Oenococcus prevailing with increasing concentration of acetic acid in vinegars. Unexpectedly, a minor genus of the acetic acid bacterial consortium in organic apple cider vinegar was Gluconobacter, suggesting a possible development of the Gluconobacter population with a tolerance against ethanol and acetic acid. Among the accompanying bacteria of the wine vinegar, the genus Rhodococcus was detected, but it decreased substantially by the end of oxidation cycles. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  15. Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Experimental Laboratory

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Laboratory Consortium — NETL’s Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Experimental Laboratory in Morgantown, WV, gives researchers access to models and simulations that predict how solid oxide fuel cells...

  16. A Bacterial Biosensor for Oxidative Stress Using the Constitutively Expressed Redox-Sensitive Protein roGFP2

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Carlos R. Arias-Barreiro

    2010-06-01

    Full Text Available A highly specific, high throughput-amenable bacterial biosensor for chemically induced cellular oxidation was developed using constitutively expressed redox-sensitive green fluorescent protein roGFP2 in E. coli (E. coli-roGFP2. Disulfide formation between two key cysteine residues of roGFP2 was assessed using a double-wavelength ratiometric approach. This study demonstrates that only a few minutes were required to detect oxidation using E. coli-roGFP2, in contrast to conventional bacterial oxidative stress sensors. Cellular oxidation induced by hydrogen peroxide, menadione, sodium selenite, zinc pyrithione, triphenyltin and naphthalene became detectable after 10 seconds and reached the maxima between 80 to 210 seconds, contrary to Cd2+, Cu2+, Pb2+, Zn2+ and sodium arsenite, which induced the oxidation maximum immediately. The lowest observable effect concentrations (in ppm were determined as 1.0 x 10−7 (arsenite, 1.0 x 10−4 (naphthalene, 1.0 x 10−4 (Cu2+, 3.8 x 10−4 (H2O2, 1.0 x 10−3 (Cd2+, 1.0 x 10−3 (Zn2+, 1.0 x 10−2 (menadione, 1.0 (triphenyltin, 1.56 (zinc pyrithione, 3.1 (selenite and 6.3 (Pb2+, respectively. Heavy metal-induced oxidation showed unclear response patterns, whereas concentration-dependent sigmoid curves were observed for other compounds. In vivo GSH content and in vitro roGFP2 oxidation assays together with E. coli-roGFP2 results suggest that roGFP2 is sensitive to redox potential change and thiol modification induced by environmental stressors. Based on redox-sensitive technology, E. coli-roGFP2 provides a fast comprehensive detection system for toxicants that induce cellular oxidation.

  17. Bioremediation of oil-based drill cuttings by a halophilic consortium isolated from oil-contaminated saline soil.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rezaei Somee, Maryam; Shavandi, Mahmoud; Dastgheib, Seyed Mohammad Mehdi; Amoozegar, Mohammad Ali

    2018-05-01

    Oil-based drill cuttings are hazardous wastes containing complex hydrocarbons, heavy metals, and brine. Their remediation is a crucial step before release to the environment. In this work, we enriched a halophilic consortium, from oil-polluted saline soil, which is capable of degrading diesel as the main pollutant of oil-based drill cuttings. The degradation ability of the consortium was evaluated in microcosms using two different diluting agents (fine sand and biologically active soil). During the bioremediation process, the bacterial community dynamics of the microcosms was surveyed using PCR amplification of a fragment of 16S rRNA gene followed by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE). The diesel degradation rates were monitored by total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH) measurement and the total count of heterotrophic and diesel-degrading bacteria. After 3 months, the microcosm containing fine sand and drill cuttings with the ratio of 1:1 (initial TPH of 36,000 mg/kg) showed the highest TPH removal (40%) and its dominant bacterial isolates belonged to the genera Dietzia, Arthrobacter , and Halomonas . DGGE results also confirmed the role of these genera in drill cuttings remediation. DGGE analysis of the bacterial diversity showed that Propionibacterium, Salinimicrobium, Marinobacter , and Dietzia are dominant in active soil microcosm; whereas Bacillus, Salinibacillus , and Marinobacter are abundant in sand microcosm. Our results suggest that the bioaugmentation strategy would be more successful if the diluting agent does not contain a complex microbial community.

  18. Determination of trace amount of titanium in 2.5% Nb-Zr alloy by anion exchange separation and sulfo salicylic acid photometry

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sakai, Fumiaki; Wachi, Isamu; Tsuji, Nobuo; Satoh, Hitoshi

    1973-01-01

    A trace amount of Ti in 2.5% Nb-Zr alloy can be determined by a combined method of the characteristic anion exchange separation of Ti from Nb and the absorption photometry of Ti with sulfo salicylic acid. The alloy (1g) was dissolved in 5 ml of HF (1 + 1), and 5 ml of HNO 3 was added to them. The resultant 5M HF - 6M HNO 3 mixed acid solution was passed into an anion exchange resin column with 10 mm internal diameter and 100 mm high, at the rate of 1 to 2 ml/min. Niobium was adsorbed on to the column, through which Ti passed. The collected passing and washing solutions were converted into H 2 SO 4 medium by twice successive fuming treatments. The solution was transferred into a volumetric flask of 50 ml, and 10 ml of 10% sulfo salicylic acid in H 2 SO 4 was added. Diluting to a mark with H 2 SO 4 , the solution was allowed to stand for 15 min. Titanium was then determined by measuring absorption intensity at the wavelength of 410 mm. The influence of coexisting elements on the coloration of Ti and some adsorption conditions of Nb was experimentally investigated by using 95 Nb as a tracer. The experiment revealed that the removal of Nb is essential, and that higher HF concentration and lower HNO 3 concentration contribute to higher Nb adsorption. A variable rate type cockless column is useful for this routine analysis. The standard deviation and the coefficient of variation of analysis are 1.3 and 4.06% respectively for the concentration level of 32 ppm Ti (NZ-3). (Iwakiri, K.)

  19. Bioremediation of oil sludge using a type of nitrogen source and the consortium of bacteria with composting method

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fitri, Inayah; Ni'matuzahroh, Surtiningsih, Tini

    2017-06-01

    The purpose of this research are to know the effect of addition of different nitrogen source, consortium of bacteria, incubation time and the interaction between those variables to the total number of bacteria (CFU/g-soil) and the percentage of degradation (%) in the bioremediation of oil sludge contaminated soil; as well as degraded hydrocarbon components at the best treatment on 6th week. The experiments carried out by mixing the materials and placed them in each bath with and without adding different nitrogen source and bacterial consortium. pH and moisture were measured for every week. An increase in total number of bacteria and percent of maximum degradation recorded at treatment with the addition of NPK+Azotobacter+bacteria consortium; with the TPC value was 14.24 log CFU/g, percent degradation was 77.8%, organic C content was 10.91%, total N was 0.12% and organic matter content was 18.87%, respectively.

  20. Studies on poly-3-hydroxyoctanoate biosynthesis by a consortium of microorganisms

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Eremia Mihaela Carmen

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available Polyhydroxyalcanoates (PHAs are specifically produced by a wide variety of bacteria, as an intracellular energy reserve in the form of homo- and copolymers of [R]-β-hydroxyalkanoic acids, depending on the C source used for microorganism growth, when the cells are grown under stressing conditions. In this paper we present microbiological accumulation of poly-3-hydroxyoctanoate (PHO by using a consortium of bacterial strains, Pseudomonas putida and Bacillus subtilis, in a rate of 3:1, grown on a fermentation medium based on sodium octanoate as the sole carbon source. The experiments performed in the above mentioned conditions led to the following results: from 18.70 g sodium octanoate (7.72 g/L in the fermentation medium used up during the bioprocess, 3.93-3.96 g/L dry bacterial biomass and 1.834 - 1.884 g/L PHA, containing 85.83 - 86.8% PHO, were obtained.

  1. Evaluating Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans bacterial oxidation of sulphur compounds using FTIR and X-ray diffraction assays

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alexandra Muñoz

    2003-01-01

    Full Text Available A native bacterial strain capable of oxidising ferrous iron and sulphur compounds was isolated from effluent and material from the La Maruja gold mine in the municipality of Marmato (Caldas; this was biochemically identified as being Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans. This strain's ability to oxidise metallic sulphide concentrates having two differ-ent pulp proportions and two particle sizes was evaluated. Sulphide bio-oxidation was observed after 15 days showing this strain's catalytic action on the mineral break-down process. Key words: bio-oxidation; bio-leaching; A. ferrooxidans; sulphides

  2. Bacterial decolorization and detoxification of black liquor from rayon grade pulp manufacturing paper industry and detection of their metabolic products.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chandra, Ram; Abhishek, Amar; Sankhwar, Monica

    2011-06-01

    This study deals with the decolorization of black liquor (BL) by isolated potential bacterial consortium comprising Serratia marcescens (GU193982), Citrobacter sp. (HQ873619) and Klebsiella pneumoniae (GU193983). The decolorization of BL was studied by using the different nutritional as well as environmental parameters. In this study, result revealed that the ligninolytic activities were found to be growth associated and the developed bacterial consortium was efficient for the reduction of COD, BOD and color up to 83%, 74% and 85%, respectively. The HPLC analysis of degraded samples of BL has shown the reduction in peak area compared to control. Further, the GC-MS analysis showed that, most of the compounds detected in control were diminished after bacterial treatment while, formic acid hydrazide, 4-cyclohexane-1,2-dicarboxylic acid, carbamic acid, 1,2-benzenedicarboxylic acid and erythropentanoic acid were found as new metabolites. Further, the seed germination test using Phaseolus aureus has supported the detoxification of bacterial decolorized BL. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  3. The role of magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles in the bacterially induced calcium carbonate precipitation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Seifan, Mostafa; Ebrahiminezhad, Alireza; Ghasemi, Younes; Samani, Ali Khajeh; Berenjian, Aydin

    2018-04-01

    Recently, magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (IONs) have been used to control and modify the characteristics of concrete and mortar. Concrete is one of the most used materials in the world; however, it is susceptible to cracking. Over recent years, a sustainable biotechnological approach has emerged as an alternative approach to conventional techniques to heal the concrete cracks by the incorporation of bacterial cells and nutrients into the concrete matrix. Once cracking occurs, CaCO 3 is induced and the crack is healed. Considering the positive effects of IONs on the concrete properties, the effect of these nanoparticles on bacterial growth and CaCO 3 biosynthesis needs to be evaluated for their possible application in bio self-healing concrete. In the present work, IONs were successfully synthesized and characterized using various techniques. The presence of IONs showed a significant effect on both bacterial growth and CaCO 3 precipitation. The highest bacterial growth was observed in the presence of 150 μg/mL IONs. The highest concentration of induced CaCO 3 (34.54 g/L) was achieved when the bacterial cells were immobilized with 300 μg/mL of IONs. This study provides new data and supports the possibility of using IONs as a new tool in designing the next generation of bio self-healing concrete.

  4. Creation of the Probiotic Consortium on the Base of Strains of Bifidobacterium spp.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kozhakhmetov, S. S.

    2009-01-01

    Full Text Available Nowadays, a widespread circulation of disbiotic conditions among the population of all ages in Kazakhstan requires an active development in industry for both preparations and products with probiotic properties. The gained bacterial isolates, Bifidobacterium adolescentis 180, B. breve 204, B. breve 584 and B. breve 587 were used in our researches and screening showed they possess high probiotic properties. The consortium possesses strong antimicrobial activity to pathogenic and potentially-pathogenic microflora, insulated during disbacteriosis, as well as from vagina and urea. They are able to produce vitamin B12 and also have antimutagenic activity. As a result, the consortium on the base of strains of Bifidobacterium spp. was received, possessing the following advantages: contains live mass of microbial, antagonistically active strains B. breve and B. adolescentis; contains more than 10^9 alive Bifidobacteria; does not contain plasmids, which means that it could not be a carrier of antibiotic stability for Gram-positive receptive pathogenic and potentially-pathogenic microflora.

  5. EDTA addition enhances bacterial respiration activities and hydrocarbon degradation in bioaugmented and non-bioaugmented oil-contaminated desert soils.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Al Kharusi, Samiha; Abed, Raeid M M; Dobretsov, Sergey

    2016-03-01

    The low number and activity of hydrocarbon-degrading bacteria and the low solubility and availability of hydrocarbons hamper bioremediation of oil-contaminated soils in arid deserts, thus bioremediation treatments that circumvent these limitations are required. We tested the effect of Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) addition, at different concentrations (i.e. 0.1, 1 and 10 mM), on bacterial respiration and biodegradation of Arabian light oil in bioaugmented (i.e. with the addition of exogenous alkane-degrading consortium) and non-bioaugmented oil-contaminated desert soils. Post-treatment shifts in the soils' bacterial community structure were monitored using MiSeq sequencing. Bacterial respiration, indicated by the amount of evolved CO2, was highest at 10 mM EDTA in bioaugmented and non-bioaugmented soils, reaching an amount of 2.2 ± 0.08 and 1.6 ± 0.02 mg-CO2 g(-1) after 14 days of incubation, respectively. GC-MS revealed that 91.5% of the C14-C30 alkanes were degraded after 42 days when 10 mM EDTA and the bacterial consortium were added together. MiSeq sequencing showed that 78-91% of retrieved sequences in the original soil belonged to Deinococci, Alphaproteobacteria, Gammaproteobacteia and Bacilli. The same bacterial classes were detected in the 10 mM EDTA-treated soils, however with slight differences in their relative abundances. In the bioaugmented soils, only Alcanivorax sp. MH3 and Parvibaculum sp. MH21 from the exogenous bacterial consortium could survive until the end of the experiment. We conclude that the addition of EDTA at appropriate concentrations could facilitate biodegradation processes by increasing hydrocarbon availability to microbes. The addition of exogenous oil-degrading bacteria along with EDTA could serve as an ideal solution for the decontamination of oil-contaminated desert soils. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  6. 25 CFR 1000.73 - Once a Tribe/Consortium has been awarded a grant, may the Tribe/Consortium obtain information...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... 25 Indians 2 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Once a Tribe/Consortium has been awarded a grant, may the Tribe/Consortium obtain information from a non-BIA bureau? 1000.73 Section 1000.73 Indians OFFICE OF THE... § 1000.73 Once a Tribe/Consortium has been awarded a grant, may the Tribe/Consortium obtain information...

  7. ATR-FTIR Spectroscopic Evidence for Biomolecular Phosphorus and Carboxyl Groups Facilitating Bacterial Adhesion to Iron Oxides

    Science.gov (United States)

    Parikh, Sanjai J.; Mukome, Fungai N.D.; Zhang, Xiaoming

    2014-01-01

    Attenuated total reflectance (ATR) Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy has been used to probe the binding of bacteria to hematite (α-Fe2O3) and goethite (α-FeOOH). In situ ATR-FTIR experiments with bacteria (Pseudomonas putida, P. aeruginosa, Escherichia coli), mixed amino acids, polypeptide extracts, deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), and a suite of model compounds were conducted. These compounds represent carboxyl, catecholate, amide, and phosphate groups present in siderophores, amino acids, polysaccharides, phospholipids, and DNA. Due in part to the ubiquitous presence of carboxyl groups in biomolecules, numerous IR peaks corresponding to outer-sphere or unbound (1400 cm−1) and inner-sphere (1310-1320 cm−1) coordinated carboxyl groups are noted following reaction of bacteria and biomolecules with α-Fe2O3 and α-FeOOH. However, the data also reveal that the presence of low-level amounts (i.e., 0.45-0.79%) of biomolecular phosphorous groups result in strong IR bands at ~1043 cm−1, corresponding to inner-sphere Fe-O-P bonds, underscoring the importance of bacteria associated P-containing groups in biomolecule and cell adhesion. Spectral comparisons also reveal slightly greater P-O-Fe contributions for bacteria (Pseudomonad, E. coli) deposited on α-FeOOH, as compared to α-Fe2O3. This data demonstrates that slight differences in bacterial adhesion to Fe oxides can be attributed to bacterial species and Fe-oxide minerals. However, more importantly, the strong binding affinity of phosphate in all bacteria samples to both Fe-oxides results in the formation of inner-sphere Fe-O-P bonds, signifying the critical role of biomolecular P in the initiation of bacterial adhesion. PMID:24859052

  8. Determination of trace amount of titanium in 2. 5% Nb-Zr alloy by anion exchange separation and sulfo salicylic acid photometry

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sakai, F; Wachi, I; Tsuji, N; Satoh, Hitoshi [Power Reactor and Nuclear Fuel Development Corp., Tokyo (Japan)

    1973-04-01

    A trace amount of Ti in 2.5% Nb-Zr alloy can be determined by a combined method of the characteristic anion exchange separation of Ti from Nb and the absorption photometry of Ti with sulfo salicylic acid. The alloy (1g) was dissolved in 5 ml of HF (1 + 1), and 5 ml of HNO/sub 3/ was added to them. The resultant 5M HF - 6M HNO/sub 3/ mixed acid solution was passed into an anion exchange resin column with 10 mm internal diameter and 100 mm high, at the rate of 1 to 2 ml/min. Niobium was adsorbed on to the column, through which Ti passed. The collected passing and washing solutions were converted into H/sub 2/SO/sub 4/ medium by twice successive fuming treatments. The solution was transferred into a volumetric flask of 50 ml, and 10 ml of 10% sulfo salicylic acid in H/sub 2/SO/sub 4/ was added. Diluting to a mark with H/sub 2/SO/sub 4/, the solution was allowed to stand for 15 min. Titanium was then determined by measuring absorption intensity at the wavelength of 410 mm. The influence of coexisting elements on the coloration of Ti and some adsorption conditions of Nb was experimentally investigated by using /sup 95/Nb as a tracer. The experiment revealed that the removal of Nb is essential, and that higher HF concentration and lower HNO/sub 3/ concentration contribute to higher Nb adsorption. A variable rate type cockless column is useful for this routine analysis. The standard deviation and the coefficient of variation of analysis are 1.3 and 4.06% respectively for the concentration level of 32 ppm Ti (NZ-3).

  9. Fabrication of a Functionalized Magnetic Bacterial Nanocellulose with Iron Oxide Nanoparticles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arias, Sandra L; Shetty, Akshath R; Senpan, Angana; Echeverry-Rendón, Mónica; Reece, Lisa M; Allain, Jean Paul

    2016-05-26

    In this study, bacterial nanocellulose (BNC) produced by the bacteria Gluconacetobacter xylinus is synthesized and impregnated in situ with iron oxide nanoparticles (IONP) (Fe3O4) to yield a magnetic bacterial nanocellulose (MBNC). The synthesis of MBNC is a precise and specifically designed multi-step process. Briefly, bacterial nanocellulose (BNC) pellicles are formed from preserved G. xylinus strain according to our experimental requirements of size and morphology. A solution of iron(III) chloride hexahydrate (FeCl3·6H2O) and iron(II) chloride tetrahydrate (FeCl2·4H2O) with a 2:1 molar ratio is prepared and diluted in deoxygenated high purity water. A BNC pellicle is then introduced in the vessel with the reactants. This mixture is stirred and heated at 80 °C in a silicon oil bath and ammonium hydroxide (14%) is then added by dropping to precipitate the ferrous ions into the BNC mesh. This last step allows forming in situ magnetite nanoparticles (Fe3O4) inside the bacterial nanocellulose mesh to confer magnetic properties to BNC pellicle. A toxicological assay was used to evaluate the biocompatibility of the BNC-IONP pellicle. Polyethylene glycol (PEG) was used to cover the IONPs in order to improve their biocompatibility. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images showed that the IONP were located preferentially in the fibril interlacing spaces of the BNC matrix, but some of them were also found along the BNC ribbons. Magnetic force microscope measurements performed on the MBNC detected the presence magnetic domains with high and weak intensity magnetic field, confirming the magnetic nature of the MBNC pellicle. Young's modulus values obtained in this work are also in a reasonable agreement with those reported for several blood vessels in previous studies.

  10. Consortium for military LCD display procurement

    Science.gov (United States)

    Echols, Gregg

    2002-08-01

    International Display Consortium (IDC) is the joining together of display companies to combined their buying power and obtained favorable terms with a major LCD manufacturer. Consolidating the buying power and grouping the demand enables the rugged display industry of avionics, ground vehicles, and ship based display manufacturers to have unencumbered access to high performance AMLCDs while greatly reducing risk and lowering cost. With an unrestricted supply of AMLCD displays, the consortium members have total control of their risk, cost, deliveries and added value partners. Every display manufacturer desires a very close relationship with a display vender. With IDC each consortium member achieves a close relationship. Consortium members enjoy cost effective access to high performance, industry standard sized LCD panels, and modified commercial displays with 100 degree C clearing points and portrait configurations. Consortium members also enjoy proposal support, technical support and long-term support.

  11. The clinical impact of bacterial biofilms

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Høiby, Niels; Ciofu, Oana; Johansen, Helle Krogh

    2011-01-01

    Bacteria survive in nature by forming biofilms on surfaces and probably most, if not all, bacteria (and fungi) are capable of forming biofilms. A biofilm is a structured consortium of bacteria embedded in a self-produced polymer matrix consisting of polysaccharide, protein and extracellular DNA....... Bacterial biofilms are resistant to antibiotics, disinfectant chemicals and to phagocytosis and other components of the innate and adaptive inflammatory defense system of the body. It is known, for example, that persistence of staphylococcal infections related to foreign bodies is due to biofilm formation....... Likewise, chronic Pseudomonas aeruginosa lung infections in cystic fibrosis patients are caused by biofilm growing mucoid strains. Gradients of nutrients and oxygen exist from the top to the bottom of biofilms and the bacterial cells located in nutrient poor areas have decreased metabolic activity...

  12. Influence of the nano-micro structure of the surface on bacterial adhesion

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Carolina Díaz

    2007-03-01

    Full Text Available Biomaterials failures are frequently associated to the formation of bacterial biofilms on the surface. The aim of this work is to study the adhesion of non motile bacteria streptococci consortium and motile Pseudomonas fluorescens. Substrates with micro and nanopatterned topography were used. The influence of surface characteristics on bacterial adhesion was investigated using optical and epifluorescence microscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM and atomic force microscopy (AFM. Results showed an important influence of the substratum nature. On microrough surfaces, initial bacterial adhesion was less significant than on smooth surfaces. In contrast, nanopatterned samples showed more bacterial attachment than the smooth control. It was also noted a remarkable difference in morphology, orientation and distribution of bacteria between the smooth and the nanostructured substrate. The results show the important effect of substratum nature and topography on bacterial adhesion which depended on the relation between roughness characteristics dimensions and bacterial size.

  13. Comparative metagenomic analysis of PAH degradation in soil by a mixed microbial consortium.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zafra, German; Taylor, Todd D; Absalón, Angel E; Cortés-Espinosa, Diana V

    2016-11-15

    In this study, we used a taxonomic and functional metagenomic approach to analyze some of the effects (e.g. displacement, permanence, disappearance) produced between native microbiota and a previously constructed Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon (PAH)-degrading microbial consortium during the bioremediation process of a soil polluted with PAHs. Bioaugmentation with a fungal-bacterial consortium and biostimulation of native microbiota using corn stover as texturizer produced appreciable changes in the microbial diversity of polluted soils, shifting native microbial communities in favor of degrading specific populations. Functional metagenomics showed changes in gene abundance suggesting a bias towards aromatic hydrocarbon and intermediary degradation pathways, which greatly favored PAH mineralization. In contrast, pathways favoring the formation of toxic intermediates such as cytochrome P450-mediated reactions were found to be significantly reduced in bioaugmented soils. PAH biodegradation in soil using the microbial consortium was faster and reached higher degradation values (84% after 30 d) as a result of an increased co-metabolic degradation when compared with other mixed microbial consortia. The main differences between inoculated and non-inoculated soils were observed in aromatic ring-hydroxylating dioxygenases, laccase, protocatechuate, salicylate and benzoate-degrading enzyme genes. Based on our results, we propose that several concurrent metabolic pathways are taking place in soils during PAH degradation. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  14. From Rare to Dominant: a Fine-Tuned Soil Bacterial Bloom during Petroleum Hydrocarbon Bioremediation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fuentes, Sebastián; Barra, Bárbara; Caporaso, J Gregory; Seeger, Michael

    2016-02-01

    Hydrocarbons are worldwide-distributed pollutants that disturb various ecosystems. The aim of this study was to characterize the short-lapse dynamics of soil microbial communities in response to hydrocarbon pollution and different bioremediation treatments. Replicate diesel-spiked soil microcosms were inoculated with either a defined bacterial consortium or a hydrocarbonoclastic bacterial enrichment and incubated for 12 weeks. The microbial community dynamics was followed weekly in microcosms using Illumina 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Both the bacterial consortium and enrichment enhanced hydrocarbon degradation in diesel-polluted soils. A pronounced and rapid bloom of a native gammaproteobacterium was observed in all diesel-polluted soils. A unique operational taxonomic unit (OTU) related to the Alkanindiges genus represented ∼ 0.1% of the sequences in the original community but surprisingly reached >60% after 6 weeks. Despite this Alkanindiges-related bloom, inoculated strains were maintained in the community and may explain the differences in hydrocarbon degradation. This study shows the detailed dynamics of a soil bacterial bloom in response to hydrocarbon pollution, resembling microbial blooms observed in marine environments. Rare community members presumably act as a reservoir of ecological functions in high-diversity environments, such as soils. This rare-to-dominant bacterial shift illustrates the potential role of a rare biosphere facing drastic environmental disturbances. Additionally, it supports the concept of "conditionally rare taxa," in which rareness is a temporary state conditioned by environmental constraints. Copyright © 2016, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

  15. Tolerance to oxidative stress is required for maximal xylem colonization by the xylem-limited bacterial phytopathogen, Xylella fastidiosa.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Peng; Lee, Yunho; Igo, Michele M; Roper, M Caroline

    2017-09-01

    Bacterial plant pathogens often encounter reactive oxygen species (ROS) during host invasion. In foliar bacterial pathogens, multiple regulatory proteins are involved in the sensing of oxidative stress and the activation of the expression of antioxidant genes. However, it is unclear whether xylem-limited bacteria, such as Xylella fastidiosa, experience oxidative stress during the colonization of plants. Examination of the X. fastidiosa genome uncovered only one homologue of oxidative stress regulatory proteins, OxyR. Here, a knockout mutation in the X. fastidiosa oxyR gene was constructed; the resulting strain was significantly more sensitive to hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ) relative to the wild-type. In addition, during early stages of grapevine infection, the survival rate was 1000-fold lower for the oxyR mutant than for the wild-type. This supports the hypothesis that grapevine xylem represents an oxidative environment and that X. fastidiosa must overcome this challenge to achieve maximal xylem colonization. Finally, the oxyR mutant exhibited reduced surface attachment and cell-cell aggregation and was defective in biofilm maturation, suggesting that ROS could be a potential environmental cue stimulating biofilm development during the early stages of host colonization. © 2016 BSPP AND JOHN WILEY & SONS LTD.

  16. The International Human Epigenome Consortium

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Stunnenberg, Hendrik G; Hirst, Martin

    2016-01-01

    The International Human Epigenome Consortium (IHEC) coordinates the generation of a catalog of high-resolution reference epigenomes of major primary human cell types. The studies now presented (see the Cell Press IHEC web portal at http://www.cell.com/consortium/IHEC) highlight the coordinated ac...

  17. Genomic analysis reveals versatile heterotrophic capacity of a potentially symbiotic sulfur-oxidizing bacterium in sponge

    KAUST Repository

    Tian, Renmao

    2014-08-29

    Sulfur-reducing bacteria (SRB) and sulfur-oxidizing bacteria (SOB) play essential roles in marine sponges. However, the detailed characteristics and physiology of the bacteria are largely unknown. Here, we present and analyse the first genome of sponge-associated SOB using a recently developed metagenomic binning strategy. The loss of transposase and virulence-associated genes and the maintenance of the ancient polyphosphate glucokinase gene suggested a stabilized SOB genome that might have coevolved with the ancient host during establishment of their association. Exclusive distribution in sponge, bacterial detoxification for the host (sulfide oxidation) and the enrichment for symbiotic characteristics (genes-encoding ankyrin) in the SOB genome supported the bacterial role as an intercellular symbiont. Despite possessing complete autotrophic sulfur oxidation pathways, the bacterium developed a much more versatile capacity for carbohydrate uptake and metabolism, in comparison with its closest relatives (Thioalkalivibrio) and to other representative autotrophs from the same order (Chromatiales). The ability to perform both autotrophic and heterotrophic metabolism likely results from the unstable supply of reduced sulfur in the sponge and is considered critical for the sponge-SOB consortium. Our study provides insights into SOB of sponge-specific clade with thioautotrophic and versatile heterotrophic metabolism relevant to its roles in the micro-environment of the sponge body. © 2014 Society for Applied Microbiology and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  18. The Bacterial Communities of Full-Scale Biologically Active, Granular Activated Carbon Filters Are Stable and Diverse and Potentially Contain Novel Ammonia-Oxidizing Microorganisms

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hope Wilkinson, Katheryn; Strait, Jacqueline M.; Hozalski, Raymond M.; Sadowksy, Michael J.; Hamilton, Matthew J.

    2015-01-01

    The bacterial community composition of the full-scale biologically active, granular activated carbon (BAC) filters operated at the St. Paul Regional Water Services (SPRWS) was investigated using Illumina MiSeq analysis of PCR-amplified 16S rRNA gene fragments. These bacterial communities were consistently diverse (Shannon index, >4.4; richness estimates, >1,500 unique operational taxonomic units [OTUs]) throughout the duration of the 12-month study period. In addition, only modest shifts in the quantities of individual bacterial populations were observed; of the 15 most prominent OTUs, the most highly variable population (a Variovorax sp.) modulated less than 13-fold over time and less than 8-fold from filter to filter. The most prominent population in the profiles was a Nitrospira sp., representing 13 to 21% of the community. Interestingly, very few of the known ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB; <0.07%) and no ammonia-oxidizing Archaea were detected in the profiles. Quantitative PCR of amoA genes, however, suggested that AOB were prominent in the bacterial communities (amoA/16S rRNA gene ratio, 1 to 10%). We conclude, therefore, that the BAC filters at the SPRWS potentially contained significant numbers of unidentified and novel ammonia-oxidizing microorganisms that possess amoA genes similar to those of previously described AOB. PMID:26209671

  19. Massachusetts Institute of Technology Consortium Agreement

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Asada, Haruhiko

    1999-01-01

    ... of Phase 2 of the Home Automation and Healthcare Consortium. This report describes all major research accomplishments within the last six months since we launched the second phase of the consortium...

  20. Surface activation of graphene oxide nanosheets by ultraviolet irradiation for highly efficient anti-bacterials

    Science.gov (United States)

    Veerapandian, Murugan; Zhang, Linghe; Krishnamoorthy, Karthikeyan; Yun, Kyusik

    2013-10-01

    A comprehensive investigation of anti-bacterial properties of graphene oxide (GO) and ultraviolet (UV) irradiated GO nanosheets was carried out. Microscopic characterization revealed that the GO nanosheet-like structures had wavy features and wrinkles or thin grooves. Fundamental surface chemical states of GO nanosheets (before and after UV irradiation) were investigated using x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy. Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) results revealed that UV irradiated GO nanosheets have more pronounced anti-bacterial behavior than GO nanosheets and standard antibiotic, kanamycin. The MIC of UV irradiated GO nanosheets was 0.125 μg ml-1 for Escherichia coli and Salmonella typhimurium, 0.25 μg ml-1 for Bacillus subtilis and 0.5 μg ml-1 for Enterococcus faecalis, ensuring its potential as an anti-infective agent for controlling the growth of pathogenic bacteria. The minimum bactericidal concentration of normal GO nanosheets was determined to be two-fold higher than its corresponding MIC value, indicating promising bactericidal activity. The mechanism of anti-bacterial action was evaluated by measuring the enzymatic activity of β-d-galactosidase for the hydrolysis of o-nitrophenol-β-d-galactopyranoside.

  1. Surface activation of graphene oxide nanosheets by ultraviolet irradiation for highly efficient anti-bacterials

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Veerapandian, Murugan; Zhang, Linghe; Yun, Kyusik; Krishnamoorthy, Karthikeyan

    2013-01-01

    A comprehensive investigation of anti-bacterial properties of graphene oxide (GO) and ultraviolet (UV) irradiated GO nanosheets was carried out. Microscopic characterization revealed that the GO nanosheet-like structures had wavy features and wrinkles or thin grooves. Fundamental surface chemical states of GO nanosheets (before and after UV irradiation) were investigated using x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy. Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) results revealed that UV irradiated GO nanosheets have more pronounced anti-bacterial behavior than GO nanosheets and standard antibiotic, kanamycin. The MIC of UV irradiated GO nanosheets was 0.125 μg ml −1 for Escherichia coli and Salmonella typhimurium, 0.25 μg ml −1 for Bacillus subtilis and 0.5 μg ml −1 for Enterococcus faecalis, ensuring its potential as an anti-infective agent for controlling the growth of pathogenic bacteria. The minimum bactericidal concentration of normal GO nanosheets was determined to be two-fold higher than its corresponding MIC value, indicating promising bactericidal activity. The mechanism of anti-bacterial action was evaluated by measuring the enzymatic activity of β-d-galactosidase for the hydrolysis of o-nitrophenol-β-d-galactopyranoside. (paper)

  2. Thermodynamic and Kinetic Requirements in Anaerobic Methane Oxidizing Consortia Exclude Hydrogen, Acetate, and Methanol as Possible Electron Shuttles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sørensen, K.B.; Finster, K.; Ramsing, N.B.

    2001-07-01

    Anaerobic methane oxidation (AMO) has long remained an enigma in microbial ecology. In the process the net reaction appears to be an oxidation of methane with sulfate as electron acceptor. In order to explain experimental data such as effects of inhibitors and isotopic signals in biomarkers it has been suggested that the process is carried out by a consortium of bacteria using an unknown compound to shuttle electrons between the participants. The overall change in free energy during AMO with sulfate is very small (?22 kJ mol-1) at in situ concentrations of methane and sulfate. In order to share the available free energy between the members of the consortium, the concentration of the intermediate electron shuttle compound becomes crucial. Diffusive flux of a substrate (i.e, the electron shuttle) between bacteria requires a stable concentration gradient where the concentration is higher in the producing organism than in the consuming organism. Since changes in concentrations cause changes in reaction free energies, the diffusive flux of a catabolic product/substrate between bacteria is associated with a net loss of available energy. This restricts maximal inter-bacterial distances in consortia composed of stationary bacteria. A simple theoretical model was used to describe the relationship between inter-bacterial distances and the energy lost due to concentration differences in consortia. Key parameters turned out to be the permissible concentration range of the electron shuttle in the consortium (i.e., the concentration range that allows both participants to gain sufficient energy) and the stoichiometry of the partial reactions. The model was applied to two known consortia degrading ethanol and butyrate and to four hypothetical methane-oxidizing consortia (MOC) based on interspecies transfer of hydrogen, methanol, acetate, or formate, respectively. In the first three MOCs the permissible distances between producers and consumers of the transferred compounds were

  3. Influence of Biopreparations on the Bacterial Community of Oily Waste

    Science.gov (United States)

    Biktasheva, L. R.; Galitskaya, P. Yu; Selivanovskaya, S. Yu

    2018-01-01

    Oil pollution is reported to be one the most serious environmental problems nowadays. Therefore, methods of remediation of oily polluted soils and oily wastes are of great importance. Bioremediation being a perspective method of sanitation of oil pollutions, includes biostimulation of the polluted sites’ indigenous microflora, and in some cases additional introduction of active strains able to decompose hydrocarbon. The efficacy of introducing such biopreparations depends on the interactions between the introduced microbes and the indigenous ones. In this study, the influence of bacterial consortium (Rhodococcus jialingiae, Stenotrophomonas rhizophila and Pseudomonas gessardii) introduction on the bioremediation of an oily waste sampled from a refinery situated in the Mari El region (Russia) was estimated. Single and multiple inoculations of the consortium in addition to moistening and aeration were compared with a control sample, which included only aeration and moistening of the waste. It was shown, that two of the three introduced strains (Rh. jialingiae and Ps.gessardii) gene copy numbers were higher in the inoculated variants than in the control sample and with their initial counts, which meant that these strains survived and included into the bacterial community of the wastes. At the same time, bacterial counts were significantly lower, and the physiological profile of waste microflora slightly altered in the inoculated remediation variants as compared with the control sample. Interestingly, no difference in the degradation rates of hydrocarbons was revealed in the inoculated remediation variants and the control sample.

  4. Inhibition of bacterial growth by iron oxide nanoparticles with and without attached drug: Have we conquered the antibiotic resistance problem?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Armijo, Leisha M.; Jain, Priyanka; Malagodi, Angelina; Fornelli, F. Zuly; Hayat, Allison; Rivera, Antonio C.; French, Michael; Smyth, Hugh D. C.; Osiński, Marek

    2015-03-01

    Pseudomonas aeruginosa is among the top three leading causative opportunistic human pathogens, possessing one of the largest bacterial genomes and an exceptionally large proportion of regulatory genes therein. It has been known for more than a decade that the size and complexity of the P. aeruginosa genome is responsible for the adaptability and resilience of the bacteria to include its ability to resist many disinfectants and antibiotics. We have investigated the susceptibility of P. aeruginosa bacterial biofilms to iron oxide (magnetite) nanoparticles (NPs) with and without attached drug (tobramycin). We also characterized the susceptibility of zero-valent iron NPs, which are known to inactivate microbes. The particles, having an average diameter of 16 nm were capped with natural alginate, thus doubling the hydrodynamic size. Nanoparticle-drug conjugates were produced via cross-linking drug and alginate functional groups. Drug conjugates were investigated in the interest of determining dosage, during these dosage-curve experiments, NPs unbound to drug were tested in cultures as a negative control. Surprisingly, we found that the iron oxide NPs inhibited bacterial growth, and thus, biofilm formation without the addition of antibiotic drug. The inhibitory dosages of iron oxide NPs were investigated and the minimum inhibitory concentrations are presented. These findings suggest that NP-drug conjugates may overcome the antibiotic drug resistance common in P. aeruginosa infections.

  5. Biodegradation of diesel fuel by a microbial consortium in the presence of 1-alkoxymethyl-2-methyl-5-hydroxypyridinium chloride homologues

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Chrzanowski, L; Stasiewicz, M; Owsianiak, Mikolaj

    2009-01-01

    hypothesize that in the presence of diesel fuel low-water-soluble ionic liquids may become more toxic to hydrocarbon-degrading microorganisms. In this study the influence of 1-alkoxymethyl-2-methyl-5-hydroxypyridinium chloride homologues (side-chain length from C-3 to C-18) on biodegradation of diesel fuel...... by a bacterial consortium was investigated. Whereas test performed for the consortium cultivated on disodium succinate showed that toxicity of the investigated ionic liquids decreased with increase in side-chain length, only higher homologues (C-8-C-18) caused a decrease in diesel fuel biodegradation......, respectively. We conclude that in the presence of hydrocarbons acting as a solvent, the increased bioavailability of hydrophobic homologues is responsible for the decrease in biodegradation efficiency of diesel fuel....

  6. Isolation of amoebic-bacterial consortia capable of degrading trichloroethylene

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tyndall, R.L.; Ironside, K.; Little, C.D.; Katz, S.; Kennedy, J.

    1990-01-01

    Groundwater from a waste disposal site contaminated with chlorinated alkenes was examined for the presence of amoebic-bacterial consortia capable of degrading the suspected carcinogen, trichloroethylene (TCE). Consortia were readily isolated from all of four test wells. They contained free-living amoebae, and heterotrophic and methylotrophic bacteria. Electron microscopic examination showed bacteria localized throughout the amoebic cytoplasm and an abundance of hyphomicrobium, but not Type I methanotrophs. The presence of Type II methanotrophs was indirectly indicated by lipid analysis of one consortium. The consortia have been passaged for over two years on mineral salts media in a methane atmosphere, which would not be expected to maintain the heterotrophs or amoebae separately. The methanotrophic bacteria apparently provided a stable nutrient source, allowing the persistence of the various genera. By use of 14 C-radiotracer techniques, the degradation of TCE by the consortia was observed with 14 C eventuating predominantly in CO 2 and water-soluble products. In a more detailed examination of one consortia, the amoebae and heterotrohic components did not degrade TCE, while a mixed culture of heterotrophs and methanotrophs did degrade TCE, suggesting the latter component was the primary cause for the consortium's ability to degrade TCE. Amoebic-bacterial consortia may play a role in stabilizing and preserving methylotrophic bacteria in hostile environments

  7. Comparative biodegradation of HDPE and LDPE using an indigenously developed microbial consortium.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Satlewal, Alok; Soni, Ravindra; Zaidi, Mgh; Shouche, Yogesh; Goel, Reeta

    2008-03-01

    A variety of bacterial strains were isolated from waste disposal sites of Uttaranchal, India, and some from artificially developed soil beds containing maleic anhydride, glucose, and small pieces of polyethylene. Primary screening of isolates was done based on their ability to utilize high- and low-density polyethylenes (HDPE/LDPE) as a primary carbon source. Thereafter, a consortium was developed using potential strains. Furthermore, a biodegradation assay was carried out in 500-ml flasks containing minimal broth (250 ml) and HDPE/ LDPE at 5 mg/ml concentration. After incubation for two weeks, degraded samples were recovered through filtration and subsequent evaporation. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and simultaneous thermogravimetric-differential thermogravimetry-differential thermal analysis TG-DTG-DTA) were used to analyze these samples. Results showed that consortium-treated HDPE (considered to be more inert relative to LDPE) was degraded to a greater extent 22.41% weight loss) in comparison with LDPE (21.70% weight loss), whereas, in the case of untreated samples, weight loss was more for LDPE than HDPE (4.5% and 2.5%, respectively) at 400 degrees . Therefore, this study suggests that polyethylene could be degraded by utilizing microbial consortia in an eco-friendly manner.

  8. Roles of the host oxidative immune response and bacterial antioxidant rubrerythrin during Porphyromonas gingivalis infection.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Piotr Mydel

    2006-07-01

    Full Text Available The efficient clearance of microbes by neutrophils requires the concerted action of reactive oxygen species and microbicidal components within leukocyte secretory granules. Rubrerythrin (Rbr is a nonheme iron protein that protects many air-sensitive bacteria against oxidative stress. Using oxidative burst-knockout (NADPH oxidase-null mice and an rbr gene knockout bacterial strain, we investigated the interplay between the phagocytic oxidative burst of the host and the oxidative stress response of the anaerobic periodontal pathogen Porphyromonas gingivalis. Rbr ensured the proliferation of P. gingivalis in mice that possessed a fully functional oxidative burst response, but not in NADPH oxidase-null mice. Furthermore, the in vivo protection afforded by Rbr was not associated with the oxidative burst responses of isolated neutrophils in vitro. Although the phagocyte-derived oxidative burst response was largely ineffective against P. gingivalis infection, the corresponding oxidative response to the Rbr-positive microbe contributed to host-induced pathology via potent mobilization and systemic activation of neutrophils. It appeared that Rbr also provided protection against reactive nitrogen species, thereby ensuring the survival of P. gingivalis in the infected host. The presence of the rbr gene in P. gingivalis also led to greater oral bone loss upon infection. Collectively, these results indicate that the host oxidative burst paradoxically enhances the survival of P. gingivalis by exacerbating local and systemic inflammation, thereby contributing to the morbidity and mortality associated with infection.

  9. Establishing a Consortium for the Study of Rare Diseases: The Urea Cycle Disorders Consortium

    Science.gov (United States)

    Seminara, Jennifer; Tuchman, Mendel; Krivitzky, Lauren; Krischer, Jeffrey; Lee, Hye-Seung; LeMons, Cynthia; Baumgartner, Matthias; Cederbaum, Stephen; Diaz, George A.; Feigenbaum, Annette; Gallagher, Renata C.; Harding, Cary O.; Kerr, Douglas S.; Lanpher, Brendan; Lee, Brendan; Lichter-Konecki, Uta; McCandless, Shawn E.; Merritt, J. Lawrence; Oster-Granite, Mary Lou; Seashore, Margretta R.; Stricker, Tamar; Summar, Marshall; Waisbren, Susan; Yudkoff, Marc; Batshaw, Mark L.

    2010-01-01

    The Urea Cycle Disorders Consortium (UCDC) was created as part of a larger network established by the National Institutes of Health to study rare diseases. This paper reviews the UCDC’s accomplishments over the first six years, including how the Consortium was developed and organized, clinical research studies initiated, and the importance of creating partnerships with patient advocacy groups, philanthropic foundations and biotech and pharmaceutical companies. PMID:20188616

  10. International Radical Cystectomy Consortium: A way forward

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Syed Johar Raza

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Robot-assisted radical cystectomy (RARC is an emerging operative alternative to open surgery for the management of invasive bladder cancer. Studies from single institutions provide limited data due to the small number of patients. In order to better understand the related outcomes, a world-wide consortium was established in 2006 of patients undergoing RARC, called the International Robotic Cystectomy Consortium (IRCC. Thus far, the IRCC has reported its findings on various areas of operative interest and continues to expand its capacity to include other operative modalities and transform it into the International Radical Cystectomy Consortium. This article summarizes the findings of the IRCC and highlights the future direction of the consortium.

  11. Comparative effectiveness of different carriers to improve the efficacy of bacterial consortium for enhancing wheat production under salt affected field conditions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shahzad, S.; Zahir, Z. A.; Asghar, H. N.; Chaudhry, U. K.

    2017-01-01

    Salinity is one of the most crucial problems for sustainable agriculture which is severely affecting crop growth and decreasing the food production. On another hand, burgeoning population in the world demands to produce more food. So, there is a need of hours to increase agricultural production particularly cereals from salt affected soils by adopting cost effective and environment friendly approaches. Use of bio-inoculants with salt tolerant plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) could be a promising option to enhance the production of cereals in salt affected soils. Therefore, a field experiment was conducted to evaluate different carriers compost, peat, biogas slurry and press mud along with PGPR to enhance wheat production under salinity stress. Consortium containing equal proportion of three PGPR strains (Bacillus cereus strain Y5, Bacillus sp. Y14 and Bacillus subtilis strain Y16) was used with different carriers for seed coating. Finely ground and sterilized carriers were mixed in broth and coated on the surface of wheat seeds with different carriers. Coated seeds were sown in saline field with salinity range of 10-13 dS m/sup -1/. Results revealed that multi-strain bacterial inoculation improved the gas exchange, ionic, biochemical, growth and yield attributes of wheat crop under salinity stress. However, use of different carriers further improved the efficacy of multi-strain inoculation and significantly increased growth, yield and physiological parameters of wheat. The results of compost, peat and biogas slurry as carrier for bio-inoculants were statistically similar. (author)

  12. EFFECTS OF STIMULATOR SUBSTANCES ON AEROBIC METHYL TERT-BUTYL ETHER BIODEGRADATION BY MICROBIAL CONSORTIUM

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M. Farrokhi ، S. Ahmadizad

    2009-04-01

    Full Text Available In this study dissolved humic substances and yeast extract were tested in different concentrations for enhancing methyl tert-butyl ether mineralization by isolated microorganisms from a variety of sources. All experiments were conducted at a constant temperature of 25ºC. Vials of 50 mL and 125 mL volume sealed with Teflon-lined Mini-Nert caps was used for microcosm experiments. In all experiments 1% sodium azide were used as control. Samples of bacterial cultures that metabolize methyl tert-butyl ether have been analysed by direct GC analysis using flame ionization detector. Cultures able to metabolize have been found in activated sludge and soils. These microorganisms weregram-positive bacterium. An aerobic microbial consortium was enriched in laboratory for four months. Methyl tert-butyl ether has been shown to biodegrade under aerobic and co-metabolic conditions. A microbial consortium isolated from activated sludges was identified as Cocobacillus. The concentration of the initial attached biomass was about 0.11 g/L of dry weight. The maximum mineralization rate and beneficial effects of stimulator substances on aerobic biodegradation of methyl tert-butyl ether occurred with the culture by combined concentrations of 500 mg/L of yeast extract and 20 mg/L of peat humic growth support of microbial consortium within 216 h and in presence of high oxygen levels and well mixing conditions. It was shown that adding, peat humic and yeast extract together, had better stimulatory effect on methyl tert-butyl ether biodegradation. Results clearly showed a stimulatory effect on methyl tert-butyl ether consumption higher than 20%. Consortium was capable of degrading concentrations of ≤1000 mg/L, whereas concentrations of >1000 mg/L, were not degraded.

  13. The OncoArray Consortium

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Amos, Christopher I; Dennis, Joe; Wang, Zhaoming

    2017-01-01

    by Illumina to facilitate efficient genotyping. The consortium developed standard approaches for selecting SNPs for study, for quality control of markers, and for ancestry analysis. The array was genotyped at selected sites and with prespecified replicate samples to permit evaluation of genotyping accuracy...... among centers and by ethnic background. RESULTS: The OncoArray consortium genotyped 447,705 samples. A total of 494,763 SNPs passed quality control steps with a sample success rate of 97% of the samples. Participating sites performed ancestry analysis using a common set of markers and a scoring...

  14. Increasing Sales by Developing Production Consortiums.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Smith, Christopher A.; Russo, Robert

    Intended to help rehabilitation facility administrators increase organizational income from manufacturing and/or contracted service sources, this document provides a decision-making model for the development of a production consortium. The document consists of five chapters and two appendices. Chapter 1 defines the consortium concept, explains…

  15. Detrimental effects of commercial zinc oxide and silver nanomaterials on bacterial populations and performance of wastewater systems

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mboyi, Anza-vhudziki; Kamika, Ilunga; Momba, MaggyN. B.

    2017-08-01

    The widespread use of commercial nanomaterials (NMs) in consumer products has raised environmental concerns as they can enter and affect the efficiency of the wastewater treatment plants. In this study the effect of various concentrations of zinc oxide NMs (nZnO) and silver NMs (nAg) on the selected wastewater bacterial species (Bacillus licheniformis, Brevibacillus laterosporus and Pseudomonas putida) was ascertained at different pH levels (pH 2, 7 and 10). Lethal concentrations (LC) of NMs and parameters such as chemical oxygen demand (COD) and dissolved oxygen (DO) were taken into consideration to assess the performance of a wastewater batch reactor. Bacterial isolates were susceptible to varying concentrations of both nZnO and nAg at pH 2, 7 and 10. It was found that a change in pH did not significantly affect the toxicity of test NMs towards target bacterial isolates. All bacterial species were significantly inhibited (p 0.05) in COD removal in the presence of increasing concentrations of NMs, which resulted in increasing releases of COD. Noticeably, there was no significant difference (p > 0.05) in the decrease in DO uptake in the presence of increasing NM concentrations for all bacterial isolates. The toxic effects of the target NMs on bacterial populations in wastewater may negatively impact the performance of biological treatment processes and may thus affect the efficiency of wastewater treatment plants in producing effluent of high quality.

  16. Treatment of textile effluent in a developed phytoreactor with immobilized bacterial augmentation and subsequent toxicity studies on Etheostoma olmstedi fish

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Watharkar, Anuprita D. [Department of Biotechnology, Shivaji University, Kolhapur (India); Khandare, Rahul V. [School of Life Sciences, North Maharashtra University, Jalgaon (India); Waghmare, Pankajkumar R.; Jagadale, Ashwini D.; Govindwar, Sanjay P. [Department of Biochemistry, Shivaji University, Kolhapur (India); Jadhav, Jyoti P., E-mail: jpj_biochem@unishivaji.ac.in [Department of Biotechnology, Shivaji University, Kolhapur (India); Department of Biochemistry, Shivaji University, Kolhapur (India)

    2015-02-11

    Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • A phytoreactor was developed and augmented with immobilized bacteria. • This consortium showed enhanced treatment than the individual species. • Oxido-reductases from P. crinitum and B. pumilus could decolorize the effluent. • Characterization of effluent samples endorsed the efficacy of consortial strategy. • Toxicity studies revealed the less toxic nature of the consortium treated effluent. - Abstract: A static hydroponic bioreactor using nursery grown plants of Pogonatherum crinitum along with immobilized Bacillus pumilus cells was developed for the treatment of textile wastewater. Independent reactors with plants and immobilized cells were also kept for performance and efficacy evaluation. The effluent samples characterized before and after their treatment showed that the plant–bacterial consortium reactor was more efficient than those of individual plant and bacterium reactors. COD, BOD, ADMI, conductivity, turbidity, TDS and TSS of the textile effluent was found to be reduced by 78, 70, 93, 4, 90, 13 and 70% respectively within 12 d by the consortial set. HPTLC analysis revealed the transformation of the textile effluent to new products. The phytotoxicity study on Phaeseolus mungo and Sorghum vulgare seeds showed reduced toxicity of treated effluents. The animal toxicity study performed on Etheostoma olmstedi fishes showed the toxic nature of untreated effluent giving extreme stress to fishes leading to death. Histology of fish gills exposed to treated effluent was found to be less affected. The oxidative stress related enzymes like superoxide dismutase and catalase were found to show decreased activities and less lipid peroxidation in fishes exposed to treated effluent.

  17. Treatment of textile effluent in a developed phytoreactor with immobilized bacterial augmentation and subsequent toxicity studies on Etheostoma olmstedi fish

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Watharkar, Anuprita D.; Khandare, Rahul V.; Waghmare, Pankajkumar R.; Jagadale, Ashwini D.; Govindwar, Sanjay P.; Jadhav, Jyoti P.

    2015-01-01

    Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • A phytoreactor was developed and augmented with immobilized bacteria. • This consortium showed enhanced treatment than the individual species. • Oxido-reductases from P. crinitum and B. pumilus could decolorize the effluent. • Characterization of effluent samples endorsed the efficacy of consortial strategy. • Toxicity studies revealed the less toxic nature of the consortium treated effluent. - Abstract: A static hydroponic bioreactor using nursery grown plants of Pogonatherum crinitum along with immobilized Bacillus pumilus cells was developed for the treatment of textile wastewater. Independent reactors with plants and immobilized cells were also kept for performance and efficacy evaluation. The effluent samples characterized before and after their treatment showed that the plant–bacterial consortium reactor was more efficient than those of individual plant and bacterium reactors. COD, BOD, ADMI, conductivity, turbidity, TDS and TSS of the textile effluent was found to be reduced by 78, 70, 93, 4, 90, 13 and 70% respectively within 12 d by the consortial set. HPTLC analysis revealed the transformation of the textile effluent to new products. The phytotoxicity study on Phaeseolus mungo and Sorghum vulgare seeds showed reduced toxicity of treated effluents. The animal toxicity study performed on Etheostoma olmstedi fishes showed the toxic nature of untreated effluent giving extreme stress to fishes leading to death. Histology of fish gills exposed to treated effluent was found to be less affected. The oxidative stress related enzymes like superoxide dismutase and catalase were found to show decreased activities and less lipid peroxidation in fishes exposed to treated effluent

  18. Biodegradation of Organic Liquid Waste by Using Consortium Bacteria as Material Preparation of Environmental Pollution Course Textbook

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dora Dayu Rahma Turista

    2017-07-01

    Full Text Available Organic waste is one waste type which oftenly pollutes the waters. Biodegradation can be used as an environmental remedy solution that is contaminated by organic matter. This research aimed to determine the ability of bacteria consortium in degrading of organic liquid waste, and construct the textbook for Environmental Pollution subject based on research of biodegradation organic waste by using bacteria consortium. This research was done through two stages. The first stage was an experimental research by using Randomized Complete Designe with bacterial type treatment and 3 repetitions, while the second phase of research was a developmental research from the first stage. The results of the first phase showed that the combination of 3 indigenous isolats bacteria (Enterobacter gergoviae, Vibrio parahaemolyticus, and Pseudomonas stutzeri was the highest potential bacteria in decreasing BOD (71.75% , COD (74.40%, TSS (58.44%, and increasing DO (84.15%. The second phase was Educational Research and Development of teaching materials which refers to the development model of Borg & Gall. The stages of research were: Research and Information Collecting, Planning, Develop Preliminary Form of Product, Preliminary Field Testing and Main Product Revision which was produced as textbook for the Environmental Pollution course entitled Biodegradation Organic Waste by Using Bacteria Consortium.

  19. Hickory Consortium 2001 Final Report

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    2003-02-01

    As with all Building America Program consortia, systems thinking is the key to understanding the processes that Hickory Consortium hopes to improve. The Hickory Consortium applies this thinking to more than the whole-building concept. Their systems thinking embraces the meta process of how housing construction takes place in America. By understanding the larger picture, they are able to identify areas where improvements can be made and how to implement them.

  20. The Spectrophotometric Sulfo-Phospho-Vanillin Assessment of Total Lipids in Human Meibomian Gland Secretions

    Science.gov (United States)

    McMahon, Anne; Lu, Hua

    2013-01-01

    Human meibomian gland secretions (meibum) are the major lipid component of the human preocular tear film. The predominant lipid classes found in meibum include waxes (WE), cholesteryl esters (CE), and varying amounts of cholesterol (Chl). The classical sulfo-phospho-vanillin assay (SPVA), adapted for a microplate reader, was used to quantitate lipids in meibum. To account for varying reactivities of different lipids in SPVA, a model meibomian lipid mixture (MMx) that approximated the WE/CE/Chl composition of meibum was developed and used to quantitate meibomian lipids. The overall SPV responses of MMx and meibum were found to be close, with similar intermediate and final reaction products for both. Saturated WE that had not been expected to be reactive were found to be SPV-positive. A reaction mechanism for these compounds in SPVA which involves the formation of alkenyl ethers is proposed and discussed. Tested proteins were non-reactive in SPVA. Thus, by comparing the results of gravimetric analyses of meibum samples with the results of a properly calibrated SPVA, it was estimated that the SPV-reactive lipid content of dry meibum in tested samples was about 78 % (w/w). The SPV method can also be adopted for analyzing other types of complex lipids secretions, such as sebum, as well as whole lipid extracts from other lipid-enriched organs and tissues, if proper standards are chosen. PMID:23345137

  1. Tri-District Arts Consortium Summer Program.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kirby, Charlotte O.

    1990-01-01

    The Tri-District Arts Consortium in South Carolina was formed to serve artistically gifted students in grades six-nine. The consortium developed a summer program offering music, dance, theatre, and visual arts instruction through a curriculum of intense training, performing, and hands-on experiences with faculty members and guest artists. (JDD)

  2. Topical application of zinc oxide nanoparticles reduces bacterial skin infection in mice and exhibits antibacterial activity by inducing oxidative stress response and cell membrane disintegration in macrophages.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pati, Rashmirekha; Mehta, Ranjit Kumar; Mohanty, Soumitra; Padhi, Avinash; Sengupta, Mitali; Vaseeharan, Baskarlingam; Goswami, Chandan; Sonawane, Avinash

    2014-08-01

    Here we studied immunological and antibacterial mechanisms of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO-NPs) against human pathogens. ZnO-NPs showed more activity against Staphylococcus aureus and least against Mycobacterium bovis-BCG. However, BCG killing was significantly increased in synergy with antituberculous-drug rifampicin. Antibacterial mechanistic studies showed that ZnO-NPs disrupt bacterial cell membrane integrity, reduce cell surface hydrophobicity and down-regulate the transcription of oxidative stress-resistance genes in bacteria. ZnO-NP treatment also augmented the intracellular bacterial killing by inducing reactive oxygen species production and co-localization with Mycobacterium smegmatis-GFP in macrophages. Moreover, ZnO-NPs disrupted biofilm formation and inhibited hemolysis by hemolysin toxin producing S. aureus. Intradermal administration of ZnO-NPs significantly reduced the skin infection, bacterial load and inflammation in mice, and also improved infected skin architecture. We envision that this study offers novel insights into antimicrobial actions of ZnO-NPs and also demonstrates ZnO-NPs as a novel class of topical anti-infective agent for the treatment of skin infections. This in-depth study demonstrates properties of ZnO nanoparticles in infection prevention and treatment in several skin infection models, dissecting the potential mechanisms of action of these nanoparticles and paving the way to human applications. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  3. The National Astronomy Consortium (NAC)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Von Schill, Lyndele; Ivory, Joyce

    2017-01-01

    The National Astronomy Consortium (NAC) program is designed to increase the number of underrepresented minority students into STEM and STEM careers by providing unique summer research experiences followed by long-term mentoring and cohort support. Hallmarks of the NAC program include: research or internship opportunities at one of the NAC partner sites, a framework to continue research over the academic year, peer and faculty mentoring, monthly virtual hangouts, and much more. NAC students also participate in two professional travel opportunities each year: the annual NAC conference at Howard University and poster presentation at the annual AAS winter meeting following their summer internship.The National Astronomy Consortium (NAC) is a program led by the National Radio Astronomy Consortium (NRAO) and Associated Universities, Inc. (AUI), in partnership with the National Society of Black Physicist (NSBP), along with a number of minority and majority universities.

  4. Bacterial bioleaching of low grade nickel limonite and saprolite ores by mixotrophic bacteria

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chaerun Siti Khodijah

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Utilization of indigenous bacteria should be considered to establish a successful biohydrometallurgical process. In this study, mixrotrophic iron-oxidizing bacterial consortia consisting of Comamonas testosteroni, Alicyclobacillus ferrooxydans and Pantoea septic which were isolated from Indonesian mineral ores were examined to determine their abilities to recover nickel from limonite and saprolite ores in the bioleaching experiments using stirred tank reactors. The nickel bioleaching experiments inoculated with the bacterial consortia were carried out using coarse limonite ores and weathered saprolite ores with pulp density of 10% w/v. Abiotic controls were also carried out replacing the inocula by the sterile medium. The bioleaching processes were monitored by measuring Ni and Fe contents and pH of the leaching solution as well as the total bacterial enzymatic activity measured as FDA hydrolytic activity. The effect of leaching on the mineralogy of laterite ores was investigated by the scanning electron microscope equipped with energy-dispersive spectroscopy (SEM-EDS and X-ray powder diffraction (XRD. After 28 days of incubation, the FDA hydrolytic activity was observed in both bioleaching experiments containing limonite (17.2 μg fluorescein/mL and saprolite ores (16.9 μg fluorescein/mL. The leached Ni and Fe in the bioleaching experiments containing limonite ores (30% Ni and 5.6% Fe was greater than that in abiotic controls (1% Ni and 0.1% Fe with the pH range of 2.5 to 3.5. However, the bacterial consortia were less capable of bioleaching of Ni (2.5% with the similar leached Fe (6% from the saprolite ores. In abiotic controls, the medium pH remained relatively constant (pH 6. It was concluded that these bacterial isolated as the consortium were capable of nickel bioleaching (precious metal more effectively than iron (gangue metal, thus being applicable to the commercial processing of the difficult-to-process low-grade nickel laterite ores

  5. Cyclic AMP Regulates Bacterial Persistence through Repression of the Oxidative Stress Response and SOS-Dependent DNA Repair in Uropathogenic Escherichia coli.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Molina-Quiroz, Roberto C; Silva-Valenzuela, Cecilia; Brewster, Jennifer; Castro-Nallar, Eduardo; Levy, Stuart B; Camilli, Andrew

    2018-01-09

    Bacterial persistence is a transient, nonheritable physiological state that provides tolerance to bactericidal antibiotics. The stringent response, toxin-antitoxin modules, and stochastic processes, among other mechanisms, play roles in this phenomenon. How persistence is regulated is relatively ill defined. Here we show that cyclic AMP, a global regulator of carbon catabolism and other core processes, is a negative regulator of bacterial persistence in uropathogenic Escherichia coli , as measured by survival after exposure to a β-lactam antibiotic. This phenotype is regulated by a set of genes leading to an oxidative stress response and SOS-dependent DNA repair. Thus, persister cells tolerant to cell wall-acting antibiotics must cope with oxidative stress and DNA damage and these processes are regulated by cyclic AMP in uropathogenic E. coli IMPORTANCE Bacterial persister cells are important in relapsing infections in patients treated with antibiotics and also in the emergence of antibiotic resistance. Our results show that in uropathogenic E. coli , the second messenger cyclic AMP negatively regulates persister cell formation, since in its absence much more persister cells form that are tolerant to β-lactams antibiotics. We reveal the mechanism to be decreased levels of reactive oxygen species, specifically hydroxyl radicals, and SOS-dependent DNA repair. Our findings suggest that the oxidative stress response and DNA repair are relevant pathways to target in the design of persister-specific antibiotic compounds. Copyright © 2018 Molina-Quiroz et al.

  6. Safe-site effects on rhizosphere bacterial communities in a high-altitude alpine environment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ciccazzo, Sonia; Esposito, Alfonso; Rolli, Eleonora; Zerbe, Stefan; Daffonchio, Daniele; Brusetti, Lorenzo

    2014-01-01

    The rhizosphere effect on bacterial communities associated with three floristic communities (RW, FI, and M sites) which differed for the developmental stages was studied in a high-altitude alpine ecosystem. RW site was an early developmental stage, FI was an intermediate stage, M was a later more matured stage. The N and C contents in the soils confirmed a different developmental stage with a kind of gradient from the unvegetated bare soil (BS) site through RW, FI up to M site. The floristic communities were composed of 21 pioneer plants belonging to 14 species. Automated ribosomal intergenic spacer analysis showed different bacterial genetic structures per each floristic consortium which differed also from the BS site. When plants of the same species occurred within the same site, almost all their bacterial communities clustered together exhibiting a plant species effect. Unifrac significance value (P floristic communities rhizospheres on their soil bacterial communities.

  7. In Situ Hydrocarbon Degradation by Indigenous Nearshore Bacterial Populations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cherrier, J.

    2005-01-01

    Potential episodic hydrocarbon inputs associated with oil mining and transportation together with chronic introduction of hydrocarbons via urban runoff into the relatively pristine coastal Florida waters poses a significant threat to Florida's fragile marine environment. It is therefore important to understand the extent to which indigenous bacterial populations are able to degrade hydrocarbon compounds and also determine factors that could potentially control and promote the rate at which these compounds are broken down in situ. Previous controlled laboratory experiments carried out by our research group demonstrated that separately both photo-oxidation and cometabolism stimulate bacterial hydrocarbon degradation by natural bacterial assemblages collected from a chronically petroleum contaminated site in Bayboro Bay, Florida. Additionally, we also demonstrated that stable carbon and radiocarbon abundances of respired CO 2 could be used to trace in situ hydrocarbon degradation by indigenous bacterial populations at this same site. This current proposal had two main objectives: (a) to evaluate the cumulative impact of cometabolism and photo-oxidation on hydrocarbon degradation by natural bacterial assemblages collected the same site in Bayboro Bay, Florida and (b) to determine if in situ hydrocarbon degradation by indigenous bacterial populations this site could be traced using natural radiocarbon and stable carbon abundances of assimilated bacterial carbon. Funds were used for 2 years of full support for one ESI Ph.D. student, April Croxton. To address our first objective a series of closed system bacterial incubations were carried out using photo-oxidized petroleum and pinfish (i.e. cometabolite). Bacterial production of CO 2 was used as the indicator of hydrocarbon degradation and (delta) 13 C analysis of the resultant CO 2 was used to evaluate the source of the respired CO 2 (i.e. petroleum hydrocarbons or the pinfish cometabolite). Results from these time

  8. Bacterial leaching of pyritic gold ores

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gagliardi, F.M.; Cashion, J.D.; Brown, J.; Jay, W.H.

    1998-01-01

    Full text: Pyritic ores (pyrite and arsenopyrite) containing gold concentrations in excess of 50g Au/t can be processed to recover the gold by the removal of the sulphur from the ore. This may be achieved by roasting (producing sulphur dioxide emissions), pressure oxidation (expensive and suitable for large high grade deposits), pressure leaching (still currently being developed) or bacterial oxidation. The bacterial oxidation process is a well known process in nature but has only recently come under investigation as a economically viable and relatively clean method of gold recovery from deep low grade sulphidic ores. Samples were obtained from the Wiluna Gold Mine in Western Australia consisting of the original ore, six successive bacterial reactors and the final products. Moessbauer experiments have been performed at room temperature, liquid nitrogen and liquid helium temperatures, and in applied magnetic fields. The main components of the iron phases which were present during the bacterial treatment were pyrite and arsenopyrite which were readily oxidised by the bacteria. Ferric sulfates and ferric arsenates were identified as by-products of the process with a small amount of the oxyhydroxide goethite. These results are in contrast to the similar study of the Fairview Mine in South Africa where principally Fe(II) species were observed

  9. Bacterial leaching of pyritic gold ores

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gagliardi, F.M.; Cashion, J.D.; Brown, L.J. [Monash Univ., Clayton, VIC (Australia). Dept. of Physics; Jay, W.H. [Monash Univ., Clayton, VIC (Australia). Chemical Engineering Department

    1996-12-31

    The bacterial oxidation process is well known in nature but has only recently come under investigation as a viable and relatively clean method of gold recovery from ores. However there is currently little information about the process at an atomic scale. It is known that the bacterial attack progresses preferentially along grain boundaries which is precisely where the gold has been deposited from aqueous infiltration. Samples have been obtained from the Wiluna mine in Western Australia consisting of the original ore, 2 pre-treatments, and from six successive bacterial reactors. {sup 57}Fe Moessbauer spectra taken at room temperature show only two quadrupole split doublets which can be ascribed to pyrite, FeS{sub 2}, and arsenopyrite, FeAsS. However, the presence of any superparamagnetic oxide or oxyhydroxide species would be expected to give a spectrum very similar to that of pyrite and would be undetectable in small quantities. At a temperature of 5K, a broad magnetically split sextet is observable with a mean hyperfine field of approximately 50T. This field is characteristic of magnetically ordered ferric iron surrounded by an octahedron of oxygens. The intensity and characteristics of this subspectrum alters through the series and interpretations will be given on the oxidation products of the bacterial leaching

  10. Bacterial leaching of pyritic gold ores

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gagliardi, F.M.; Cashion, J.D.; Brown, L.J.; Jay, W.H.

    1996-01-01

    The bacterial oxidation process is well known in nature but has only recently come under investigation as a viable and relatively clean method of gold recovery from ores. However there is currently little information about the process at an atomic scale. It is known that the bacterial attack progresses preferentially along grain boundaries which is precisely where the gold has been deposited from aqueous infiltration. Samples have been obtained from the Wiluna mine in Western Australia consisting of the original ore, 2 pre-treatments, and from six successive bacterial reactors. 57 Fe Moessbauer spectra taken at room temperature show only two quadrupole split doublets which can be ascribed to pyrite, FeS 2 , and arsenopyrite, FeAsS. However, the presence of any superparamagnetic oxide or oxyhydroxide species would be expected to give a spectrum very similar to that of pyrite and would be undetectable in small quantities. At a temperature of 5K, a broad magnetically split sextet is observable with a mean hyperfine field of approximately 50T. This field is characteristic of magnetically ordered ferric iron surrounded by an octahedron of oxygens. The intensity and characteristics of this subspectrum alters through the series and interpretations will be given on the oxidation products of the bacterial leaching

  11. IPD-Work consortium

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kivimäki, Mika; Singh-Manoux, Archana; Virtanen, Marianna

    2015-01-01

    of countries. The aim of the consortium is to estimate reliably the associations of work-related psychosocial factors with chronic diseases, disability, and mortality. Our findings are highly cited by the occupational health, epidemiology, and clinical medicine research community. However, some of the IPD-Work......'s findings have also generated disagreement as they challenge the importance of job strain as a major target for coronary heart disease (CHD) prevention, this is reflected in the critical discussion paper by Choi et al (1). In this invited reply to Choi et al, we aim to (i) describe how IPD-Work seeks......Established in 2008 and comprising over 60 researchers, the IPD-Work (individual-participant data meta-analysis in working populations) consortium is a collaborative research project that uses pre-defined meta-analyses of individual-participant data from multiple cohort studies representing a range...

  12. NASA space radiation transport code development consortium

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Townsend, L. W.

    2005-01-01

    Recently, NASA established a consortium involving the Univ. of Tennessee (lead institution), the Univ. of Houston, Roanoke College and various government and national laboratories, to accelerate the development of a standard set of radiation transport computer codes for NASA human exploration applications. This effort involves further improvements of the Monte Carlo codes HETC and FLUKA and the deterministic code HZETRN, including developing nuclear reaction databases necessary to extend the Monte Carlo codes to carry out heavy ion transport, and extending HZETRN to three dimensions. The improved codes will be validated by comparing predictions with measured laboratory transport data, provided by an experimental measurements consortium, and measurements in the upper atmosphere on the balloon-borne Deep Space Test Bed (DSTB). In this paper, we present an overview of the consortium members and the current status and future plans of consortium efforts to meet the research goals and objectives of this extensive undertaking. (authors)

  13. Total Antioxidant Capacity and Total Oxidant Status in Saliva of Periodontitis Patients in Relation to Bacterial Load

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Taowen; Andrukhov, Oleh; Haririan, Hady; Müller-Kern, Michael; Liu, Shutai; Liu, Zhonghao; Rausch-Fan, Xiaohui

    2016-01-01

    The detection of salivary biomarkers has a potential application in early diagnosis and monitoring of periodontal inflammation. However, searching sensitive salivary biomarkers for periodontitis is still ongoing. Oxidative stress is supposed to play an important role in periodontitis progression and tissue destruction. In this cross-sectional study, we investigated total antioxidant capacity (TAC) and total oxidant status (TOS) in saliva of periodontitis patients compared to healthy controls and their relationship with periodontopathic bacteria and periodontal disease severity. Unstimulated saliva was collected from 45 patients with generalized severe periodontitis and 37 healthy individuals and the TAC/TOS were measured. In addition, salivary levels of Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans, Porphyromonas gingivalis, Tannerella forsythia, Treponema denticola, and Fusobacterium nucleatum in saliva were measured. Salivary TAC was lower in periodontitis patients compared to healthy controls. Moreover, a significant negative correlation of salivary TAC with clinical attachment loss was observed in periodontitis patients. No significant difference in the salivary TOS was observed between periodontitis patients and healthy controls. Bacterial load was enhanced in periodontitis patients and exhibited correlation with periodontal disease severity but not with salivary TAC/TOS. Our data suggest that changes in antioxidant capacity in periodontitis patients are not associated with increased bacterial load and are probably due to a dysregulated immune response. PMID:26779448

  14. Total antioxidant capacity and total oxidant status in saliva of periodontitis patients in relation to bacterial load

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Taowen eZhang

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available The detection of salivary biomarkers has a potential application in early diagnosis and monitoring of periodontal inflammation. However, searching sensitive salivary biomarkers for periodontitis is still ongoing. Oxidative stress is supposed to play an important role in periodontitis progression and tissue destruction. In this cross-sectional study, we investigated total antioxidant capacity (TAC and total oxidant status (TOS in saliva of periodontitis patients compared to healthy controls and their relationship with periodontopathic bacteria and periodontal disease severity. Unstimulated saliva was collected from 45 patients with generalized severe periodontitis and 37 healthy individuals and the TAC/TOS were measured. In addition, salivary levels of Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans, Porphyromonas gingivalis, Tannerella forsythia, Treponema denticola, and Fusobacterium nucleatum in saliva were measured. Salivary TAC was lower in periodontitis patients compared to healthy controls. Moreover, a significant negative correlation of salivary TAC with clinical attachment loss was observed in periodontitis patients. No significant difference in the salivary TOS was observed between periodontitis patients and healthy controls. Bacterial load was enhanced in periodontitis patients and exhibited correlation with periodontal disease severity but not with salivary TAC/TOS. Our data suggest that changes in antioxidant capacity in periodontitis patients are not associated with increased bacterial load and are probably due to a dysregulated immune response.

  15. The ocean sampling day consortium

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kopf, Anna; Bicak, Mesude; Kottmann, Renzo

    2015-01-01

    Ocean Sampling Day was initiated by the EU-funded Micro B3 (Marine Microbial Biodiversity, Bioinformatics, Biotechnology) project to obtain a snapshot of the marine microbial biodiversity and function of the world’s oceans. It is a simultaneous global mega-sequencing campaign aiming to generate...... the largest standardized microbial data set in a single day. This will be achievable only through the coordinated efforts of an Ocean Sampling Day Consortium, supportive partnerships and networks between sites. This commentary outlines the establishment, function and aims of the Consortium and describes our...

  16. Spatial distribution of archaeal and bacterial ammonia oxidizers in the littoral buffer zone of a nitrogen-rich lake.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Yu; Zhu, Guibing; Ye, Lei; Feng, Xiaojuan; Op den Camp, Huub J M; Yin, Chengqing

    2012-01-01

    The spatial distribution and diversity of archaeal and bacterial ammonia oxidizers (AOA and AOB) were evaluated targeting amoA genes in the gradient of a littoral buffer zone which has been identified as a hot spot for N cycling. Here we found high spatial heterogeneity in the nitrification rate and abundance of ammonia oxidizers in the five sampling sites. The bacterial amoA gene was numerically dominant in most of the surface soil but decreased dramatically in deep layers. Higher nitrification potentials were detected in two sites near the land/water interface at 4.4-6.1 microg NO(2-)-N/(g dry weight soil x hr), while only 1.0-1.7 microg NO(2-)-N/(g dry weight soil x hr) was measured at other sites. The potential nitrification rates were proportional to the amoA gene abundance for AOB, but with no significant correlation with AOA. The NH4+ concentration was the most determinative parameter for the abundance of AOB and potential nitrification rates in this study. Higher richness in the surface layer was found in the analysis of biodiversity. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that most of the bacterial amoA sequences in surface soil were affiliated with the genus of Nitrosopira while the archaeal sequences were almost equally affiliated with Candidatus 'Nitrososphaera gargensis' and Candidatus 'Nitrosocaldus yellowstonii'. The spatial distribution of AOA and AOB indicated that bacteria may play a more important role in nitrification in the littoral buffer zone of a N-rich lake.

  17. Identification of Manganese Superoxide Dismutase from Sphingobacterium sp. T2 as a Novel Bacterial Enzyme for Lignin Oxidation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rashid, Goran M M; Taylor, Charles R; Liu, Yangqingxue; Zhang, Xiaoyang; Rea, Dean; Fülöp, Vilmos; Bugg, Timothy D H

    2015-10-16

    The valorization of aromatic heteropolymer lignin is an important unsolved problem in the development of a biomass-based biorefinery, for which novel high-activity biocatalysts are needed. Sequencing of the genomic DNA of lignin-degrading bacterial strain Sphingobacterium sp. T2 revealed no matches to known lignin-degrading genes. Proteomic matches for two manganese superoxide dismutase proteins were found in partially purified extracellular fractions. Recombinant MnSOD1 and MnSOD2 were both found to show high activity for oxidation of Organosolv and Kraft lignin, and lignin model compounds, generating multiple oxidation products. Structure determination revealed that the products result from aryl-Cα and Cα-Cβ bond oxidative cleavage and O-demethylation. The crystal structure of MnSOD1 was determined to 1.35 Å resolution, revealing a typical MnSOD homodimer harboring a five-coordinate trigonal bipyramidal Mn(II) center ligated by three His, one Asp, and a water/hydroxide in each active site. We propose that the lignin oxidation reactivity of these enzymes is due to the production of a hydroxyl radical, a highly reactive oxidant. This is the first demonstration that MnSOD is a microbial lignin-oxidizing enzyme.

  18. Consortium Application of Endophytic Bacteria and Fungi Improves Grain Yield and Physiological Attributes in Advanced Lines of Bread Wheat

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ghulam Muhae-Ud-Din

    2018-02-01

    Full Text Available Increasing human population places pressure on agriculture. To feed this population, two time increase in the current wheat production is needed. Today agriculture is becoming input intensive with more reliance on synthetic fertilizers and agrochemicals to fulfil the feed demand of the growing numbers. Use of synthetic fertilizer since last few years is impacting the soil quality. In this scenario, the use of beneficial endophytic microbes is an attractive strategy to overcome the use of synthetic products. To investigate the effect of consortium application of endophytic bacteria and fungus on plant growth, grain yield moisture status, a pot experiment was conducted in different wheat lines. It comprised four treatments like control, application of bacterial strain Bacillus sp. MN54, fungal strain Trichoderma sp. MN6, and their consortium (Bacillus sp. MN54 + Trichoderma sp. MN6. The effect of consortium application was more prominent and significantly different from the sole application of bacteria and fungus. The results showed that with a consortium application of endophytic bacteria and fungus, there was 28.6, 4.3, -6.3 and -3.7% increases in flag leaf area, chlorophyll content, relative membrane permeability and water content respectively. Consortia of endophytic microbes also resulted in the yield enhancement through the betterment of various yield attributes like number of spikelet’s, grains per spike and grain yield per plant (32.2, 25.8 and 30.8%, respectively. So, consortia of endophytic microbes can greatly promote the progress of plants in dry land agriculture and increase the yield in an environmentally sustainable way.

  19. Community Hospital Telehealth Consortium

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Williams, Elton

    2004-01-01

    The Community Hospital Telehealth Consortium is a unique, forward-thinking, community-based healthcare service project organized around 5 not-for-profit community hospitals located throughout Louisiana and Mississippi...

  20. Community Hospital Telehealth Consortium

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Williams, Elton

    2003-01-01

    The Community Hospital Telehealth Consortium is a unique, forward-thinking, community-based healthcare service project organized around 5 not-for-profit community hospitals located throughout Louisiana and Mississippi...

  1. Community Hospital Telehealth Consortium

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Williams, Jr, Elton L

    2007-01-01

    The Community Hospital Telehealth Consortium is a unique, forward-thinking, community-based healthcare service project organized around 5 not-for-profit community hospitals located throughout Louisiana and Mississippi...

  2. Biodegradation of Various Aromatic Compounds by Enriched Bacterial Cultures: Part A-Monocyclic and Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oberoi, Akashdeep Singh; Philip, Ligy; Bhallamudi, S Murty

    2015-08-01

    Present study focused on the screening of bacterial consortium for biodegradation of monocyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (MAH) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Target compounds in the present study were naphthalene, acenaphthene, phenanthrene (PAHs), and benzene (MAH). Microbial consortia enriched with the above target compounds were used in screening experiments. Naphthalene-enriched consortium was found to be the most efficient consortium, based on its substrate degradation rate and its ability to degrade other aromatic pollutants with significantly high efficiency. Substrate degradation rate with naphthalene-enriched culture followed the order benzene > naphthalene > acenaphthene > phenanthrene. Chryseobacterium and Rhodobacter were discerned as the predominant species in naphthalene-enriched culture. They are closely associated to the type strain Chryseobacterium arthrosphaerae and Rhodobacter maris, respectively. Single substrate biodegradation studies with naphthalene (PAH) and benzene (MAH) were carried out using naphthalene-enriched microbial consortium (NAPH). Phenol and 2-hydroxybenzaldehyde were identified as the predominant intermediates during benzene and naphthalene degradation, respectively. Biodegradation of toluene, ethyl benzene, xylene, phenol, and indole by NAPH was also investigated. Monod inhibition model was able to simulate biodegradation kinetics for benzene, whereas multiple substrate biodegradation model was able to simulate biodegradation kinetics for naphthalene.

  3. Deep-biosphere consortium of fungi and prokaryotes in Eocene subseafloor basalts.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bengtson, S; Ivarsson, M; Astolfo, A; Belivanova, V; Broman, C; Marone, F; Stampanoni, M

    2014-11-01

    The deep biosphere of the subseafloor crust is believed to contain a significant part of Earth's biomass, but because of the difficulties of directly observing the living organisms, its composition and ecology are poorly known. We report here a consortium of fossilized prokaryotic and eukaryotic micro-organisms, occupying cavities in deep-drilled vesicular basalt from the Emperor Seamounts, Pacific Ocean, 67.5 m below seafloor (mbsf). Fungal hyphae provide the framework on which prokaryote-like organisms are suspended like cobwebs and iron-oxidizing bacteria form microstromatolites (Frutexites). The spatial inter-relationships show that the organisms were living at the same time in an integrated fashion, suggesting symbiotic interdependence. The community is contemporaneous with secondary mineralizations of calcite partly filling the cavities. The fungal hyphae frequently extend into the calcite, indicating that they were able to bore into the substrate through mineral dissolution. A symbiotic relationship with chemoautotrophs, as inferred for the observed consortium, may be a pre-requisite for the eukaryotic colonization of crustal rocks. Fossils thus open a window to the extant as well as the ancient deep biosphere. © 2014 The Authors. Geobiology Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  4. Evaluation of anti-bacterial and anti-oxidant potential of andrographolide and echiodinin isolated from callus culture of Andrographis paniculata Nees

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arifullah, Mohmmed; Namsa, Nima Dandu; Mandal, Manabendra; Chiruvella, Kishore Kumar; Vikrama, Paritala; Gopal, Ghanta Rama

    2013-01-01

    Objective To evaluate the anti-bacterial and anti-oxidant activity of andrographolide (AND) and echiodinin (ECH) of Andrographis paniculata. Methods In this study, an attempt has been made to demonstrate the anti-microbial and anti-oxidant activity of isolated AND and ECH by broth micro-dilution method and 2,2-diphenyl-2-picryl-hydrazyl (DPPH) assay, respectively. Structure elucidation was determined by electro-spray ionization-MSD, NMR (1H and 13C) and IR spectra. Results AND was effective against most of the strains tested including Mycobacterium smegmatis, showing broad spectrum of growth inhibition activity with Minimum inhibitory concentration values against Staphylococcus aureus (100 µg/mL), Streptococcus thermophilus (350 µg/mL) Bacillus subtilis (100 µg/mL), Escherichia coli (50 µg/mL), Mycobacterium smegmatis (200 µg/mL), Klebsiella pneumonia (100 µg/mL), and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (200 µg/mL). ECH showed specific anti-bacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Bacillus subtilis and Pseudomonas aeruginosa at a concentration higher than 225 µg/mL. Both AND and ECH were not effective against the two yeast strains, Candida albicans and Saccharomyces cerevisiae tested in this study. Conclusion This preliminary study showed promising anti-bacterial activity and moderate free radical scavenging activity of AND and ECH, and it may provide the scientific rationale for its popular folklore medicines. PMID:23905016

  5. Appalachian clean coal technology consortium

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kutz, K.; Yoon, Roe-Hoan

    1995-01-01

    The Appalachian Clean Coal Technology Consortium (ACCTC) has been established to help U.S. coal producers, particularly those in the Appalachian region, increase the production of lower-sulfur coal. The cooperative research conducted as part of the consortium activities will help utilities meet the emissions standards established by the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments, enhance the competitiveness of U.S. coals in the world market, create jobs in economically-depressed coal producing regions, and reduce U.S. dependence on foreign energy supplies. The research activities will be conducted in cooperation with coal companies, equipment manufacturers, and A ampersand E firms working in the Appalachian coal fields. This approach is consistent with President Clinton's initiative in establishing Regional Technology Alliances to meet regional needs through technology development in cooperation with industry. The consortium activities are complementary to the High-Efficiency Preparation program of the Pittsburgh Energy Technology Center, but are broader in scope as they are inclusive of technology developments for both near-term and long-term applications, technology transfer, and training a highly-skilled work force

  6. Appalachian clean coal technology consortium

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kutz, K.; Yoon, Roe-Hoan [Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State Univ., Blacksburg, VA (United States)

    1995-11-01

    The Appalachian Clean Coal Technology Consortium (ACCTC) has been established to help U.S. coal producers, particularly those in the Appalachian region, increase the production of lower-sulfur coal. The cooperative research conducted as part of the consortium activities will help utilities meet the emissions standards established by the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments, enhance the competitiveness of U.S. coals in the world market, create jobs in economically-depressed coal producing regions, and reduce U.S. dependence on foreign energy supplies. The research activities will be conducted in cooperation with coal companies, equipment manufacturers, and A&E firms working in the Appalachian coal fields. This approach is consistent with President Clinton`s initiative in establishing Regional Technology Alliances to meet regional needs through technology development in cooperation with industry. The consortium activities are complementary to the High-Efficiency Preparation program of the Pittsburgh Energy Technology Center, but are broader in scope as they are inclusive of technology developments for both near-term and long-term applications, technology transfer, and training a highly-skilled work force.

  7. A Staff Education Consortium: One Model for Collaboration.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stetler, Cheryl Beth; And Others

    1983-01-01

    Discusses the development, organization, activities, problems, and future of a staff education consortium of five medical center hospitals in Boston. The purposes of the consortium are mutual sharing, reduction in duplication, and cost containment of educational programing. (JOW)

  8. Antibacterial and Antioxidant Activities of Liquidambar Orientalis Mill. Various Extracts Against Bacterial Pathogens Causing Mastitis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gülten Ökmen

    2017-08-01

    Full Text Available Antibiotic resistance is being constantly developed worldwide. Coagulase Negative Staphylococci (CNS and Staphylococcus aureus are common causes of bovine subclinical mastitis. Bioactive compound of medicinal plants shows anti-microbial, anti-mutagenic and anti-oxidant effects. The anti-bacterial and anti-oxidant activities of Liquidambar orientalis (L. orientalis extracts on subclinical mastitis causing bacteria in cows have not been reported to date. The aim of the present study was to examine anti-bacterial and anti-oxidant effects of L. orientalis leaf extracts on S. aureus and CNS isolated from cows with subclinical mastitis symptoms. In this study, 3.2 mg/mL minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC of ethanol extracts of L. orientalis has shown to be a most potent anti-bacterial and anti-oxidant for all isolated bacterial species from mastitis cows. In this study, it was investigated anti-bacterial and anti-oxidant potentials of acetone, methanol and ethanol extracts of the L. orientalis. The acetone extract showed maximum inhibition zone against S. aureus numbered 17 (12 mm. In addition to anti-bacterial properties, anti-oxidant activity of L. orientalis extract was examined by ABTS [2,2'-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid] free radical assay. Trolox was used as a positive control anti-oxidant. Ethanol extract exhibited a strong anti-oxidant activity like Trolox anti-oxidant which was effective at 2.58 mM concentration. Bioactive compounds of sweet gum may be useful to screening mastitis causing bacteria for clinical applications.

  9. Fungal–bacterial consortia increase diuron degradation in water-unsaturated systems

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ellegaard-Jensen, Lea; Knudsen, Berith Elkær; Johansen, Anders

    2014-01-01

    organism. In addition, fungal hyphae may function as transport vectors for bacteria, thereby facilitating a more effective spreading of degrader organisms in the soil. A more rapid mineralization of the phenylurea herbicide diuron was found in sand with added microbial consortia consisting of both...... degrading bacteria and fungi. Facilitated transport of bacteria by fungal hyphae was demonstrated using a system where herbicide-spiked sand was separated from the consortium by a layer of sterile glass beads. Several fungal–bacterial consortia were investigated by combining different diuron...

  10. Nitrogen gas plasma treatment of bacterial spores induces oxidative stress that damages the genomic DNA.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sakudo, Akikazu; Toyokawa, Yoichi; Nakamura, Tetsuji; Yagyu, Yoshihito; Imanishi, Yuichiro

    2017-01-01

    Gas plasma, produced by a short high‑voltage pulse generated from a static induction thyristor power supply [1.5 kilo pulse/sec (kpps)], was demonstrated to inactivate Geobacillus stearothermophilus spores (decimal reduction time at 15 min, 2.48 min). Quantitative polymerase chain reaction and enzyme‑linked immunosorbent assays further indicated that nitrogen gas plasma treatment for 15 min decreased the level of intact genomic DNA and increased the level of 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine, a major product of DNA oxidation. Three potential inactivation factors were generated during operation of the gas plasma instrument: Heat, longwave ultraviolet-A and oxidative stress (production of hydrogen peroxide, nitrite and nitrate). Treatment of the spores with hydrogen peroxide (3x2‑4%) effectively inactivated the bacteria, whereas heat treatment (100˚C), exposure to UV-A (75‑142 mJ/cm2) and 4.92 mM peroxynitrite (•ONOO‑), which is decomposed into nitrite and nitrate, did not. The results of the present study suggest the gas plasma treatment inactivates bacterial spores primarily by generating hydrogen peroxide, which contributes to the oxidation of the host genomic DNA.

  11. Corn in consortium with forages

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Cássia Maria de Paula Garcia

    2013-12-01

    Full Text Available The basic premises for sustainable agricultural development with focus on rural producers are reducing the costs of production and aggregation of values through the use crop-livestock system (CLS throughout the year. The CLS is based on the consortium of grain crops, especially corn with tropical forages, mainly of the genus Panicum and Urochloa. The study aimed to evaluate the grain yield of irrigated corn crop intercropped with forage of the genus Panicum and Urochloa. The experiment was conducted at the Fazenda de Ensino, Pesquisa e Extensão – FEPE  of the Faculdade de Engenharia - UNESP, Ilha Solteira in an Oxisol in savannah conditions and in the autumn winter of 2009. The experimental area was irrigated by a center pivot and had a history of no-tillage system for 8 years. The corn hybrid used was simple DKB 390 YG at distances of 0.90 m. The seeds of grasses were sown in 0.34 m spacing in the amount of 5 kg ha-1, they were mixed with fertilizer minutes before sowing  and placed in a compartment fertilizer seeder and fertilizers were mechanically deposited in the soil at a depth of 0.03 m. The experimental design used was a randomized block with four replications and five treatments: Panicum maximum cv. Tanzania sown during the nitrogen fertilization (CTD of the corn; Panicum maximum cv. Mombaça sown during the nitrogen fertilization (CMD of the corn; Urochloa brizantha cv. Xaraés sown during the occasion of nitrogen fertilization (CBD of the corn; Urochloa ruziziensis cv. Comumsown during the nitrogen fertilization (CRD of the corn and single corn (control. The production components of corn: plant population per hectare (PlPo, number of ears per hectare (NE ha-1, number of rows per ear (NRE, number of kernels per row on the cob (NKR, number of grain in the ear (NGE and mass of 100 grains (M100G were not influenced by consortium with forage. Comparing grain yield (GY single corn and maize intercropped with forage of the genus Panicum

  12. Functional consortium for denitrifying sulfide removal process.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Chuan; Ren, Nanqi; Wang, Aijie; Liu, Lihong; Lee, Duu-Jong

    2010-03-01

    Denitrifying sulfide removal (DSR) process simultaneously converts sulfide, nitrate, and chemical oxygen demand from industrial wastewaters to elemental sulfur, nitrogen gas, and carbon dioxide, respectively. This investigation utilizes a dilution-to-extinction approach at 10(-2) to 10(-6) dilutions to elucidate the correlation between the composition of the microbial community and the DSR performance. In the original suspension and in 10(-2) dilution, the strains Stenotrophomonas sp., Thauera sp., and Azoarcus sp. are the heterotrophic denitrifiers and the strains Paracoccus sp. and Pseudomonas sp. are the sulfide-oxidizing denitrifers. The 10(-4) dilution is identified as the functional consortium for the present DSR system, which comprises two functional strains, Stenotrophomonas sp. strain Paracoccus sp. At 10(-6) dilution, all DSR performance was lost. The functions of the constituent cells in the DSR granules were discussed based on data obtained using the dilution-to-extinction approach.

  13. Fiber Fabrication Facility for Non-Oxide and Specialty Glasses

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Laboratory Consortium — FUNCTION: Unique facility for the research, development, and fabrication of non-oxide and specialty glasses and fibers in support of Navy/DoD programs.DESCRIPTION:...

  14. An oxidative burst and its attenuation by bacterial peroxidase activity is required for optimal establishment of the Arachis hypogaea-Bradyrhizobium sp. symbiosis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Muñoz, V; Ibáñez, F; Figueredo, M S; Fabra, A

    2016-07-01

    The main purpose of this study was to determine whether the Arachis hypogaea L. root oxidative burst, produced at early stages of its symbiotic interaction with Bradyrhizobium sp. SEMIA 6144, and the bacterial antioxidant system are required for the successful development of this interaction. Pharmacological approaches were used to reduce both plant oxidative burst and bacterial peroxidase enzyme activity. In plants whose H2 O2 levels were decreased, a low nodule number, a reduction in the proportion of red nodules (%) and an increase in the bacteroid density were found. The symbiotic phenotype of plants inoculated with a Bradyrhizobium sp. SEMIA 6144 culture showing decreased peroxidase activity was also affected, since the biomass production, nodule number and percentage of red nodules in these plants were lower than in plants inoculated with Bradyrhizobium sp. control cultures. We demonstrated for the first time that the oxidative burst triggered at the early events of the symbiotic interaction in peanut, is a prerequisite for the efficient development of root nodules, and that the antioxidant system of bradyrhizobial peanut symbionts, particularly the activity of peroxidases, is counteracting this oxidative burst for the successful establishment of the symbiosis. Our results provide new insights into the mechanisms involved in the development of the symbiotic interaction established in A. hypogaea L. a legume infected in an intercellular way. © 2016 The Society for Applied Microbiology.

  15. Kansas Wind Energy Consortium

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gruenbacher, Don [Kansas State Univ., Manhattan, KS (United States)

    2015-12-31

    This project addresses both fundamental and applied research problems that will help with problems defined by the DOE “20% Wind by 2030 Report”. In particular, this work focuses on increasing the capacity of small or community wind generation capabilities that would be operated in a distributed generation approach. A consortium (KWEC – Kansas Wind Energy Consortium) of researchers from Kansas State University and Wichita State University aims to dramatically increase the penetration of wind energy via distributed wind power generation. We believe distributed generation through wind power will play a critical role in the ability to reach and extend the renewable energy production targets set by the Department of Energy. KWEC aims to find technical and economic solutions to enable widespread implementation of distributed renewable energy resources that would apply to wind.

  16. Mercury mobilization and speciation linked to bacterial iron oxide and sulfate reduction: A column study to mimic reactive transfer in an anoxic aquifer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hellal, Jennifer; Guédron, Stéphane; Huguet, Lucie; Schäfer, Jörg; Laperche, Valérie; Joulian, Catherine; Lanceleur, Laurent; Burnol, André; Ghestem, Jean-Philippe; Garrido, Francis; Battaglia-Brunet, Fabienne

    2015-09-01

    Mercury (Hg) mobility and speciation in subsurface aquifers is directly linked to its surrounding geochemical and microbial environment. The role of bacteria on Hg speciation (i.e., methylation, demethylation and reduction) is well documented, however little data is available on their impact on Hg mobility. The aim of this study was to test if (i) Hg mobility is due to either direct iron oxide reduction by iron reducing bacteria (IRB) or indirect iron reduction by sulfide produced by sulfate reducing bacteria (SRB), and (ii) to investigate its subsequent fate and speciation. Experiments were carried out in an original column setup combining geochemical and microbiological approaches that mimic an aquifer including an interface of iron-rich and iron depleted zones. Two identical glass columns containing iron oxides spiked with Hg(II) were submitted to (i) direct iron reduction by IRB and (ii) to indirect iron reduction by sulfides produced by SRB. Results show that in both columns Hg was leached and methylated during the height of bacterial activity. In the column where IRB are dominant, Hg methylation and leaching from the column was directly correlated to bacterial iron reduction (i.e., Fe(II) release). In opposition, when SRB are dominant, produced sulfide induced indirect iron oxide reduction and rapid adsorption of leached Hg (or produced methylmercury) on neoformed iron sulfides (e.g., Mackinawite) or its precipitation as HgS. At the end of the SRB column experiment, when iron-oxide reduction was complete, filtered Hg and Fe concentrations increased at the outlet suggesting a leaching of Hg bound to FeS colloids that may be a dominant mechanism of Hg transport in aquifer environments. These experimental results highlight different biogeochemical mechanisms that can occur in stratified sub-surface aquifers where bacterial activities play a major role on Hg mobility and changes in speciation. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  17. A marine microbial consortium apparently mediating anaerobic oxidation of methane

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Boetius, A.; Ravenschlag, K.; Schubert, CJ

    2000-01-01

    microorganisms mediating this reaction have not yet been isolated, and the pathway of anaerobic oxidation of methane is insufficiently understood. Recent data suggest that certain archaea reverse the process of methanogenesis by interaction with sulphate-reducing bacteria(5-7). Here we provide microscopic...... cells and are surrounded by sulphate-reducing bacteria. These aggregates were abundant in gas-hydrate-rich sediments with extremely high rates of methane-based sulphate reduction, and apparently mediate anaerobic oxidation of methane.......A large fraction of globally produced methane is converted to CO2 by anaerobic oxidation in marine sediments(1). Strong geochemical evidence for net methane consumption in anoxic sediments is based on methane profiles(2), radiotracer experiments(3) and stable carbon isotope data(4). But the elusive...

  18. Bacterial Nitric Oxide Synthase Is Required for the Staphylococcus aureus Response to Heme Stress.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Surdel, Matthew C; Dutter, Brendan F; Sulikowski, Gary A; Skaar, Eric P

    2016-08-12

    Staphylococcus aureus is a pathogen that causes significant morbidity and mortality worldwide. Within the vertebrate host, S. aureus requires heme as a nutrient iron source and as a cofactor for multiple cellular processes. Although required for pathogenesis, excess heme is toxic. S. aureus employs a two-component system, the heme sensor system (HssRS), to sense and protect against heme toxicity. Upon activation, HssRS induces the expression of the heme-regulated transporter (HrtAB), an efflux pump that alleviates heme toxicity. The ability to sense and respond to heme is critical for the pathogenesis of numerous Gram-positive organisms, yet the mechanism of heme sensing remains unknown. Compound '3981 was identified in a high-throughput screen as an activator of staphylococcal HssRS that triggers HssRS independently of heme accumulation. '3981 is toxic to S. aureus; however, derivatives of '3981 were synthesized that lack toxicity while retaining HssRS activation, enabling the interrogation of the heme stress response without confounding toxic effects of the parent molecule. Using '3981 derivatives as probes of the heme stress response, numerous genes required for '3981-induced activation of HssRS were uncovered. Specifically, multiple genes involved in the production of nitric oxide were identified, including the gene encoding bacterial nitric oxide synthase (bNOS). bNOS protects S. aureus from oxidative stress imposed by heme. Taken together, this work identifies bNOS as crucial for the S. aureus heme stress response, providing evidence that nitric oxide synthesis and heme sensing are intertwined.

  19. Migrating from Informal to Formal Consortium — COSTLI Issues

    Science.gov (United States)

    Birdie, C.; Patil, Y. M.

    2010-10-01

    There are many models of library consortia which have come into existence due to various reasons and compulsions. FORSA (Forum for Resource Sharing in Astronomy) is an informal consortium born from the links between academic institutions specializing in astronomy in India. FORSA is a cooperative venture initiated by library professionals. Though this consortium was formed mainly for inter-lending activities and bibliographic access, it has matured over the years to adopt the consortium approach on cooperative acquisitions, due to increased requirements.

  20. Bacterial growth and substrate degradation by BTX-oxidizing culture in response to salt stress.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Chi-Yuan; Lin, Ching-Hsing

    2006-01-01

    Interactions between microbial growth and substrate degradation are important in determining the performance of trickle-bed bioreactors (TBB), especially when salt is added to reduce biomass formation in order to alleviate media clogging. This study was aimed at quantifying salinity effects on bacterial growth and substrate degradation, and at acquiring kinetic information in order to improve the design and operation of TBB. Experiment works began by cultivating a mixed culture in a chemostat reactor receiving artificial influent containing a mixture of benzene, toluene, and xylene (BTX), followed by using the enrichment culture to degrade the individual BTX substrates under a particular salinity, which ranged 0-50 g l(-1) in batch mode. Then, the measured concentrations of biomass and residual substrate versus time were analyzed with the microbial kinetics; moreover, the obtained microbial kinetic constants under various salinities were modeled using noncompetitive inhibition kinetics. For the three substrates the observed bacterial yields appeared to be decreased from 0.51-0.74 to 0.20-0.22 mg mg(-1) and the maximum specific rate of substrate utilization, q, declined from 0.25-0.42 to 0.07-0.11 h(-1), as the salinity increased from 0 to 50 NaCl g l(-1). The NaCl acted as noncompetitive inhibitor, where the modeling inhibitions of the coefficients, K ( T(S)), were 22.7-29.7 g l(-1) for substrate degradation and K ( T(mu)), 13.0-19.0 g l(-1), for biomass formation. The calculated ratios for the bacterial maintenance rate, m (S), to q, further indicated that the percentage energy spent on maintenance increased from 19-24 to 86-91% as salinity level increased from 0 to 50 g l(-1). These results revealed that the bacterial growth was more inhibited than substrate degradation by the BTX oxidizers under the tested salinity levels. The findings from this study demonstrate the potential of applying NaCl salt to control excessive biomass formation in biotrickling filters.

  1. Northern New Jersey Nursing Education Consortium: a partnership for graduate nursing education.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Quinless, F W; Levin, R F

    1998-01-01

    The purpose of this article is to describe the evolution and implementation of the Northern New Jersey Nursing Education consortium--a consortium of seven member institutions established in 1992. Details regarding the specific functions of the consortium relative to cross-registration of students in graduate courses, financial disbursement of revenue, faculty development activities, student services, library privileges, and institutional research review board mechanisms are described. The authors also review the administrative organizational structure through which the work conducted by the consortium occurs. Both the advantages and disadvantages of such a graduate consortium are explored, and specific examples of recent potential and real conflicts are fully discussed. The authors detail governance and structure of the consortium as a potential model for replication in other environments.

  2. Tide as steering factor in structuring archaeal and bacterial ammonia-oxidizing communities in mangrove forest soils dominated by Avicennia germinans and Rhizophora mangle

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Marcos, Magali S.; Barboza, A.D.H.; Keijzer, R.M.; Laanbroek, H.J.

    2018-01-01

    Mangrove species are adapted to grow at specific zones in a tidal gradient. Here we tested the hypothesis that the archaeal and bacterial ammonia-oxidizing microbial communities differ in soils dominated by the mangrove species Avicennia germinans and Rhizophora mangle. Two of the sampling locations

  3. The Campylobacter jejuni MarR-like transcriptional regulators RrpA and RrpB both influence bacterial responses to oxidative and aerobic stresses

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ozan eGundogdu

    2015-07-01

    Full Text Available The ability of the human intestinal pathogen Campylobacter jejuni to respond to oxidative stress is central to bacterial survival both in vivo during infection and in the environment. Re-annotation of the C. jejuni NCTC11168 genome revealed the presence of two MarR-type transcriptional regulators Cj1546 and Cj1556, originally annotated as hypothetical proteins, which we have designated RrpA and RrpB (regulator of response to peroxide respectively. Previously we demonstrated a role for RrpB in both oxidative and aerobic (O2 stress and that RrpB was a DNA binding protein with auto-regulatory activity, typical of MarR-type transcriptional regulators. In this study, we show that RrpA is also a DNA binding protein and that a rrpA mutant in strain 11168H exhibits increased sensitivity to hydrogen peroxide oxidative stress. Mutation of either rrpA or rrpB reduces catalase (KatA expression. However a rrpAB double mutant exhibits higher levels of resistance to hydrogen peroxide oxidative stress, with levels of KatA expression similar to the wild-type strain. Neither the rrpA nor rrpB mutant exhibits any significant difference in sensitivity to either cumene hydroperoxide or menadione oxidative stresses, but both mutants exhibit a reduced ability to survive aerobic (O2 stress, enhanced biofilm formation and reduced virulence in the Galleria mellonella infection model. The rrpAB double mutant exhibits wild-type levels of biofilm formation and wild-type levels of virulence in the Galleria mellonella infection model. Together these data indicate a role for both RrpA and RrpB in the C. jejuni peroxide oxidative and aerobic (O2 stress responses, enhancing bacterial survival in vivo and in the environment.

  4. Humin as an electron donor for enhancement of multiple microbial reduction reactions with different redox potentials in a consortium.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Dongdong; Zhang, Chunfang; Xiao, Zhixing; Suzuki, Daisuke; Katayama, Arata

    2015-02-01

    A solid-phase humin, acting as an electron donor, was able to enhance multiple reductive biotransformations, including dechlorination of pentachlorophenol (PCP), dissimilatory reduction of amorphous Fe (III) oxide (FeOOH), and reduction of nitrate, in a consortium. Humin that was chemically reduced by NaBH4 served as an electron donor for these microbial reducing reactions, with electron donating capacities of 0.013 mmol e(-)/g for PCP dechlorination, 0.15 mmol e(-)/g for iron reduction, and 0.30 mmol e(-)/g for nitrate reduction. Two pairs of oxidation and reduction peaks within the humin were detected by cyclic voltammetry analysis. 16S rRNA gene sequencing-based microbial community analysis of the consortium incubated with different terminal electron acceptors, suggested that Dehalobacter sp., Bacteroides sp., and Sulfurospirillum sp. were involved in the PCP dechlorination, dissimilatory iron reduction, and nitrate reduction, respectively. These findings suggested that humin functioned as a versatile redox mediator, donating electrons for multiple respiration reactions with different redox potentials. Copyright © 2014 The Society for Biotechnology, Japan. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  5. Degradation and mineralization of high-molecular-weight polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons by defined fungal-bacterial cocultures

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Boonchan, S.; Britz, M.L.; Stanley, G.A.

    2000-01-01

    This study investigated the biodegradation of high-molecular-weight polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in liquid media and soil by bacteria (Stenotrophomonas maltophilia VUN 10,010 and bacterial consortium VUN 10,009) and a fungus (Penicillium janthinellum VUO 10,201) that were isolated from separate creosote- and manufactured-gas plant-contaminated soils. The bacteria could use pyrene as their sole carbon and energy source in a basal salts medium (BSM) and mineralized significant amounts of benzo[a]pyrene cometabolically when pyrene was also present in BSM. P. janthinellum VUO 10,201 could not utilize any high-molecular-weight PAH as sole carbon and energy source but could partially degrade these if cultured in a nutrient broth. Although small amounts of chrysene, benz[a]pyrene, and dibenz[a,h]anthracene were degraded by axenic cultures of these isolates in BSM containing a single PAH, such conditions did not support significant microbial growth or PAH mineralization. However, significant degradation of, and microbial growth on, pyrene, chrysene, benz[a]anthracene, benzo[a]pyrene, and dibenz[a,h]anthracene, each as a single PAH in BSM, occurred when P. janthinellum VUO 10,201 and either bacterial consortium VUN 10,009 or S. maltophilia VUN 10,010 were combined in the one culture, i.e., fungal-bacterial cocultures: 25% of the benzo[a]pyrene was mineralized to CO 2 by these cocultures over 49 days, accompanied by transient accumulation and disappearance of intermediates detected by high-pressure liquid chromatography. Inoculation of fungal-bacterial cocultures into PAH-contaminated soil resulted in significantly improved degradation of high-molecular-weight PAHs, benzo[a]pyrene mineralization, and reduction in the mutagenicity of organic soil extracts, compared with the indigenous microbes and soil amended with only axenic inocula

  6. SPECIFIC FEATURES OF NATIVE CHEMOLITHOTROPHIC MICROBIOTA WASTES PRODUCED BY ENERGY INDUSTRY

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    I. A. Blayda

    2015-10-01

    Full Text Available The study's aims were to isolate and establish pure cultures of prevailing microorganisms from the aboriginal consortium in coal fly ash (FAAC, describe their physiology, biochemistry and practically-useful properties, and compare the efficiency of bioleaching metals from fly ash using pure cultures and the consortium. Through enrichment cultures on standard media we isolated pure cultures of the microorganisms which were then preliminarily identified using standard techniques. This allowed us to isolate from FAAC pure cultures of three prevailing strains of mesophilic and moderately thermophilic acidophilic chemolithotrophic bacteriae, belonging to Acidithiobacillus, such as Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans, and Sulfobacillus. The strains exhibited high oxidative activity in leaching the rare metals Gallium and Germanium, as well as some heavy metals, from fly ash substrate. A comparison of oxidative activity of the isolated strains and the aboriginal consortium under mesophilic conditions led to the conclusion about advantage of consortium, because it had arisen from syntrophy of microbes in the community. This should be taken into account at the developing of bacterial preparations that are optimal for the technogenic substrate.

  7. Atlantic Coast Environmental Indicators Consortium

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Laboratory Consortium — n 2000, the US EPA granted authority to establish up to five Estuarine Indicator Research Programs. These Programs were designed to identify, evaluate, recommend and...

  8. Sequential addition of H{sub 2} O{sub 2}, pH and solvent effects as key factors in the oxidation of 2,4,6-tri-chloro-phenol catalyzed by iron tetra-sulfo-phthalocyanine; Facteur cles dans l`oxydation du 2,4,6-trichlorophenol catalysee par la tetrasulfophtalocyanine de fer: ajout sequentiel d`eau oxygenee, effets du pH et du solvant

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hadasch, A.; Sorokin, A.; Meunier, B. [Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), 31 - Toulouse (France). Lab. de Chimie de Coordination; Rabion, A. [Centre de Recherche ELF-Atochem, Departement Chimie Organique et Biochimie, 64 - Artix (France)

    1998-01-01

    Degradation of chlorinated aromatics is an important environmental research field since these compounds are among the most recalcitrant pollutants. With hydrogen peroxide, iron tetra-sulfo-phthalocyanine (FePcS) has been shown to catalyze aromatic ring cleavage of 2,4,6-tri-chloro-phenol (TCP). Here are reported new data on the key factors controlling the catalytic activity of the FePcS-H{sub 2} O{sub 2} system in the oxidation of TCP: the sequential addition of H{sub 2} O{sub 2} and the pH and solvent effects on the monomer/dimer equilibria of the catalyst precursors. The efficiency of the H{sub 2}O{sub 2} oxidation TCP catalyzed by FePcS is highly dependent on the pH value of the reaction mixture, the local hydrogen peroxide concentration and the organisation of FePcS molecules in solution. Among the several forms of FePcS in aqueous solutions (dimer or monomer), monomeric FePcS is proposed to be the catalytically active complex. The key role of the organic co-solvent (acetonitrile, acetone, alcohol,...) is to shift the dimer/monomer equilibrium toward monometric FePcS, the efficient catalyst precursor. A stepwise addition of hydrogen peroxide significantly improves the conversion of TCP and allows a low catalyst loading, below 1% with respect to the pollutant, to improves the conversion of TCP and allows a low catalyst loading, below 1% with respect to the pollutant, to be used. (authors) 23 refs.

  9. Phosphorus mobilizing consortium Mammoth P™ enhances plant growth

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bell, Colin; Mancini, Lauren M.; Lee, Melanie N.; Conant, Richard T.; Wallenstein, Matthew D.

    2016-01-01

    Phosphorus (P) is a critical nutrient used to maximize plant growth and yield. Current agriculture management practices commonly experience low plant P use efficiency due to natural chemical sorption and transformations when P fertilizer is applied to soils. A perplexing challenge facing agriculture production is finding sustainable solutions to deliver P more efficiently to plants. Using prescribed applications of specific soil microbial assemblages to mobilize soil bound—P to improve crop nutrient uptake and productivity has rarely been employed. We investigated whether inoculation of soils with a bacterial consortium developed to mobilize soil P, named Mammoth PTM, could increase plant productivity. In turf, herbs, and fruits, the combination of conventional inorganic fertilizer combined with Mammoth PTM increased productivity up to twofold compared to the fertilizer treatments without the Mammoth PTM inoculant. Jalapeño plants were found to bloom more rapidly when treated with either Mammoth P. In wheat trials, we found that Mammoth PTM by itself was able to deliver yields equivalent to those achieved with conventional inorganic fertilizer applications and improved productivity more than another biostimulant product. Results from this study indicate the substantial potential of Mammoth PTM to enhance plant growth and crop productivity. PMID:27326379

  10. The nation's first consortium to address waste management issues

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mikel, C.J.

    1991-01-01

    On July 26, 1989, the secretary of the Department of Energy (DOE), Admiral James Watkins, announced approval of the Waste-Management Education and Research Consortium (WERC). The consortium is composed of New Mexico State University (NMSU), the University of New Mexico, the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology, Los Alamos National Laboratory, and Sandia National Laboratories. This pilot program is expected to form a model for other regional and national programs. The WERC mission is to expand the national capability to address issues associated with the management of hazardous, radioactive, and solid waste. Research, technology transfer, and education/training are the three areas that have been identified to accomplish the objectives set by the consortium. The members of the consortium will reach out to the DOE facilities, other government agencies and facilities, and private institutions across the country. Their goal is to provide resources for solutions to waste management problems

  11. NCI Pediatric Preclinical Testing Consortium

    Science.gov (United States)

    NCI has awarded grants to five research teams to participate in its Pediatric Preclinical Testing Consortium, which is intended to help to prioritize which agents to pursue in pediatric clinical trials.

  12. Renewable Generators' Consortium: ensuring a market for green electricity

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1999-03-01

    This project summary focuses on the objectives and key achievements of the Renewable Generators Consortium (RGC) which was established to help renewable energy projects under the Non-Fossil Fuel Obligation (NFFO) to continue to generate in the open liberated post-1998 electricity market. The background to the NFFO is traced, and the development of the Consortium, and the attitudes of generators and suppliers to the Consortium are discussed along with the advantages of collective negotiations through the RGC, the Heads of Terms negotiations, and the success of RGC which has demonstrated the demand for green electricity

  13. Computational Astrophysics Consortium 3 - Supernovae, Gamma-Ray Bursts and Nucleosynthesis

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Woosley, Stan [Univ. of California, Santa Cruz, CA (United States)

    2014-08-29

    Final project report for UCSC's participation in the Computational Astrophysics Consortium - Supernovae, Gamma-Ray Bursts and Nucleosynthesis. As an appendix, the report of the entire Consortium is also appended.

  14. Cultivation of algae consortium in a dairy farm wastewater for biodiesel production

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    S. Hena

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available Dairy farm wastewaters are potential resources for production of microalgae biofuels. A study was conducted to evaluate the capability of production of biodiesel from consortium of native microalgae culture in dairy farm treated wastewater. Native algal strains were isolated from dairy farm wastewaters collection tank (untreated wastewater as well as from holding tank (treated wastewater. The consortium members were selected on the basis of fluorescence response after treating with Nile red reagent. Preliminary studies of two commercial and consortium of ten native strains of algae showed good growth in wastewaters. A consortium of native strains was found capable to remove more than 98% nutrients from treated wastewater. The biomass production and lipid content of consortium cultivated in treated wastewater were 153.54 t ha−1 year−1 and 16.89%, respectively. 72.70% of algal lipid obtained from consortium could be converted into biodiesel.

  15. Biotransformation of hexahydro-1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazine (RDX) by a prospective consortium and its most effective isolate Serratia marcescens

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Young, D.M.; Ogden, K.L. [Univ. of Arizona, Tucson, AZ (United States). Dept. of Chemical and Environmental Engineering; Unkefer, P.J. [Los Alamos National Lab., NM (United States). Chemical Science and Technology Div.

    1997-03-05

    The biotransformation of hexahydro-1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5 triazine (RDX) has been observed in liquid culture by a consortium of bacteria found in horse manure. Five types of bacteria were found to predominate in the consortium and were isolated. The most effective of these isolates at transforming RDX was Serratia marcescens. The biotransformation of RDX by all of these bacteria was found to occur only in the anoxic stationary phase. The process of bacterial growth and RDX biotransformation was quantified for the purpose of developing a predictive type model. Cell growth was assumed to follow Monod kinetics. All of the aerobic and anoxid growth parameters were determined: {mu}{sub max}, K{sub s}, and Y{sub x/s}. RDX was found to competitively inhibit cell growth in both atmospheres. Degradation of RDX by Serratia marcescens was found to proceed through the stepwise reduction of the three nitro groups to nitroso groups. Each of these reductions was found to be first order in both component and cell concentrations. The degradation rate constant for the first step in this reduction process by the consortium was 0.022 L/g cells {center_dot} h compared to 0.033 L/g cells {center_dot} h for the most efficient isolate.

  16. The Genomic Standards Consortium

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Field, Dawn; Amaral-Zettler, Linda; Cochrane, Guy

    2011-01-01

    Standards Consortium (GSC), an open-membership organization that drives community-based standardization activities, Here we provide a short history of the GSC, provide an overview of its range of current activities, and make a call for the scientific community to join forces to improve the quality...

  17. Population structure of manganese-oxidizing bacteria in stratified soils and properties of manganese oxide aggregates under manganese-complex medium enrichment.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Weihong Yang

    Full Text Available Manganese-oxidizing bacteria in the aquatic environment have been comprehensively investigated. However, little information is available about the distribution and biogeochemical significance of these bacteria in terrestrial soil environments. In this study, stratified soils were initially examined to investigate the community structure and diversity of manganese-oxidizing bacteria. Total 344 culturable bacterial isolates from all substrata exhibited Mn(II-oxidizing activities at the range of 1 µM to 240 µM of the equivalent MnO2. The high Mn(II-oxidizing isolates (>50 mM MnO2 were identified as the species of phyla Actinobacteria, Firmicutes and Proteobacteria. Seven novel Mn(II-oxidizing bacterial genera (species, namely, Escherichia, Agromyces, Cellulomonas, Cupriavidus, Microbacterium, Ralstonia, and Variovorax, were revealed via comparative phylogenetic analysis. Moreover, an increase in the diversity of soil bacterial community was observed after the combined enrichment of Mn(II and carbon-rich complex. The phylogenetic classification of the enriched bacteria represented by predominant denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis bands, was apparently similar to culturable Mn(II-oxidizing bacteria. The experiments were further undertaken to investigate the properties of the Mn oxide aggregates formed by the bacterial isolates with high Mn(II-oxidizing activity. Results showed that these bacteria were closely encrusted with their Mn oxides and formed regular microspherical aggregates under prolonged Mn(II and carbon-rich medium enrichment for three weeks. The biotic oxidation of Mn(II to Mn(III/IV by these isolates was confirmed by kinetic examinations. X-ray diffraction assays showed the characteristic peaks of several Mn oxides and rhodochrosite from these aggregates. Leucoberbelin blue tests also verified the Mn(II-oxidizing activity of these aggregates. These results demonstrated that Mn oxides were formed at certain amounts under the

  18. Inland valley research in sub-Saharan Africa; priorities for a regional consortium

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Jamin, J.Y.; Andriesse, W.; Thiombiano, L.; Windmeijer, P.N.

    1996-01-01

    These proceedings are an account of an international workshop in support of research strategy development for the Inland Valley Consortium in sub-Saharan Africa. This consortium aims at concerted research planning for rice-based cropping systems in the lower parts of inland valleys. The Consortium

  19. Nanobiocomposite platform based on polyaniline-iron oxide-carbon nanotubes for bacterial detection.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Singh, Renu; Verma, Rachna; Sumana, G; Srivastava, Avanish Kumar; Sood, Seema; Gupta, Rajinder K; Malhotra, B D

    2012-08-01

    The nanocomposite based on polyaniline (PANI)-iron oxide nanoparticles (nFe(3)O(4)) and multi walled carbon-nanotubes (CNT) has been fabricated onto indium tin oxide (ITO) coated glass plate via facile electrochemical synthesis of polyaniline in presence of nFe(3)O(4) (~20 nm) and CNT (20-80 nm in diameter). The results of transmission electron microscopic studies show evidence of coating of PANI and nFe(3)O(4) onto the CNT. The PANI-nFe(3)O(4)-CNT/ITO nanoelectrode has been characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy studies. The biotinylated nucleic acid probe sequence consisting of 20 bases has been immobilized onto PANI-nFe(3)O(4)-CNT/ITO nanoelectrode using biotin-avidin coupling. It is shown that the PANI-nFe(3)O(4)-CNT platform based biosensor can be used to specifically detect bacteria (N. gonorrhoeae) at minute concentration as low as (1×10(-19) M) indicating high sensitivity within 45 s of hybridization time at 298 K by differential pulse voltammetry using methylene blue as electroactive indicator. This bacterial sensor has also been tested with 4 positive and 4 negative PCR amplicons of gonorrhoea affected patient samples. The results of these studies have implications towards the fabrication of a handheld device for Neisseria gonorrhoeae detection that may perhaps result in a decrease in the human immunodeficiency virus infections. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  20. Macroscopic biofilms in fracture-dominated sediment that anaerobically oxidize methane

    Science.gov (United States)

    Briggs, B.R.; Pohlman, J.W.; Torres, M.; Riedel, M.; Brodie, E.L.; Colwell, F.S.

    2011-01-01

    Methane release from seafloor sediments is moderated, in part, by the anaerobic oxidation of methane (AOM) performed by consortia of archaea and bacteria. These consortia occur as isolated cells and aggregates within the sulfate-methane transition (SMT) of diffusion and seep-dominant environments. Here we report on a new SMT setting where the AOM consortium occurs as macroscopic pink to orange biofilms within subseafloor fractures. Biofilm samples recovered from the Indian and northeast Pacific Oceans had a cellular abundance of 10 7 to 10 8 cells cm -3. This cell density is 2 to 3 orders of magnitude greater than that in the surrounding sediments. Sequencing of bacterial 16S rRNA genes indicated that the bacterial component is dominated by Deltaproteobacteria, candidate division WS3, and Chloroflexi, representing 46%, 15%, and 10% of clones, respectively. In addition, major archaeal taxa found in the biofilm were related to the ANME-1 clade, Thermoplasmatales, and Desulfurococcales, representing 73%, 11%, and 10% of archaeal clones, respectively. The sequences of all major taxa were similar to sequences previously reported from cold seep environments. PhyloChip microarray analysis detected all bacterial phyla identified by the clone library plus an additional 44 phyla. However, sequencing detected more archaea than the PhyloChip within the phyla of Methanosarcinales and Desulfurococcales. The stable carbon isotope composition of the biofilm from the SMT (-35 to-43%) suggests that the production of the biofilm is associated with AOM. These biofilms are a novel, but apparently widespread, aggregation of cells represented by the ANME-1 clade that occur in methane-rich marine sediments. ?? 2011, American Society for Microbiology.

  1. Spatially resolved characterization of biogenic manganese oxideproduction within a bacterial biofilm

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Toner, Brandy; Fakra, Sirine; Villalobos, Mario; Warwick, Tony; Sposito, Garrison

    2004-10-01

    Pseudomonas putida strain MnB1, a biofilm forming bacteria, was used as a model for the study of bacterial Mn oxidation in freshwater and soil environments. The oxidation of Mn{sub (aq)}{sup +2} by P. putida was characterized by spatially and temporally resolving the oxidation state of Mn in the presence of a bacterial biofilm using scanning transmission x-ray microscopy (STXM) combined with near edge x-ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS) spectroscopy at the Mn-L{sub 2,3} absorption edges. Subsamples were collected from growth flasks containing 0.1 mM and 1 mM total Mn at 16, 24, 36 and 48 hours after inoculation. Immediately after collection, the unprocessed hydrated subsamples were imaged at 40 nm resolution. Manganese NEXAFS spectra were extracted from x-ray energy sequences of STXM images (stacks) and fit with linear combinations of well characterized reference spectra to obtain quantitative relative abundances of Mn(II), Mn(III) and Mn(IV). Careful consideration was given to uncertainty in the normalization of the reference spectra, choice of reference compounds, and chemical changes due to radiation damage. The STXM results confirm that Mn{sub (aq)}{sup +2} was removed from solution by P. putida and was concentrated as Mn(III) and Mn(IV) immediately adjacent to the bacterial cells. The Mn precipitates were completely enveloped by bacterial biofilm material. The distribution of Mn oxidation states was spatially heterogeneous within and between the clusters of bacterial cells. Scanning transmission x-ray microscopy is a promising tool to advance the study of hydrated interfaces between minerals and bacteria, particularly in cases where the structure of bacterial biofilms needs to be maintained.

  2. Dark fermentative biohydrogen production by mesophilic bacterial consortia isolated from riverbed sediments

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Singh, Sneha; Sudhakaran, Anu K.; Sarma, Priyangshu Manab; Subudhi, Sanjukta; Mandal, Ajoy Kumar; Lal, Banwari [Environmental and Industrial Biotechnology Division, The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI), Habitat Place, Darbari Seth Block, Lodhi Road, New Delhi 110003 (India); Gandham, Ganesh [Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited, Mumbai Refinery, B. D. Patil Marg, Mahul, Mumbai 400074 (India)

    2010-10-15

    Dark fermentative bacterial strains were isolated from riverbed sediments and investigated for hydrogen production. A series of batch experiments were conducted to study the effect of pH, substrate concentration and temperature on hydrogen production from a selected bacterial consortium, TERI BH05. Batch experiments for fermentative conversion of sucrose, starch, glucose, fructose, and xylose indicated that TERI BH05 effectively utilized all the five sugars to produce fermentative hydrogen. Glucose was the most preferred carbon source indicating highest hydrogen yields of 22.3 mmol/L. Acetic and butyric acid were the major soluble metabolites detected. Investigation on optimization of pH, temperature, and substrate concentration revealed that TERI BH05 produced maximum hydrogen at 37 C, pH 6 with 8 g/L of glucose supplementation and maximum yield of hydrogen production observed was 2.0-2.3 mol H{sub 2}/mol glucose. Characterization of TERI BH05 revealed the presence of two different bacterial strains showing maximum homology to Clostridium butyricum and Clostridium bifermentans. (author)

  3. Urban Consortium Energy Task Force - Year 21 Final Report

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    2003-04-01

    The Urban Consortium Energy Task Force (UCETF), comprised of representatives of large cities and counties in the United States, is a subgroup of the Urban Consortium, an organization of the nation's largest cities and counties joined together to identify, develop and deploy innovative approaches and technological solutions to pressing urban issues.

  4. The Campylobacter jejuni MarR-like transcriptional regulators RrpA and RrpB both influence bacterial responses to oxidative and aerobic stresses.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gundogdu, Ozan; da Silva, Daiani T; Mohammad, Banaz; Elmi, Abdi; Mills, Dominic C; Wren, Brendan W; Dorrell, Nick

    2015-01-01

    The ability of the human intestinal pathogen Campylobacter jejuni to respond to oxidative stress is central to bacterial survival both in vivo during infection and in the environment. Re-annotation of the C. jejuni NCTC11168 genome revealed the presence of two MarR-type transcriptional regulators Cj1546 and Cj1556, originally annotated as hypothetical proteins, which we have designated RrpA and RrpB (regulator of response to peroxide) respectively. Previously we demonstrated a role for RrpB in both oxidative and aerobic (O2) stress and that RrpB was a DNA binding protein with auto-regulatory activity, typical of MarR-type transcriptional regulators. In this study, we show that RrpA is also a DNA binding protein and that a rrpA mutant in strain 11168H exhibits increased sensitivity to hydrogen peroxide oxidative stress. Mutation of either rrpA or rrpB reduces catalase (KatA) expression. However, a rrpAB double mutant exhibits higher levels of resistance to hydrogen peroxide oxidative stress, with levels of KatA expression similar to the wild-type strain. Mutation of either rrpA or rrpB also results in a reduction in the level of katA expression, but this reduction was not observed in the rrpAB double mutant. Neither the rrpA nor rrpB mutant exhibits any significant difference in sensitivity to either cumene hydroperoxide or menadione oxidative stresses, but both mutants exhibit a reduced ability to survive aerobic (O2) stress, enhanced biofilm formation and reduced virulence in the Galleria mellonella infection model. The rrpAB double mutant exhibits wild-type levels of biofilm formation and wild-type levels of virulence in the G mellonella infection model. Together these data indicate a role for both RrpA and RrpB in the C. jejuni peroxide oxidative and aerobic (O2) stress responses, enhancing bacterial survival in vivo and in the environment.

  5. First Description of Sulphur-Oxidizing Bacterial Symbiosis in a Cnidarian (Medusozoa Living in Sulphidic Shallow-Water Environments.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sylvie Abouna

    Full Text Available Since the discovery of thioautotrophic bacterial symbiosis in the giant tubeworm Riftia pachyptila, there has been great impetus to investigate such partnerships in other invertebrates. In this study, we present the occurrence of a sulphur-oxidizing symbiosis in a metazoan belonging to the phylum Cnidaria in which this event has never been described previously.Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM, Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM observations and Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDXs analysis, were employed to unveil the presence of prokaryotes population bearing elemental sulphur granules, growing on the body surface of the metazoan. Phylogenetic assessments were also undertaken to identify this invertebrate and microorganisms in thiotrophic symbiosis. Our results showed the occurrence of a thiotrophic symbiosis in a cnidarian identified as Cladonema sp.This is the first report describing the occurrence of a sulphur-oxidizing symbiosis in a cnidarian. Furthermore, of the two adult morphologies, the polyp and medusa, this mutualistic association was found restricted to the polyp form of Cladonema sp.

  6. First Description of Sulphur-Oxidizing Bacterial Symbiosis in a Cnidarian (Medusozoa) Living in Sulphidic Shallow-Water Environments.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abouna, Sylvie; Gonzalez-Rizzo, Silvina; Grimonprez, Adrien; Gros, Olivier

    2015-01-01

    Since the discovery of thioautotrophic bacterial symbiosis in the giant tubeworm Riftia pachyptila, there has been great impetus to investigate such partnerships in other invertebrates. In this study, we present the occurrence of a sulphur-oxidizing symbiosis in a metazoan belonging to the phylum Cnidaria in which this event has never been described previously. Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM) observations and Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDXs) analysis, were employed to unveil the presence of prokaryotes population bearing elemental sulphur granules, growing on the body surface of the metazoan. Phylogenetic assessments were also undertaken to identify this invertebrate and microorganisms in thiotrophic symbiosis. Our results showed the occurrence of a thiotrophic symbiosis in a cnidarian identified as Cladonema sp. This is the first report describing the occurrence of a sulphur-oxidizing symbiosis in a cnidarian. Furthermore, of the two adult morphologies, the polyp and medusa, this mutualistic association was found restricted to the polyp form of Cladonema sp.

  7. The SAATELLITE and EVADE Clinical Studies Within the COMBACTE Consortium: A Public-Private Collaborative Effort in Designing and Performing Clinical Trials for Novel Antibacterial Drugs to Prevent Nosocomial Pneumonia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    François, Bruno; Chastre, Jean; Eggiman, Philippe; Laterre, Pierre-François; Torres, Antoni; Sanchez, Miguel; Esser, Mark T; Bishop, Brian; Bonten, Marc; Goosens, Herman; Jafri, Hasan S

    2016-08-15

    The Innovative Medicines Initiative-funded COMBACTE consortium fosters academic-industry partnership in pioneering studies to combat serious bacterial infections. We describe how this partnership is advancing the development of 2 monoclonal antibodies, MEDI4893 and MEDI3902, for the prevention of nosocomial pneumonia. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press for the Infectious Diseases Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, e-mail journals.permissions@oup.com.

  8. Virginia ADS consortium - thorium utilization

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Myneni, Ganapati

    2015-01-01

    A Virginia ADS consortium, consisting of Virginia Universities (UVa, VCU, VT), Industry (Casting Analysis Corporation, GEM*STAR, MuPlus Inc.), Jefferson Lab and not-for-profit ISOHIM, has been organizing International Accelerator-Driven Sub-Critical Systems (ADS) and Thorium Utilization (ThU) workshops. The third workshop of this series was hosted by VCU in Richmond, Virginia, USA Oct 2014 with CBMM and IAEA sponsorship and was endorsed by International Thorium Energy Committee (IThEC), Geneva and Virginia Nuclear Energy Consortium Authority. In this presentation a brief summary of the successful 3 rd International ADS and ThU workshop proceedings and review the worldwide ADS plans and/or programs is given. Additionally, a report on new start-ups on Molten Salt Reactor (MSR) systems is presented. Further, a discussion on potential simplistic fertile 232 Th to fissile 233 U conversion is made

  9. Consortium for Verification Technology Fellowship Report.

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sadler, Lorraine E. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)

    2017-06-01

    As one recipient of the Consortium for Verification Technology (CVT) Fellowship, I spent eight days as a visiting scientist at the University of Michigan, Department of Nuclear Engineering and Radiological Sciences (NERS). During this time, I participated in multiple department and research group meetings and presentations, met with individual faculty and students, toured multiple laboratories, and taught one-half of a one-unit class on Risk Analysis in Nuclear Arms control (six 1.5 hour lectures). The following report describes some of the interactions that I had during my time as well as a brief discussion of the impact of this fellowship on members of the consortium and on me/my laboratory’s technical knowledge and network.

  10. Brain Tumor Epidemiology Consortium (BTEC)

    Science.gov (United States)

    The Brain Tumor Epidemiology Consortium is an open scientific forum organized to foster the development of multi-center, international and inter-disciplinary collaborations that will lead to a better understanding of the etiology, outcomes, and prevention of brain tumors.

  11. Efecto de la inoculación de la cepa Sphingomonas paucimobilis 20006FA sobre la composición de un consorcio bacteriano degradador de fenantreno Effect of the inoculant strain Sphingomonas paucimobilis 20006FA on the bacterial composition of a phenanthrene-degrading consortium

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    L. Madueño

    2009-06-01

    Full Text Available Se estudió el efecto de la inoculación con la cepa Sphingomonas paucimobilis 20006FA sobre la composición bacteriana de un consorcio degradador de fenantreno en cultivos discontinuos (batch con 8 repiques sucesivos. El consorcio original se obtuvo a partir de un suelo prístino. A los fines del estudio, se obtuvieron y mantuvieron dos consorcios: uno inoculado (F200+I y otro sin inocular (F200. Se estudió la diversidad bacteriana de los consorcios mediante el análisis de microorganismos cultivables (por caracterización fenotípica y genotípica y totales (por PCR-DGGE. A lo largo de los repiques sucesivos pudo observarse en ambos consorcios una tendencia a la pérdida de la capacidad degradadora de fenantreno, acompañada por una disminución de la diversidad bacteriana. Si bien la inoculación no produjo cambios significativos en la capacidad degradadora de fenantreno de los consorcios (29,9% para F200 y 27,6% para F200+I hacia el tercer repique, sí produjo cambios en la composición bacteriana, ya que los perfiles de DGGE revelaron una dinámica estructural diferente en el consorcio inoculado. En ambos consorcios se pudo observar la presencia de una banda intensa posicionada a la misma altura que el ADN del inóculo en el gel de DGGE; sin embargo, los cultivos aislados de los consorcios que presentaban idéntica posición de banda en el perfil PCR-DGGE que la cepa S. paucimobilis 20006FA mostraron baja similitud con la cepa inoculada mediante la técnica de RAPD.The effect of the inoculant strain Sphingomonas paucimobilis 20006FA on the bacterial composition of a phenanthrene-degrading consortium obtained from a pristine soil in sequencing batch cultures was studied. Inoculated (F200+I and non-inoculated (F200 phenanthrene-degrading consortia, were obtained. Bacterial diversity of consortia was studied at cultivable (phenotype and genotype characterization and non-cultivable (PCR-DGGE levels. During the successive cultures, a loss in

  12. NASA Systems Engineering Research Consortium: Defining the Path to Elegance in Systems

    Science.gov (United States)

    Watson, Michael D.; Farrington, Phillip A.

    2016-01-01

    The NASA Systems Engineering Research Consortium was formed at the end of 2010 to study the approaches to producing elegant systems on a consistent basis. This has been a transformative study looking at the engineering and organizational basis of systems engineering. The consortium has engaged in a variety of research topics to determine the path to elegant systems. In the second year of the consortium, a systems engineering framework emerged which structured the approach to systems engineering and guided our research. This led in the third year to set of systems engineering postulates that the consortium is continuing to refine. The consortium has conducted several research projects that have contributed significantly to the understanding of systems engineering. The consortium has surveyed the application of the NASA 17 systems engineering processes, explored the physics and statistics of systems integration, and considered organizational aspects of systems engineering discipline integration. The systems integration methods have included system exergy analysis, Akaike Information Criteria (AIC), State Variable Analysis, Multidisciplinary Coupling Analysis (MCA), Multidisciplinary Design Optimization (MDO), System Cost Modelling, System Robustness, and Value Modelling. Organizational studies have included the variability of processes in change evaluations, margin management within the organization, information theory of board structures, social categorization of unintended consequences, and initial looks at applying cognitive science to systems engineering. Consortium members have also studied the bidirectional influence of policy and law with systems engineering.

  13. Manganese Oxidation by Bacteria: Biogeochemical Aspects

    Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

    Sujith, P.P.; LokaBharathi, P.A.

    Manganese is an essential trace metal that is not as readily oxidizable like iron. Several bacterial groups posses the ability to oxidize Mn effectively competing with chemical oxidation. The oxides of Mn are the strongest of the oxidants, next...

  14. Metatranscriptomic and metagenomic description of the bacterial nitrogen metabolism in waste water wet oxidation effluents

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Julien Crovadore

    2017-10-01

    Full Text Available Anaerobic digestion is a common method for reducing the amount of sludge solids in used waters and enabling biogas production. The wet oxidation process (WOX improves anaerobic digestion by converting carbon into methane through oxidation of organic compounds. WOX produces effluents rich in ammonia, which must be removed to maintain the activity of methanogens. Ammonia removal from WOX could be biologically operated by aerobic granules. To this end, granulation experiments were conducted in 2 bioreactors containing an activated sludge (AS. For the first time, the dynamics of the microbial community structure and the expression levels of 7 enzymes of the nitrogen metabolism in such active microbial communities were followed in regard to time by metagenomics and metatranscriptomics. It was shown that bacterial communities adapt to the wet oxidation effluent by increasing the expression level of the nitrogen metabolism, suggesting that these biological activities could be a less costly alternative for the elimination of ammonia, resulting in a reduction of the use of chemicals and energy consumption in sewage plants. This study reached a strong sequencing depth (from 4.4 to 7.6 Gb and enlightened a yet unknown diversity of the microorganisms involved in the nitrogen pathway. Moreover, this approach revealed the abundance and expression levels of specialised enzymes involved in nitrification, denitrification, ammonification, dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonium (DNRA and nitrogen fixation processes in AS. Keywords: Applied sciences, Biological sciences, Environmental science, Genetics, Microbiology

  15. Extraction of metals from ores by bacterial leaching: present status and future prospects

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kelly, D.P.

    1977-01-01

    The principal organism effecting bacterial leaching of ferrous and sulfide ores is Thiobacillus ferrooxidans, though other thiobacilli and other bacteria may be involved. The process depends on (a) direct solubilization of metal sulfides by bacterial oxidation; (b) dissolution of metal sulfides or oxides by ferric iron produced by bacterial pyrite oxidation. Mining spoil dumps and low grade ores can be leached for copper or uranium by cheap low-level technology. Dump leaching enables maximum recovery of valuable metal from any ore, but makes possible exploitation of very low grade Cu and U ores. Continuous extraction processes are possible where a continuously growing bacterial culture is fed with pyritic ores (or FeSO 4 or other sulfide) and continuous metal solubilization proceeds. Intimate contact between the bacteria and the ore to be leached (especially with uranium oxide ores) is not always necessary: leaching of UO 2 ores probably depends only on ferric iron reaction with the ore. Degradation of pyrite-containing rocks may also be developed as part of future recovery processes for petroleum from oil shales. Two-stage leaching systems present the best prospect for developing a higher-level technology for metal extraction. State 1: bacterial generation of Fe 3+ from pyrite or a Fe 2+ source; Stage 2: chemical leaching of ore by Fe 3+ in acid solution. Two-stage processes can be surface processes using crushed or milled ores or can be applied to underground solution mining, when an ore (e.g. uranium) can be leached by pumping Fe 3+ solutions through shattered underground deposits, metal recovered (e.g. solvent extraction) and Fe 3+ regenerated by bacterial oxidation at the surface. The use of controlled continuous microbial cultures to generate either bacteria or ferric iron is outlined

  16. Isolation, Screening and Development of Local Bacterial Consortia With Azo Dyes Decolourising Capability

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Khadijah, O.

    2009-01-01

    Full Text Available A total of 1540 bacterial isolates were isolated and screened for their ability to degrade selected azo dyes. Of these, nine isolates were chosen for further studies based on their ability to degrade a wide spectrum of dyes efficiently and rapidly. Several microbial consortia were developed and tested for their effectiveness. Overall the consortia were able to degrade 70 - 100% colour within 72 hours compared to 60 – 97% colour removed by individual isolates. A microbial consortium labelled C15 showed good growth in agitation culture but the colour removal was best in static culture with 80 - 100% colour removed in less than 72 hours. Based on the 16S rRNA sequencing, two of the bacterial isolates in C15 belong to the Chryseobacterium genus while the other one belongs to Flavobacterium genus.

  17. Bacterial Community Analysis, New Exoelectrogen Isolation and Enhanced Performance of Microbial Electrochemical Systems Using Nano-Decorated Anodes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xu, Shoutao

    Microbial electrochemical systems (MESs) have attracted much research attention in recent years due to their promising applications in renewable energy generation, bioremediation, and wastewater treatment. In a MES, microorganisms interact with electrodes via electrons, catalyzing oxidation and reduction reactions at the anode and the cathode. The bacterial community of a high power mixed consortium MESs (maximum power density is 6.5W/m2) was analyzed by using denature gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) and 16S DNA clone library methods. The bacterial DGGE profiles were relatively complex (more than 10 bands) but only three brightly dominant bands in DGGE results. These results indicated there are three dominant bacterial species in mixed consortium MFCs. The 16S DNA clone library method results revealed that the predominant bacterial species in mixed culture is Geobacter sp (66%), Arcobacter sp and Citrobacter sp. These three bacterial species reached to 88% of total bacterial species. This result is consistent with the DGGE result which showed that three bright bands represented three dominant bacterial species. Exoelectrogenic bacterial strain SX-1 was isolated from a mediator-less microbial fuel cell by conventional plating techniques with ferric citrate as electron acceptor under anaerobic conditions. Phylogenetic analysis of the 16S rDNA sequence revealed that it was related to the members of Citrobacter genus with Citrobacter sp. sdy-48 being the most closely related species. The bacterial strain SX-1 produced electricity from citrate, acetate, glucose, sucrose, glycerol, and lactose in MFCs with the highest current density of 205 mA/m2 generated from citrate. Cyclic voltammetry analysis indicated that membrane associated proteins may play an important role in facilitating electron transfer from the bacteria to the electrode. This is the first study that demonstrates that Citrobacter species can transfer electrons to extracellular electron acceptors

  18. The LBNL/JSU/AGMUS Science Consortium

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    1996-04-01

    This report discusses the 11 year of accomplishments of the science consortium of minority graduates from Jackson State University and Ana G. Mendez University at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.

  19. Midwest Nuclear Science and Engineering Consortium

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Volkert, Wynn; Kumar, Arvind; Becker, Bryan; Schwinke, Victor; Gonzalez, Angel; McGregor, Douglas

    2010-01-01

    The objective of the Midwest Nuclear Science and Engineering Consortium (MNSEC) is to enhance the scope, quality and integration of educational and research capabilities of nuclear sciences and engineering (NS/E) programs at partner schools in support of the U.S. nuclear industry (including DOE laboratories). With INIE support, MNSEC had a productive seven years and made impressive progress in achieving these goals. Since the past three years have been no-cost-extension periods, limited -- but notable -- progress has been made in FY10. Existing programs continue to be strengthened and broadened at Consortium partner institutions. The enthusiasm generated by the academic, state, federal, and industrial communities for the MNSEC activities is reflected in the significant leveraging that has occurred for our programs.

  20. Midwest Nuclear Science and Engineering Consortium

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Dr. Wynn Volkert; Dr. Arvind Kumar; Dr. Bryan Becker; Dr. Victor Schwinke; Dr. Angel Gonzalez; Dr. DOuglas McGregor

    2010-12-08

    The objective of the Midwest Nuclear Science and Engineering Consortium (MNSEC) is to enhance the scope, quality and integration of educational and research capabilities of nuclear sciences and engineering (NS/E) programs at partner schools in support of the U.S. nuclear industry (including DOE laboratories). With INIE support, MNSEC had a productive seven years and made impressive progress in achieving these goals. Since the past three years have been no-cost-extension periods, limited -- but notable -- progress has been made in FY10. Existing programs continue to be strengthened and broadened at Consortium partner institutions. The enthusiasm generated by the academic, state, federal, and industrial communities for the MNSEC activities is reflected in the significant leveraging that has occurred for our programs.

  1. Bacterial leaching of uranium ores - a review

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lowson, R.T.

    1975-11-01

    The bacterial leaching of uranium ores involves the bacterially catalysed oxidation of associated pyrite to sulphuric acid and Fe 3+ by autotrophic bacteria and the leaching of the uranium by the resulting acidic, oxidising solution. Industrial application has been limited to Thiobacillus thiooxidans and Thiobacillus ferrooxidans at pH 2 to 3, and examples of these are described. The bacterial catalysis can be improved with nutrients or prevented with poisons. The kinetics of leaching are controlled by the bed depth, particle size, percolation rate, mineralogy and temperature. Current work is aimed at quantitatively defining the parameters controlling the kinetics and extending the method to alkaline conditions with other autotrophic bacteria. (author)

  2. Immobilization of bacterial S-layer proteins from Caulobacter crescentus on iron oxide-based nanocomposite: synthesis and spectroscopic characterization of zincite-coated Fe₂O₃ nanoparticles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Habibi, Neda

    2014-05-05

    Zinc oxide was coated on Fe2O3 nanoparticles using sol-gel spin-coating. Caulobacter crescentus have a crystalline surface layer (S-layer), which consist of one protein or glycoprotein species. The immobilization of bacterial S-layers obtained from C. crescentus on zincite-coated nanoparticles of iron oxide was investigated. The SDS PAGE results of S-layers isolated from C. crescentus showed the weight of 50 KDa. Nanoparticles of the Fe2O3 and zinc oxide were synthesized by a sol-gel technique. Fe2O3 nanoparticles with an average size of 50 nm were successfully prepared by the proper deposition of zinc oxide onto iron oxide nanoparticles surface annealed at 450 °C. The samples were characterized by field-emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  3. Aims, organization and activities of the consortium for underground storage

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Stucky, G.

    1977-01-01

    The consortium of Swiss authorities interested in underground storage (the petroleum oil and gas industries, for fuel storage; the nuclear industry for radioactive waste disposal), was initiated in 1972. The author outlines the motives behind the formation of the consortium and outlines its structure and objectives. The envisaged projects are outlined. (F.Q.)

  4. Prebiotics Mediate Microbial Interactions in a Consortium of the Infant Gut Microbiome.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Medina, Daniel A; Pinto, Francisco; Ovalle, Aline; Thomson, Pamela; Garrido, Daniel

    2017-10-04

    Composition of the gut microbiome is influenced by diet. Milk or formula oligosaccharides act as prebiotics, bioactives that promote the growth of beneficial gut microbes. The influence of prebiotics on microbial interactions is not well understood. Here we investigated the transformation of prebiotics by a consortium of four representative species of the infant gut microbiome, and how their interactions changed with dietary substrates. First, we optimized a culture medium resembling certain infant gut parameters. A consortium containing Bifidobacterium longum subsp. infantis , Bacteroides vulgatus , Escherichia coli and Lactobacillus acidophilus was grown on fructooligosaccharides (FOS) or 2'-fucosyllactose (2FL) in mono- or co-culture. While Bi. infantis and Ba. vulgatus dominated growth on 2FL, their combined growth was reduced. Besides, interaction coefficients indicated strong competition, especially on FOS. While FOS was rapidly consumed by the consortium, B. infantis was the only microbe displaying significant consumption of 2FL. Acid production by the consortium resembled the metabolism of microorganisms dominating growth in each substrate. Finally, the consortium was tested in a bioreactor, observing similar predominance but more pronounced acid production and substrate consumption. This study indicates that the chemical nature of prebiotics modulate microbial interactions in a consortium of infant gut species.

  5. Prebiotics Mediate Microbial Interactions in a Consortium of the Infant Gut Microbiome

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Daniel A. Medina

    2017-10-01

    Full Text Available Composition of the gut microbiome is influenced by diet. Milk or formula oligosaccharides act as prebiotics, bioactives that promote the growth of beneficial gut microbes. The influence of prebiotics on microbial interactions is not well understood. Here we investigated the transformation of prebiotics by a consortium of four representative species of the infant gut microbiome, and how their interactions changed with dietary substrates. First, we optimized a culture medium resembling certain infant gut parameters. A consortium containing Bifidobacterium longum subsp. infantis, Bacteroides vulgatus, Escherichia coli and Lactobacillus acidophilus was grown on fructooligosaccharides (FOS or 2′-fucosyllactose (2FL in mono- or co-culture. While Bi. infantis and Ba. vulgatus dominated growth on 2FL, their combined growth was reduced. Besides, interaction coefficients indicated strong competition, especially on FOS. While FOS was rapidly consumed by the consortium, B. infantis was the only microbe displaying significant consumption of 2FL. Acid production by the consortium resembled the metabolism of microorganisms dominating growth in each substrate. Finally, the consortium was tested in a bioreactor, observing similar predominance but more pronounced acid production and substrate consumption. This study indicates that the chemical nature of prebiotics modulate microbial interactions in a consortium of infant gut species.

  6. Safe-Site Effects on Rhizosphere Bacterial Communities in a High-Altitude Alpine Environment

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sonia Ciccazzo

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available The rhizosphere effect on bacterial communities associated with three floristic communities (RW, FI, and M sites which differed for the developmental stages was studied in a high-altitude alpine ecosystem. RW site was an early developmental stage, FI was an intermediate stage, M was a later more matured stage. The N and C contents in the soils confirmed a different developmental stage with a kind of gradient from the unvegetated bare soil (BS site through RW, FI up to M site. The floristic communities were composed of 21 pioneer plants belonging to 14 species. Automated ribosomal intergenic spacer analysis showed different bacterial genetic structures per each floristic consortium which differed also from the BS site. When plants of the same species occurred within the same site, almost all their bacterial communities clustered together exhibiting a plant species effect. Unifrac significance value (P<0.05 on 16S rRNA gene diversity revealed significant differences (P<0.05 between BS site and the vegetated sites with a weak similarity to the RW site. The intermediate plant colonization stage FI did not differ significantly from the RW and the M vegetated sites. These results pointed out the effect of different floristic communities rhizospheres on their soil bacterial communities.

  7. Effects of Methoxyisoflavone, Ecdysterone, and Sulfo-Polysaccharide Supplementation on Training Adaptations in Resistance-Trained Males

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Greenwood Michael

    2006-12-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Purpose Methoxyisoflavone (M, 20-hydroxyecdysone (E, and sulfo-polysaccharide (CSP3 have been marketed to athletes as dietary supplements that can increase strength and muscle mass during resistance-training. However, little is known about their potential ergogenic value. The purpose of this study was to determine whether these supplements affect training adaptations and/or markers of muscle anabolism/catabolism in resistance-trained athletes. Methods Forty-five resistance-trained males (20.5 ± 3 yrs; 179 ± 7 cm, 84 ± 16 kg, 17.3 ± 9% body fat were matched according to FFM and randomly assigned to ingest in a double blind manner supplements containing either a placebo (P; 800 mg/day of M; 200 mg of E; or, 1,000 mg/day of CSP3 for 8-weeks during training. At 0, 4, and 8-weeks, subjects donated fasting blood samples and completed comprehensive muscular strength, muscular endurance, anaerobic capacity, and body composition analysis. Data were analyzed by repeated measures ANOVA. Results No significant differences (p > 0.05 were observed in training adaptations among groups in the variables FFM, percent body fat, bench press 1 RM, leg press 1 RM or sprint peak power. Anabolic/catabolic analysis revealed no significant differences among groups in active testosterone (AT, free testosterone (FT, cortisol, the AT to cortisol ratio, urea nitrogen, creatinine, the blood urea nitrogen to creatinine ratio. In addition, no significant differences were seen from pre to post supplementation and/or training in AT, FT, or cortisol. Conclusion Results indicate that M, E, and CSP3 supplementation do not affect body composition or training adaptations nor do they influence the anabolic/catabolic hormone status or general markers of catabolism in resistance-trained males.

  8. Legacy Clinical Data from the Mission Connect Mild TBI Translational Research Consortium

    Science.gov (United States)

    2017-10-01

    AWARD NUMBER: W81XWH-16-2-0026 TITLE: Legacy Clinical Data from the Mission Connect Mild TBI Translational Research Consortium PRINCIPAL...2017 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE Legacy Clinical Data from the Mission Connect Mild TBI Translational Research 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER Consortium 5b. GRANT...mTBI) Translational Research Consortium was to improve the diagnosis and treatment of mTBI. We enrolled a total of 88 mTBI patients and 73 orthopedic

  9. International Lymphoma Epidemiology Consortium (InterLymph)

    Science.gov (United States)

    A consortium designed to enhance collaboration among epidemiologists studying lymphoma, to provide a forum for the exchange of research ideas, and to create a framework for collaborating on analyses that pool data from multiple studies

  10. Ophthalmic epidemiology in Europe : the "European Eye Epidemiology" (E3) consortium

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Delcourt, Cecile; Korobelnik, Jean-Francois; Buitendijk, Gabrielle H. S.; Foster, Paul J.; Hammond, Christopher J.; Piermarocchi, Stefano; Peto, Tunde; Jansonius, Nomdo; Mirshahi, Alireza; Hogg, Ruth E.; Bretillon, Lionel; Topouzis, Fotis; Deak, Gabor; Grauslund, Jakob; Broe, Rebecca; Souied, Eric H.; Creuzot-Garcher, Catherine; Sahel, Jose; Daien, Vincent; Lehtimaki, Terho; Hense, Hans-Werner; Prokofyeva, Elena; Oexle, Konrad; Rahi, Jugnoo S.; Cumberland, Phillippa M.; Schmitz-Valckenberg, Steffen; Fauser, Sascha; Bertelsen, Geir; Hoyng, Carel; Bergen, Arthur; Silva, Rufino; Wolf, Sebastian; Lotery, Andrew; Chakravarthy, Usha; Fletcher, Astrid; Klaver, Caroline C. W.

    The European Eye Epidemiology (E3) consortium is a recently formed consortium of 29 groups from 12 European countries. It already comprises 21 population-based studies and 20 other studies (case-control, cases only, randomized trials), providing ophthalmological data on approximately 170,000

  11. Novel consortium of Klebsiella variicola and Lactobacillus species enhances the functional potential of fermented dairy products by increasing the availability of branched-chain amino acids and the amount of distinctive volatiles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rosales-Bravo, H; Morales-Torres, H C; Vázquez-Martínez, J; Molina-Torres, J; Olalde-Portugal, V; Partida-Martínez, L P

    2017-11-01

    Identify novel bacterial taxa that could increase the availability of branched-chain amino acids and the amount of distinctive volatiles during skim milk fermentation. We recovered 344 bacterial isolates from stool samples of healthy and breastfed infants. Five were selected based on their ability to produce branched-chain amino acids. Three strains were identified as Escherichia coli, one as Klebsiella pneumoniae and other as Klebsiella variicola by molecular and biochemical methods. HPLC and solid-phase microextraction with GC-MS were used for the determination of free amino acids and volatile compounds respectively. The consortium formed by K. variicola and four Lactobacillus species showed the highest production of Leu and Ile in skim milk fermentation. In addition, the production of volatile compounds, such as acetoin, ethanol, 2-nonanone, and acetic, hexanoic and octanoic acids, increased in comparison to commercial yogurt, Emmental and Gouda cheese. Also, distinctive volatiles, such as 2,3-butanediol, 4-methyl-2- hexanone and octanol, were identified. The use of K. variicola in combination with probiotic Lactobacillus species enhances the availability of Leu and Ile and the amount of distinctive volatiles during skim milk fermentation. The identified consortium increases the functional potential of fermented dairy products. © 2017 The Society for Applied Microbiology.

  12. Zinc bioaccumulation by microbial consortium isolated from nickel smelter sludge disposal site

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kvasnová Simona

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available Heavy metal pollution is one of the most important environmental issues of today. Bioremediation by microorganisms is one of technologies extensively used for pollution treatment. In this study, we investigated the heavy metal resistance and zinc bioaccumulation by microbial consortium isolated from nickel sludge disposal site near Sereď (Slovakia. The composition of consortium was analyzed based on MALDI-TOF MS of cultivable bacteria and we have shown that the consortium was dominated by bacteria of genus Arthrobacter. While consortium showed very good growth in the zinc presence, it was able to remove only 15 % of zinc from liquid media. Selected members of consortia have shown lower growth rates in the zinc presence but selected isolates have shown much higher bioaccumulation abilities compared to whole consortium (up to 90 % of zinc removal for NH1 strain. Bioremediation is frequently accelerated through injection of native microbiota into a contaminated area. Based on data obtained in this study, we can conclude that careful selection of native microbiota could lead to the identification of bacteria with increased bioaccumulation abilities.

  13. Bio-degradation of oily food waste employing thermophilic bacterial strains.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Awasthi, Mukesh Kumar; Selvam, Ammaiyappan; Chan, Man Ting; Wong, Jonathan W C

    2018-01-01

    The objective of this work was to isolate a novel thermophilic bacterial strain and develop a bacterial consortium (BC) for efficient degradation oily food waste. Four treatments were designed: 1:1 mixture of pre-consumption food wastes (PrCFWs) and post-consumption food wastes (PCFWs) (T-1), 1:2 mixture of PrCFWs and PCFWs mixture (T-2), PrCFWs (T-3) and PCFWs (T-4). Equal quantity of BC was inoculated into each treatment to compare the oil degradation efficiency. Results showed that after 15days of incubation, a maximum oil reduction of 65.12±0.08% was observed in treatment T-4, followed by T-2 (55.44±0.12%), T-3 (54.79±0.04%) and T-1 (52.52±0.02%), while oil reduction was negligible in control. Results indicate that the development of oil utilizing thermophilic BC was more cost-effective in solving the degradation of oily food wastes and conversion into a stable end product. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  14. Arsenic uptake in bacterial calcite

    Science.gov (United States)

    Catelani, Tiziano; Perito, Brunella; Bellucci, Francesco; Lee, Sang Soo; Fenter, Paul; Newville, Matthew; Rimondi, Valentina; Pratesi, Giovanni; Costagliola, Pilario

    2018-02-01

    Bio-mediated processes for arsenic (As) uptake in calcite were investigated by means of X-ray Diffraction (XRD) and X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy (XAS) coupled with X-ray Fluorescence measurements. The environmental bacterial strain Bacillus licheniformis BD5, sampled at the Bullicame Hot Springs (Viterbo, Central Italy), was used to synthesize calcite from As-enriched growth media. Both liquid and solid cultures were applied to simulate planktonic and biofilm community environments, respectively. Bacterial calcite samples cultured in liquid media had an As enrichment factor (Kd) 50 times higher than that from solid media. The XRD analysis revealed an elongation of the crystal lattice along the c axis (by 0.03 Å) for biogenic calcite, which likely resulted from the substitution of larger arsenate for carbonate in the crystal. The XAS data also showed a clear difference in the oxidation state of sorbed As between bacterial and abiotic calcite. Abiotic chemical processes yielded predominantly As(V) uptake whereas bacterial precipitation processes led to the uptake of both As(III) and As(V). The presence of As(III) in bacterial calcite is proposed to result from subsequent reduction of arsenate to arsenite by bacterial activities. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first experimental observation of the incorporation of As(III) in the calcite crystal lattice, revealing a critical role of biochemical processes for the As cycling in nature.

  15. Arsenic uptake in bacterial calcite

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Catelani, Tiziano; Perito, Brunella; Bellucci, Francesco; Lee, Sang Soo; Fenter, Paul; Newville, Matthew G.; Rimondi, Valentina; Pratesi, Giovanni; Costagliola, Pilario

    2018-02-01

    Bio-mediated processes for arsenic (As) uptake in calcite were investigated by means of X-ray Diffraction (XRD) and Xray Absorption Spectroscopy (XAS) coupled with X-ray Fluorescence measurements. The environmental bacterial strain Bacillus licheniformis BD5, sampled at the Bullicame Hot Springs (Viterbo, Central Italy), was used to synthesize calcite from As-enriched growth media. Both liquid and solid cultures were applied to simulate planktonic and biofilm community environments, respectively. Bacterial calcite samples cultured in liquid media had an As enrichment factor (Kd) 50 times higher than that from solid media. The XRD analysis revealed an elongation of the crystal lattice along the c axis (by 0.03Å) for biogenic calcite, which likely resulted from the substitution of larger arsenate for carbonate in the crystal. The XAS data also showed a clear difference in the oxidation state of sorbed As between bacterial and abiotic calcite. Abiotic chemical processes yielded predominantly As(V) uptake whereas bacterial precipitation processes led to the uptake of both As(III) and As(V). The presence of As(III) in bacterial calcite is proposed to result from subsequent reduction of arsenate to arsenite by bacterial activities. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first experimental observation of the incorporation of As(III) in the calcite crystal lattice, revealing a critical role of biochemical processes for the As cycling in nature.

  16. The COPD Biomarker Qualification Consortium (CBQC)

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Casaburi, Richard; Celli, Bartolome; Crapo, James

    2013-01-01

    Abstract Knowledge about the pathogenesis and pathophysiology of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) has advanced dramatically over the last 30 years. Unfortunately, this has had little impact in terms of new treatments. Over the same time frame, only one new class of medication for COPD......, and no interested party has been in a position to undertake such a process. In order to facilitate the development of novel tools to assess new treatments, the Food and Drug Administration, in collaboration with the COPD Foundation, the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute and scientists from the pharmaceutical...... industry and academia conducted a workshop to survey the available information that could contribute to new tools. Based on this, a collaborative project, the COPD Biomarkers Qualification Consortium, was initiated. The Consortium in now actively preparing integrated data sets from existing resources...

  17. Evaluation of Fenton Oxidation Process Coupled with Biological Treatment for the Removal of Reactive Black 5 from Aqueous Solution

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pegah Bahmani

    2013-06-01

    Full Text Available Biodegradation of azo dyes is difficult due to their complex structures and low BOD to COD ratios. In the present study, the efficiency of using Fenton’s reagent (H2O2 + Fe2+ as a pretreatment process to enhance microbial transformation of reactive black 5 (RB5 in an aqueous system was evaluated. The RB5 with an initial concentration of 250 mg/L was decolorized up to 90% in 60 h by using a bacterial consortium. Fenton’s reagent at a Fe2+ concentration of 0.5 mM and H2O2 concentration of 2.9 mM (molar ratio, 1:5.8 was most effective for decolorization at pH = 3.0. The extent of RB5 removal by the combined Fenton–biotreatment was about 2 times higher than that of biotreatment alone. The production of some aromatic amines intermediates implied partial mineralization of the RB5 in Fenton treatment alone; in addition, decreasing of GC-MS peaks suggested that dearomatization occurred in Fenton-biological process. Fenton pretreatment seems to be a cost–effective option for the biotreatment of azo dyes, due mainly to the lower doses of chemicals, lower sludge generation, and saving of time. Our results demonstrated positive effects of inoculating bacterial consortium which was capable of dye biodegradation with a Fenton’s pretreatment step as well as the benefits of low time required for the biological process. In addition, the potential of field performance of Fenton-biological process because of using bacterial consortium is an other positive effect of it.

  18. Glycosaminoglycans from earthworms (Eisenia andrei).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Im, A-Rang; Park, Youmie; Sim, Joon-Soo; Zhang, Zhenqing; Liu, Zhenling; Linhardt, Robert J; Kim, Yeong Shik

    2010-02-01

    The whole tissue of the earthworm (Eisenia andrei) was lyophilized and extracted to purify glycosaminoglycans. Fractions, eluting from an anion-exchange column at 1.0 M and 2.0 M NaCl, showed the presence of acidic polysaccharides on agarose gel electrophoresis. Monosaccharide compositional analysis showed that galactose and glucose were most abundant monosaccharides in both fractions. Depolymerization of the polysaccharide mixture with glycosaminoglycan-degrading enzymes confirmed the presence of chondroitin sulfate/dermatan sulfate and heparan sulfate in the 2.0 M NaCl fraction. The content of GAGs (uronic acid containing polysaccharide) in the 2.0 M NaCl fraction determined by carbazole assay was 2%. Disaccharide compositional analysis using liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS) analysis after chondroitinase digestion (ABC and ACII), showed that the chondroitin sulfate/dermatan sulfate contained a 4-O-sulfo (76%), 2,4-di-O-sulfo (15%), 6-O-sulfo (6%), and unsulfated (4%) uronic acid linked N-acetylgalactosamine residues. LC-ESI-MS analysis of heparin lyase I/II/III digests demonstrated the presence of N-sulfo (69%), N-sulfo-6-O-sulfo (25%) and 2-O-sulfo-N-sulfo-6-O-sulfo (5%) uronic acid linked N-acetylglucosamine residues.

  19. The Consortium for Advancing Renewable Energy Technology (CARET)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gordon, E. M.; Henderson, D. O.; Buffinger, D. R.; Fuller, C. W.; Uribe, R. M.

    1998-01-01

    The Consortium for Advancing Renewable Energy (CARET) is a research and education program which uses the theme of renewable energy to build a minority scientist pipeline. CARET is also a consortium of four universities and NASA Lewis Research Center working together to promote science education and research to minority students using the theme of renewable energy. The consortium membership includes the HBCUs (Historically Black Colleges and Universities), Fisk, Wilberforce and Central State Universities as well as Kent State University and NASA Lewis Research Center. The various stages of this pipeline provide participating students experiences with a different emphasis. Some emphasize building enthusiasm for the classroom study of science and technology while others emphasize the nature of research in these disciplines. Still others focus on relating a practical application to science and technology. And, of great importance to the success of the program are the interfaces between the various stages. Successfully managing these transitions is a requirement for producing trained scientists, engineers and technologists. Presentations describing the CARET program have been given at this year's HBCU Research Conference at the Ohio Aerospace Institute and as a seminar in the Solar Circle Seminar series of the Photovoltaic and Space Environments Branch at NASA Lewis Research Center. In this report, we will describe the many positive achievements toward the fulfillment of the goals and outcomes of our program. We will begin with a description of the interactions among the consortium members and end with a description of the activities of each of the member institutions .

  20. The creation of the SAVE consortium – Saving Asia's Vultures from ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    This article describes the background to this problem, caused mainly by the veterinary drug diclofenac, and the establishment and structure of the SAVE consortium created to help coordinate the necessary conservation response. The lessons learnt in Asia and the working model of such a consortium are presented, which ...

  1. Stability and effectiveness against bacterial adhesion of poly(ethylene oxide) coatings in biological fluids.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Roosjen, Astrid; de Vries, Joop; van der Mei, Henny C; Norde, Willem; Busscher, Henk J

    2005-05-01

    Poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) coatings have been shown to reduce the adhesion of different microbial strains and species and thus are promising as coatings to prevent biomaterial-centered infection of medical implants. Clinically, however, PEO coatings are not yet applied, as little is known about their stability and effectiveness in biological fluids. In this study, PEO coatings coupled to a glass substratum through silyl ether bonds were exposed for different time intervals to saliva, urine, or phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) as a reference at 37 degrees C. After exposure, the effectiveness of the coatings against bacterial adhesion was assessed in a parallel plate flow chamber. The coatings appeared effective against Staphylococcus epidermidis adhesion for 24, 48, and 0.5 h in PBS, urine, and saliva, respectively. Using XPS and contact-angle measurements, the variations in effectiveness could be attributed to conditioning film formation. The overall short stability results from hydrolysis of the coupling of the PEO chains to the substratum. (c) 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  2. Consortium for Health and Military Performance (CHAMP)

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Laboratory Consortium — The Center's work addresses a wide scope of trauma exposure from the consequences of combat, operations other than war, terrorism, natural and humanmade disasters,...

  3. Relationship between bacterial density and chemical composition of ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    TUOYO

    Key words: Bacterial density, chemical composition, oxidation pond, sewage, tropics. INTRODUCTION ... pond for about two weeks during which algae, bacteria and other organisms act ..... Chloride can serve as nutrient for micro- organisms ...

  4. Effect of Elevated CO2 Concentration, Elevated Temperature and No Nitrogen Fertilization on Methanogenic Archaeal and Methane-Oxidizing Bacterial Community Structures in Paddy Soil.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Dongyan; Tago, Kanako; Hayatsu, Masahito; Tokida, Takeshi; Sakai, Hidemitsu; Nakamura, Hirofumi; Usui, Yasuhiro; Hasegawa, Toshihiro; Asakawa, Susumu

    2016-09-29

    Elevated concentrations of atmospheric CO2 ([CO2]) enhance the production and emission of methane in paddy fields. In the present study, the effects of elevated [CO2], elevated temperature (ET), and no nitrogen fertilization (LN) on methanogenic archaeal and methane-oxidizing bacterial community structures in a free-air CO2 enrichment (FACE) experimental paddy field were investigated by PCR-DGGE and real-time quantitative PCR. Soil samples were collected from the upper and lower soil layers at the rice panicle initiation (PI) and mid-ripening (MR) stages. The composition of the methanogenic archaeal community in the upper and lower soil layers was not markedly affected by the elevated [CO2], ET, or LN condition. The abundance of the methanogenic archaeal community in the upper and lower soil layers was also not affected by elevated [CO2] or ET, but was significantly increased at the rice PI stage and significantly decreased by LN in the lower soil layer. In contrast, the composition of the methane-oxidizing bacterial community was affected by rice-growing stages in the upper soil layer. The abundance of methane-oxidizing bacteria was significantly decreased by elevated [CO2] and LN in both soil layers at the rice MR stage and by ET in the upper soil layer. The ratio of mcrA/pmoA genes correlated with methane emission from ambient and FACE paddy plots at the PI stage. These results indicate that the decrease observed in the abundance of methane-oxidizing bacteria was related to increased methane emission from the paddy field under the elevated [CO2], ET, and LN conditions.

  5. Isotope Effects Associated with N2O Production by Fungal and Bacterial Nitric Oxide Reductases: Implications for Enzyme Mechanisms

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hegg, E. L.; Yang, H.; Gandhi, H.; McQuarters, A.; Lehnert, N.; Ostrom, N. E.

    2014-12-01

    Nitrous oxide (N2O) is both a powerful greenhouse gas and a key participant in ozone destruction. Microbial activity accounts for over 70% of the N2O produced annually, and the atmospheric concentration of N2O continues to rise. Because the fungal and bacterial denitrification pathways are major contributors to microbial N2O production, understanding the mechanism by which NO is reduced to N2O will contribute to both N2O source tracing and quantification. Our strategy utilizes stable isotopes to probe the enzymatic mechanism of microbial N2O production. Although the use of stable isotopes to study enzyme mechanisms is not new, our approach is distinct in that we employ both measurements of isotopic preferences of purified enzyme and DFT calculations, thereby providing a synergistic combination of experimental and computational approaches. We analyzed δ18O, δ15Nα (central N atom in N2O), and δ15Nβ (terminal N atom) of N2O produced by purified fungal cytochrome P450 nitric oxide reductase (P450nor) from Histoplasma capsulatum as well as bacterial cytochrome c dependent nitric oxide reductase (cNOR) from Paracoccus denitrificans. P450nor exhibits an inverse kinetic isotope effect for Nβ (KIE = 0.9651) but a normal isotope effect for both Nα (KIE = 1.0127) and the oxygen atom (KIE = 1.0264). These results suggest a mechanism where NO binds to the ferric heme in the P450nor active site and becomes Nβ. Analysis of the NO-binding step indicated a greater difference in zero point energy in the transition state than the ground state, resulting in the inverse KIE observed for Nβ. Following protonation and rearrangement, it is speculated that this complex forms a FeIV-NHOH- species as a key intermediate. Our data are consistent with the second NO (which becomes Nα and O in the N2O product) attacking the FeIV-NHOH- species to generate a FeIII-N2O2H2 complex that enzymatically (as opposed to abiotically) breaks down to release N2O. Conversely, our preliminary data

  6. Microbial hydrogen production from sewage sludge bioaugmented with a constructed microbial consortium

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kotay, Shireen Meher; Das, Debabrata [Department of Biotechnology, Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur 721302 (India)

    2010-10-15

    A constructed microbial consortium was formulated from three facultative H{sub 2}-producing anaerobic bacteria, Enterobacter cloacae IIT-BT 08, Citrobacter freundii IIT-BT L139 and Bacillus coagulans IIT-BT S1. This consortium was tested as the seed culture for H{sub 2} production. In the initial studies with defined medium (MYG), E. cloacae produced more H{sub 2} than the other two strains and it also was found to be the dominant member when consortium was used. On the other hand, B. coagulans as a pure culture gave better H{sub 2} yield (37.16 ml H{sub 2}/g COD{sub consumed}) than the other two strains using sewage sludge as substrate. The pretreatment of sludge included sterilization (15% v/v), dilution and supplementation with 0.5% w/v glucose, which was found to be essential to screen out the H{sub 2} consuming bacteria and ameliorate the H{sub 2} production. Considering (1:1:1) defined consortium as inoculum, COD reduction was higher and yield of H{sub 2} was recorded to be 41.23 ml H{sub 2}/g COD{sub reduced}. Microbial profiling of the spent sludge showed that B. coagulans was the dominant member in the constructed consortium contributing towards H{sub 2} production. Increase in H{sub 2} yield indicated that in consortium, the substrate utilization was significantly higher. The H{sub 2} yield from pretreated sludge (35.54 ml H{sub 2}/g sludge) was comparatively higher than that reported in literature (8.1-16.9 ml H{sub 2}/g sludge). Employing formulated microbial consortium for biohydrogen production is a successful attempt to augment the H{sub 2} yield from sewage sludge. (author)

  7. Kansas Consortium Plug-in Hybrid Medium Duty

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    None, None

    2012-03-31

    On September 30, 2008, the US Department of Energy (DoE), issued a cooperative agreement award, DE-FC26-08NT01914, to the Metropolitan Energy Center (MEC), for a project known as “Kansas Consortium Plug-in Hybrid Medium Duty Certification” project. The cooperative agreement was awarded pursuant to H15915 in reference to H. R. 2764 Congressionally Directed Projects. The original agreement provided funding for The Consortium to implement the established project objectives as follows: (1) to understand the current state of the development of a test protocol for PHEV configurations; (2) to work with industry stakeholders to recommend a medium duty vehicle test protocol; (3) to utilize the Phase 1 Eaton PHEV F550 Chassis or other appropriate PHEV configurations to conduct emissions testing; (4) and to make an industry PHEV certification test protocol recommendation for medium duty trucks. Subsequent amendments to the initial agreement were made, the most significant being a revised Scope of Project Objectives (SOPO) that did not address actual field data since it was not available as originally expected. This project was mated by DOE with a parallel project award given to the South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) in California. The SCAQMD project involved designing, building and testing of five medium duty plug-in hybrid electric trucks. SCAQMD had contracted with the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) to manage the project. EPRI provided the required match to the federal grant funds to both the SCAQMD project and the Kansas Consortium project. The rational for linking the two projects was that the data derived from the SCAQMD project could be used to validate the protocols developed by the Kansas Consortium team. At the same time, the consortium team would be a useful resource to SCAQMD in designating their test procedures for emissions and operating parameters and determining vehicle mileage. The years between award of the cooperative

  8. Denitrifying bacterial communities affect current production and nitrous oxide accumulation in a microbial fuel cell.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vilar-Sanz, Ariadna; Puig, Sebastià; García-Lledó, Arantzazu; Trias, Rosalia; Balaguer, M Dolors; Colprim, Jesús; Bañeras, Lluís

    2013-01-01

    The biocathodic reduction of nitrate in Microbial Fuel Cells (MFCs) is an alternative to remove nitrogen in low carbon to nitrogen wastewater and relies entirely on microbial activity. In this paper the community composition of denitrifiers in the cathode of a MFC is analysed in relation to added electron acceptors (nitrate and nitrite) and organic matter in the cathode. Nitrate reducers and nitrite reducers were highly affected by the operational conditions and displayed high diversity. The number of retrieved species-level Operational Taxonomic Units (OTUs) for narG, napA, nirS and nirK genes was 11, 10, 31 and 22, respectively. In contrast, nitrous oxide reducers remained virtually unchanged at all conditions. About 90% of the retrieved nosZ sequences grouped in a single OTU with a high similarity with Oligotropha carboxidovorans nosZ gene. nirS-containing denitrifiers were dominant at all conditions and accounted for a significant amount of the total bacterial density. Current production decreased from 15.0 A · m(-3) NCC (Net Cathodic Compartment), when nitrate was used as an electron acceptor, to 14.1 A · m(-3) NCC in the case of nitrite. Contrarily, nitrous oxide (N2O) accumulation in the MFC was higher when nitrite was used as the main electron acceptor and accounted for 70% of gaseous nitrogen. Relative abundance of nitrite to nitrous oxide reducers, calculated as (qnirS+qnirK)/qnosZ, correlated positively with N2O emissions. Collectively, data indicate that bacteria catalysing the initial denitrification steps in a MFC are highly influenced by main electron acceptors and have a major influence on current production and N2O accumulation.

  9. Overview of the Inland California Translational Consortium

    Science.gov (United States)

    Malkas, Linda H.

    2017-05-01

    The mission of the Inland California Translational Consortium (ICTC), an independent research consortium comprising a unique hub of regional institutions (City of Hope [COH], California Institute of Technology [Caltech], Jet Propulsion Laboratory [JPL], University of California Riverside [UCR], and Claremont Colleges Keck Graduate Institute [KGI], is to institute a new paradigm within the academic culture to accelerate translation of innovative biomedical discoveries into clinical applications that positively affect human health and life. The ICTC actively supports clinical translational research as well as the implementation and advancement of novel education and training models for the translation of basic discoveries into workable products and practices that preserve and improve human health while training and educating at all levels of the workforce using innovative forward-thinking approaches.

  10. Major similarities in the bacterial communities associated with lesioned and healthy Fungiidae corals

    KAUST Repository

    Apprill, Amy; Hughen, Konrad; Mincer, Tracy

    2013-01-01

    Cultivation-based studies have demonstrated that yellow-band disease (YBD), a lesion-producing ailment affecting diverse species of coral, is caused by a consortium of Vibrio spp. This study takes the first cultivation-independent approach to examine the whole bacterial community associated with YBD-like lesioned corals. Two species of Fungiidae corals, Ctenactis crassa and Herpolitha limax, displaying YBD-like lesions were examined across diverse reefs throughout the Red Sea. Using a pyrosequencing approach targeting the V1-V3 regions of the SSU rRNA gene, no major differences in bacterial community composition or diversity were identified between healthy and lesioned corals of either species. Indicator species analysis did not find Vibrio significantly associated with the lesioned corals. However, operational taxonomic units belonging to the Ruegeria genus of Alphaproteobacteria and NS9 marine group of Flavobacteria were significantly associated with the lesioned corals. The most striking trend of this dataset was that reef location was found to be the most significant influence on the coral-bacterial community. It is possible that more pronounced lesion-specific bacterial signatures might have been concealed by the strong influence of environmental conditions on coral-bacteria. Overall, this study demonstrates inconsistencies between cultivation-independent and cultivation-based studies regarding the role of specific bacteria in coral diseases. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd and Society for Applied Microbiology.

  11. Major similarities in the bacterial communities associated with lesioned and healthy Fungiidae corals

    KAUST Repository

    Apprill, Amy

    2013-03-21

    Cultivation-based studies have demonstrated that yellow-band disease (YBD), a lesion-producing ailment affecting diverse species of coral, is caused by a consortium of Vibrio spp. This study takes the first cultivation-independent approach to examine the whole bacterial community associated with YBD-like lesioned corals. Two species of Fungiidae corals, Ctenactis crassa and Herpolitha limax, displaying YBD-like lesions were examined across diverse reefs throughout the Red Sea. Using a pyrosequencing approach targeting the V1-V3 regions of the SSU rRNA gene, no major differences in bacterial community composition or diversity were identified between healthy and lesioned corals of either species. Indicator species analysis did not find Vibrio significantly associated with the lesioned corals. However, operational taxonomic units belonging to the Ruegeria genus of Alphaproteobacteria and NS9 marine group of Flavobacteria were significantly associated with the lesioned corals. The most striking trend of this dataset was that reef location was found to be the most significant influence on the coral-bacterial community. It is possible that more pronounced lesion-specific bacterial signatures might have been concealed by the strong influence of environmental conditions on coral-bacteria. Overall, this study demonstrates inconsistencies between cultivation-independent and cultivation-based studies regarding the role of specific bacteria in coral diseases. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd and Society for Applied Microbiology.

  12. A Long Island Consortium Takes Shape. Occasional Paper No. 76-1.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Taylor, William R.

    This occasional paper, the first in a "new" series, describes the background, activities, and experiences of the Long Island Consortium, a cooperative effort of two-year and four-year colleges committed to organizing a model program of faculty development. The consortium was organized under an initial grant from the Lilly Endowment. In May and…

  13. 77 FR 43237 - Genome in a Bottle Consortium-Work Plan Review Workshop

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-07-24

    ... in human whole genome variant calls. A principal motivation for this consortium is to enable... standards and quantitative performance metrics are needed to achieve the confidence in measurement results... principal motivation for this consortium is to enable science-based regulatory oversight of clinical...

  14. Data set from a comprehensive phosphoproteomic analysis of rice variety IRBB5 in response to bacterial blight

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yuxuan Hou

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available Bacterial blight (BB caused by Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae (Xoo has become one of the most devastating diseases for rice, a major food source for over half of the world populations. To investigate the roles of protein phosphorylation in rice bacterial blight resistance, a quantitative phosphoproteomic study was conducted in rice variety IRBB5 at 0 h and 24 h after Xoo infection. 2367 and 2223 phosphosites on 1334 and 1297 representative proteins were identified in 0 h and 24 h after Xoo infection, respectively, out of which 762 proteins were found to be differentially phosphorylated. In associated with the published article “A comprehensive quantitative phosphoproteome analysis of rice in response to bacterial blight” in BMC Plant Biology (Hou et al., 2015 [1], this dataset article provided the detailed information of experimental designing, methods, features as well as the raw data of mass spectrometry (MS identification. The MS proteomics data could be fully accessed from the ProteomeXchange Consortium with the dataset identifier http://www.ebi.ac.uk/pride/archive/projects/PXD002222. Keywords: Rice (Oryza sativa L., Bacterial blight, Phosphoproteome

  15. Oxidant and antioxidant parameters in the treatment of meningitis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aycicek, Ali; Iscan, Akin; Erel, Ozcan; Akcali, Mustafa; Ocak, Ali Riza

    2007-08-01

    The aim of this study was to assess the effects of meningitis treatment on the serum and cerebrospinal-fluid oxidant and antioxidant status in children with bacterial meningitis. Forty children with bacterial meningitis, at ages ranging from 4 months to 12 years (mean age, 4 years), were enrolled in the study. Within 8 hours after admission (before treatment) and 10 days after clinical and laboratory indications of recovery (after treatment), cerebrospinal fluid and venous blood were collected. Thirty-seven healthy children (mean age, 4 years) were enrolled as control subjects, and only venous blood was collected. Serum total oxidant status, lipid hydroperoxide, oxidative stress index, uric acid, albumin, and ceruloplasmin levels were lower in the patient group after treatment (Ptotal antioxidant capacity levels, vitamin C, total bilirubin, and catalase concentrations were not significantly altered by treatment (P>0.05). However, cerebrospinal fluid total oxidant status, lipid hydroperoxide, and oxidative stress index levels were higher, and cerebrospinal fluid total antioxidant capacity levels were lower after treatment than before treatment (P<0.05). In conclusion, we demonstrated that serum oxidative stress was lower, and cerebrospinal fluid oxidative stress was higher, after rather than before treatment in children with bacterial meningitis.

  16. Northeast Artificial Intelligence Consortium Annual Report - 1988 Parallel Vision. Volume 9

    Science.gov (United States)

    1989-10-01

    supports the Northeast Aritificial Intelligence Consortium (NAIC). Volume 9 Parallel Vision Report submitted by Christopher M. Brown Randal C. Nelson...NORTHEAST ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE CONSORTIUM ANNUAL REPORT - 1988 Parallel Vision Syracuse University Christopher M. Brown and Randal C. Nelson...Technical Director Directorate of Intelligence & Reconnaissance FOR THE COMMANDER: IGOR G. PLONISCH Directorate of Plans & Programs If your address has

  17. LBL/JSU/AGMUS science consortium annual report, FY 1991--1992

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    1992-12-31

    In 1983, a formal Memorandum of Understanding joined the Ana G. Mendez University System (AGMUS), Jackson State University (JSU), and the Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory (LBL) in a consortium designed to advance the science and technology programs of JSU and AGMUS. This is the first such collaboration between a Hispanic university system, a historically Black university, and a national laboratory. The goals of this alliance are basic and direct: to develop and effect a long-term, comprehensive program that will enable the campuses of AGMUS and JSU to provide a broad, high-quality offering in the natural and computer sciences, to increase the number of minority students entering these fields, and to contribute to scientific knowledge and the federal government`s science mission through research. This report documents the progress toward these goals and includes individual success stories. The LBL/JSU/AGMUS Science Consortium has developed plans for utilizing its program successes to help other institutions to adopt or adapt those elements of the model that have produced the greatest results. Within the five-year plan formulated in 1990 are eight major components, each with defining elements and goals. These elements have become the components of the Science Consortium`s current plan for expansion and propagation.

  18. Biodegradation mechanisms and kinetics of azo dye 4BS by a microbial consortium.

    Science.gov (United States)

    He, Fang; Hu, Wenrong; Li, Yuezhong

    2004-10-01

    A microbial consortium consisting of a white-rot fungus 8-4* and a Pseudomonas 1-10 was isolated from wastewater treatment facilities of a local dyeing house by enrichment, using azo dye Direct Fast Scarlet 4BS as the sole source of carbon and energy, which had a high capacity for rapid decolorization of 4BS. To elucidate the decolorization mechanisms, decolorization of 4BS was compared between individual strains and the microbial consortium under different treatment processes. The microbial consortium showed a significant improvement on dye decolorization rates under either static or shaking culture, which might be attributed to the synergetic reaction of single strains. From the curve of COD values and the UV-visible spectra of 4BS solutions before and after decolorization cultivation with the microbial consortium, it was found that 4BS could be mineralized completely, and the results had been used for presuming the degrading pathway of 4BS. This study also examined the kinetics of 4BS decolorization by immobilized microbial consortium. The results demonstrated that the optimal decolorization activity was observed in pH range between four and 9, temperature range between 20 and 40 degrees C and the maximal specific decolorization rate occurred at 1,000 mg l(-1) of 4BS. The proliferation and distribution of microbial consortium were also microscopically observed, which further confirmed the decolorization mechanisms of 4BS.

  19. Single-bilayer graphene oxide sheet tolerance and glutathione redox system significance assessment in faba bean (Vicia faba L.)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Anjum, Naser A. [University of Aveiro, Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies (CESAM) and Department of Chemistry (Portugal); Singh, Neetu; Singh, Manoj K. [University of Aveiro, Center for Mechanical Technology and Automation (TEMA) and Department of Mechanical Engineering (Portugal); Shah, Zahoor A. [University of Toledo, Department of Medicinal and Biological Chemistry, College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences (United States); Duarte, Armando C.; Pereira, Eduarda; Ahmad, Iqbal, E-mail: ahmadr@ua.pt [University of Aveiro, Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies (CESAM) and Department of Chemistry (Portugal)

    2013-07-15

    Adsorbents based on single-bilayer graphene oxide sheet (hereafter termed 'graphene oxide') are widely used in contaminated environments cleanup which may easily open the avenues for their entry to different environmental compartments, exposure to organisms and their subsequent transfer to human/animal food chain. Considering a common food crop-faba bean (Vicia faba L.) germinating seedlings as a model plant system, this study assesses the V. faba-tolerance to different concentrations (0, 100, 200, 400, 800, and 1600 mg L{sup -1}) of graphene oxide (0.5-5 {mu}m) and evaluates glutathione ({gamma}-glutamyl-cysteinyl-glycine) redox system significance in this context. The results showed significantly increased V. faba sensitivity under three graphene oxide concentrations (in order of impact: 1,600 > 200 > 100 mg graphene oxide L{sup -1}), which was accompanied by decreased glutathione redox (reduced glutathione-to-oxidized glutathione) ratio, reduced glutathione pool, as well as significant and equally elevated activities of glutathione-regenerating (glutathione reductase) and glutathione-metabolizing (glutathione peroxidase; glutathione sulfo-transferase) enzymes. Contrarily, the two graphene oxide concentrations (in order of impact: 800 > 400 graphene oxide mg L{sup -1}) yielded promising results; where, significant improvements in V. faba health status (measured as increased graphene oxide tolerance) were clearly perceptible with increased ratio of the reduced glutathione-to-oxidized glutathione, reduced glutathione pool and glutathione reductase activity but decreased activities of glutathione-metabolizing enzymes. It is inferred that V. faba seedlings-sensitivity and/or tolerance to graphene oxide concentrations depends on both the cellular redox state (reduced glutathione-to-oxidized glutathione ratio) and the reduced glutathione pool which in turn are controlled by a finely tuned modulation of the coordination between glutathione-regenerating and

  20. Patient-Reported Outcome (PRO) Consortium translation process: consensus development of updated best practices.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Eremenco, Sonya; Pease, Sheryl; Mann, Sarah; Berry, Pamela

    2017-01-01

    This paper describes the rationale and goals of the Patient-Reported Outcome (PRO) Consortium's instrument translation process. The PRO Consortium has developed a number of novel PRO measures which are in the process of qualification by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use in clinical trials where endpoints based on these measures would support product labeling claims. Given the importance of FDA qualification of these measures, the PRO Consortium's Process Subcommittee determined that a detailed linguistic validation (LV) process was necessary to ensure that all translations of Consortium-developed PRO measures are performed using a standardized approach with the rigor required to meet regulatory and pharmaceutical industry expectations, as well as having a clearly defined instrument translation process that the translation industry can support. The consensus process involved gathering information about current best practices from 13 translation companies with expertise in LV, consolidating the findings to generate a proposed process, and obtaining iterative feedback from the translation companies and PRO Consortium member firms on the proposed process in two rounds of review in order to update existing principles of good practice in LV and to provide sufficient detail for the translation process to ensure consistency across PRO Consortium measures, sponsors, and translation companies. The consensus development resulted in a 12-step process that outlines universal and country-specific new translation approaches, as well as country-specific adaptations of existing translations. The PRO Consortium translation process will play an important role in maintaining the validity of the data generated through these measures by ensuring that they are translated by qualified linguists following a standardized and rigorous process that reflects best practice.

  1. Cytotoxicity of TiO2 nanoparticles towards freshwater sediment microorganisms at low exposure concentrations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kumari, Jyoti; Kumar, Deepak; Mathur, Ankita; Naseer, Arif; Kumar, Ravi Ranjan; Thanjavur Chandrasekaran, Prathna; Chaudhuri, Gouri; Pulimi, Mrudula; Raichur, Ashok M.; Babu, S.; Chandrasekaran, Natarajan; Nagarajan, R.; Mukherjee, Amitava

    2014-01-01

    There is a persistent need to assess the effects of TiO 2 nanoparticles on the aquatic ecosystem owing to their increasing usage in consumer products and risk of environmental release. The current study is focused on TiO 2 nanoparticle-induced acute toxicity at sub-ppm level (≤1 ppm) on the three different freshwater sediment bacterial isolates and their consortium under two different irradiation (visible light and dark) conditions. The consortium of the bacterial isolates was found to be less affected by the exposure to the nanoparticles compared to the individual cells. The oxidative stress contributed considerably towards the cytotoxicity under both light and dark conditions. A statistically significant increase in membrane permeability was noted under the dark conditions as compared to the light conditions. The optical and fluorescence microscopic images showed aggregation and chain formation of the bacterial cells, when exposed to the nanoparticles. The electron microscopic (SEM, TEM) observations suggested considerable damage of cells and bio-uptake of nanoparticles. The exopolysaccrides (EPS) production and biofilm formation were noted to increase in the presence of the nanoparticles, and expression of the key genes involved in biofilm formation was studied by RT-PCR. - Highlights: • Toxicity of NPs towards freshwater sediment bacteria at sub-ppm concentrations. • Decreased toxicity of the nanoparticles in the consortium of microorganisms. • Enhanced bacterial resistance through EPS and biofilm formation in the presence of NPs. • Considerable surface damage of cells and internalization of NPs. • Gene expression analyses related to biofilm formation in the presence of NPs

  2. Cytotoxicity of TiO{sub 2} nanoparticles towards freshwater sediment microorganisms at low exposure concentrations

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kumari, Jyoti; Kumar, Deepak; Mathur, Ankita; Naseer, Arif; Kumar, Ravi Ranjan [Centre for Nanobiotechnology, VIT University, Vellore 632014 (India); Thanjavur Chandrasekaran, Prathna [Department of Materials Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore (India); Chaudhuri, Gouri; Pulimi, Mrudula [Centre for Nanobiotechnology, VIT University, Vellore 632014 (India); Raichur, Ashok M. [Department of Materials Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore (India); Department of Chemical Technology, University of Johannesburg (South Africa); Babu, S. [School of Bio Sciences and Technology, VIT University, Vellore (India); Chandrasekaran, Natarajan [Centre for Nanobiotechnology, VIT University, Vellore 632014 (India); Nagarajan, R. [Department of Chemical Engineering, IIT Madras, Chennai (India); Mukherjee, Amitava, E-mail: amit.mookerjea@gmail.com [Centre for Nanobiotechnology, VIT University, Vellore 632014 (India)

    2014-11-15

    There is a persistent need to assess the effects of TiO{sub 2} nanoparticles on the aquatic ecosystem owing to their increasing usage in consumer products and risk of environmental release. The current study is focused on TiO{sub 2} nanoparticle-induced acute toxicity at sub-ppm level (≤1 ppm) on the three different freshwater sediment bacterial isolates and their consortium under two different irradiation (visible light and dark) conditions. The consortium of the bacterial isolates was found to be less affected by the exposure to the nanoparticles compared to the individual cells. The oxidative stress contributed considerably towards the cytotoxicity under both light and dark conditions. A statistically significant increase in membrane permeability was noted under the dark conditions as compared to the light conditions. The optical and fluorescence microscopic images showed aggregation and chain formation of the bacterial cells, when exposed to the nanoparticles. The electron microscopic (SEM, TEM) observations suggested considerable damage of cells and bio-uptake of nanoparticles. The exopolysaccrides (EPS) production and biofilm formation were noted to increase in the presence of the nanoparticles, and expression of the key genes involved in biofilm formation was studied by RT-PCR. - Highlights: • Toxicity of NPs towards freshwater sediment bacteria at sub-ppm concentrations. • Decreased toxicity of the nanoparticles in the consortium of microorganisms. • Enhanced bacterial resistance through EPS and biofilm formation in the presence of NPs. • Considerable surface damage of cells and internalization of NPs. • Gene expression analyses related to biofilm formation in the presence of NPs.

  3. Evaluation of zinc oxide nanoparticles on lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) growth and soil bacterial community.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xu, Jiangbing; Luo, Xiaosan; Wang, Yanling; Feng, Youzhi

    2018-02-01

    The wide spread of nanoparticles (NPs) has caused tremendous concerns on agricultural ecosystem. Some metallic NPs, such as zinc oxide (ZnO), can be utilized as a nano-fertilizer when used at optimal doses. However, little is known about the responses of plant development and concomitant soil bacteria community to ZnO NPs. The present pot experiment studied the impacts of different doses of ZnO NPs and bulk ZnO (0, 1, 10, 100 mg ZnO/kg), on the growth of lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) and the associated rhizospheric soil bacterial community. Results showed that at a dose of 10 mg/kg, ZnO NPs and bulk ZnO, enhanced the lettuce biomass and the net photosynthetic rate; whereas, the Zn content in plant tissue was higher in NPs treatment than in their bulk counterpart at 10 mg/kg dose or higher. For the underground observations, 10 mg/kg treatment doses (NPs or bulk) significantly changed the soil bacterial community structure, despite the non-significant variations in alpha diversity. Taxonomic distribution revealed that some lineages within Cyanobacteria and other phyla individually demonstrated similar or different responses to ZnO NPs and bulk ZnO. Moreover, some lineages associated with plant growth promotion were also influenced to different extents by ZnO NPs and bulk ZnO, suggesting the distinct microbial processes occurring in soil. Collectively, this study expanded our understanding of the influence of ZnO NPs on plant performance and the associated soil microorganisms.

  4. Research within the coordinated progamme on bacterial leaching of uranium ores

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Marjanovic, D.

    1978-01-01

    Effect of magnetic field on the growth rate of Thiobacillus ferrooxidans bacteria was studied at intensities of 30, 100, 2400, and 4000 Oe. Low intensity magnetic field was found to stimulate the bacteria growth rate and the rate of ferrosulphate oxidation with optimum values at 30 to 300 Oe (maximum at 300 Oe). Magnetic field of high intensity (2400, 3200, 4000 Oe) inhibits the growth of bacteria and processes of bacterial oxidation. The possibility was also studied of using biocides for inhibiting bacterial processes in uranium-bearing waste dumps. The use of biocides resulted in a decrease of uranium-bearing waste dump autochthonous microflora density

  5. Anaerobic ammonium oxidation mediated by Mn-oxides: from sediment to strain level.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Javanaud, Cedric; Michotey, Valerie; Guasco, Sophie; Garcia, Nicole; Anschutz, Pierre; Canton, Mathieu; Bonin, Patricia

    2011-11-01

    Nitrite and (29)N(2) productions in slurry incubations of anaerobically sediment after (15)NO(3) or (15)NH(4) labelling in the presence of Mn-oxides suggested that anaerobic Mn-oxides mediated nitrification coupled with denitrification in muddy intertidal sediments of Arcachon Bay (SW Atlantic French coast). From this sediment, bacterial strains were isolated and physiologically characterized in terms of Mn-oxides and nitrate reduction as well as potential anaerobic nitrification. One of the isolated strain, identified as Marinobacter daepoensis strain M4AY14, was a denitrifier. Nitrous oxide production by this strain was demonstrated in the absence of nitrate and with Mn-oxides and NH(4) amendment, giving indirect proof of anaerobic nitrate or nitrite production. Anaerobic Mn-oxide-mediated nitrification was confirmed by (29)N(2) production in the presence of (15)NO(3) and (14)NH(4) under denitrifying conditions. Anaerobic nitrification by M4AY14 seemed to occur only in the absence of nitrate, or at nitrate levels lower than that of Mn-oxides. Most of the other isolates were affiliated with the Shewanella genus and were able to use both nitrate and Mn-oxides as electron acceptors. When both electron acceptors were present, whatever their concentrations, nitrate and Mn-oxide reduction co-occurred. These data indicate that bacterial Mn-oxide reduction could be an important process in marine sediments with low oxygen concentrations, and demonstrate for the first time the role of bacteria in anaerobic Mn-mediated nitrification. Copyright © 2011 Institut Pasteur. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

  6. Single-bilayer graphene oxide sheet tolerance and glutathione redox system significance assessment in faba bean (Vicia faba L.)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Anjum, Naser A.; Singh, Neetu; Singh, Manoj K.; Shah, Zahoor A.; Duarte, Armando C.; Pereira, Eduarda; Ahmad, Iqbal

    2013-01-01

    Adsorbents based on single-bilayer graphene oxide sheet (hereafter termed “graphene oxide”) are widely used in contaminated environments cleanup which may easily open the avenues for their entry to different environmental compartments, exposure to organisms and their subsequent transfer to human/animal food chain. Considering a common food crop—faba bean (Vicia faba L.) germinating seedlings as a model plant system, this study assesses the V. faba-tolerance to different concentrations (0, 100, 200, 400, 800, and 1600 mg L −1 ) of graphene oxide (0.5–5 μm) and evaluates glutathione (γ-glutamyl-cysteinyl-glycine) redox system significance in this context. The results showed significantly increased V. faba sensitivity under three graphene oxide concentrations (in order of impact: 1,600 > 200 > 100 mg graphene oxide L −1 ), which was accompanied by decreased glutathione redox (reduced glutathione-to-oxidized glutathione) ratio, reduced glutathione pool, as well as significant and equally elevated activities of glutathione-regenerating (glutathione reductase) and glutathione-metabolizing (glutathione peroxidase; glutathione sulfo-transferase) enzymes. Contrarily, the two graphene oxide concentrations (in order of impact: 800 > 400 graphene oxide mg L −1 ) yielded promising results; where, significant improvements in V. faba health status (measured as increased graphene oxide tolerance) were clearly perceptible with increased ratio of the reduced glutathione-to-oxidized glutathione, reduced glutathione pool and glutathione reductase activity but decreased activities of glutathione-metabolizing enzymes. It is inferred that V. faba seedlings-sensitivity and/or tolerance to graphene oxide concentrations depends on both the cellular redox state (reduced glutathione-to-oxidized glutathione ratio) and the reduced glutathione pool which in turn are controlled by a finely tuned modulation of the coordination between glutathione-regenerating and glutathione

  7. Expanded metabolic versatility of ubiquitous nitrite-oxidizing bacteria from the genus Nitrospira

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Koch, Hanna; Lücker, Sebastian; Albertsen, Mads

    2015-01-01

    , we identified ecophysiological traits that contribute to the ecological success of Nitrospira. Unexpectedly, N. moscoviensis possesses genes coding for a urease and cleaves urea to ammonia and CO2. Ureolysis was not observed yet in nitrite oxidizers and enables N. moscoviensis to supply ammonia...... oxidizers lacking urease with ammonia from urea, which is fully nitrified by this consortium through reciprocal feeding. The presence of highly similar urease genes in Nitrospira lenta from activated sludge, in metagenomes from soils and freshwater habitats, and of other ureases in marine nitrite oxidizers...

  8. Consortium de recherche pour le développement de l'agriculture en ...

    International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

    Research Consortium for the Development of Agriculture in Haiti. Even before it was hit by a devastating earthquake in January 2010, Haiti's children suffered some of the worst rates of undernutrition in Latin America and the Caribbean. View moreResearch Consortium for the Development of Agriculture in Haiti ...

  9. Update on the US Government's Biometric Consortium

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Campbell, Joseph

    1997-01-01

    .... The goals of the consortium remain largely the same under this new leadership. The current emphasis is on the formal approval of our charter and on the establishment of a national biometric test and evaluation laboratory.

  10. Characterization of bacterial diversity associated with deep sea ferromanganese nodules from the South China Sea.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, De-Chao; Liu, Yan-Xia; Li, Xin-Zheng

    2015-09-01

    Deep sea ferromanganese (FeMn) nodules contain metallic mineral resources and have great economic potential. In this study, a combination of culture-dependent and culture-independent (16S rRNA genes clone library and pyrosequencing) methods was used to investigate the bacterial diversity in FeMn nodules from Jiaolong Seamount, the South China Sea. Eleven bacterial strains including some moderate thermophiles were isolated. The majority of strains belonged to the phylum Proteobacteria; one isolate belonged to the phylum Firmicutes. A total of 259 near full-length bacterial 16S rRNA gene sequences in a clone library and 67,079 valid reads obtained using pyrosequencing indicated that members of the Gammaproteobacteria dominated, with the most abundant bacterial genera being Pseudomonas and Alteromonas. Sequence analysis indicated the presence of many organisms whose closest relatives are known manganese oxidizers, iron reducers, hydrogen-oxidizing bacteria and methylotrophs. This is the first reported investigation of bacterial diversity associated with deep sea FeMn nodules from the South China Sea.

  11. Commercial application of bacterial heap leaching in Ganzhou uranium mine

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liu Jian; Fan Baotuan; Meng Yunsheng; Xiao Jinfeng; Chen Sencai; Wu Jinjing; Liu Chengwu; Wu Yichang; Zeng Ruilong

    2003-01-01

    In this paper the situation of commercial application on bacterial heap leaching in Ganzhou Uranium Mine is introduced, and the construction of biomembrane oxidizing tank, regeneration and recycled utilization of barren solution are summarized. Total five heaps, 18436 t, uranium ore are leached by bacteria during the half of a year. The result is consistent with that of commercial experiment. The technology of bacterial heap leaching is more perfected

  12. Ecotoxicological effects of enrofloxacin and its removal by monoculture of microalgal species and their consortium.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xiong, Jiu-Qiang; Kurade, Mayur B; Jeon, Byong-Hun

    2017-07-01

    Enrofloxacin (ENR), a fluoroquinolone antibiotic, has gained big scientific concern due to its ecotoxicity on aquatic microbiota. The ecotoxicity and removal of ENR by five individual microalgae species and their consortium were studied to correlate the behavior and interaction of ENR in natural systems. The individual microalgal species (Scenedesmus obliquus, Chlamydomonas mexicana, Chlorella vulgaris, Ourococcus multisporus, Micractinium resseri) and their consortium could withstand high doses of ENR (≤1 mg L -1 ). Growth inhibition (68-81%) of the individual microalgae species and their consortium was observed in ENR (100 mg L -1 ) compared to control after 11 days of cultivation. The calculated 96 h EC 50 of ENR for individual microalgae species and microalgae consortium was 9.6-15.0 mg ENR L -1 . All the microalgae could recover from the toxicity of high concentrations of ENR during cultivation. The biochemical characteristics (total chlorophyll, carotenoid, and malondialdehyde) were significantly influenced by ENR (1-100 mg L -1 ) stress. The individual microalgae species and microalgae consortium removed 18-26% ENR at day 11. Although the microalgae consortium showed a higher sensitivity (with lower EC 50 ) toward ENR than the individual microalgae species, the removal efficiency of ENR by the constructed microalgae consortium was comparable to that of the most effective microalgal species. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  13. Enhanced Biocide Treatments with D-amino Acid Mixtures against a Biofilm Consortium from a Water Cooling Tower.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jia, Ru; Li, Yingchao; Al-Mahamedh, Hussain H; Gu, Tingyue

    2017-01-01

    Different species of microbes form mixed-culture biofilms in cooling water systems. They cause microbiologically influenced corrosion (MIC) and biofouling, leading to increased operational and maintenance costs. In this work, two D-amino acid mixtures were found to enhance two non-oxidizing biocides [tetrakis hydroxymethyl phosphonium sulfate (THPS) and NALCO 7330 (isothiazoline derivatives)] and one oxidizing biocide [bleach (NaClO)] against a biofilm consortium from a water cooling tower in lab tests. Fifty ppm (w/w) of an equimass mixture of D-methionine, D-leucine, D-tyrosine, D-tryptophan, D-serine, D-threonine, D-phenylalanine, and D-valine (D8) enhanced 15 ppm THPS and 15 ppm NALCO 7330 with similar efficacies achieved by the 30 ppm THPS alone treatment and the 30 ppm NALCO 7330 alone treatment, respectively in the single-batch 3-h biofilm removal test. A sequential treatment method was used to enhance bleach because D-amino acids react with bleach. After a 4-h biofilm removal test, the sequential treatment of 5 ppm bleach followed by 50 ppm D8 achieved extra 1-log reduction in sessile cell counts of acid producing bacteria, sulfate reducing bacteria, and general heterotrophic bacteria compared with the 5 ppm bleach alone treatment. The 10 ppm bleach alone treatment showed a similar efficacy with the sequential treatment of 5 ppm bleach followed by 50 ppm D8. The efficacy of D8 was found better than that of D4 (an equimass mixture of D-methionine, D-leucine, D-tyrosine, and D-tryptophan) in the enhancement of the three individual biocides against the biofilm consortium.

  14. Enhanced Biocide Treatments with D-amino Acid Mixtures against a Biofilm Consortium from a Water Cooling Tower

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ru Jia

    2017-08-01

    Full Text Available Different species of microbes form mixed-culture biofilms in cooling water systems. They cause microbiologically influenced corrosion (MIC and biofouling, leading to increased operational and maintenance costs. In this work, two D-amino acid mixtures were found to enhance two non-oxidizing biocides [tetrakis hydroxymethyl phosphonium sulfate (THPS and NALCO 7330 (isothiazoline derivatives] and one oxidizing biocide [bleach (NaClO] against a biofilm consortium from a water cooling tower in lab tests. Fifty ppm (w/w of an equimass mixture of D-methionine, D-leucine, D-tyrosine, D-tryptophan, D-serine, D-threonine, D-phenylalanine, and D-valine (D8 enhanced 15 ppm THPS and 15 ppm NALCO 7330 with similar efficacies achieved by the 30 ppm THPS alone treatment and the 30 ppm NALCO 7330 alone treatment, respectively in the single-batch 3-h biofilm removal test. A sequential treatment method was used to enhance bleach because D-amino acids react with bleach. After a 4-h biofilm removal test, the sequential treatment of 5 ppm bleach followed by 50 ppm D8 achieved extra 1-log reduction in sessile cell counts of acid producing bacteria, sulfate reducing bacteria, and general heterotrophic bacteria compared with the 5 ppm bleach alone treatment. The 10 ppm bleach alone treatment showed a similar efficacy with the sequential treatment of 5 ppm bleach followed by 50 ppm D8. The efficacy of D8 was found better than that of D4 (an equimass mixture of D-methionine, D-leucine, D-tyrosine, and D-tryptophan in the enhancement of the three individual biocides against the biofilm consortium.

  15. N-Doped Carbon Nanofibrous Network Derived from Bacterial Cellulose for the Loading of Pt Nanoparticles for Methanol Oxidation Reaction.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yuan, Fanshu; Huang, Yang; Fan, Mengmeng; Chen, Chuntao; Qian, Jieshu; Hao, Qingli; Yang, Jiazhi; Sun, Dongping

    2018-02-06

    The large-scale, low-cost preparation of Pt-based catalysts with high activity and durability for the methanol oxidation reaction is still challenging. The key to achieving this aim is finding suitable supporting materials. In this paper, N-doped carbon nanofibrous networks are prepared by annealing a gel containing two inexpensive and ecofriendly precursors, that is, bacterial cellulose and urea, for the loading of Pt nanoparticles. An undoped analogue is also prepared for comparison. Meanwhile, the effect of the annealing temperature on the performance of the catalysts is evaluated. The results show that the N doping and higher annealing temperature can improve the electron conductivity of the catalyst and provide more active sites for the loading of ultrafine Pt nanoparticles with a narrow size distribution. The best catalyst exhibits a remarkably high electrocatalytic activity (627 mA mg -1 ), excellent poison tolerance, and high durability. This work demonstrates an ideal Pt supporting material for the methanol oxidation reaction. © 2018 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  16. Cerebral oxygenation and energy metabolism in bacterial meningitis

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Larsen, Lykke

    Introduction: In a recent retrospective study of patients with severe bacterial meningitis we demonstrated that cerebral oxidative metabolism was affected in approximately 50% of the cases. An increase of lactate/pyruvate (LP) ratio above the upper normal limit, defined according to according...... bacterial meningitis; secondly to examine whether it is correct to separate the diagnosis of cerebral ischemia from mitochondrial dysfunction based exclusively on the biochemical pattern obtained during intracerebral microdialysis. Method: A prospective clinical study including patients with severe...... community acquired bacterial meningitis admitted to the Department of Infectious Diseases, Odense University Hospital, during the period January 2014 to June 2016. We relate data from measurements of brain tissue oxygen tension (PbtO2) to simultaneously recorded data reflecting cerebral cytoplasmic redox...

  17. Primary Immune Deficiency Treatment Consortium (PIDTC) report

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    L.M. Griffith (Linda); M. Cowan (Morton); L.D. Notarangelo (Luigi Daniele); R. Kohn (Robert); J. Puck (Jennifer); S.-Y. Pai (Sung-Yun); B. Ballard (Barbara); S.C. Bauer (Sarah); J. Bleesing (Jack); M. Boyle (Marcia); R.W. Brower (Ronald); R.H. Buckley (Rebecca); M. van der Burg (Mirjam); L.M. Burroughs (Lauri); F. Candotti (Fabio); A. Cant (Andrew); T. Chatila (Talal); C. Cunningham-Rundles (Charlotte); M.C. Dinauer (Mary); J. Dvorak (Jennie); A. Filipovich (Alexandra); L.A. Fleisher (Lee); H.B. Gaspar (Bobby); T. Gungor (Tayfun); E. Haddad (Elie); E. Hovermale (Emily); F. Huang (Faith); A. Hurley (Alan); M. Hurley (Mary); S.K. Iyengar (Sudha); E.M. Kang (Elizabeth); B.R. Logan (Brent); J.R. Long-Boyle (Janel); H. Malech (Harry); S.A. McGhee (Sean); S. Modell (Sieglinde); S. Modell (Sieglinde); H.D. Ochs (Hans); R.J. O'Reilly (Richard); R. Parkman (Robertson); D. Rawlings (D.); J.M. Routes (John); P. Shearer (P.); T.N. Small (Trudy); H. Smith (H.); K.E. Sullivan (Kathleen); P. Szabolcs (Paul); A.J. Thrasher (Adrian); D. Torgerson; P. Veys (Paul); K. Weinberg (Kenneth); J.C. Zuniga-Pflucker (Juan Carlos)

    2014-01-01

    textabstractThe Primary Immune Deficiency Treatment Consortium (PIDTC) is a network of 33 centers in North America that study the treatment of rare and severe primary immunodeficiency diseases. Current protocols address the natural history of patients treated for severe combined immunodeficiency

  18. Measuring Consortium Impact on User Perceptions: OhioLINK and LibQUAL+[TM

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gatten, Jeffrey N.

    2004-01-01

    What is the impact of an academic library consortium on the perceptions of library services experienced by users of the member institutions' libraries? What is the impact of an academic library consortium on the perceptions of library services experienced by users of the member institutions libraries? In 2002 and 2003, OhioLINK (Ohio's consortium…

  19. Hydrogen Production by Geobacter Species and a Mixed Consortium in a Microbial Electrolysis Cell

    KAUST Repository

    Call, D. F.

    2009-10-09

    A hydrogen utilizing exoelectrogenic bacterium (Geobacter sulfurreducens) was compared to both a nonhydrogen oxidizer (Geobacter metallireducens) and a mixed consortium in order to compare the hydrogen production rates and hydrogen recoveries of pure and mixed cultures in microbial electrolysis cells (MECs). At an applied voltage of 0.7 V, both G. sulfurreducens and the mixed culture generated similar current densities (ca. 160 A/m3), resulting in hydrogen production rates of ca. 1.9 m3 H2/m 3/day, whereas G. metallireducens exhibited lower current densities and production rates of 110 ± 7 A/m3 and 1.3 ± 0.1 m3 H2/m3/day, respectively. Before methane was detected in the mixed-culture MEC, the mixed consortium achieved the highest overall energy recovery (relative to both electricity and substrate energy inputs) of 82% ± 8% compared to G. sulfurreducens (77% ± 2%) and G. metallireducens (78% ± 5%), due to the higher coulombic efficiency of the mixed consortium. At an applied voltage of 0.4 V, methane production increased in the mixed-culture MEC and, as a result, the hydrogen recovery decreased and the overall energy recovery dropped to 38% ± 16% compared to 80% ± 5% for G. sulfurreducens and 76% ± 0% for G. metallireducens. Internal hydrogen recycling was confirmed since the mixed culture generated a stable current density of 31 ± 0 A/m3 when fed hydrogen gas, whereas G. sulfurreducens exhibited a steady decrease in current production. Community analysis suggested that G. sulfurreducens was predominant in the mixed-culture MEC (72% of clones) despite its relative absence in the mixed-culture inoculum obtained from a microbial fuel cell reactor (2% of clones). These results demonstrate that Geobacter species are capable of obtaining similar hydrogen production rates and energy recoveries as mixed cultures in an MEC and that high coulombic efficiencies in mixed culture MECs can be attributed in part to the recycling of hydrogen into current. Copyright

  20. Hydrogen Production by Geobacter Species and a Mixed Consortium in a Microbial Electrolysis Cell▿

    Science.gov (United States)

    Call, Douglas F.; Wagner, Rachel C.; Logan, Bruce E.

    2009-01-01

    A hydrogen utilizing exoelectrogenic bacterium (Geobacter sulfurreducens) was compared to both a nonhydrogen oxidizer (Geobacter metallireducens) and a mixed consortium in order to compare the hydrogen production rates and hydrogen recoveries of pure and mixed cultures in microbial electrolysis cells (MECs). At an applied voltage of 0.7 V, both G. sulfurreducens and the mixed culture generated similar current densities (ca. 160 A/m3), resulting in hydrogen production rates of ca. 1.9 m3 H2/m3/day, whereas G. metallireducens exhibited lower current densities and production rates of 110 ± 7 A/m3 and 1.3 ± 0.1 m3 H2/m3/day, respectively. Before methane was detected in the mixed-culture MEC, the mixed consortium achieved the highest overall energy recovery (relative to both electricity and substrate energy inputs) of 82% ± 8% compared to G. sulfurreducens (77% ± 2%) and G. metallireducens (78% ± 5%), due to the higher coulombic efficiency of the mixed consortium. At an applied voltage of 0.4 V, methane production increased in the mixed-culture MEC and, as a result, the hydrogen recovery decreased and the overall energy recovery dropped to 38% ± 16% compared to 80% ± 5% for G. sulfurreducens and 76% ± 0% for G. metallireducens. Internal hydrogen recycling was confirmed since the mixed culture generated a stable current density of 31 ± 0 A/m3 when fed hydrogen gas, whereas G. sulfurreducens exhibited a steady decrease in current production. Community analysis suggested that G. sulfurreducens was predominant in the mixed-culture MEC (72% of clones) despite its relative absence in the mixed-culture inoculum obtained from a microbial fuel cell reactor (2% of clones). These results demonstrate that Geobacter species are capable of obtaining similar hydrogen production rates and energy recoveries as mixed cultures in an MEC and that high coulombic efficiencies in mixed culture MECs can be attributed in part to the recycling of hydrogen into current. PMID:19820150

  1. Hawaii Space Grant Consortium

    Science.gov (United States)

    Flynn, Luke P.

    2005-01-01

    The Hawai'i Space Grant Consortium is composed of ten institutions of higher learning including the University of Hawai'i at Manoa, the University of Hawai'i at Hilo, the University of Guam, and seven Community Colleges spread over the 4 main Hawaiian islands. Geographic separation is not the only obstacle that we face as a Consortium. Hawai'i has been mired in an economic downturn due to a lack of tourism for almost all of the period (2001 - 2004) covered by this report, although hotel occupancy rates and real estate sales have sky-rocketed in the last year. Our challenges have been many including providing quality educational opportunities in the face of shrinking State and Federal budgets, encouraging science and technology course instruction at the K-12 level in a public school system that is becoming less focused on high technology and more focused on developing basic reading and math skills, and assembling community college programs with instructors who are expected to teach more classes for the same salary. Motivated people can overcome these problems. Fortunately, the Hawai'i Space Grant Consortium (HSGC) consists of a group of highly motivated and talented individuals who have not only overcome these obstacles, but have excelled with the Program. We fill a critical need within the State of Hawai'i to provide our children with opportunities to pursue their dreams of becoming the next generation of NASA astronauts, engineers, and explorers. Our strength lies not only in our diligent and creative HSGC advisory board, but also with Hawai'i's teachers, students, parents, and industry executives who are willing to invest their time, effort, and resources into Hawai'i's future. Our operational philosophy is to FACE the Future, meaning that we will facilitate, administer, catalyze, and educate in order to achieve our objective of creating a highly technically capable workforce both here in Hawai'i and for NASA. In addition to administering to programs and

  2. GAS STORAGE TECHNOLOGY CONSORTIUM

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Robert W. Watson

    2004-10-18

    Gas storage is a critical element in the natural gas industry. Producers, transmission and distribution companies, marketers, and end users all benefit directly from the load balancing function of storage. The unbundling process has fundamentally changed the way storage is used and valued. As an unbundled service, the value of storage is being recovered at rates that reflect its value. Moreover, the marketplace has differentiated between various types of storage services, and has increasingly rewarded flexibility, safety, and reliability. The size of the natural gas market has increased and is projected to continue to increase towards 30 trillion cubic feet (TCF) over the next 10 to 15 years. Much of this increase is projected to come from electric generation, particularly peaking units. Gas storage, particularly the flexible services that are most suited to electric loads, is critical in meeting the needs of these new markets. In order to address the gas storage needs of the natural gas industry, an industry-driven consortium was created--the Gas Storage Technology Consortium (GSTC). The objective of the GSTC is to provide a means to accomplish industry-driven research and development designed to enhance operational flexibility and deliverability of the Nation's gas storage system, and provide a cost effective, safe, and reliable supply of natural gas to meet domestic demand. To accomplish this objective, the project is divided into three phases that are managed and directed by the GSTC Coordinator. The first phase, Phase 1A, was initiated on September 30, 2003, and was completed on March 31, 2004. Phase 1A of the project included the creation of the GSTC structure, development and refinement of a technical approach (work plan) for deliverability enhancement and reservoir management. This report deals with Phase 1B and encompasses the period July 1, 2004, through September 30, 2004. During this time period there were three main activities. First was the

  3. Self-organization, layered structure, and aggregation enhance persistence of a synthetic biofilm consortium.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Katie Brenner

    Full Text Available Microbial consortia constitute a majority of the earth's biomass, but little is known about how these cooperating communities persist despite competition among community members. Theory suggests that non-random spatial structures contribute to the persistence of mixed communities; when particular structures form, they may provide associated community members with a growth advantage over unassociated members. If true, this has implications for the rise and persistence of multi-cellular organisms. However, this theory is difficult to study because we rarely observe initial instances of non-random physical structure in natural populations. Using two engineered strains of Escherichia coli that constitute a synthetic symbiotic microbial consortium, we fortuitously observed such spatial self-organization. This consortium forms a biofilm and, after several days, adopts a defined layered structure that is associated with two unexpected, measurable growth advantages. First, the consortium cannot successfully colonize a new, downstream environment until it self-organizes in the initial environment; in other words, the structure enhances the ability of the consortium to survive environmental disruptions. Second, when the layered structure forms in downstream environments the consortium accumulates significantly more biomass than it did in the initial environment; in other words, the structure enhances the global productivity of the consortium. We also observed that the layered structure only assembles in downstream environments that are colonized by aggregates from a previous, structured community. These results demonstrate roles for self-organization and aggregation in persistence of multi-cellular communities, and also illustrate a role for the techniques of synthetic biology in elucidating fundamental biological principles.

  4. Activities of the Alabama Consortium on forestry education and research, 1993-1999

    Science.gov (United States)

    John Schelhas

    2002-01-01

    The Alabama Consortium on Forestry Education and Research was established in 1992 to promote communication and collaboration among diverse institutions involved in forestry in the State of Alabama. It was organized to advance forestry education and research in ways that could not be accomplished by individual members alone. This report tells the story of the consortium...

  5. Nuclear Fabrication Consortium

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Levesque, Stephen [EWI, Columbus, OH (United States)

    2013-04-05

    This report summarizes the activities undertaken by EWI while under contract from the Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Nuclear Energy (NE) for the management and operation of the Nuclear Fabrication Consortium (NFC). The NFC was established by EWI to independently develop, evaluate, and deploy fabrication approaches and data that support the re-establishment of the U.S. nuclear industry: ensuring that the supply chain will be competitive on a global stage, enabling more cost-effective and reliable nuclear power in a carbon constrained environment. The NFC provided a forum for member original equipment manufactures (OEM), fabricators, manufacturers, and materials suppliers to effectively engage with each other and rebuild the capacity of this supply chain by : Identifying and removing impediments to the implementation of new construction and fabrication techniques and approaches for nuclear equipment, including system components and nuclear plants. Providing and facilitating detailed scientific-based studies on new approaches and technologies that will have positive impacts on the cost of building of nuclear plants. Analyzing and disseminating information about future nuclear fabrication technologies and how they could impact the North American and the International Nuclear Marketplace. Facilitating dialog and initiate alignment among fabricators, owners, trade associations, and government agencies. Supporting industry in helping to create a larger qualified nuclear supplier network. Acting as an unbiased technology resource to evaluate, develop, and demonstrate new manufacturing technologies. Creating welder and inspector training programs to help enable the necessary workforce for the upcoming construction work. Serving as a focal point for technology, policy, and politically interested parties to share ideas and concepts associated with fabrication across the nuclear industry. The report the objectives and summaries of the Nuclear Fabrication Consortium

  6. Niche specificity of ammonia-oxidizing archaeal and bacterial communities in a freshwater wetland receiving municipal wastewater in Daqing, Northeast China.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Kwok-Ho; Wang, Yong-Feng; Li, Hui; Gu, Ji-Dong

    2014-12-01

    Ecophysiological differences between ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) and ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA) enable them to adapt to different niches in complex freshwater wetland ecosystems. The community characters of AOA and AOB in the different niches in a freshwater wetland receiving municipal wastewater, as well as the physicochemical parameters of sediment/soil samples, were investigated in this study. AOA community structures varied and separated from each other among four different niches. Wetland vegetation including aquatic macrophytes and terrestrial plants affected the AOA community composition but less for AOB, whereas sediment depths might contribute to the AOB community shift. The diversity of AOA communities was higher than that of AOB across all four niches. Archaeal and bacterial amoA genes (encoding for the alpha-subunit of ammonia monooxygenases) were most diverse in the dry-land niche, indicating O2 availability might favor ammonia oxidation. The majority of AOA amoA sequences belonged to the Soil/sediment Cluster B in the freshwater wetland ecosystems, while the dominant AOB amoA sequences were affiliated with Nitrosospira-like cluster. In the Nitrosospira-like cluster, AOB amoA gene sequences affiliated with the uncultured ammonia-oxidizing beta-proteobacteria constituted the largest portion (99%). Moreover, independent methods for phylogenetic tree analysis supported high parsimony bootstrap values. As a consequence, it is proposed that Nitrosospira-like amoA gene sequences recovered in this study represent a potentially novel cluster, grouping with the sequences from Gulf of Mexico deposited in the public databases.

  7. Latest Developments of the Isprs Student Consortium

    Science.gov (United States)

    Detchev, I.; Kanjir, U.; Reyes, S. R.; Miyazaki, H.; Aktas, A. F.

    2016-06-01

    The International Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing (ISPRS) Student Consortium (SC) is a network for young professionals studying or working within the fields of photogrammetry, remote sensing, Geographical Information Systems (GIS), and other related geo-spatial sciences. The main goal of the network is to provide means for information exchange for its young members and thus help promote and integrate youth into the ISPRS. Over the past four years the Student Consortium has successfully continued to fulfil its mission in both formal and informal ways. The formal means of communication of the SC are its website, newsletter, e-mail announcements and summer schools, while its informal ones are multiple social media outlets and various social activities during student related events. The newsletter is published every three to four months and provides both technical and experiential content relevant for the young people in the ISPRS. The SC has been in charge or at least has helped with organizing one or more summer schools every year. The organization's e-mail list has over 1,100 subscribers, its website hosts over 1,300 members from 100 countries across the entire globe, and its public Facebook group currently has over 4,500 joined visitors, who connect among one another and share information relevant for their professional careers. These numbers show that the Student Consortium has grown into a significant online-united community. The paper will present the organization's on-going and past activities for the last four years, its current priorities and a strategic plan and aspirations for the future four-year period.

  8. The Pharmaceutical Industry Beamline of Pharmaceutical Consortium for Protein Structure Analysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nishijima, Kazumi; Katsuya, Yoshio

    2002-01-01

    The Pharmaceutical Industry Beamline was constructed by the Pharmaceutical Consortium for Protein Structure Analysis which was established in April 2001. The consortium is composed of 22 pharmaceutical companies affiliating with the Japan Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association. The beamline is the first exclusive on that is owned by pharmaceutical enterprises at SPring-8. The specification and equipments of the Pharmaceutical Industry Beamline is almost same as that of RIKEN Structural Genomics Beamline I and II. (author)

  9. John Glenn Biomedical Engineering Consortium

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nall, Marsha

    2004-01-01

    The John Glenn Biomedical Engineering Consortium is an inter-institutional research and technology development, beginning with ten projects in FY02 that are aimed at applying GRC expertise in fluid physics and sensor development with local biomedical expertise to mitigate the risks of space flight on the health, safety, and performance of astronauts. It is anticipated that several new technologies will be developed that are applicable to both medical needs in space and on earth.

  10. The Historically Black Colleges and Universities/Minority Institutions Environmental Technology Consortium annual report, 1991--1992

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    1992-12-31

    The member institutions of the Consortium continue to play a significant role in increasing the number of African Americans who enter the environmental professions through the implementation of the Consortium`s RETT Plan for Research, Education, and Technology Transfer. The four major program areas identified in the RETT Plan are as follows: (1) minority outreach and precollege education; (2) undergraduate education and postsecondary training; (3) graduate and postgraduate education and research; and (4) technology transfer.

  11. Bacterial Electrocatalysis of K4[Fe(CN)6] Oxidation

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Zheng, Zhiyong; Xiao, Yong; Wu, Ranran

    Shewanella oneidensis MR-1 (MR-1), a model strain of electrochemically active bacteria, can transfer electrons from cell to extracellular electron acceptors including Fe(III) (hydro)oxides. It has been reported that several redox species such as cytochromes in membranes and flavins assist...... in the electron transport (ET) processes. However, the oxidization of metal compounds was barely described. Here we report electrocatalysis of K4[Fe(CN)6] oxidation by MR-1. K4[Fe(CN)6] is a redox inorganic compound and shows a reversible redox process on bare glassy carbon (GCE). This is reflected by a pair...

  12. Nitrous oxide production and mRNA expression analysis of nitrifying and denitrifying bacterial genes under floodwater disappearance and fertilizer application.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Riya, Shohei; Takeuchi, Yuki; Zhou, Sheng; Terada, Akihiko; Hosomi, Masaaki

    2017-06-01

    A pulse of nitrous oxide (N 2 O) emission has been observed following the disappearance of floodwater by drainage. However, its mechanism is not well understood. We conducted a column study to clarify the mechanism for N 2 O production during floodwater disappearance by using a microsensor and determining the bacterial gene expression. An increase in N 2 O flux was observed following floodwater disappearance after the addition of NH 4 + , with a corresponding increase in the concentrations of NO 3 - and dissolved N 2 O in the oxic and anoxic soil layers, respectively. The transcription level of the bacterial amoA mRNA did not change, while that of nirK mRNA increased sharply after an hour of floodwater disappearance. An additional anoxic soil slurry experiment demonstrated that the addition of NO 3 - induced the expression of nirK gene and caused a concomitant increase in N 2 O production. These findings suggest that NO 3 - production in the oxic layers is important as it provides a substrate and induces the synthesis of denitrification enzymes in the anoxic layer during N 2 O production.

  13. Peptides for Specific Intracellular Delivery and Targeting of Nanoparticles: Implications for Developing Nanoparticle-Mediated Drug Delivery

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    less in size and span an array of compositions including met- als, semiconductor quantum dots (QDs), oxides, polymers , vesicles (e.g., micelles...93,98] Polymers Poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid), poly(amido amine) and dendrimers Biocompatibility, biodegradability and controlled release High drug...Secondary interactions Covalent atachment to surface ligand Thiolated peptide Biotinylated peptide Aminated peptide Sulfo-NHS Tetravalent streptavidin

  14. A novel sponge disease caused by a consortium of micro-organisms

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sweet, Michael; Bulling, Mark; Cerrano, Carlo

    2015-09-01

    In healthy sponges, microbes have been shown to account for up to 40 % of tissues. The majority of these are thought to originate from survivors evading digestion and immune responses of the sponge and growing and residing in the microenvironments of the mesophyll. Although a large percentage of these microbes are likely commensals, they may also include potentially pathogenic agents, which under specific conditions, such as temperature stress, may cause disease. Here we report a novel disease (sponge necrosis syndrome) that is severely affecting populations of the sponge Callyspongia ( Euplacella) aff biru. Both ITS fungal and 16S rDNA bacterial diversities were assessed in healthy and diseased individuals, highlighting six potential primary causal agents for this new disease: two bacteria, a Rhodobacteraceae sp. and a cyanobacterium, Hormoscilla spongeliae (formally identified as Oscillatoria spongeliae), and four fungi, a Ascomycota sp., a Pleosporales sp., a Rhabdocline sp., and a Clasosporium sp. Furthermore, histological analysis showed the dominance of fungal hyphae rather than bacteria throughout the disease lesion, which was absent or rare in healthy tissues. Inoculation trails showed that only a combination of one bacterium and one fungus could replicate the disease, fulfilling Henle-Koch's postulates and showing that this sponge disease is caused by a poly-microbial consortium.

  15. 34 CFR 636.5 - What are the matching contribution and planning consortium requirements?

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... 34 Education 3 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false What are the matching contribution and planning... PROGRAM General § 636.5 What are the matching contribution and planning consortium requirements? (a) The... agreed to by the members of a planning consortium. (Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1136b, 1136e) ...

  16. Rationale and design of the multiethnic Pharmacogenomics in Childhood Asthma consortium

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Farzan, Niloufar; Vijverberg, Susanne J; Andiappan, Anand K

    2017-01-01

    AIM: International collaboration is needed to enable large-scale pharmacogenomics studies in childhood asthma. Here, we describe the design of the Pharmacogenomics in Childhood Asthma (PiCA) consortium. MATERIALS & METHODS: Investigators of each study participating in PiCA provided data...... corticosteroid users. Among patients from 13 studies with available data on asthma exacerbations, a third reported exacerbations despite inhaled corticosteroid use. In the future pharmacogenomics studies within the consortium, the pharmacogenomics analyses will be performed separately in each center...

  17. Bioremediation of diuron contaminated soils by a novel degrading microbial consortium.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Villaverde, J; Rubio-Bellido, M; Merchán, F; Morillo, E

    2017-03-01

    Diuron is a biologically active pollutant present in soil, water and sediments. It is persistent in soil, water and groundwater and slightly toxic to mammals and birds as well as moderately toxic to aquatic invertebrates. Its principal product of biodegradation, 3,4-dichloroaniline, exhibits a higher toxicity than diuron and is also persistent in the environment. On this basis, the objective of the study was to determine the potential capacity of a proposed novel diuron-degrading microbial consortium (DMC) for achieving not only diuron degradation, but its mineralisation both in solution as well as in soils with different properties. The consortium was tested in a soil solution where diuron was the only carbon source, and more than 98.8% of the diuron initially added was mineralised after only a few days. The consortium was composed of three diuron-degrading strains, Arthrobacter sulfonivorans, Variovorax soli and Advenella sp. JRO, the latter had been isolated in our laboratory from a highly contaminated industrial site. This work shows for the first time the potential capacity of a member of the genus Advenella to remediate pesticide-contaminated soils. However, neither of the three strains separately achieved mineralisation (ring- 14 C) of diuron in a mineral medium (MSM) with a trace nutrient solution (NS); combined in pairs, they mineralised 40% of diuron in solution, but the most relevant result was obtained in the presence of the three-member consortium, where complete diuron mineralisation was achieved after only a few days. In the presence of the investigated soils in suspension, the capacity of the consortium to mineralise diuron was evaluated, achieving mineralisation of a wide range of herbicides from 22.9 to 69.0%. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  18. Enhanced bio-decolorization of azo dyes by co-immobilized quinone-reducing consortium and anthraquinone

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Su, YY; Zhang, Yifeng; Wang, J

    2009-01-01

    In the present study, the accelerating effect of co-immobilized anthraquinone and quinone-reducing consortium was investigated in the bio-decolorization process. The anthraquinone and quinone-reducing consortium were co-immobilized by entrapment in calcium alginate. The co-immobilized beads...

  19. The Historically Black Colleges and Universities/Minority Institutions Environmental Technology Consortium annual report draft, 1995--1996

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    1998-07-01

    The HBCU/MI ET Consortium was established in January 1990, through a memorandum of Understanding (MOU) among its member institutions. This group of research-oriented Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Minority Institutions (HBCUs/MIs) agreed to work together to initiate or revise educational programs, develop research partnerships with public and private sector organizations, and promote technology development and transfer to address the nation`s critical environmental problems. While the Consortium`s Research, Education and Technology Transfer (RETT) Plan is the cornerstone of its overall program efforts, the initial programmatic activities of the Consortium focused on environmental education at all levels with the objective of addressing the underrepresentation of minorities in the environmental professions. This 1996 Annual Report provides an update on the activities of the Consortium with a focus on environmental curriculum development for the Technical Qualifications Program (TQP) and Education for Sustainability.

  20. Combined carbon and nitrogen removal from acetonitrile using algal-bacterial bioreactors

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Munoz, R.; Jacinto, M.; Guieysse, B.; Mattiasson, B. [Dept. of Biotechnology, Center for Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Lund Univ., Lund (Sweden)

    2005-06-01

    When compared with Chlorella vulgaris, Scenedesmus obliquus and Selenastrum capricornutum, C. sorokiniana presented the highest tolerance to acetonitrile and the highest O{sub 2} production capacity. It also supported the fastest acetonitrile biodegradation when mixed with a suitable acetonitrile-degrading bacterial consortium. Consequently, this microalga was tested in symbiosis with the bacterial culture for the continuous biodegradation of acetonitrile at 2 g l{sup -1} in a stirred tank photobioreactor and in a column photobioreactor under continuous illumination (250 {mu}E m{sup -2} s{sup -1}). Acetonitrile removal rates of up to 2.3 g l{sup -1} day{sup -1} and 1.9 g l{sup -1} day{sup -1} were achieved in the column photobioreactor and the stirred-tank photobioreactor, respectively, when operated at the shortest retention times tested (0.4 days, 0.6 days, respectively). In addition, when the stirred-tank photobioreactor was operated with a retention time of 3.5 days, the microbial culture was capable of assimilating up to 71% and nitrifying up to 12% of the NH{sub 4}{sup +} theoretically released through the biodegradation of acetonitrile, thus reducing the need for subsequent nitrogen removal. This study suggests that complete removal of N-organics can be combined with a significant removal of nitrogen by using algal-bacterial systems and that further residual biomass digestion could pay-back part of the operation costs of the treatment plant. (orig.)

  1. The Historically Black Colleges and Universities/Minority Institutions Environmental Technology Consortium annual report 1994--1995

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    1998-07-01

    The HBCU/MI ET Consortium was established in January 1990, through a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) among its member institutions. This group of research oriented Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Minority Institutions (HBCU/MIs) agreed to work together to initiate or revise education programs, develop research partnerships with public and private sector organizations, and promote technology development to address the nation`s critical environmental contamination problems. The Consortium`s Research, Education and Technology Transfer (RETT) Plan became the working agenda. The Consortium is a resource for collaboration among the member institutions and with federal an state agencies, national and federal laboratories, industries, (including small businesses), majority universities, and two and four-year technical colleges. As a group of 17 institutions geographically located in the southern US, the Consortium is well positioned to reach a diverse group of women and minority populations of African Americans, Hispanics and American Indians. This Report provides a status update on activities and achievements in environmental curriculum development, outreach at the K--12 level, undergraduate and graduate education, research and development, and technology transfer.

  2. Consolidated Bio-Processing of Cellulosic Biomass for Efficient Biofuel Production Using Yeast Consortium

    Science.gov (United States)

    Goyal, Garima

    Fossil fuels have been the major source for liquid transportation fuels for ages. However, decline in oil reserves and environmental concerns have raised a lot of interest in alternative and renewable energy sources. One promising alternative is the conversion of plant biomass into ethanol. The primary biomass feed stocks currently being used for the ethanol industry have been food based biomass (corn and sugar cane). However, interest has recently shifted to replace these traditional feed-stocks with more abundant, non-food based cellulosic biomass such as agriculture wastes (corn stover) or crops (switch grass). The use of cellulosic biomass as feed stock for the production of ethanol via bio-chemical routes presents many technical challenges not faced with the use of corn or sugar-cane as feed-stock. Recently, a new process called consolidated Bio-processing (CBP) has been proposed. This process combines simultaneous saccharification of lignocellulose with fermentation of the resulting sugars into a single process step mediated by a single microorganism or microbial consortium. Although there is no natural microorganism that possesses all properties of lignocellulose utilization and ethanol production desired for CBP, some bacteria and fungi exhibit some of the essential traits. The yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae is the most attractive host organism for the usage of this strategy due to its high ethanol productivity at close to theoretical yields (0.51g ethanol/g glucose consumed), high osmo- and ethanol- tolerance, natural robustness in industrial processes, and ease of genetic manipulation. Introduction of the cellulosome, found naturally in microorganisms, has shown new directions to deal with recalcitrant biomass. In this case enzymes work in synergy in order to hydrolyze biomass more effectively than in case of free enzymes. A microbial consortium has been successfully developed, which ensures the functional assembly of minicellulosome on the yeast surface

  3. Iron biomineralization by anaerobic neutrophilic iron-oxidizing bacteria

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Miot, Jennyfer; Benzerara, Karim; Morin, Guillaume

    2009-01-01

    Minerals formed by bio-oxidation of ferrous iron (Fe(II)) at neutral pH, their association with bacterial ultrastructures as well as their impact on the metabolism of iron-oxidizing bacteria remain poorly understood. Here, we investigated iron biomineralization by the anaerobic nitrate-dependent ......Minerals formed by bio-oxidation of ferrous iron (Fe(II)) at neutral pH, their association with bacterial ultrastructures as well as their impact on the metabolism of iron-oxidizing bacteria remain poorly understood. Here, we investigated iron biomineralization by the anaerobic nitrate...... precipitation in the periplasm (in a few tens of minutes), followed by the formation of surface-bound globules. Moreover, we frequently observed an asymmetric mineral thickening at the cell poles. In parallel, the evolution of iron oxidation was quantified by STXM: iron both contained in the bacteria...... and in the extracellular precipitates reached complete oxidation within 6 days. While a progressive oxidation of Fe in the bacteria and in the medium could be observed, spatial redox (oxido-reduction state) heterogeneities were detected at the cell poles and in the extracellular precipitates after 1 day. All...

  4. Bacterial Ecology

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Fenchel, Tom

    2011-01-01

    compounds these must first be undergo extracellular hydrolysis. Bacteria have a great diversity with respect to types of metabolism that far exceeds the metabolic repertoire of eukaryotic organisms. Bacteria play a fundamental role in the biosphere and certain key processes such as, for example......, the production and oxidation of methane, nitrate reduction and fixation of atmospheric nitrogen are exclusively carried out by different groups of bacteria. Some bacterial species – ‘extremophiles’ – thrive in extreme environments in which no eukaryotic organisms can survive with respect to temperature, salinity...... biogeochemical processes are carried exclusively by bacteria. * Bacteria play an important role in all types of habitats including some that cannot support eukaryotic life....

  5. A Mutator Phenotype Promoting the Emergence of Spontaneous Oxidative Stress-Resistant Mutants in Campylobacter jejuni.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dai, Lei; Sahin, Orhan; Tang, Yizhi; Zhang, Qijing

    2017-12-15

    Campylobacter jejuni is a leading cause of foodborne illnesses worldwide. As a microaerophilic organism, C. jejuni must be able to defend against oxidative stress encountered both in the host and in the environment. How Campylobacter utilizes a mutation-based mechanism for adaptation to oxidative stress is still unknown. Here we present a previously undescribed phenotypic and genetic mechanism that promotes the emergence of oxidative stress-resistant mutants. Specifically, we showed that a naturally occurring mutator phenotype, resulting from a loss of function mutation in the DNA repair enzyme MutY, increased oxidative stress resistance (OX R ) in C. jejuni We further demonstrated that MutY malfunction did not directly contribute to the OX R phenotype but increased the spontaneous mutation rate in the peroxide regulator gene perR , which functions as a repressor for multiple genes involved in oxidative stress resistance. Mutations in PerR resulted in loss of its DNA binding function and derepression of PerR-controlled oxidative stress defense genes, thereby conferring an OX R phenotype and facilitating Campylobacter survival under oxidative stress. These findings reveal a new mechanism that promotes the emergence of spontaneous OX R mutants in bacterial organisms. IMPORTANCE Although a mutator phenotype has been shown to promote antibiotic resistance in many bacterial species, little is known about its contribution to the emergence of OX R mutants. This work describes the link between a mutator phenotype and the enhanced emergence of OX R mutants as well as its underlying mechanism involving DNA repair and mutations in PerR. Since DNA repair systems and PerR are well conserved in many bacterial species, especially in Gram positives, the same mechanism may operate in multiple bacterial species. Additionally, we developed a novel method that allows for rapid quantification of spontaneous OX R mutants in a bacterial population. This method represents a technical

  6. Fermentative hydrogen production by microbial consortium

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Maintinguer, Sandra I.; Fernandes, Bruna S.; Duarte, Iolanda C.S.; Saavedra, Nora Katia; Adorno, M. Angela T.; Varesche, M. Bernadete [Department of Hydraulics and Sanitation, School of Engineering of Sao Carlos, University of Sao Paulo, Av. Trabalhador Sao-carlense, 400, 13566-590 Sao Carlos-SP (Brazil)

    2008-08-15

    Heat pre-treatment of the inoculum associated to the pH control was applied to select hydrogen-producing bacteria and endospores-forming bacteria. The source of inoculum to the heat pre-treatment was from a UASB reactor used in the slaughterhouse waste treatment. The molecular biology analyses indicated that the microbial consortium presented microorganisms affiliated with Enterobacter cloacae (97% and 98%), Clostridium sp. (98%) and Clostridium acetobutyricum (96%), recognized as H{sub 2} and volatile acids' producers. The following assays were carried out in batch reactors in order to verify the efficiencies of sucrose conversion to H{sub 2} by the microbial consortium: (1) 630.0 mg sucrose/L, (2) 1184.0 mg sucrose/L, (3) 1816.0 mg sucrose/L and (4) 4128.0 mg sucrose/L. The subsequent yields were obtained as follows: 15% (1.2 mol H{sub 2}/mol sucrose), 20% (1.6 mol H{sub 2}/mol sucrose), 15% (1.2 mol H{sub 2}/mol sucrose) and 4% (0.3 mol H{sub 2}/mol sucrose), respectively. The intermediary products were acetic acid, butyric acid, methanol and ethanol in all of the anaerobic reactors. (author)

  7. Institutional support for the Utah Consortium for Energy Research and Education. Annual report

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    1979-06-01

    The Utah Consortium for Energy Research and Education is made up of three colleges and universities in Utah. The scope of the Consortium plan is the marshalling of the academic research resources, as well as the appropriate non-academic resources within Utah to pursue, as appropriate, energy-related research activities. The heart of this effort has been the institutional contract between DOE and the University of Utah, acting as fiscal agent for the Consortium. Sixteen programs are currently being funded, but only ten of the projects are described in this report. Three projects are on fission/fusion; three on environment and safety; four on fossil energy; three on basic energy sciences; one each on conservation, geothermal, and solar.

  8. Relationship between bacterial density and chemical composition of ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Studies were carried out to examine the performance of the sewage oxidation pond situated in and serving the community of the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria. A survey of the coliform and total bacterial populations was carried out. The sewage was also examined for biochemical oxygen demand, dissolved ...

  9. Responses of bacterial and archaeal ammonia oxidizers to soil organic and fertilizer amendments under long-term management

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wessen, E.; Nyberg, K.; Jansson, J.K.; Hallin, S.

    2010-05-01

    Ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) and ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA) co-exist in soil, but their relative distribution may vary depending on the environmental conditions. Effects of changes in soil organic matter and nutrient content on the AOB and AOA are poorly understood. Our aim was to compare effects of long-term soil organic matter depletion and amendments with labile (straw) and more recalcitrant (peat) organic matter, with and without easily plant-available nitrogen, on the activities, abundances and community structures of AOB and AOA. Soil was sampled from a long-term field site in Sweden that was established in 1956. The potential ammonia oxidation rates, the AOB and AOA amoA gene abundances and the community structures of both groups based on T-RFLP of amoA genes were determined. Straw amendment during 50 years had not altered any of the measured soil parameters, while the addition of peat resulted in a significant increase of soil organic carbon as well as a decrease in pH. Nitrogen fertilization alone resulted in a small decrease in soil pH, organic carbon and total nitrogen, but an increase in primary production. Type and amount of organic matter had an impact on the AOB and AOA community structures and the AOA abundance. Our findings confirmed that AOA are abundant in soil, but showed that under certain conditions the AOB dominate, suggesting niche differentiation between the two groups at the field site. The large differences in potential rates between treatments correlated to the AOA community size, indicating that they were functionally more important in the nitrification process than the AOB. The AOA abundance was positively related to addition of labile organic carbon, which supports the idea that AOA could have alternative growth strategies using organic carbon. The AOB community size varied little in contrast to that of the AOA. This indicates that the bacterial ammonia oxidizers as a group have a greater ecophysiological diversity and

  10. Massachusetts Institute of Technology Consortium Agreement

    Science.gov (United States)

    1999-03-01

    This is the third progress report of the M.I.T. Home Automation and Healthcare Consortium-Phase Two. It covers majority of the new findings, concepts...research projects of home automation and healthcare, ranging from human modeling, patient monitoring, and diagnosis to new sensors and actuators, physical...aids, human-machine interface and home automation infrastructure. This report contains several patentable concepts, algorithms, and designs.

  11. 25 CFR 1000.21 - When does a Tribe/Consortium have a “material audit exception”?

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ...-Governance Eligibility § 1000.21 When does a Tribe/Consortium have a “material audit exception”? A Tribe/Consortium has a material audit exception if any of the audits that it submitted under § 1000.17(c...

  12. Nanoengineered Superhydrophobic Surfaces of Aluminum with Extremely Low Bacterial Adhesivity

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Hizal, Ferdi; Rungraeng, Natthakan; Lee, Junghoon; Jun, Soojin; Busscher, Henk J.; van der Mei, Henny C.; Choi, Chang-Hwan

    2017-01-01

    Bacterial adhesion and biofilm formation on surfaces are troublesome in many industrial processes. Here, nanoporous and nanopillared aluminum surfaces were engineered by anodizing and postetching processes and made hydrophilic (using the inherent oxide layer) or hydrophobic (applying a Teflon

  13. Maryland Family Support Services Consortium. Final Report.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gardner, James F.; Markowitz, Ricka Keeney

    The Maryland Family Support Services Consortium is a 3-year demonstration project which developed unique family support models at five sites serving the needs of families with a developmentally disabled child (ages birth to 21). Caseworkers provided direct intensive services to 224 families over the 3-year period, including counseling, liaison and…

  14. Publisher Correction: Whole genome sequencing in psychiatric disorders: the WGSPD consortium.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sanders, Stephan J; Neale, Benjamin M; Huang, Hailiang; Werling, Donna M; An, Joon-Yong; Dong, Shan; Abecasis, Goncalo; Arguello, P Alexander; Blangero, John; Boehnke, Michael; Daly, Mark J; Eggan, Kevin; Geschwind, Daniel H; Glahn, David C; Goldstein, David B; Gur, Raquel E; Handsaker, Robert E; McCarroll, Steven A; Ophoff, Roel A; Palotie, Aarno; Pato, Carlos N; Sabatti, Chiara; State, Matthew W; Willsey, A Jeremy; Hyman, Steven E; Addington, Anjene M; Lehner, Thomas; Freimer, Nelson B

    2018-03-16

    In the version of this article initially published, the consortium authorship and corresponding authors were not presented correctly. In the PDF and print versions, the Whole Genome Sequencing for Psychiatric Disorders (WGSPD) consortium was missing from the author list at the beginning of the paper, where it should have appeared as the seventh author; it was present in the author list at the end of the paper, but the footnote directing readers to the Supplementary Note for a list of members was missing. In the HTML version, the consortium was listed as the last author instead of as the seventh, and the line directing readers to the Supplementary Note for a list of members appeared at the end of the paper under Author Information but not in association with the consortium name itself. Also, this line stated that both member names and affiliations could be found in the Supplementary Note; in fact, only names are given. In all versions of the paper, the corresponding author symbols were attached to A. Jeremy Willsey, Steven E. Hyman, Anjene M. Addington and Thomas Lehner; they should have been attached, respectively, to Steven E. Hyman, Anjene M. Addington, Thomas Lehner and Nelson B. Freimer. As a result of this shift, the respective contact links in the HTML version did not lead to the indicated individuals. The errors have been corrected in the HTML and PDF versions of the article.

  15. Washoe Tribe Nevada Inter-Tribal Energy Consortium Energy Organization Enhancement Project Final Report

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Johnson, Jennifer [Washoe Tribe of NV and Ca

    2014-11-06

    The Washoe Tribe of Nevada and California was awarded funding from the Department of Energy to complete the Nevada Inter-Tribal Energy Consortium Energy Organization Enhancement Project. The main goal of the project was to enhance the capacity of the Nevada Inter-Tribal Energy Consortium (NITEC) to effectively assist tribes within Nevada to technically manage tribal energy resources and implement tribal energy projects.

  16. Shifts in bacterial and archaeal community structures during the batch biomethanation of Ulva biomass under mesophilic conditions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Jaai; Jung, Heejung; Lee, Changsoo

    2014-10-01

    Mesophilic biomethanation of Ulva biomass was performed in a batch bioreactor, and a high organic removal of 77% was obtained on the basis of chemical oxygen demand (COD) after a month of operation. The estimated methane yield was 0.43 ± 0.02 L CH4/g COD(removed) which is close to the theoretical methane potential. Transitions of bacterial and archaeal community structures, associated with process performance data, were investigated using a combination of molecular fingerprinting and biostatistical tools. During the operation, archaeal community structure had no significant changes while bacterial community structure shifted continuously and dynamically. The reactor completely stabilized volatile fatty acids (primarily acetate and propionate) accumulated from the acidogenesis phase, with Methanosaeta- and Methanolinea-related microbes respectively being the main aceticlastic and hydrogenotrophic methanogens. Methanolinea- and Syntrophobacter-related populations were likely the key members to form a syntrophic propionate-degrading consortium. A Methanolinea-related population was likely the dominant methane producer in the experimental reactor. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  17. Degradation of petroleum hydrocarbons by oil field isolated bacterial ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    A mixed consortium was prepared with 15 bacteria isolated by enrichment technique from the sample collected from an oil contaminated site. This consortium was incubated with crude oil to investigate the metabolic capability of bacteria. The degradation efficiency of the isolates in consortium was checked with 2% crude oil ...

  18. Micropollutant degradation, bacterial inactivation and regrowth risk in wastewater effluents: Influence of the secondary (pre)treatment on the efficiency of Advanced Oxidation Processes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Giannakis, Stefanos; Voumard, Margaux; Grandjean, Dominique; Magnet, Anoys; De Alencastro, Luiz Felippe; Pulgarin, César

    2016-10-01

    In this work, disinfection by 5 Advanced Oxidation Processes was preceded by 3 different secondary treatment systems present in the wastewater treatment plant of Vidy, Lausanne (Switzerland). 5 AOPs after two biological treatment methods (conventional activated sludge and moving bed bioreactor) and a physiochemical process (coagulation-flocculation) were tested in laboratory scale. The dependence among AOPs efficiency and secondary (pre)treatment was estimated by following the bacterial concentration i) before secondary treatment, ii) after the different secondary treatment methods and iii) after the various AOPs. Disinfection and post-treatment bacterial regrowth were the evaluation indicators. The order of efficiency was Moving Bed Bioreactor > Activated Sludge > Coagulation-Flocculation > Primary Treatment. As far as the different AOPs are concerned, the disinfection kinetics were: UVC/H2O2 > UVC and solar photo-Fenton > Fenton or solar light. The contextualization and parallel study of microorganisms with the micropollutants of the effluents revealed that higher exposure times were necessary for complete degradation compared to microorganisms for the UV-based processes and inversed for the Fenton-related ones. Nevertheless, in the Fenton-related systems, the nominal 80% removal of micropollutants deriving from the Swiss legislation, often took place before the elimination of bacterial regrowth risk. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  19. Augmentation of a Microbial Consortium for Enhanced Polylactide (PLA) Degradation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nair, Nimisha R; Sekhar, Vini C; Nampoothiri, K Madhavan

    2016-03-01

    Bioplastics are eco-friendly and derived from renewable biomass sources. Innovation in recycling methods will tackle some of the critical issues facing the acceptance of bioplastics. Polylactic acid (PLA) is the commonly used and well-studied bioplastic that is presumed to be biodegradable. Considering their demand and use in near future, exploration for microbes capable of bioplastic degradation has high potential. Four PLA degrading strains were isolated and identified as Penicillium chrysogenum, Cladosporium sphaerospermum, Serratia marcescens and Rhodotorula mucilaginosa. A consortium of above strains degraded 44 % (w/w) PLA in 30 days time in laboratory conditions. Subsequently, the microbial consortium employed effectively for PLA composting.

  20. Effects of the Consortium of Pseudomonas, Bacillus and ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    The effect of the consortium of Pseudomonas, Bacillus and Micrococcus spp on polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in crude oil was carried out using standard microbiological methods. Spectrophotometer, gas chromatography and viable count which determined the optical density, the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and ...

  1. Inner-City Energy and Environmental Education Consortium

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    1993-06-11

    The numbers of individuals with adequate education and training to participate effectively in the highly technical aspects of environmental site cleanup are insufficient to meet the increasing demands of industry and government. Young people are particularly sensitive to these issues and want to become better equipped to solve the problems which will confront them during their lives. Educational institutions, on the other hand, have been slow in offering courses and curricula which will allow students to fulfill these interests. This has been in part due to the lack of federal funding to support new academic programs. This Consortium has been organized to initiate focused educational effort to reach inner-city youth with interesting and useful energy and environmental programs which can lead to well-paying and satisfying careers. Successful Consortium programs can be replicated in other parts of the nation. This report describes a pilot program in Washington, DC, Philadelphia, and Baltimore with the goal to attract and retain inner-city youth to pursue careers in energy-related scientific and technical areas, environmental restoration, and waste management.

  2. Overview of the carbon products consortium (CPC)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Irwin, C.L. [West Virginia Univ., Morgantown, WV (United States)

    1996-08-01

    The Carbon Products Consortium (CPC) is an industry, university, government cooperative research team which has evolved over the past seven years to produce and evaluate coal-derived feedstocks for carbon products. The members of the Carbon Products Consortium are UCAR Carbon Company, Koppers Industries, CONOCO, Aluminum Company of America, AMOCO Polymers, and West Virginia University. The Carbon and Insulation Materials Technology Group at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Fiber Materials Inc., and BASF Corporation are affiliates of the CPC. The initial work on coal-derived nuclear graphites was supported by a grant to WVU, UCAR Carbon, and ORNL from the U.S. DOE New Production Reactor program. More recently, the CPC program has been supported through the Fossil Energy Materials program and through PETC`s Liquefaction program. The coal processing technologies involve hydrogenation, extraction by solvents such as N-methyl pyrolidone and toluene, material blending, and calcination. The breadth of carbon science expertise and manufacturing capability available in the CPC enables it to address virtually all research and development issues of importance to the carbon products industry.

  3. Call for participation in the neurogenetics consortium within the Human Variome Project.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Haworth, Andrea; Bertram, Lars; Carrera, Paola; Elson, Joanna L; Braastad, Corey D; Cox, Diane W; Cruts, Marc; den Dunnen, Johann T; Farrer, Matthew J; Fink, John K; Hamed, Sherifa A; Houlden, Henry; Johnson, Dennis R; Nuytemans, Karen; Palau, Francesc; Rayan, Dipa L Raja; Robinson, Peter N; Salas, Antonio; Schüle, Birgitt; Sweeney, Mary G; Woods, Michael O; Amigo, Jorge; Cotton, Richard G H; Sobrido, Maria-Jesus

    2011-08-01

    The rate of DNA variation discovery has accelerated the need to collate, store and interpret the data in a standardised coherent way and is becoming a critical step in maximising the impact of discovery on the understanding and treatment of human disease. This particularly applies to the field of neurology as neurological function is impaired in many human disorders. Furthermore, the field of neurogenetics has been proven to show remarkably complex genotype-to-phenotype relationships. To facilitate the collection of DNA sequence variation pertaining to neurogenetic disorders, we have initiated the "Neurogenetics Consortium" under the umbrella of the Human Variome Project. The Consortium's founding group consisted of basic researchers, clinicians, informaticians and database creators. This report outlines the strategic aims established at the preliminary meetings of the Neurogenetics Consortium and calls for the involvement of the wider neurogenetic community in enabling the development of this important resource.

  4. Molecular Mechanisms of Enhanced Bacterial Growth on Hexadecane with Red Clay.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jung, Jaejoon; Jang, In-Ae; Ahn, Sungeun; Shin, Bora; Kim, Jisun; Park, Chulwoo; Jee, Seung Cheol; Sung, Jung-Suk; Park, Woojun

    2015-11-01

    Red clay was previously used to enhance bioremediation of diesel-contaminated soil. It was speculated that the enhanced degradation of diesel was due to increased bacterial growth. In this study, we selected Acinetobacter oleivorans DR1, a soil-borne degrader of diesel and alkanes, as a model bacterium and performed transcriptional analysis using RNA sequencing to investigate the cellular response during hexadecane utilization and the mechanism by which red clay promotes hexadecane degradation. We confirmed that red clay promotes the growth of A. oleivorans DR1 on hexadecane, a major component of diesel, as a sole carbon source. Addition of red clay to hexadecane-utilizing DR1 cells highly upregulated β-oxidation, while genes related to alkane oxidation were highly expressed with and without red clay. Red clay also upregulated genes related to oxidative stress defense, such as superoxide dismutase, catalase, and glutaredoxin genes, suggesting that red clay supports the response of DR1 cells to oxidative stress generated during hexadecane utilization. Increased membrane fluidity in the presence of red clay was confirmed by fatty acid methyl ester analysis at different growth phases, suggesting that enhanced growth on hexadecane could be due to increased uptake of hexadecane coupled with upregulation of downstream metabolism and oxidative stress defense. The monitoring of the bacterial community in soil with red clay for a year revealed that red clay stabilized the community structure.

  5. Results From the John Glenn Biomedical Engineering Consortium. A Success Story for NASA and Northeast Ohio

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nall, Marsha M.; Barna, Gerald J.

    2009-01-01

    The John Glenn Biomedical Engineering Consortium was established by NASA in 2002 to formulate and implement an integrated, interdisciplinary research program to address risks faced by astronauts during long-duration space missions. The consortium is comprised of a preeminent team of Northeast Ohio institutions that include Case Western Reserve University, the Cleveland Clinic, University Hospitals Case Medical Center, The National Center for Space Exploration Research, and the NASA Glenn Research Center. The John Glenn Biomedical Engineering Consortium research is focused on fluid physics and sensor technology that addresses the critical risks to crew health, safety, and performance. Effectively utilizing the unique skills, capabilities and facilities of the consortium members is also of prime importance. Research efforts were initiated with a general call for proposals to the consortium members. The top proposals were selected for funding through a rigorous, peer review process. The review included participation from NASA's Johnson Space Center, which has programmatic responsibility for NASA's Human Research Program. The projects range in scope from delivery of prototype hardware to applied research that enables future development of advanced technology devices. All of the projects selected for funding have been completed and the results are summarized. Because of the success of the consortium, the member institutions have extended the original agreement to continue this highly effective research collaboration through 2011.

  6. Consortium formation for a coal-fired power plant in the People`s Republic of China

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kostal, K.T.

    1994-12-31

    The advent of developed power projects within the People`s Republic of China brings the benefits of new financing methods and the energies and resources of new participants. By necessity, it also results in fundamental changes in the many contractual relationships needed to support financial closing. The key element is the contract to design, procure, and construct the power plant. This paper compares and contrasts the requirements of these turnkey contracts with more traditional fixed price equipment supply contracts within the People`s Republic of China. The emphasis of the paper is upon issues and concerns related to the successful formation of a consortium, including the effective integration of Chinese construction companies and design institutes into the process. The issues are explored from the viewpoint of the consortium`s international engineer, who often participates as consortium leader and equipment procurer, in addition to detailed designer.

  7. The IRIS consortium: international cooperation in advanced reactor development

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Carelli, M.; Petrovic, B.; Miller, K.; Lombardi, C.; Ricotti, M.E.

    2005-01-01

    Besides its many outstanding technical innovations in the design and safety, the most innovative feature of the International Reactor Innovative and Secure (IRIS), is perhaps the international cooperation which carries on its development. IRIS is designed by an international consortium which currently numbers 21 organizations from ten countries across four continents. It includes reactor, fuel and fuel cycle vendors, component manufacturers, laboratories, academia, architect engineers and power producers. The defining organizational characteristics of IRIS is that while Westinghouse has overall lead and responsibility, this lead is of the type of 'primus inter pares' (first among equals) rather than the traditional owner versus suppliers/contractors relationship. All members of the IRIS consortium contribute and expect to have a return, should IRIS be successfully deployed, commensurate to their investment. The nature of such return will be tailored to the type of each organization, because it will of course be of a different nature for say a component manufacturer, university, or architect engineer. One fundamental tenet of the consortium is that all members, regardless of their amount of contribution, have equal access to all information developed within the project. Technical work is thus being coordinated by integrated subgroups and the whole team meets twice a year to perform an overall review of the work, discuss policy and strategy and plan future activities. Personnel from consortium members have performed internships, mostly at Westinghouse locations in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and Windsor, Connecticut, but also at other members, as it has been the case for several graduate students. In fact, more than one hundred students at the various universities have been working on IRIS, most of them conducting graduate theses at the master or doctoral level. The IRIS experience has proved very helpful to the students in successfully landing their employment choice

  8. Recommendations From the International Consortium on Professional Nursing Practice in Long-Term Care Homes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McGilton, Katherine S; Bowers, Barbara J; Heath, Hazel; Shannon, Kay; Dellefield, Mary Ellen; Prentice, Dawn; Siegel, Elena O; Meyer, Julienne; Chu, Charlene H; Ploeg, Jenny; Boscart, Veronique M; Corazzini, Kirsten N; Anderson, Ruth A; Mueller, Christine A

    2016-02-01

    In response to the International Association of Gerontology and Geriatrics' global agenda for clinical research and quality of care in long-term care homes (LTCHs), the International Consortium on Professional Nursing Practice in Long Term Care Homes (the Consortium) was formed to develop nursing leadership capacity and address the concerns regarding the current state of professional nursing practice in LTCHs. At its invitational, 2-day inaugural meeting, the Consortium brought together international nurse experts to explore the potential of registered nurses (RNs) who work as supervisors or charge nurses within the LTCHs and the value of their contribution in nursing homes, consider what RN competencies might be needed, discuss effective educational (curriculum and practice) experiences, health care policy, and human resources planning requirements, and to identify what sustainable nurse leadership strategies and models might enhance the effectiveness of RNs in improving resident, family, and staff outcomes. The Consortium made recommendations about the following priority issues for action: (1) define the competencies of RNs required to care for older adults in LTCHs; (2) create an LTCH environment in which the RN role is differentiated from other team members and RNs can practice to their full scope; and (3) prepare RN leaders to operate effectively in person-centered care LTCH environments. In addition to clear recommendations for practice, the Consortium identified several areas in which further research is needed. The Consortium advocated for a research agenda that emphasizes an international coordination of research efforts to explore similar issues, the pursuit of examining the impact of nursing and organizational models, and the showcasing of excellence in nursing practice in care homes, so that others might learn from what works. Several studies already under way are also described. Copyright © 2016 AMDA – The Society for Post-Acute and Long-Term Care

  9. Regional Development and the European Consortium of Innovative Universities.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hansen, Saskia Loer; Kokkeler, Ben; van der Sijde, P. C.

    2002-01-01

    The European Consortium of Innovative Universities is a network that shares information not just among universities but with affiliated incubators, research parks, and other regional entities. The learning network contributes to regional development.(JOW)

  10. Exploring the Bacterial Microbiota of Colombian Fermented Maize Dough "Masa Agria" (Maiz Añejo).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chaves-Lopez, Clemencia; Serio, Annalisa; Delgado-Ospina, Johannes; Rossi, Chiara; Grande-Tovar, Carlos D; Paparella, Antonello

    2016-01-01

    Masa Agria is a naturally fermented maize dough produced in Colombia, very common in the traditional gastronomy. In this study we used culture-dependent and RNA-based pyrosequencing to investigate the bacterial community structure of Masa Agria samples produced in the south west of Colombia. The mean value of cell density was 7.6 log CFU/g of presumptive lactic acid bacteria, 5.4 log cfu/g for presumptive acetic bacteria and 5.6 og CFU/g for yeasts. The abundance of these microorganisms is also responsible for the low pH (3.1-3.7) registered. Although the 16S rRNA pyrosequencing revealed that the analyzed samples were different in bacteria richness and diversity, the genera Lactobacillus, Weissella, and Acetobacter were predominant. In particular, the most common species were Lactobacillus plantarum and Acetobacter fabarum, followed by L. fermentum, L. vaccinostercus, and Pediococcus argentinicus. Several microorganisms of environmental origin, such as Dechloromonas and most of all Sphingobium spp., revealed in each sample, were detected, and also bacteria related to maize, such as Phytoplasma. In conclusion, our results elucidated for the first time the structures of the bacterial communities of Masa Agria samples obtained from different producers, identifying the specific dominant species and revealing a complete picture of the bacterial consortium in this specific niche. The selective pressure of tropical environments may favor microbial biodiversity characterized by a useful technological potential.

  11. Real-time monitoring of methane oxidation in a simulated landfill cover soil and MiSeq pyrosequencing analysis of the related bacterial community structure.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xing, Zhilin; Zhao, Tiantao; Gao, Yanhui; He, Zhi; Zhang, Lijie; Peng, Xuya; Song, Liyan

    2017-10-01

    Real-time CH 4 oxidation in a landfill cover soil was studied using automated gas sampling that determined biogas (CH 4 and CO 2 ) and O 2 concentrations at various depths in a simulated landfill cover soil (SLCS) column reactor. The real-time monitoring system obtained more than 10,000 biogas (CH 4 and CO 2 ) and O 2 data points covering 32 steady states of CH 4 oxidation with 32 different CH 4 fluxes (0.2-125mol·m -2 ·d -1 ). The kinetics of CH 4 oxidation at different depths (0-20cm, 20-40cm, and 40-60cm) of SLCS were well fit by a CH 4 -O 2 dual-substrate model based on 32 values (averaged, n=5-15) of equilibrated CH 4 concentrations. The quality of the fit (R 2 ranged from 0.90 to 0.96) was higher than those reported in previous studies, which suggests that real time monitoring is beneficial for CH 4 oxidation simulations. MiSeq pyrosequencing indicated that CH 4 flux events changed the bacterial community structure (e.g., increased the abundance of Bacteroidetes and Methanotrophs) and resulted in a relative increase in the amount of type I methanotrophs (Methylobacter and Methylococcales) and a decrease in the amount of type II methanotrophs (Methylocystis). Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  12. Anaerobic oxidation of methane above gas hydrates at Hydrate Ridge, NE Pacific Ocean

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Treude, T.; Boetius, A.; Knittel, K.

    2003-01-01

    oxidation was extremely low (2.1 mmol m(-2) d(-1)) and was probably due to aerobic oxidation of methane. SR was fueled largely by methane at flow-impacted sites, but exceeded AOM in some cases, most likely due to sediment heterogeneity. At the Acharax field, SR was decoupled from methane oxidation...... and showed low activity. Aggregates of the AOM consortium were abundant at the fluid-impacted sites (between 5.1 x 10(12) and 7.9 x 10(12) aggregates m(-2)) but showed low numbers at the Acharax field (0.4 x 10(12) aggregates m(-2)). A transportreaction model was applied to estimate AOM at Beggiatoa fields...

  13. The effect of ethyl pyruvate on oxidative stress in intestine and bacterial translocation after thermal injury.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Karabeyoğlu, Melih; Unal, Bülent; Bozkurt, Betül; Dolapçi, Iştar; Bilgihan, Ayşe; Karabeyoğlu, Işil; Cengiz, Omer

    2008-01-01

    Thermal injury causes a breakdown in the intestinal mucosal barrier due to ischemia reperfusion injury, which can induce bacterial translocation (BT), sepsis, and multiple organ failure in burn patients. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of ethyl pyruvate (EP) on intestinal oxidant damage and BT in burn injury. Thirty-two rats were randomly divided into four groups. The sham group was exposed to 21 degrees C water and injected intraperitoneal with saline (1 mL/100 g). The sham + EP group received EP (40 mg/kg) intraperitoneally 6 h after the sham procedure. The burn group was exposed to thermal injury and given intraperitoneal saline injection (1 mL/100 g). The burn + EP group received EP (40 mg/kg) intraperitoneally 6 h after thermal injury. Twenty-four hours later, tissue samples were obtained from mesenteric lymph nodes, spleen, and liver for microbiological analysis and ileum samples were harvested for biochemical analysis. Thermal injury caused severe BT in burn group. EP supplementation decreased BT in mesenteric lymph nodes and spleen in the burn + EP group compared with the burn group (P < 0.05). Also, burn caused BT in liver, but this finding was not statistically significant among all groups. Thermal injury caused a statistically significant increase in malondialdehyde and myeloperoxidase levels, and EP prevented this effects in the burn + EP group compared with the burn group (P < 0.05). Our data suggested that EP can inhibit the BT and myeloperoxidase and malondialdehyde production in intestine following thermal injury, suggesting anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties of EP.

  14. Composition of methane-oxidizing bacterial communities as a function of nutrient loading in the Florida everglades.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chauhan, Ashvini; Pathak, Ashish; Ogram, Andrew

    2012-10-01

    Agricultural runoff of phosphorus (P) in the northern Florida Everglades has resulted in several ecosystem level changes, including shifts in the microbial ecology of carbon cycling, with significantly higher methane being produced in the nutrient-enriched soils. Little is, however, known of the structure and activities of methane-oxidizing bacteria (MOB) in these environments. To address this, 0 to 10 cm plant-associated soil cores were collected from nutrient-impacted (F1), transition (F4), and unimpacted (U3) areas, sectioned in 2-cm increments, and methane oxidation rates were measured. F1 soils consumed approximately two-fold higher methane than U3 soils; additionally, most probable numbers of methanotrophs were 4-log higher in F1 than U3 soils. Metabolically active MOB containing pmoA sequences were characterized by stable-isotope probing using 10 % (v/v) (13)CH(4). pmoA sequences, encoding the alpha subunit of methane monooxygenase and related to type I methanotrophs, were identified from both impacted and unimpacted soils. Additionally, impacted soils also harbored type II methanotrophs, which have been shown to exhibit preferences for high methane concentrations. Additionally, across all soils, novel pmoA-type sequences were also detected, indicating presence of MOB specific to the Everglades. Multivariate statistical analyses confirmed that eutrophic soils consisted of metabolically distinct MOB community that is likely driven by nutrient enrichment. This study enhances our understanding on the biological fate of methane being produced in productive wetland soils of the Florida Everglades and how nutrient-enrichment affects the composition of methanotroph bacterial communities.

  15. [Condition optimization for bio-oxidation of high-S and high-As gold concentrate].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Caiyun; Dong, Bowen; Wang, Meijun; Ye, Zhiyong; Zheng, Tianling; Huang, Huaiguo

    2015-12-04

    To study the effects of temperature and lixivium return on the concentrate bio-oxidation and rate of gold cyanide leaching. The bioleaching of a high-sulphur (S) and high-arsenic (As) refractory gold concentrate was conducted, and we studied the effects of different temperature (40 ° and 45 °C) and lixivium return (0 and 600 mL) on the bio-oxidation efficiency. The bacterial community structure also was investigated by 16S rRNA gene clone library. The results showed that both the temperature and lixivium return significantly influenced the oxidation system. The temperature rising elevated the oxidation level, while the addition of lixivium depressed the oxidation. Dissimilarity and DCA (detrended correspondence analysis) indicated the effect of temperature on oxidation system was much greater than lixivium. The bacterial community was comprised by Acidithiocacillus caldu (71%) Leptospirillum ferriphilum (23%) and Sulfobacillus thermosulfidooxidans (6%) indicated by the clone library, and the OTU coverage based on 97% sequence similarity was as high as 93.67%. Temperature rising to 45 T would improve the oxidation efficiency while lixivium return would decrease it. This study is helpful to provide an important guiding value for the industry cost optimization of mesophile bacterial oxidation and reduction process.

  16. 25 CFR 1000.18 - May a Consortium member Tribe withdraw from the Consortium and become a member of the applicant...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ...-governance activities for a member Tribe, that planning activity and report may be used to satisfy the planning requirements for the member Tribe if it applies for self-governance status on its own. (b) Submit... for Participation in Tribal Self-Governance Eligibility § 1000.18 May a Consortium member Tribe...

  17. Zijm Consortium: Engineering a Sustainable Supply Chain System

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Knofius, Nils; Rahimi Ghahroodi, Sajjad; van Capelleveen, Guido Cornelis; Yazdanpanah, Vahid

    2018-01-01

    In this paper we address one of the current major research areas of the Zijm consortium; engineering sustainable supply chain systems by transforming traditionally linear practices to circular systems. We illustrate this field of research with a case consisting of a network of three firms Willem

  18. Environmental factors shaping cultured free-living amoebae and their associated bacterial community within drinking water network.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Delafont, Vincent; Bouchon, Didier; Héchard, Yann; Moulin, Laurent

    2016-09-01

    Free-living amoebae (FLA) constitute an important part of eukaryotic populations colonising drinking water networks. However, little is known about the factors influencing their ecology in such environments. Because of their status as reservoir of potentially pathogenic bacteria, understanding environmental factors impacting FLA populations and their associated bacterial community is crucial. Through sampling of a large drinking water network, the diversity of cultivable FLA and their bacterial community were investigated by an amplicon sequencing approach, and their correlation with physicochemical parameters was studied. While FLA ubiquitously colonised the water network all year long, significant changes in population composition were observed. These changes were partially explained by several environmental parameters, namely water origin, temperature, pH and chlorine concentration. The characterisation of FLA associated bacterial community reflected a diverse but rather stable consortium composed of nearly 1400 OTUs. The definition of a core community highlighted the predominance of only few genera, majorly dominated by Pseudomonas and Stenotrophomonas. Co-occurrence analysis also showed significant patterns of FLA-bacteria association, and allowed uncovering potentially new FLA - bacteria interactions. From our knowledge, this study is the first that combines a large sampling scheme with high-throughput identification of FLA together with associated bacteria, along with their influencing environmental parameters. Our results demonstrate the importance of physicochemical parameters in the ecology of FLA and their bacterial community in water networks. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  19. Exploring the biocatalytic scope of a bacterial flavin-containing monooxygenase

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Rioz-Martinez, Ana; Kopacz, Malgorzata; de Gonzalo, Gonzalo; Pazmino, Daniel E. Torres; Gotor, Vicente; Fraaije, Marco W.

    2011-01-01

    A bacterial flavin-containing monooxygenase (FMO), fused to phosphite dehydrogenase, has been used to explore its biocatalytic potential. The bifunctional biocatalyst could be expressed in high amounts in Escherichia coli and was able to oxidize indole and indole derivatives into a variety of indigo

  20. Indirect Manganese Removal by Stenotrophomonas sp. and Lysinibacillus sp. Isolated from Brazilian Mine Water

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Natália Rocha Barboza

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Manganese is a contaminant in the wastewaters produced by Brazilian mining operations, and the removal of the metal is notoriously difficult because of the high stability of the Mn(II ion in aqueous solutions. To explore a biological approach for removing excessive amounts of aqueous Mn(II, we investigated the potential of Mn(II oxidation by both consortium and bacterial isolates from a Brazilian manganese mine. A bacterial consortium was able to remove 99.7% of the Mn(II. A phylogenetic analysis of isolates demonstrated that the predominant microorganisms were members of Stenotrophomonas, Bacillus, and Lysinibacillus genera. Mn(II removal rates between 58.5% and 70.9% were observed for Bacillus sp. and Stenotrophomonas sp. while the Lysinibacillus isolate 13P removes 82.7%. The catalytic oxidation of Mn(II mediated by multicopper oxidase was not properly detected; however, in all of the experiments, a significant increase in the pH of the culture medium was detected. No aggregates inside the cells grown for a week were found by electronic microscopy. Nevertheless, an energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy of the isolates revealed the presence of manganese in Stenotrophomonas sp. and Lysinibacillus sp. grown in K medium. These results suggest that members of Stenotrophomonas and Lysinibacillus genera were able to remove Mn(II by a nonenzymatic pathway.

  1. Novel fungal consortium pretreatment of waste oat straw to enhance economic and efficient biohydrogen production

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lirong Zhou

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available Bio-pretreatment using a fungal consortium to enhance the efficiency of lignocellulosic biohydrogen production was explored.  A fungal consortium comprised of T. viride and P. chrysosporium as microbial inoculum was compared with untreated and single-species-inoculated samples. Fungal bio-pretreatment was carried out at atmospheric conditions with limited external energy input.  The effectiveness of the pretreatment is evaluated according to its lignin removal and digestibility. Enhancement of biohydrogen production is observed through scanning electron microscopy (SEM analysis. Fungal consortium pretreatment effectively degraded oat straw lignin (by >47% in 7 days leading to decomposition of cell-wall structure as revealed in SEM images, increasing biohydrogen yield. The hydrogen produced from the fungal consortium pretreated straw increased by 165% 6 days later, and was more than produced from either a single fungi species of T. viride or P. chrysosponium pretreated straw (94% and 106%, respectively. No inhibitory effect on hydrogen production was observed.

  2. Neutrophils to the ROScue: Mechanisms of NADPH Oxidase Activation and Bacterial Resistance

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Giang T. Nguyen

    2017-08-01

    Full Text Available Reactive oxygen species (ROS generated by NADPH oxidase play an important role in antimicrobial host defense and inflammation. Their deficiency in humans results in recurrent and severe bacterial infections, while their unregulated release leads to pathology from excessive inflammation. The release of high concentrations of ROS aids in clearance of invading bacteria. Localization of ROS release to phagosomes containing pathogens limits tissue damage. Host immune cells, like neutrophils, also known as PMNs, will release large amounts of ROS at the site of infection following the activation of surface receptors. The binding of ligands to G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs, toll-like receptors, and cytokine receptors can prime PMNs for a more robust response if additional signals are encountered. Meanwhile, activation of Fc and integrin directly induces high levels of ROS production. Additionally, GPCRs that bind to the bacterial-peptide analog fMLP, a neutrophil chemoattractant, can both prime cells and trigger low levels of ROS production. Engagement of these receptors initiates intracellular signaling pathways, resulting in activation of downstream effector proteins, assembly of the NADPH oxidase complex, and ultimately, the production of ROS by this complex. Within PMNs, ROS released by the NADPH oxidase complex can activate granular proteases and induce the formation of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs. Additionally, ROS can cross the membranes of bacterial pathogens and damage their nucleic acids, proteins, and cell membranes. Consequently, in order to establish infections, bacterial pathogens employ various strategies to prevent restriction by PMN-derived ROS or downstream consequences of ROS production. Some pathogens are able to directly prevent the oxidative burst of phagocytes using secreted effector proteins or toxins that interfere with translocation of the NADPH oxidase complex or signaling pathways needed for its activation

  3. DNA-based and culture-based characterization of a hydrocarbon-degrading consortium enriched from Arctic soil

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Thomassin-Lacroix, E. J. M.; Reimer, K. J. [Royal Military College, Dept. of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Kingston, On (Canada); Yu, Z.; Mohn, W. W. [British Columbia Univ., Dept. of Microbiology and Immunology, Vancouver, BC (Canada); Eriksson, M. [Royal Inst. of Technology, Dept. of Biotechnology, Stockholm (Sweden)

    2001-12-01

    Oil spills are fairly common in polar tundra regions, including remote locations, and are a threat to the relatively fragile ecosystem. Remediation must be done economically and with minimum additional damage. Bioremediation is considered to be the appropriate technology, although its application in polar tundra regions is not well documented. Most studies of hydrocarbon remediation in polar regions have concerned marine oil spills, while a few studies have demonstrated on-site polar tundra soil remediation. A few of these demonstrated the presence of psychrotolerant hydrocarbon-degrading bacteria in polar tundra soils. Because fuels are complex mixtures of hydrocarbons, microbial consortia rather than pure cultures may be the most effective agents in degrading fuels. Despite their potential advantages for bioaugmentation applications, consortia are difficult to characterize and monitor. Molecular methods based on DNA analysis partially address these difficulties. One such approach is to randomly clone rRNA gene (rDNA) fragments and to sequence as a set of clones. The relative abundance of individual sequences in the clone library is related to the relative abundance of the corresponding organism in the community. In this study a psychrotolerant, fuel-degrading consortium was enriched with Arctic tundra soil. The enrichment substrate for the consortium was Jet A-1 fuel, which is very similar to Arctic diesel fuel, a common contaminant in the region. The objectives of the study were to (1) characterize thr consortium by DNA- and culture-based methods, (2) develop quantitative polymerase chain reaction assays for populations of predominant consortium members, and (3) determine the dynamics of those populations during incubation of the consortium. Result showed that is possible to quantitatively monitor members of a microbial consortium, with potential application for bioremediation of Arctic tundra soil. The relative abundance of consortium members was found to vary

  4. Epidemiology of Endometrial Cancer Consortium (E2C2)

    Science.gov (United States)

    The Epidemiology of Endometrial Cancer Consortium studies the etiology of this common cancer and build on resources from existing studies by combining data across studies in order to advance the understanding of the etiology of this disease.

  5. Shape-dependent bactericidal activity of copper oxide nanoparticle mediated by DNA and membrane damage

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Laha, Dipranjan; Pramanik, Arindam; Laskar, Aparna; Jana, Madhurya; Pramanik, Panchanan; Karmakar, Parimal

    2014-01-01

    Highlights: • Spherical and sheet shaped copper oxide nanoparticles were synthesized. • Physical characterizations of these nanoparticles were done by TEM, DLS, XRD, FTIR. • They showed shape dependent antibacterial activity on different bacterial strain. • They induced both membrane damage and ROS mediated DNA damage in bacteria. - Abstract: In this work, we synthesized spherical and sheet shaped copper oxide nanoparticles and their physical characterizations were done by the X-ray diffraction, fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy and dynamic light scattering. The antibacterial activity of these nanoparticles was determined on both gram positive and gram negative bacterial. Spherical shaped copper oxide nanoparticles showed more antibacterial property on gram positive bacteria where as sheet shaped copper oxide nanoparticles are more active on gram negative bacteria. We also demonstrated that copper oxide nanoparticles produced reactive oxygen species in both gram negative and gram positive bacteria. Furthermore, they induced membrane damage as determined by atomic force microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. Thus production of and membrane damage are major mechanisms of the bactericidal activity of these copper oxide nanoparticles. Finally it was concluded that antibacterial activity of nanoparticles depend on physicochemical properties of copper oxide nanoparticles and bacterial strain

  6. Shape-dependent bactericidal activity of copper oxide nanoparticle mediated by DNA and membrane damage

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Laha, Dipranjan; Pramanik, Arindam [Department of Life Science and Biotechnology, Jadavpur University, 188, Raja S C Mallick Road, Kolkata 700032 (India); Laskar, Aparna [CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Biology, Kolkata 700032 (India); Jana, Madhurya [Department of Life Science and Biotechnology, Jadavpur University, 188, Raja S C Mallick Road, Kolkata 700032 (India); Pramanik, Panchanan [Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur 721302 (India); Karmakar, Parimal, E-mail: pkarmakar_28@yahoo.co.in [Department of Life Science and Biotechnology, Jadavpur University, 188, Raja S C Mallick Road, Kolkata 700032 (India)

    2014-11-15

    Highlights: • Spherical and sheet shaped copper oxide nanoparticles were synthesized. • Physical characterizations of these nanoparticles were done by TEM, DLS, XRD, FTIR. • They showed shape dependent antibacterial activity on different bacterial strain. • They induced both membrane damage and ROS mediated DNA damage in bacteria. - Abstract: In this work, we synthesized spherical and sheet shaped copper oxide nanoparticles and their physical characterizations were done by the X-ray diffraction, fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy and dynamic light scattering. The antibacterial activity of these nanoparticles was determined on both gram positive and gram negative bacterial. Spherical shaped copper oxide nanoparticles showed more antibacterial property on gram positive bacteria where as sheet shaped copper oxide nanoparticles are more active on gram negative bacteria. We also demonstrated that copper oxide nanoparticles produced reactive oxygen species in both gram negative and gram positive bacteria. Furthermore, they induced membrane damage as determined by atomic force microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. Thus production of and membrane damage are major mechanisms of the bactericidal activity of these copper oxide nanoparticles. Finally it was concluded that antibacterial activity of nanoparticles depend on physicochemical properties of copper oxide nanoparticles and bacterial strain.

  7. Nitric oxide is an obligate bacterial nitrification intermediate produced by hydroxylamine oxidoreductase.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Caranto, Jonathan D; Lancaster, Kyle M

    2017-08-01

    Ammonia (NH 3 )-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) emit substantial amounts of nitric oxide (NO) and nitrous oxide (N 2 O), both of which contribute to the harmful environmental side effects of large-scale agriculture. The currently accepted model for AOB metabolism involves NH 3 oxidation to nitrite (NO 2 - ) via a single obligate intermediate, hydroxylamine (NH 2 OH). Within this model, the multiheme enzyme hydroxylamine oxidoreductase (HAO) catalyzes the four-electron oxidation of NH 2 OH to NO 2 - We provide evidence that HAO oxidizes NH 2 OH by only three electrons to NO under both anaerobic and aerobic conditions. NO 2 - observed in HAO activity assays is a nonenzymatic product resulting from the oxidation of NO by O 2 under aerobic conditions. Our present study implies that aerobic NH 3 oxidation by AOB occurs via two obligate intermediates, NH 2 OH and NO, necessitating a mediator of the third enzymatic step.

  8. Graphene oxide decorated electrospun gelatin nanofibers: Fabrication, properties and applications

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Jalaja, K. [Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology, Valiamala, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala 695 547 (India); Sreehari, V.S. [Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Bhopal, Bhauri, Madhya Pradesh 462066 (India); Kumar, P.R. Anil [Tissue culture laboratory, Biomedical Technology Wing, Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology, Poojappura, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala 695 012 (India); Nirmala, R. James, E-mail: nirmala@iist.ac.in [Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology, Valiamala, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala 695 547 (India)

    2016-07-01

    Gelatin nanofiber fabricated by electrospinning process is found to mimic the complex structural and functional properties of natural extracellular matrix for tissue regeneration. In order to improve the physico-chemical and biological properties of the nanofibers, graphene oxide is incorporated in the gelatin to form graphene oxide decorated gelatin nanofibers. The current research effort is focussed on the fabrication and evaluation of physico-chemical and biological properties of graphene oxide-gelatin composite nanofibers. The presence of graphene oxide in the nanofibers was established by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). We report the effect of incorporation of graphene oxide on the mechanical, thermal and biological performance of the gelatin nanofibers. The tensile strength of gelatin nanofibers was increased from 8.29 ± 0.53 MPa to 21 ± 2.03 MPa after the incorporation of GO. In order to improve the water resistance of nanofibers, natural based cross-linking agent, namely, dextran aldehyde was employed. The cross-linked composite nanofibers showed further increase in the tensile strength up to 56.4 ± 2.03 MPa. Graphene oxide incorporated gelatin nanofibers are evaluated for bacterial activity against gram positive (Staphylococcus aureus) and gram negative (Escherichia coli) bacteria and cyto compatibility using mouse fibroblast cells (L-929 cells). The results indicate that the graphene oxide incorporated gelatin nanofibers do not prevent bacterial growth, nevertheless support the L-929 cell adhesion and proliferation. - Highlights: • Graphene oxide nano reinforced gelatin nanofibers are fabricated by electrospinning. • Graphene oxide (0.5%) loading resulted in increased tensile strength. • GO/gelatin nanofibers are cross-linked with dextran aldehyde. • Composite nanofibers favoured adhesion of L-929 cells. • GO/gelatin mats do not prevent bacterial growth.

  9. The Activities of the European Consortium on Nuclear Data Development and Analysis for Fusion

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fischer, U.; Avrigeanu, M.; Avrigeanu, V.; Cabellos, O.; Kodeli, I.; Koning, A.; Konobeyev, A.Yu.; Leeb, H.; Rochman, D.; Pereslavtsev, P.; Sauvan, P.; Sublet, J.-C.; Trkov, A.; Dupont, E.; Leichtle, D.; Izquierdo, J.

    2014-01-01

    This paper presents an overview of the activities of the European Consortium on Nuclear Data Development and Analysis for Fusion. The Consortium combines available European expertise to provide services for the generation, maintenance, and validation of nuclear data evaluations and data files relevant for ITER, IFMIF and DEMO, as well as codes and software tools required for related nuclear calculations

  10. The Activities of the European Consortium on Nuclear Data Development and Analysis for Fusion

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Fischer, U., E-mail: ulrich.fischer@kit.edu [Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Institute for Neutron Physic and Reactor Technology, 76344 Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen (Germany); Avrigeanu, M.; Avrigeanu, V. [Horia Hulubei National Institute of Physics and Nuclear Engineering (IFIN-HH), RO-077125 Magurele (Romania); Cabellos, O. [Departamento de Ingenieria Nuclear, Universidad Politecnica de Madrid, 28006 Madrid (Spain); Kodeli, I. [Jozef Stefan Institute (JSI), Jamova 39, 1000 Ljubljana (Slovenia); Koning, A. [Nuclear Research and Consultancy Group (NRG), Westerduinweg 3, 1755 LE Petten (Netherlands); Konobeyev, A.Yu. [Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Institute for Neutron Physic and Reactor Technology, 76344 Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen (Germany); Leeb, H. [Technische Universitaet Wien, Atominstitut, Wiedner Hauptstrasse 8–10, 1040 Wien (Austria); Rochman, D. [Nuclear Research and Consultancy Group (NRG), Westerduinweg 3, 1755 LE Petten (Netherlands); Pereslavtsev, P. [Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Institute for Neutron Physic and Reactor Technology, 76344 Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen (Germany); Sauvan, P. [Universidad Nacional de Educacion a Distancia, C. Juan del Rosal, 12, 28040 Madrid (Spain); Sublet, J.-C. [Euratom/CCFE Fusion Association, Culham Science Centre, OX14 3DB (United Kingdom); Trkov, A. [Jozef Stefan Institute (JSI), Jamova 39, 1000 Ljubljana (Slovenia); Dupont, E. [OECD Nuclear Energy Agency, Paris (France); Leichtle, D.; Izquierdo, J. [Fusion for Energy, Barcelona (Spain)

    2014-06-15

    This paper presents an overview of the activities of the European Consortium on Nuclear Data Development and Analysis for Fusion. The Consortium combines available European expertise to provide services for the generation, maintenance, and validation of nuclear data evaluations and data files relevant for ITER, IFMIF and DEMO, as well as codes and software tools required for related nuclear calculations.

  11. Microbial biofilm study by synchrotron X-ray microscopy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pennafirme, S.; Lima, I.; Bitencourt, J.A.; Crapez, M.A.C.; Lopes, R.T.

    2015-01-01

    Microbial biofilm has already being used to remove metals and other pollutants from wastewater. In this sense, our proposal was to isolate and cultivate bacteria consortia from mangrove’s sediment resistant to Zn (II) and Cu (II) at 50 mg L −1 and to observe, through synchrotron X-ray fluorescence microscopy (microXRF), whether the biofilm sequestered the metal. The biofilm area analyzed was 1 mm 2 and a 2D map was generated (pixel size 20×20 μm 2 , counting time 5 s/point). The biofilm formation and retention followed the sequence Zn>Cu. Bacterial consortium zinc resistant formed dense biofilm and retained 63.83% of zinc, while the bacterial consortium copper resistant retained 3.21% of copper, with lower biofilm formation. Dehydrogenase activity of Zn resistant bacterial consortium was not negatively affect by 50 mg ml −1 zinc input, whereas copper resistant bacterial consortium showed a significant decrease on dehydrogenase activity (50 mg mL −1 of Cu input). In conclusion, biofilm may protect bacterial cells, acting as barrier against metal toxicity. The bacterial consortia Zn resistant, composed by Nitratireductor spp. and Pseudomonas spp formed dense biofilm and sequestered metal from water, decreasing the metal bioavailability. These bacterial consortia can be used in bioreactors and in bioremediation programs. - Highlights: • We studied bacterial bioremediation by microXRF. • Dense biofilm may act sequestering metal while protecting bacterial metabolism. • Nitratireductor spp. and Pseudomonas spp decreased seawater metal bioavailability. • Bacterial consortia from polluted areas may be used in bioremediation programs.

  12. Total antioxidant/oxidant status in meningism and meningitis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aycicek, Ali; Iscan, Akin; Erel, Ozcan; Akcali, Mustafa; Selek, Sahbettin

    2006-12-01

    The objective of this study was to investigate the antioxidant/oxidant status of serum and cerebrospinal fluid in children with meningismus and acute bacterial meningitis. Twenty-three children (age range, 0.75 to 9 years) with fever and meningeal signs that required analysis of the cerebrospinal fluid, but no cytologic or biochemical evidence of meningitis in their serum and cerebrospinal fluid, constituted the meningismus group. Thirty-one children (age range, 0.5 to 10 years) with acute bacterial meningitis constituted the meningitis group. Twenty-nine healthy children (age range, 0.5 to 11 years) were recruited as control subjects. Antioxidant status (ascorbic acid, albumin, thiol, uric acid, total bilirubin, total antioxidant capacity, catalase and ceruloplasmin concentrations) and oxidant status (lipid hydroperoxide and total oxidant status) were measured. The serum antioxidant status was lower, and oxidant status levels higher in both meningitis and meningismus subjects than in the control children (P antioxidant status was lower, and serum oxidant status was higher in children in the meningismus and meningitis groups, whereas cerebrospinal fluid oxidant status was higher in the meningismus group than in the meningitis group.

  13. The Worker Rights Consortium Makes Strides toward Legitimacy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Van der Werf, Martin

    2000-01-01

    Discusses the rapid growth of the Workers Rights Consortium, a student-originated group with 44 member institutions which opposes sweatshop labor conditions especially in the apparel industry. Notes disagreements about the number of administrators on the board of directors and about the role of industry representives. Compares this group with the…

  14. Academic Library Consortium in Jordan: An Evaluation Study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ahmed, Mustafa H.; Suleiman, Raid Jameel

    2013-01-01

    Purpose: Due to the current financial and managerial difficulties that are encountered by libraries in public universities in Jordan and the geographical diffusion of these academic institutions, the idea of establishing a consortium was proposed by the Council of Higher Education to combine these libraries. This article reviews the reality of…

  15. View of the bacterial strains of Escherichia coli M-17 and its interaction with the nanoparticles of zinc oxide by means of atomic force microscopy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sagitova, A; Yaminsky, I; Meshkov, G

    2016-01-01

    Visualization of the structure of biological objects plays a key role in medicine, biotechnology, nanotechnology and IT-technology. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) is a promising method of studying of objects’ morphology and structure. In this work, AFM was used to determine the size and shape of the bacterial strains of Escherichia coli M-17 and visualization its interaction with the nanoparticles of zinc oxide. The suspension of E.coli bacteria was applied to natural mica and studied by contact mode using the FemtoScan multifunctional scanning probe microscope. (paper)

  16. View of the bacterial strains of Escherichia coli M-17 and its interaction with the nanoparticles of zinc oxide by means of atomic force microscopy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sagitova, A.; Yaminsky, I.; Meshkov, G.

    2016-08-01

    Visualization of the structure of biological objects plays a key role in medicine, biotechnology, nanotechnology and IT-technology. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) is a promising method of studying of objects’ morphology and structure. In this work, AFM was used to determine the size and shape of the bacterial strains of Escherichia coli M-17 and visualization its interaction with the nanoparticles of zinc oxide. The suspension of E.coli bacteria was applied to natural mica and studied by contact mode using the FemtoScan multifunctional scanning probe microscope.

  17. Microbial Consortium with High Cellulolytic Activity (MCHCA for enhanced biogas production.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Krzysztof ePoszytek

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available The use of lignocellulosic biomass as a substrate in agricultural biogas plants is very popular and yields good results. However, the efficiency of anaerobic digestion, and thus biogas production, is not always satisfactory due to the slow or incomplete degradation (hydrolysis of plant matter. To enhance the solubilization of the lignocellulosic biomass various physical, chemical and biological pretreatment methods are used.The aim of this study was to select and characterize cellulose-degrading bacteria, and to construct a microbial consortium, dedicated for degradation of maize silage and enhancing biogas production from this substrate.Over one hundred strains of cellulose-degrading bacteria were isolated from: sewage sludge, hydrolyzer from an agricultural biogas plant, cattle slurry and manure. After physiological characterization of the isolates, sixteen strains (representatives of Bacillus, Providencia and Ochrobactrum genera were chosen for the construction of a Microbial Consortium with High Cellulolytic Activity, called MCHCA. The selected strains had a high endoglucanase activity (exceeding 0.21 IU/mL CMCase activity and a wide range of tolerance to various physical and chemical conditions. Lab-scale simulation of biogas production using the selected strains for degradation of maize silage was carried out in a two-bioreactor system, similar to those used in agricultural biogas plants.The obtained results showed that the constructed MCHCA consortium is capable of efficient hydrolysis of maize silage, and increases biogas production by even 38%, depending on the inoculum used for methane fermentation. The results in this work indicate that the mesophilic Microbial Consortium with High Cellulolytic Activity has a great potential for application on industrial scale in agricultural biogas plants.

  18. 32 CFR 37.515 - Must I do anything additional to determine the qualification of a consortium?

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... SECRETARY OF DEFENSE DoD GRANT AND AGREEMENT REGULATIONS TECHNOLOGY INVESTMENT AGREEMENTS Pre-Award Business... relationship is essential to increase the research project's chances of success. (b) The collaboration... things, the consortium's: (1) Management structure. (2) Method of making payments to consortium members...

  19. Glutathionylation of the Bacterial Hsp70 Chaperone DnaK Provides a Link between Oxidative Stress and the Heat Shock Response.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Hong; Yang, Jie; Wu, Si; Gong, Weibin; Chen, Chang; Perrett, Sarah

    2016-03-25

    DnaK is the major bacterial Hsp70, participating in DNA replication, protein folding, and the stress response. DnaK cooperates with the Hsp40 co-chaperone DnaJ and the nucleotide exchange factor GrpE. Under non-stress conditions, DnaK binds to the heat shock transcription factor σ(32)and facilitates its degradation. Oxidative stress results in temporary inactivation of DnaK due to depletion of cellular ATP and thiol modifications such as glutathionylation until normal cellular ATP levels and a reducing environment are restored. However, the biological significance of DnaK glutathionylation remains unknown, and the mechanisms by which glutathionylation may regulate the activity of DnaK are also unclear. We investigated the conditions under which Escherichia coli DnaK undergoesS-glutathionylation. We observed glutathionylation of DnaK in lysates of E. coli cells that had been subjected to oxidative stress. We also obtained homogeneously glutathionylated DnaK using purified DnaK in the apo state. We found that glutathionylation of DnaK reversibly changes the secondary structure and tertiary conformation, leading to reduced nucleotide and peptide binding ability. The chaperone activity of DnaK was reversibly down-regulated by glutathionylation, accompanying the structural changes. We found that interaction of DnaK with DnaJ, GrpE, or σ(32)becomes weaker when DnaK is glutathionylated, and the interaction is restored upon deglutathionylation. This study confirms that glutathionylation down-regulates the functions of DnaK under oxidizing conditions, and this down-regulation may facilitate release of σ(32)from its interaction with DnaK, thus triggering the heat shock response. Such a mechanism provides a link between oxidative stress and the heat shock response in bacteria. © 2016 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

  20. Oxidative stress status, antioxidant metabolism and polypeptide patterns in Juncus maritimus shoots exhibiting differential mercury burdens in Ria de Aveiro coastal lagoon (Portugal).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Anjum, Naser A; Duarte, Armando C; Pereira, Eduarda; Ahmad, Iqbal

    2014-05-01

    This study assessed the oxidative stress status, antioxidant metabolism and polypeptide patterns in salt marsh macrophyte Juncus maritimus shoots exhibiting differential mercury burdens in Ria de Aveiro coastal lagoon at reference and the sites with highest, moderate and the lowest mercury contamination. In order to achieve these goals, shoot-mercury burden and the responses of representative oxidative stress indices, and the components of both non-glutathione- and glutathione-based H2O2-metabolizing systems were analyzed and cross-talked with shoot-polypeptide patterns. Compared to the reference site, significant elevations in J. maritimus shoot mercury and the oxidative stress indices such as H2O2, lipid peroxidation, electrolyte leakage and reactive carbonyls were maximum at the site with highest followed by moderate and the lowest mercury contamination. Significantly elevated activity of non-glutathione-based H2O2-metabolizing enzymes such as ascorbate peroxidase and catalase accompanied the studied damage-endpoint responses, whereas the activity of glutathione-based H2O2-scavenging enzymes glutathione peroxidase and glutathione sulfo-transferase was inhibited. Concomitantly, significantly enhanced glutathione reductase activity and the contents of both reduced and oxidized glutathione were perceptible in high mercury-exhibiting shoots. It is inferred that high mercury-accrued elevations in oxidative stress indices were obvious, where non-glutathione-based H2O2-decomposing enzyme system was dominant over the glutathione-based H2O2-scavenging enzyme system. In particular, the glutathione-based H2O2-scavenging system failed to coordinate with elevated glutathione reductase which in turn resulted into increased pool of oxidized glutathione and the ratio of oxidized glutathione-to-reduced glutathione. The substantiation of the studied oxidative stress indices and antioxidant metabolism with approximately 53-kDa polypeptide warrants further studies.

  1. Comparative analyses of the bacterial community of hydrothermal deposits and seafloor sediments across Okinawa Trough

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Long; Yu, Min; Liu, Yan; Liu, Jiwen; Wu, Yonghua; Li, Li; Liu, Jihua; Wang, Min; Zhang, Xiao-Hua

    2018-04-01

    As an ideal place to study back-arc basins and hydrothermal eco-system, Okinawa Trough has attracted the interests of scientists for decades. However, there are still no in-depth studies targeting the bacterial community of the seafloor sediments and hydrothermal deposits in Okinawa Trough. In the present study, we reported the bacterial community of the surface deposits of a newly found hydrothermal field in the southern Okinawa Trough, and the horizontal and vertical variation of bacterial communities in the sediments of the northern Okinawa Trough. The hydrothermal deposits had a relatively high 16S rRNA gene abundance but low bacterial richness and diversity. Epsilonproteobacteria and Bacteroidetes were predominant in hydrothermal deposits whereas Deltaproteobacteria, Gammaproteobacteria and Chloroflexi were abundant across all samples. The bacterial distribution in the seafloor of Okinawa Trough was significantly correlated to the content of total nitrogen, and had consistent relationship with total carbon. Gradual changes of sulfur-oxidizing bacteria were found with the distance away from hydrothermal fields, while the hydrothermal activity did not influence the distribution of the major clades of sulfate-reducing bacteria. Higher abundance of the sulfur cycle related genes (aprA and dsrB), and lower abundance of the bacterial ammonia-oxidizing related gene (amoA) were quantified in hydrothermal deposits. In addition, the present study also compared the inter-field variation of Epsilonproteobacteria among multi-types of hydrothermal vents, revealing that the proportion and diversity of this clade were quite various.

  2. The Optic Disc Drusen Studies Consortium Recommendations for Diagnosis of Optic Disc Drusen Using Optical Coherence Tomography

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Malmqvist, Lasse; Bursztyn, Lulu; Costello, Fiona

    2018-01-01

    imaging optical coherence tomography (EDI-OCT) has improved the visualization of more deeply buried ODD. There is, however, no consensus regarding the diagnosis of ODD using OCT. The purpose of this study was to develop a consensus recommendation for diagnosing ODD using OCT. METHODS: The members...... of the Optic Disc Drusen Studies (ODDS) Consortium are either fellowship trained neuro-ophthalmologists with an interest in ODD, or researchers with an interest in ODD. Four standardization steps were performed by the consortium members with a focus on both image acquisition and diagnosis of ODD. RESULTS......: Based on prior knowledge and experiences from the standardization steps, the ODDS Consortium reached a consensus regarding OCT acquisition and diagnosis of ODD. The recommendations from the ODDS Consortium include scanning protocol, data selection, data analysis, and nomenclature. CONCLUSIONS: The ODDS...

  3. Antimicrobial Bacterial Cellulose-Silver Nanoparticles Composite Membranes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hernane S. Barud

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available Antimicrobial bacterial cellulose-silver nanoparticles composite membranes have been obtained by “in situ” preparation of Ag nanoparticles from hydrolytic decomposition of silver nitrate solution using triethanolamine as reducing and complexing agent. The formation of silver nanoparticles was evidenced by the X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy (SEM, transmission electron microscopy (TEM, and absorption in the UV-Visible (350 nm to 600 nm. Thermal and mechanical properties together with swelling behavior for water were considered. TEA concentration was observed to be important in order to obtain only Ag particles and not a mixture of silver oxides. It was also observed to control particle size and amount of silver contents in bacterial cellulose. The composite membranes exhibited strong antimicrobial activity against Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria.

  4. Biokinetics and bacterial communities of propionate oxidizing bacteria in phased anaerobic sludge digestion systems.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zamanzadeh, Mirzaman; Parker, Wayne J; Verastegui, Yris; Neufeld, Josh D

    2013-03-15

    Phased anaerobic digestion is a promising technology and may be a potential source of bio-energy production. Anaerobic digesters are widely used for sewage sludge stabilization and thus a better understanding of the microbial process and kinetics may allow increased volatile solids reduction and methane production through robust process operation. In this study, we analyzed the impact of phase separation and operational conditions on the bio-kinetic characteristics and communities of bacteria associated with four phased anaerobic digestion systems. In addition to significant differences between bacterial communities associated with different digester operating temperatures, our results also revealed that bacterial communities in the phased anaerobic digestion systems differed between the 1st and 2nd phase digesters and we identified strong community composition correlations with several measured physicochemical parameters. The maximum specific growth rates of propionate oxidizing bacteria (POB) in the mesophilic and thermophilic 1st phases were 11 and 23.7 mgCOD mgCOD(-1) d(-1), respectively, while those of the mesophilic and thermophilic 2nd-phase digesters were 6.7 and 18.6 mgCOD mgCOD(-1) d(-1), respectively. Hence, the biokinetic characteristics of the POB population were dependent on the digester loading. In addition, we observed that the temperature dependency factor (θ) values were higher for the less heavily loaded digesters as compared to the values obtained for the 1st-phase digesters. Our results suggested the appropriate application of two sets of POB bio-kinetic that reflect the differing growth responses as a function of propionate concentration (and/or organic loading rates). Also, modeling acetogenesis in phased anaerobic sludge digestion systems will be improved considering a population shift in separate phases. On the basis of the bio-kinetic values estimated in various digesters, high levels of propionate in the thermophilic digesters may be

  5. Bioremediation of crude oil waste contaminated soil using petrophilic consortium and Azotobacter sp.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M. Fauzi

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available This study was aimed to determine the effect Petrophilic and Azotobacter sp. consortium on the rate of degradation of hydrocarbons, Azotobacter growth, and Petrophilic fungi growth in an Inceptisol contaminated with crude oil waste originating from Balongan refinery, one of Pertamina (Indonesia’s largest state-owned oil and gas company units in Indramayu – West Java. This study was conducted from March to April 2014 in the glasshouse of research station of the Faculty of Agriculture, Padjadjaran University at Ciparanje, Jatinangor District, Sumedang Regency of West Java. This study used a factorial completely randomized design with two treatments. The first treatment factor was Petrophilic microbes (A consisting of four levels (without treatment, 2% Petrophilic fungi, 2% Petrophilic bacteria, and the 2% Petrophilic consortium, and Azotobacter sp. The second treatment factor was Azotobacter sp. (B consisting of four levels (without treatment, 0.5%, Azotobacter sp., 1% Azotobacter sp., and 1.5% Azotobacter sp. The results demonstrated interaction between Petrophilic microbes and Azotobacter sp. towards hydrocarbon degradation rate, but no interaction was found towards the growth rate of Azotobacter sp. and Petrophilic fungi. Treatments of a1b3 (2% consortium of Petrophilic fungi with 1.5% Azotobacter sp. and a3b3 (2% Petrophilic consortium and 1.5% Azotobacter sp. had hydrocarbon degradation rate at 0.22 ppm/day for each treatment, showing the highest hydrocarbon degradation rate.

  6. Medical Physics Residency Consortium: collaborative endeavors to meet the ABR 2014 certification requirements

    Science.gov (United States)

    Parker, Brent C.; Duhon, John; Yang, Claus C.; Wu, H. Terry; Hogstrom, Kenneth R.

    2014-01-01

    In 2009, Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center (MBPCC) established a Radiation Oncology Physics Residency Program to provide opportunities for medical physics residency training to MS and PhD graduates of the CAMPEP‐accredited Louisiana State University (LSU)‐MBPCC Medical Physics Graduate Program. The LSU‐MBPCC Program graduates approximately six students yearly, which equates to a need for up to twelve residency positions in a two‐year program. To address this need for residency positions, MBPCC has expanded its Program by developing a Consortium consisting of partnerships with medical physics groups located at other nearby clinical institutions. The consortium model offers the residents exposure to a broader range of procedures, technology, and faculty than available at the individual institutions. The Consortium institutions have shown a great deal of support from their medical physics groups and administrations in developing these partnerships. Details of these partnerships are specified within affiliation agreements between MBPCC and each participating institution. All partner sites began resident training in 2011. The Consortium is a network of for‐profit, nonprofit, academic, community, and private entities. We feel that these types of collaborative endeavors will be required nationally to reach the number of residency positions needed to meet the 2014 ABR certification requirements and to maintain graduate medical physics training programs. PACS numbers: 01.40.Fk, 01.40.gb PMID:24710434

  7. Degradation of Lignocellulosic Components in Un-pretreated Vinegar Residue Using an Artificially Constructed Fungal Consortium

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yaoming Cui

    2015-04-01

    Full Text Available The objective of this work was to degrade lignocellulosic components in un-pretreated vinegar residue (VR using a fungal consortium. Consortium-29, consisting of P. chrysosporium, T. koningii, A. niger, and A. ficuum NTG-23, was constructed using orthogonal design combined with two-way interaction analysis. After seven days of cultivation, the reducing sugar yield reached 35.57 mg per gram of dry substrate (gds-1, which was 108.01% higher than the control (17.10 mg gds-1. Additionally, the xylanase and CMCase activity reached 439.07 U gds-1 and 8.15 U gds-1, which were 432.08% and 243.88% higher than that of pure cultures of A. niger (82.52 U gds-1 and P. chrysosporium (2.37 U gds-1, respectively. The cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin contents decreased by 17.11%, 68.61%, and 14.44%, respectively, compared with that of the raw VR. The optimal fermentation conditions of consortium-29 were as follows: incubation temperature 25 °C, initial pH 6, initial moisture content 70%, inoculum size 1 x 10^6 spores/mL, incubation time 5 days, urea/VR 1%, and MnSO4 . H2O/VR 0.03%. This study suggests that consortium-29 is an efficient fungal consortium for un-pretreated VR degradation and has a potential application in lignocellulosic waste utilization with a low cost of operation.

  8. The ARC (Astrophysical Research Consortium) telescope project.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Anderson, K. S.

    A consortium of universities intends to construct a 3.5 meter optical-infrared telescope at a site in south-central New Mexico. The use of innovative mirror technology, a fast primary, and an alt-azimuth mounting results in a compact and lightweight instrument. This telescope will be uniquely well-suited for addressing certain observational programs by virtue of its capability for fully remote operation and rapid instrument changes.

  9. Oxidation of NAD dimers by horseradish peroxidase.

    OpenAIRE

    Avigliano, L; Carelli, V; Casini, A; Finazzi-Agrò, A; Liberatore, F

    1985-01-01

    Horseradish peroxidase catalyses the oxidation of NAD dimers, (NAD)2, to NAD+ in accordance with a reaction that is pH-dependent and requires 1 mol of O2 per 2 mol of (NAD)2. Horseradish peroxidase also catalyses the peroxidation of (NAD)2 to NAD+. In contrast, bacterial NADH peroxidase does not catalyse the peroxidation or the oxidation of (NAD)2. A free-radical mechanism is proposed for both horseradish-peroxidase-catalysed oxidation and peroxidation of (NAD)2.

  10. Northeast Artificial Intelligence Consortium Annual Report. 1988 Interference Techniques for Knowledge Base Maintenance Using Logic Programming Methodologies. Volume 11

    Science.gov (United States)

    1989-10-01

    Northeast Aritificial Intelligence Consortium (NAIC). i Table of Contents Execu tive Sum m ary...o g~nIl ’vLr COPY o~ T- RADC-TR-89-259, Vol XI (of twelve) N Interim Report SOctober 1989 NORTHEAST ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE CONSORTIUM ANNUAL REPORT...ORGANIZATION 6b. OFFICE SYMBOL 7a. NAME OF MONITORING ORGANIZATION Northeast Artificial (If applicable) Intelligence Consortium (NAIC) . Rome Air Development

  11. The Arizona Universities Library Consortium patron-driven e-book model

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jeanne Richardson

    2013-03-01

    Full Text Available Building on Arizona State University's patron-driven acquisitions (PDA initiative in 2009, the Arizona Universities Library Consortium, in partnership with the Ingram Content Group, created a cooperative patron-driven model to acquire electronic books (e-books. The model provides the opportunity for faculty and students at the universities governed by the Arizona Board of Regents (ABOR to access a core of e-books made accessible through resource discovery services and online catalogs. These books are available for significantly less than a single ABOR university would expend for the same materials. The patron-driven model described is one of many evolving models in digital scholarship, and, although the Arizona Universities Library Consortium reports a successful experience, patron-driven models pose questions to stakeholders in the academic publishing industry.

  12. Toxicity and transformation of graphene oxide and reduced graphene oxide in bacteria biofilm.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guo, Zhiling; Xie, Changjian; Zhang, Peng; Zhang, Junzhe; Wang, Guohua; He, Xiao; Ma, Yuhui; Zhao, Bin; Zhang, Zhiyong

    2017-02-15

    Impact of graphene based material (GNMs) on bacteria biofilm has not been well understood yet. In this study, we compared the impact of graphene oxide (GO) and reduced graphene oxide (rGO) on biofilm formation and development in Luria-Bertani (LB) medium using Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus as models. GO significantly enhanced the cell growth, biofilm formation, and biofilm development even up to a concentration of 500mg/L. In contrast, rGO (≥50mg/L) strongly inhibited cell growth and biofilm formation. However, the inhibitory effects of rGO (50mg/L and 100mg/L) were attenuated in the mature phase (>24h) and eliminated at 48h. GO at 250mg/L decreased the reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels in biofilm and extracellular region at mature phase. ROS levels were significantly increased by rGO at early phase, while they returned to the same levels as control at mature phase. These results suggest that oxidative stress contributed to the inhibitory effect of rGO on bacterial biofilm. We further found that supplement of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) in the growth medium attenuated the inhibitory effect of rGO on the growth of developed biofilm. XPS results showed that rGO were oxidized to GO which can enhance the bacterial growth. We deduced that the elimination of the toxicity of rGO at mature phase was contributed by EPS protection and the oxidation of rGO. This study provides new insights into the interaction of GNMs with bacteria biofilm. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  13. Removal of arsenic from groundwater by using a native isolated arsenite-oxidizing bacterium.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kao, An-Chieh; Chu, Yu-Ju; Hsu, Fu-Lan; Liao, Vivian Hsiu-Chuan

    2013-12-01

    Arsenic (As) contamination of groundwater is a significant public health concern. In this study, the removal of arsenic from groundwater using biological processes was investigated. The efficiency of arsenite (As(III)) bacterial oxidation and subsequent arsenate (As(V)) removal from contaminated groundwater using bacterial biomass was examined. A novel As(III)-oxidizing bacterium (As7325) was isolated from the aquifer in the blackfoot disease (BFD) endemic area in Taiwan. As7325 oxidized 2300μg/l As(III) using in situ As(III)-contaminated groundwater under aerobic conditions within 1d. After the oxidation of As(III) to As(V), As(V) removal was further examined using As7325 cell pellets. The results showed that As(V) could be adsorbed efficiently by lyophilized As7325 cell pellets, the efficiency of which was related to lyophilized cell pellet concentration. Our study conducted the examination of an alternative technology for the removal of As(III) and As(V) from groundwater, indicating that the oxidation of As(III)-contaminated groundwater by native isolated bacterium, followed by As(V) removal using bacterial biomass is a potentially effective technology for the treatment of As(III)-contaminated groundwater. © 2013.

  14. Practice of the counter-current trickle leaching of uranium ore by refreshed liquor of bacterial oxidation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chen Shian; Huang Xiangfu; Fan Baotuan

    1995-01-01

    The uranium ore of the Mine No. 753 is a high-silicate type primary one, in which the tetravalent uranium accounts for 85%, and the uranium grade is in the range of 0.36% to 0.442%. To reduce the engineering investment and the operating cost a four-stage counter-current trickle leaching pilot-plant test was carried out with the leaching time 50 days and acid consumption 38 kg per ton of ore, and the recovery of more than 95% was obtained. Using the counter-current trickle leaching mode and controlling the limit concentration of the harmful matters in the bacterial leaching liquor, the latter can be effectively oxidized by the synchronical regeneration. A trickle leaching comparative test of 25 ton ore single heap also gave a good result of more than 95% in extraction rate, and 30% acid consumption was saved and the 2.0% pyrolusite (containing MnO 2 40%) was eliminated. This process is feasible in technology and worth-while in economy for treating the uranium ore of Mine No. 753, and provides a new method of uranium ore trickle leaching

  15. Northeast Artificial Intelligence Consortium Annual Report. Volume 2. 1988 Discussing, Using, and Recognizing Plans (NLP)

    Science.gov (United States)

    1989-10-01

    Encontro Portugues de Inteligencia Artificial (EPIA), Oporto, Portugal, September 1985. [15] N. J. Nilsson. Principles Of Artificial Intelligence. Tioga...FI1 F COPY () RADC-TR-89-259, Vol II (of twelve) Interim Report October 1969 AD-A218 154 NORTHEAST ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE CONSORTIUM ANNUAL...7a. NAME OF MONITORING ORGANIZATION Northeast Artificial Of p0ilcabe) Intelligence Consortium (NAIC) Rome_____ Air___ Development____Center

  16. Carbon nanomaterials alter plant physiology and soil bacterial community composition in a rice-soil-bacterial ecosystem.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hao, Yi; Ma, Chuanxin; Zhang, Zetian; Song, Youhong; Cao, Weidong; Guo, Jing; Zhou, Guopeng; Rui, Yukui; Liu, Liming; Xing, Baoshan

    2018-01-01

    The aim of this study was to compare the toxicity effects of carbon nanomaterials (CNMs), namely fullerene (C 60 ), reduced graphene oxide (rGO) and multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs), on a mini-ecosystem of rice grown in a loamy potted soil. We measured plant physiological and biochemical parameters and examined bacterial community composition in the CNMs-treated plant-soil system. After 30 days of exposure, all the three CNMs negatively affected the shoot height and root length of rice, significantly decreased root cortical cells diameter and resulted in shrinkage and deformation of cells, regardless of exposure doses (50 or 500 mg/kg). Additionally, at the high exposure dose of CNM, the concentrations of four phytohormones, including auxin, indoleacetic acid, brassinosteroid and gibberellin acid 4 in rice roots significantly increased as compared to the control. At the high exposure dose of MWCNTs and C 60 , activities of the antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase (SOD) and peroxidase (POD) in roots increased significantly. High-throughput sequencing showed that three typical CNMs had little effect on shifting the predominant soil bacterial species, but the presence of CNMs significantly altered the composition of the bacterial community. Our results indicate that different CNMs indeed resulted in environmental toxicity to rice and soil bacterial community in the rhizosphere and suggest that CNMs themselves and their incorporated products should be reasonably used to control their release/discharge into the environment to prevent their toxic effects on living organisms and the potential risks to food safety. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  17. Gas Storage Technology Consortium

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Joel Morrison; Elizabeth Wood; Barbara Robuck

    2010-09-30

    The EMS Energy Institute at The Pennsylvania State University (Penn State) has managed the Gas Storage Technology Consortium (GSTC) since its inception in 2003. The GSTC infrastructure provided a means to accomplish industry-driven research and development designed to enhance the operational flexibility and deliverability of the nation's gas storage system, and provide a cost-effective, safe, and reliable supply of natural gas to meet domestic demand. The GSTC received base funding from the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) Oil & Natural Gas Supply Program. The GSTC base funds were highly leveraged with industry funding for individual projects. Since its inception, the GSTC has engaged 67 members. The GSTC membership base was diverse, coming from 19 states, the District of Columbia, and Canada. The membership was comprised of natural gas storage field operators, service companies, industry consultants, industry trade organizations, and academia. The GSTC organized and hosted a total of 18 meetings since 2003. Of these, 8 meetings were held to review, discuss, and select proposals submitted for funding consideration. The GSTC reviewed a total of 75 proposals and committed co-funding to support 31 industry-driven projects. The GSTC committed co-funding to 41.3% of the proposals that it received and reviewed. The 31 projects had a total project value of $6,203,071 of which the GSTC committed $3,205,978 in co-funding. The committed GSTC project funding represented an average program cost share of 51.7%. Project applicants provided an average program cost share of 48.3%. In addition to the GSTC co-funding, the consortium provided the domestic natural gas storage industry with a technology transfer and outreach infrastructure. The technology transfer and outreach were conducted by having project mentoring teams and a GSTC website, and by working closely with the Pipeline Research Council International (PRCI) to

  18. BIODEGRADATION OF MTBE BY A MICROORGANISM CONSORTIUM

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M. Alimohammadi, A. R. Mesdaghinia, M. Mahmoodi, S. Nasseri, A. H. Mahvi and J. Nouri

    2005-10-01

    Full Text Available Methyl Tert-Butyl Ether (MTBE is one of the ether oxygenates which its use has been increased within the last twenty years. This compound is produced from isobutylene and methanol reaction that is used as octane index enhancer and also increases dissolved oxygen in gasoline and decreases carbon monoxide emission in four phased motors because of better combustion of gasoline. High solubility in water (52 g/L, high vapor pressure (0.54 kg/cm3, low absorption to organic carbon of soil and presence of MTBE in the list of potentially-carcinogens of U.S EPA has made its use of great concern. The culture media used in this study was Mineral Salt Medium (MSM. The study lasted for 236 days and in three different concentrations of MTBE of 200, 5 and 0.8 mg/L. A control sample was also used to compare the results. This research studied the isolation methods of microbial consortium in the MTBE polluted soils in Tehran and Abadan petroleum refinery besides MTBE degradation. The results showed the capability of bacteria in consuming MTBE as carbon source. Final microbial isolation was performed with several microbial passages as well as keeping consortium in a certain amount of MTBE as the carbon source.

  19. Bacterial diversity in Fe-rich hydrothermal sediments at two South Tonga Arc submarine volcanoes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Forget, N L; Murdock, S A; Juniper, S K

    2010-12-01

    Seafloor iron oxide deposits are a common feature of submarine hydrothermal systems. Morphological study of these deposits has led investigators to suggest a microbiological role in their formation, through the oxidation of reduced Fe in hydrothermal fluids. Fe-oxidizing bacteria, including the recently described Zetaproteobacteria, have been isolated from a few of these deposits but generally little is known about the microbial diversity associated with this habitat. In this study, we characterized bacterial diversity in two Fe oxide samples collected on the seafloor of Volcanoes 1 and 19 on the South Tonga Arc. We were particularly interested in confirming the presence of Zetaproteobacteria at these two sites and in documenting the diversity of groups other than Fe oxidizers. Our results (small subunit rRNA gene sequence data) showed a surprisingly high bacterial diversity, with 150 operational taxonomic units belonging to 19 distinct taxonomic groups. Both samples were dominated by Zetaproteobacteria Fe oxidizers. This group was most abundant at Volcano 1, where sediments were richer in Fe and contained more crystalline forms of Fe oxides. Other groups of bacteria found at these two sites include known S- and a few N-metabolizing bacteria, all ubiquitous in marine environments. The low similarity of our clones with the GenBank database suggests that new species and perhaps new families were recovered. The results of this study suggest that Fe-rich hydrothermal sediments, while dominated by Fe oxidizers, can be exploited by a variety of autotrophic and heterotrophic micro-organisms. © 2010 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

  20. Bacterial response to nanodiamonds and graphene oxide sheets

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Kromka, Alexander; Jíra, Jaroslav; Štenclová, Pavla; Kříha, V.; Kozak, Halyna; Beranová, J.; Vretenár, V.; Skakalova, V.; Rezek, Bohuslav

    2016-01-01

    Roč. 253, č. 12 (2016), 2481-2485 ISSN 0370-1972 R&D Projects: GA MŠk LM2015087; GA ČR GA15-01687S Institutional support: RVO:68378271 Keywords : diamond nanoparticles * graphene oxide * antibacterial properties * Escherichia coli Subject RIV: EE - Microbiology, Virology Impact factor: 1.674, year: 2016

  1. Properties of Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles and Their Activity Against Microbes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Siddiqi, Khwaja Salahuddin; ur Rahman, Aziz; Tajuddin; Husen, Azamal

    2018-05-01

    Zinc oxide is an essential ingredient of many enzymes, sun screens, and ointments for pain and itch relief. Its microcrystals are very efficient light absorbers in the UVA and UVB region of spectra due to wide bandgap. Impact of zinc oxide on biological functions depends on its morphology, particle size, exposure time, concentration, pH, and biocompatibility. They are more effective against microorganisms such as Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus megaterium, Staphylococcus aureus, Sarcina lutea, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumonia, Pseudomonas vulgaris, Candida albicans, and Aspergillus niger. Mechanism of action has been ascribed to the activation of zinc oxide nanoparticles by light, which penetrate the bacterial cell wall via diffusion. It has been confirmed from SEM and TEM images of the bacterial cells that zinc oxide nanoparticles disintegrate the cell membrane and accumulate in the cytoplasm where they interact with biomolecules causing cell apoptosis leading to cell death.

  2. Entangled fates of holobiont genomes during invasion: nested bacterial and host diversities in Caulerpa taxifolia

    KAUST Repository

    Arnaud-Haond, S.; Aires, T.; Candeias, R.; Teixeira, S. J. L; Duarte, Carlos M.; Valero, M.; Serrã o, E. A.

    2017-01-01

    Successful prevention and mitigation of biological invasions requires retracing the initial steps of introduction, as well as understanding key elements enhancing the adaptability of invasive species. We studied the genetic diversity of the green alga Caulerpa taxifolia and its associated bacterial communities in several areas around the world. The striking congruence of α and ß diversity of the algal genome and endophytic communities reveals a tight association, supporting the holobiont concept as best describing the unit of spreading and invasion. Both genomic compartments support the hypotheses of a unique accidental introduction in the Mediterranean and of multiple invasion events in Southern Australia. In addition to helping with tracing the origin of invasion, bacterial communities exhibit metabolic functions that can potentially enhance adaptability and competitiveness of the consortium they form with their host. We thus hypothesize that low genetic diversities of both host and symbiont communities may contribute to the recent regression in the Mediterranean, in contrast with the persistence of highly diverse assemblages in southern Australia. This study supports the importance of scaling up from the host to the holobiont for a comprehensive understanding of invasions. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

  3. Entangled fates of holobiont genomes during invasion: nested bacterial and host diversities in Caulerpa taxifolia

    KAUST Repository

    Arnaud-Haond, S.

    2017-01-30

    Successful prevention and mitigation of biological invasions requires retracing the initial steps of introduction, as well as understanding key elements enhancing the adaptability of invasive species. We studied the genetic diversity of the green alga Caulerpa taxifolia and its associated bacterial communities in several areas around the world. The striking congruence of α and ß diversity of the algal genome and endophytic communities reveals a tight association, supporting the holobiont concept as best describing the unit of spreading and invasion. Both genomic compartments support the hypotheses of a unique accidental introduction in the Mediterranean and of multiple invasion events in Southern Australia. In addition to helping with tracing the origin of invasion, bacterial communities exhibit metabolic functions that can potentially enhance adaptability and competitiveness of the consortium they form with their host. We thus hypothesize that low genetic diversities of both host and symbiont communities may contribute to the recent regression in the Mediterranean, in contrast with the persistence of highly diverse assemblages in southern Australia. This study supports the importance of scaling up from the host to the holobiont for a comprehensive understanding of invasions. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

  4. The Historically Black Colleges and Universities/Minority Institutions Environmental Technology and Waste Management Consortium annual report, 1990--1991

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    1991-12-31

    The HBCU/MI Environmental Technology and Waste Management Consortium was established in January 1990, through a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) among the member institutions. This group of research-oriented Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Minority Institutions (HBCU/MI) agreed to work together to initiate research, technology development and education programs to address the nation`s critical environmental problems. As a group the HBCU/MI Consortium is uniquely positioned to reach women and the minority populations of African Americans, Hispanics and American Indians. As part of their initial work, they developed the Research, Education, and Technology Transfer (RETT) Plan to actualize the Consortium`s guiding principles. In addition to developing a comprehensive research agenda, four major programs were begun to meet these goals. This report summarizes the 1990--1991 progress.

  5. Nitric Oxide Mediates Biofilm Formation and Symbiosis in Silicibacter sp. Strain TrichCH4B.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rao, Minxi; Smith, Brian C; Marletta, Michael A

    2015-05-05

    Nitric oxide (NO) plays an important signaling role in all domains of life. Many bacteria contain a heme-nitric oxide/oxygen binding (H-NOX) protein that selectively binds NO. These H-NOX proteins often act as sensors that regulate histidine kinase (HK) activity, forming part of a bacterial two-component signaling system that also involves one or more response regulators. In several organisms, NO binding to the H-NOX protein governs bacterial biofilm formation; however, the source of NO exposure for these bacteria is unknown. In mammals, NO is generated by the enzyme nitric oxide synthase (NOS) and signals through binding the H-NOX domain of soluble guanylate cyclase. Recently, several bacterial NOS proteins have also been reported, but the corresponding bacteria do not also encode an H-NOX protein. Here, we report the first characterization of a bacterium that encodes both a NOS and H-NOX, thus resembling the mammalian system capable of both synthesizing and sensing NO. We characterized the NO signaling pathway of the marine alphaproteobacterium Silicibacter sp. strain TrichCH4B, determining that the NOS is activated by an algal symbiont, Trichodesmium erythraeum. NO signaling through a histidine kinase-response regulator two-component signaling pathway results in increased concentrations of cyclic diguanosine monophosphate, a key bacterial second messenger molecule that controls cellular adhesion and biofilm formation. Silicibacter sp. TrichCH4B biofilm formation, activated by T. erythraeum, may be an important mechanism for symbiosis between the two organisms, revealing that NO plays a previously unknown key role in bacterial communication and symbiosis. Bacterial nitric oxide (NO) signaling via heme-nitric oxide/oxygen binding (H-NOX) proteins regulates biofilm formation, playing an important role in protecting bacteria from oxidative stress and other environmental stresses. Biofilms are also an important part of symbiosis, allowing the organism to remain in a

  6. STROKOG (stroke and cognition consortium): An international consortium to examine the epidemiology, diagnosis, and treatment of neurocognitive disorders in relation to cerebrovascular disease.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sachdev, Perminder S; Lo, Jessica W; Crawford, John D; Mellon, Lisa; Hickey, Anne; Williams, David; Bordet, Régis; Mendyk, Anne-Marie; Gelé, Patrick; Deplanque, Dominique; Bae, Hee-Joon; Lim, Jae-Sung; Brodtmann, Amy; Werden, Emilio; Cumming, Toby; Köhler, Sebastian; Verhey, Frans R J; Dong, Yan-Hong; Tan, Hui Hui; Chen, Christopher; Xin, Xu; Kalaria, Raj N; Allan, Louise M; Akinyemi, Rufus O; Ogunniyi, Adesola; Klimkowicz-Mrowiec, Aleksandra; Dichgans, Martin; Wollenweber, Frank A; Zietemann, Vera; Hoffmann, Michael; Desmond, David W; Linden, Thomas; Blomstrand, Christian; Fagerberg, Björn; Skoog, Ingmar; Godefroy, Olivier; Barbay, Mélanie; Roussel, Martine; Lee, Byung-Chul; Yu, Kyung-Ho; Wardlaw, Joanna; Makin, Stephen J; Doubal, Fergus N; Chappell, Francesca M; Srikanth, Velandai K; Thrift, Amanda G; Donnan, Geoffrey A; Kandiah, Nagaendran; Chander, Russell J; Lin, Xuling; Cordonnier, Charlotte; Moulin, Solene; Rossi, Costanza; Sabayan, Behnam; Stott, David J; Jukema, J Wouter; Melkas, Susanna; Jokinen, Hanna; Erkinjuntti, Timo; Mok, Vincent C T; Wong, Adrian; Lam, Bonnie Y K; Leys, Didier; Hénon, Hilde; Bombois, Stéphanie; Lipnicki, Darren M; Kochan, Nicole A

    2017-01-01

    The Stroke and Cognition consortium (STROKOG) aims to facilitate a better understanding of the determinants of vascular contributions to cognitive disorders and help improve the diagnosis and treatment of vascular cognitive disorders (VCD). Longitudinal studies with ≥75 participants who had suffered or were at risk of stroke or TIA and which evaluated cognitive function were invited to join STROKOG. The consortium will facilitate projects investigating rates and patterns of cognitive decline, risk factors for VCD, and biomarkers of vascular dementia. Currently, STROKOG includes 25 (21 published) studies, with 12,092 participants from five continents. The duration of follow-up ranges from 3 months to 21 years. Although data harmonization will be a key challenge, STROKOG is in a unique position to reuse and combine international cohort data and fully explore patient level characteristics and outcomes. STROKOG could potentially transform our understanding of VCD and have a worldwide impact on promoting better vascular cognitive outcomes.

  7. Characteristics of a bioflocculant produced by a consortium of ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    The characteristics of a bioflocculant produced by a consortium of 2 bacteria belonging to the genera Cobetia and Bacillus was investigated. The extracellular bioflocculant was composed of 66% uronic acid and 31% protein and showed an optimum flocculation (90% flocculating activity) of kaolin suspension at a dosage of ...

  8. Abiotic and biotic factors responsible for antimonite oxidation in Agrobacterium tumefaciens GW4

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Jingxin; Yang, Birong; Shi, Manman; Yuan, Kai; Guo, Wei; Wang, Qian; Wang, Gejiao

    2017-03-01

    Antimonite [Sb(III)]-oxidizing bacteria can transform the toxic Sb(III) into the less toxic antimonate [Sb(V)]. Recently, the cytoplasmic Sb(III)-oxidase AnoA and the periplasmic arsenite [As(III)] oxidase AioAB were shown to responsible for bacterial Sb(III) oxidation, however, disruption of each gene only partially decreased Sb(III) oxidation efficiency. This study showed that in Agrobacterium tumefaciens GW4, Sb(III) induced cellular H2O2 content and H2O2 degradation gene katA. Gene knock-out/complementation of katA, anoA, aioA and anoA/aioA and Sb(III) oxidation and growth experiments showed that katA, anoA and aioA were essential for Sb(III) oxidation and resistance and katA was also essential for H2O2 resistance. Furthermore, linear correlations were observed between cellular H2O2 and Sb(V) content in vivo and chemical H2O2 and Sb(V) content in vitro (R2 = 0.93 and 0.94, respectively). These results indicate that besides the biotic factors, the cellular H2O2 induced by Sb(III) also catalyzes bacterial Sb(III) oxidation as an abiotic oxidant. The data reveal a novel mechanism that bacterial Sb(III) oxidation is associated with abiotic (cellular H2O2) and biotic (AnoA and AioAB) factors and Sb(III) oxidation process consumes cellular H2O2 which contributes to microbial detoxification of both Sb(III) and cellular H2O2.

  9. Highly migratory shark fisheries research by the National Shark Research Consortium (NSRC), 2002-2007

    OpenAIRE

    Hueter, Robert E.; Cailliet, Gregor M.; Ebert, David A.; Musick, John A.; Burgess, George H.

    2007-01-01

    The National Shark Research Consortium (NSRC) includes the Center for Shark Research at Mote Marine Laboratory, the Pacific Shark Research Center at Moss Landing Marine Laboratories, the Shark Research Program at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science, and the Florida Program for Shark Research at the University of Florida. The consortium objectives include shark-related research in the Gulf of Mexico and along the Atlantic and Pacific coasts of the U.S., education and scientific cooperation.

  10. Consortium for oral health-related informatics: improving dental research, education, and treatment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stark, Paul C; Kalenderian, Elsbeth; White, Joel M; Walji, Muhammad F; Stewart, Denice C L; Kimmes, Nicole; Meng, Thomas R; Willis, George P; DeVries, Ted; Chapman, Robert J

    2010-10-01

    Advances in informatics, particularly the implementation of electronic health records (EHR), in dentistry have facilitated the exchange of information. The majority of dental schools in North America use the same EHR system, providing an unprecedented opportunity to integrate these data into a repository that can be used for oral health education and research. In 2007, fourteen dental schools formed the Consortium for Oral Health-Related Informatics (COHRI). Since its inception, COHRI has established structural and operational processes, governance and bylaws, and a number of work groups organized in two divisions: one focused on research (data standardization, integration, and analysis), and one focused on education (performance evaluations, virtual standardized patients, and objective structured clinical examinations). To date, COHRI (which now includes twenty dental schools) has been successful in developing a data repository, pilot-testing data integration, and sharing EHR enhancements among the group. This consortium has collaborated on standardizing medical and dental histories, developing diagnostic terminology, and promoting the utilization of informatics in dental education. The consortium is in the process of assembling the largest oral health database ever created. This will be an invaluable resource for research and provide a foundation for evidence-based dentistry for years to come.

  11. The ENIGMA Consortium: large-scale collaborative analyses of neuroimaging and genetic data.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thompson, Paul M; Stein, Jason L; Medland, Sarah E; Hibar, Derrek P; Vasquez, Alejandro Arias; Renteria, Miguel E; Toro, Roberto; Jahanshad, Neda; Schumann, Gunter; Franke, Barbara; Wright, Margaret J; Martin, Nicholas G; Agartz, Ingrid; Alda, Martin; Alhusaini, Saud; Almasy, Laura; Almeida, Jorge; Alpert, Kathryn; Andreasen, Nancy C; Andreassen, Ole A; Apostolova, Liana G; Appel, Katja; Armstrong, Nicola J; Aribisala, Benjamin; Bastin, Mark E; Bauer, Michael; Bearden, Carrie E; Bergmann, Orjan; Binder, Elisabeth B; Blangero, John; Bockholt, Henry J; Bøen, Erlend; Bois, Catherine; Boomsma, Dorret I; Booth, Tom; Bowman, Ian J; Bralten, Janita; Brouwer, Rachel M; Brunner, Han G; Brohawn, David G; Buckner, Randy L; Buitelaar, Jan; Bulayeva, Kazima; Bustillo, Juan R; Calhoun, Vince D; Cannon, Dara M; Cantor, Rita M; Carless, Melanie A; Caseras, Xavier; Cavalleri, Gianpiero L; Chakravarty, M Mallar; Chang, Kiki D; Ching, Christopher R K; Christoforou, Andrea; Cichon, Sven; Clark, Vincent P; Conrod, Patricia; Coppola, Giovanni; Crespo-Facorro, Benedicto; Curran, Joanne E; Czisch, Michael; Deary, Ian J; de Geus, Eco J C; den Braber, Anouk; Delvecchio, Giuseppe; Depondt, Chantal; de Haan, Lieuwe; de Zubicaray, Greig I; Dima, Danai; Dimitrova, Rali; Djurovic, Srdjan; Dong, Hongwei; Donohoe, Gary; Duggirala, Ravindranath; Dyer, Thomas D; Ehrlich, Stefan; Ekman, Carl Johan; Elvsåshagen, Torbjørn; Emsell, Louise; Erk, Susanne; Espeseth, Thomas; Fagerness, Jesen; Fears, Scott; Fedko, Iryna; Fernández, Guillén; Fisher, Simon E; Foroud, Tatiana; Fox, Peter T; Francks, Clyde; Frangou, Sophia; Frey, Eva Maria; Frodl, Thomas; Frouin, Vincent; Garavan, Hugh; Giddaluru, Sudheer; Glahn, David C; Godlewska, Beata; Goldstein, Rita Z; Gollub, Randy L; Grabe, Hans J; Grimm, Oliver; Gruber, Oliver; Guadalupe, Tulio; Gur, Raquel E; Gur, Ruben C; Göring, Harald H H; Hagenaars, Saskia; Hajek, Tomas; Hall, Geoffrey B; Hall, Jeremy; Hardy, John; Hartman, Catharina A; Hass, Johanna; Hatton, Sean N; Haukvik, Unn K; Hegenscheid, Katrin; Heinz, Andreas; Hickie, Ian B; Ho, Beng-Choon; Hoehn, David; Hoekstra, Pieter J; Hollinshead, Marisa; Holmes, Avram J; Homuth, Georg; Hoogman, Martine; Hong, L Elliot; Hosten, Norbert; Hottenga, Jouke-Jan; Hulshoff Pol, Hilleke E; Hwang, Kristy S; Jack, Clifford R; Jenkinson, Mark; Johnston, Caroline; Jönsson, Erik G; Kahn, René S; Kasperaviciute, Dalia; Kelly, Sinead; Kim, Sungeun; Kochunov, Peter; Koenders, Laura; Krämer, Bernd; Kwok, John B J; Lagopoulos, Jim; Laje, Gonzalo; Landen, Mikael; Landman, Bennett A; Lauriello, John; Lawrie, Stephen M; Lee, Phil H; Le Hellard, Stephanie; Lemaître, Herve; Leonardo, Cassandra D; Li, Chiang-Shan; Liberg, Benny; Liewald, David C; Liu, Xinmin; Lopez, Lorna M; Loth, Eva; Lourdusamy, Anbarasu; Luciano, Michelle; Macciardi, Fabio; Machielsen, Marise W J; Macqueen, Glenda M; Malt, Ulrik F; Mandl, René; Manoach, Dara S; Martinot, Jean-Luc; Matarin, Mar; Mather, Karen A; Mattheisen, Manuel; Mattingsdal, Morten; Meyer-Lindenberg, Andreas; McDonald, Colm; McIntosh, Andrew M; McMahon, Francis J; McMahon, Katie L; Meisenzahl, Eva; Melle, Ingrid; Milaneschi, Yuri; Mohnke, Sebastian; Montgomery, Grant W; Morris, Derek W; Moses, Eric K; Mueller, Bryon A; Muñoz Maniega, Susana; Mühleisen, Thomas W; Müller-Myhsok, Bertram; Mwangi, Benson; Nauck, Matthias; Nho, Kwangsik; Nichols, Thomas E; Nilsson, Lars-Göran; Nugent, Allison C; Nyberg, Lars; Olvera, Rene L; Oosterlaan, Jaap; Ophoff, Roel A; Pandolfo, Massimo; Papalampropoulou-Tsiridou, Melina; Papmeyer, Martina; Paus, Tomas; Pausova, Zdenka; Pearlson, Godfrey D; Penninx, Brenda W; Peterson, Charles P; Pfennig, Andrea; Phillips, Mary; Pike, G Bruce; Poline, Jean-Baptiste; Potkin, Steven G; Pütz, Benno; Ramasamy, Adaikalavan; Rasmussen, Jerod; Rietschel, Marcella; Rijpkema, Mark; Risacher, Shannon L; Roffman, Joshua L; Roiz-Santiañez, Roberto; Romanczuk-Seiferth, Nina; Rose, Emma J; Royle, Natalie A; Rujescu, Dan; Ryten, Mina; Sachdev, Perminder S; Salami, Alireza; Satterthwaite, Theodore D; Savitz, Jonathan; Saykin, Andrew J; Scanlon, Cathy; Schmaal, Lianne; Schnack, Hugo G; Schork, Andrew J; Schulz, S Charles; Schür, Remmelt; Seidman, Larry; Shen, Li; Shoemaker, Jody M; Simmons, Andrew; Sisodiya, Sanjay M; Smith, Colin; Smoller, Jordan W; Soares, Jair C; Sponheim, Scott R; Sprooten, Emma; Starr, John M; Steen, Vidar M; Strakowski, Stephen; Strike, Lachlan; Sussmann, Jessika; Sämann, Philipp G; Teumer, Alexander; Toga, Arthur W; Tordesillas-Gutierrez, Diana; Trabzuni, Daniah; Trost, Sarah; Turner, Jessica; Van den Heuvel, Martijn; van der Wee, Nic J; van Eijk, Kristel; van Erp, Theo G M; van Haren, Neeltje E M; van 't Ent, Dennis; van Tol, Marie-Jose; Valdés Hernández, Maria C; Veltman, Dick J; Versace, Amelia; Völzke, Henry; Walker, Robert; Walter, Henrik; Wang, Lei; Wardlaw, Joanna M; Weale, Michael E; Weiner, Michael W; Wen, Wei; Westlye, Lars T; Whalley, Heather C; Whelan, Christopher D; White, Tonya; Winkler, Anderson M; Wittfeld, Katharina; Woldehawariat, Girma; Wolf, Christiane; Zilles, David; Zwiers, Marcel P; Thalamuthu, Anbupalam; Schofield, Peter R; Freimer, Nelson B; Lawrence, Natalia S; Drevets, Wayne

    2014-06-01

    The Enhancing NeuroImaging Genetics through Meta-Analysis (ENIGMA) Consortium is a collaborative network of researchers working together on a range of large-scale studies that integrate data from 70 institutions worldwide. Organized into Working Groups that tackle questions in neuroscience, genetics, and medicine, ENIGMA studies have analyzed neuroimaging data from over 12,826 subjects. In addition, data from 12,171 individuals were provided by the CHARGE consortium for replication of findings, in a total of 24,997 subjects. By meta-analyzing results from many sites, ENIGMA has detected factors that affect the brain that no individual site could detect on its own, and that require larger numbers of subjects than any individual neuroimaging study has currently collected. ENIGMA's first project was a genome-wide association study identifying common variants in the genome associated with hippocampal volume or intracranial volume. Continuing work is exploring genetic associations with subcortical volumes (ENIGMA2) and white matter microstructure (ENIGMA-DTI). Working groups also focus on understanding how schizophrenia, bipolar illness, major depression and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) affect the brain. We review the current progress of the ENIGMA Consortium, along with challenges and unexpected discoveries made on the way.

  12. Enhanced bioremediation of soil contaminated with viscous oil through microbial consortium construction and ultraviolet mutation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Jing; Yang, Qiuyan; Huang, Taipeng; Zhang, Yongkui; Ding, Ranfeng

    2011-06-01

    This study focused on enhancing the bioremediation of soil contaminated with viscous oil by microorganisms and evaluating two strategies. Construction of microbial consortium and ultraviolet mutation were both effective applications in the remediation of soil contaminated with viscous oil. Results demonstrated that an interaction among the microorganisms existed and affected the biodegradation rate. Strains inoculated equally into the test showed the best remediation, and an optimal microbial consortium was achieved with a 7 days' degradation rate of 49.22%. On the other hand, the use of ultraviolet mutation increased one strain's degrading ability from 41.83 to 52.42% in 7 days. Gas chromatography and mass spectrum analysis showed that microbial consortium could treat more organic fractions of viscous oil, while ultraviolet mutation could be more effect on increasing one strain's degrading ability.

  13. Production of oceanic nitrous oxide by ammonia-oxidizing archaea

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    C. R. Löscher

    2012-07-01

    Full Text Available The recent finding that microbial ammonia oxidation in the ocean is performed by archaea to a greater extent than by bacteria has drastically changed the view on oceanic nitrification. The numerical dominance of archaeal ammonia-oxidizers (AOA over their bacterial counterparts (AOB in large parts of the ocean leads to the hypothesis that AOA rather than AOB could be the key organisms for the oceanic production of the strong greenhouse gas nitrous oxide (N2O that occurs as a by-product of nitrification. Very recently, enrichment cultures of marine ammonia-oxidizing archaea have been reported to produce N2O.

    Here, we demonstrate that archaeal ammonia monooxygenase genes (amoA were detectable throughout the water column of the eastern tropical North Atlantic (ETNA and eastern tropical South Pacific (ETSP Oceans. Particularly in the ETNA, comparable patterns of abundance and expression of archaeal amoA genes and N2O co-occurred in the oxygen minimum, whereas the abundances of bacterial amoA genes were negligible. Moreover, selective inhibition of archaea in seawater incubations from the ETNA decreased the N2O production significantly. In studies with the only cultivated marine archaeal ammonia-oxidizer Nitrosopumilus maritimus SCM1, we provide the first direct evidence for N2O production in a pure culture of AOA, excluding the involvement of other microorganisms as possibly present in enrichments. N. maritimus showed high N2O production rates under low oxygen concentrations comparable to concentrations existing in the oxycline of the ETNA, whereas the N2O production from two AOB cultures was comparably low under similar conditions. Based on our findings, we hypothesize that the production of N2O in tropical ocean areas results mainly from archaeal nitrification and will be affected by the predicted decrease in dissolved

  14. The Black Rock Forest Consortium: A narrative

    Science.gov (United States)

    Buzzetto-More, Nicole Antoinette

    The Black Rock Forest is a 3,785-acre wilderness area whose richly forested landscape represents the splendor of the Hudson Valley Region of New York State. Although originally intended to become the home of wealthy banker James Stillman, it was his son Ernest whose love of conservation caused him to embrace the then new and revolutionary practice of sustainable forestry and establish Black Rock in 1928. Due to Ernest Stillman's foresight, the property was protected from development and bequeathed to Harvard University following his death for the establishment of an experimental forest. The modern environmental movement in America began when the Black Rock Forest was threatened with development by Consolidated Edison, and the people of the surrounding community banded together, battling tirelessly for over 17 years to stop the degradation of this historic forest. The outcome of this crusade marked a hallmark win for the environment leaving an illustrious and inveterate legacy. The campaign resulted in the watershed legislation the National Environmental Policy Act, the formation of several environmental advocacy groups, the creation of the Council on Environmental Quality of the Executive Office of the President, as well as set a precedent for communities to initiate and win cases against major corporations in order to safeguard natural resources. In the midst of the controversy it became apparent that alternative futures for the Forest needed to be explored. As a result of a committee report and one man's vision, the idea emerged to create a consortium that would purchase and steward the Forest. With a formation that took nearly fifteen years, the Black Rock Forest Consortium was formed, a unique amalgamation of K--12 public and private schools, colleges and universities, and science and cultural centers that successfully collaborate to enhance scientific research, environmental conservation, and education. The Consortium works to bridge the gaps between learners

  15. Exploring the Bacterial Microbiota of Colombian Fermented Maize Dough “Masa Agria” (Maiz Añejo)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chaves-Lopez, Clemencia; Serio, Annalisa; Delgado-Ospina, Johannes; Rossi, Chiara; Grande-Tovar, Carlos D.; Paparella, Antonello

    2016-01-01

    Masa Agria is a naturally fermented maize dough produced in Colombia, very common in the traditional gastronomy. In this study we used culture-dependent and RNA-based pyrosequencing to investigate the bacterial community structure of Masa Agria samples produced in the south west of Colombia. The mean value of cell density was 7.6 log CFU/g of presumptive lactic acid bacteria, 5.4 log cfu/g for presumptive acetic bacteria and 5.6 og CFU/g for yeasts. The abundance of these microorganisms is also responsible for the low pH (3.1–3.7) registered. Although the 16S rRNA pyrosequencing revealed that the analyzed samples were different in bacteria richness and diversity, the genera Lactobacillus, Weissella, and Acetobacter were predominant. In particular, the most common species were Lactobacillus plantarum and Acetobacter fabarum, followed by L. fermentum, L. vaccinostercus, and Pediococcus argentinicus. Several microorganisms of environmental origin, such as Dechloromonas and most of all Sphingobium spp., revealed in each sample, were detected, and also bacteria related to maize, such as Phytoplasma. In conclusion, our results elucidated for the first time the structures of the bacterial communities of Masa Agria samples obtained from different producers, identifying the specific dominant species and revealing a complete picture of the bacterial consortium in this specific niche. The selective pressure of tropical environments may favor microbial biodiversity characterized by a useful technological potential. PMID:27524979

  16. Exploring the bacterial microbiota of Colombian fermented maize dough “Masa Agria” (Maiz Añejo

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Clemencia Chaves

    2016-07-01

    Full Text Available Masa Agria is a naturally fermented maize dough produced in Colombia, very common in the traditional gastronomy. In this study we used culture-dependent and RNA-based pyrosequencing to investigate the bacterial community structure of Masa Agria samples produced in the south west of Colombia. The mean value of cell density was 7.6 Log CFU/g of presumptive lactic acid bacteria (LAB, 5.4 Log cfu/g for presumptive acetic bacteria and 5.6 Log CFU/g for yeasts. The abundance of these microorganisms is also responsible for the low pH (3.1-3.7 registered. Although the 16S rRNA pyrosequencing revealed that the analyzed samples were different in bacteria richness and diversity, the genera Lactobacillus, Weissella and Acetobacter were predominant. In particular, the most common species were Lactobacillus plantarum and Acetobacter fabarum, followed by Lb. fermentum, Lb. vaccinostercus and Pediococcus argentinicus. Several microorganisms of environmental origin, such as Dechloromonas and most of all Sphingobium spp., revealed in each sample, were detected, and also bacteria related to maize, such as Phytoplasma. In conclusion, our results elucidated for the first time the structures of the bacterial communities of Masa Agria samples obtained from different producers, identifying the specific dominant species and revealing a complete picture of the bacterial consortium in this specific niche. The selective pressure of tropical environments may favour microbial biodiversity characterized by a useful technological potential.

  17. 25 CFR 1000.54 - How will a Tribe/Consortium know whether or not it has been selected to receive an advance...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ...) Planning and Negotiation Grants Advance Planning Grant Funding § 1000.54 How will a Tribe/Consortium know... Director will notify the Tribe/Consortium by letter whether it has been selected to receive an advance... 25 Indians 2 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false How will a Tribe/Consortium know whether or not it has...

  18. A programmable Escherichia coli consortium via tunable symbiosis.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alissa Kerner

    Full Text Available Synthetic microbial consortia that can mimic natural systems have the potential to become a powerful biotechnology for various applications. One highly desirable feature of these consortia is that they can be precisely regulated. In this work we designed a programmable, symbiotic circuit that enables continuous tuning of the growth rate and composition of a synthetic consortium. We implemented our general design through the cross-feeding of tryptophan and tyrosine by two E. coli auxotrophs. By regulating the expression of genes related to the export or production of these amino acids, we were able to tune the metabolite exchanges and achieve a wide range of growth rates and strain ratios. In addition, by inverting the relationship of growth/ratio vs. inducer concentrations, we were able to "program" the co-culture for pre-specified attributes with the proper addition of inducing chemicals. This programmable proof-of-concept circuit or its variants can be applied to more complex systems where precise tuning of the consortium would facilitate the optimization of specific objectives, such as increasing the overall efficiency of microbial production of biofuels or pharmaceuticals.

  19. Bacterial Community Dynamics and Biodegradation Rates in Untreated and Oily Soils During PAH Exposure

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zakaria, A.E.M.

    2008-01-01

    The approach taken in this study represents an attempt to address the possible selective effects of Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) on the bacterial community structure of an untreated garden soil (S) and a chronically contaminated oily soil (CS). Untreated and chronically hydrocarbon polluted soils, collected from Egypt were enriched in shaking flasks containing 50 mg/l anthracene as a sole source of carbon over a period of 15 days. Bacterial communities in each soil were profiled by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) analysis of the PCR amplified 16 S r DNA gene fragments after 0, 5, 10, and 15 days. Culture able biodegrading bacterial counts on minerals- Silica gel- Oil (MSD) plates as well as anthracene degradation for both soils were followed up at the same time intervals. Nine bacterial species were found to be dominant in the pristine soil before enrichment with the model polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH), eight of them disappeared after live days of enrichment with the domination of one new species. It stayed dominant in soil until 15 days - exposure to anthracene. Therefore it can be used as a bio marker for PAH pollution. The chronically contaminated soil revealed a remarkable increase in the diversity directly after 5 days exposure to PAH HPLC analysis of the extracted anthracene remained in the biodegradation flasks after different degradation periods revealed that a higher biodegradation rates were accomplished by the oily soil consortium rather than by the pristine one. Before exposure to PAH, counts of culture able biodegrading bacteria were found to be higher in the untreated soil rather than in the oily one. After exposure the situation has been a bit altered as the counts in the untreated soil revealed a temporary suppression with a prolongation of the time required for growth as a result of the hydrocarbon stress

  20. Comparative Toxicity of Nanoparticulate CuO and ZnO to Soil Bacterial Communities

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rousk, Johannes; Ackermann, Kathrin; Curling, Simon F.; Jones, Davey L.

    2012-01-01

    The increasing industrial application of metal oxide Engineered Nano-Particles (ENPs) is likely to increase their environmental release to soils. While the potential of metal oxide ENPs as environmental toxicants has been shown, lack of suitable control treatments have compromised the power of many previous assessments. We evaluated the ecotoxicity of ENP (nano) forms of Zn and Cu oxides in two different soils by measuring their ability to inhibit bacterial growth. We could show a direct acute toxicity of nano-CuO acting on soil bacteria while the macroparticulate (bulk) form of CuO was not toxic. In comparison, CuSO4 was more toxic than either oxide form. Unlike Cu, all forms of Zn were toxic to soil bacteria, and the bulk-ZnO was more toxic than the nano-ZnO. The ZnSO4 addition was not consistently more toxic than the oxide forms. Consistently, we found a tight link between the dissolved concentration of metal in solution and the inhibition of bacterial growth. The inconsistent toxicological response between soils could be explained by different resulting concentrations of metals in soil solution. Our findings suggested that the principal mechanism of toxicity was dissolution of metal oxides and sulphates into a metal ion form known to be highly toxic to bacteria, and not a direct effect of nano-sized particles acting on bacteria. We propose that integrated efforts toward directly assessing bioavailable metal concentrations are more valuable than spending resources to reassess ecotoxicology of ENPs separately from general metal toxicity. PMID:22479561

  1. The role and regulation of catalase in respiratory tract opportunistic bacterial pathogens.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Eason, Mia M; Fan, Xin

    2014-09-01

    Respiratory tract bacterial pathogens are the etiologic agents of a variety of illnesses. The ability of these bacteria to cause disease is imparted through survival within the host and avoidance of pathogen clearance by the immune system. Respiratory tract pathogens are continually bombarded by reactive oxygen species (ROS), which may be produced by competing bacteria, normal metabolic function, or host immunological responses. In order to survive and proliferate, bacteria have adapted defense mechanisms to circumvent the effects of ROS. Bacteria employ the use of anti-oxidant enzymes, catalases and catalase-peroxidases, to relieve the effects of the oxidative stressors to which they are continually exposed. The decomposition of ROS has been shown to provide favorable conditions in which respiratory tract opportunistic bacterial pathogens such as Haemophilus influenzae, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Legionella pneumophila, and Neisseria meningitidis are able to withstand exposure to highly reactive molecules and yet survive. Bacteria possessing mutations in the catalase gene have a decreased survival rate, yet may be able to compensate for the lack of catalatic activity if peroxidatic activity is present. An incomplete knowledge of the mechanisms by which catalase and catalase-peroxidases are regulated still persists, however, in some bacterial species, a regulatory factor known as OxyR has been shown to either up-regulate or down-regulate catalase gene expression. Yet, more research is still needed to increase the knowledge base in relation to this enzyme class. As with this review, we focus on major respiratory tract opportunistic bacterial pathogens in order to elucidate the function and regulation of catalases. The importance of the research could lead to the development of novel treatments against respiratory bacterial infections. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  2. Oxidation of pyrite: Consequences and significance

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dimitrijević Mile D.

    2002-01-01

    Full Text Available This paper presents the most important studies on the oxidation of pyrite particularly in aqueous solutions. The consequences of pyrite oxidation was examined, as well as its importance, from both the technical-technological and environmental points of view. The oxidation of pyrite was considered in two parts. The spontaneous oxidation of pyrite in nature was described in the first part, with this part comprising pyrite oxidation in deposits depots and mines. It is explained how way natural electrochemical processes lead to the decomposition of pyrite and other minerals associated with pyrite. The oxidation of pyrite occurring during technological processes such as grinding, flotation and leaching, was shown in the second part. Particular emphasis was placed on the oxidation of pyrite during leaching. This part includes the leaching of sulphide and oxide ores, the leaching of pyrite coal and the leaching of refractory gold-bearing ores (pressure oxidation, bacterial oxidation, oxidation by means of strong oxidants and the electrolysis of pyrite suspensions. Various mechanisms of pyrite oxidation and of the galvanic interaction of pyrite with other sulphide minerals are shown.

  3. HIV Pathogenesis: Abstracts from the March 2017 Cleveland Immunopathogenesis Consortium Meeting

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Michael M. Lederman

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available The Cleveland Immunopathogenesis Consortium (CLIC was launched in March 2004 by a small group of investigators (Ron Bosch, Jason Brenchley,  Steven Deeks, Danny Douek, Zvi Grossman, Robert Kalayjian, Clifford Harding, Michael Lederman, Leonid Margolis, Miguel Quinones, Benigno Rodriguez, Rafick Sekaly, Scott Sieg, and Guido Silvestri who were increasingly persuaded that immune activation was an important driver of HIV pathogenesis. We met around a chalk board and scribbled our models of pathogenesis, designed some experiments then went back home to do them. We met again soon to review our new and unpublished findings that refined and shaped these models. The data presentations were short, informal and heavy on discussion. The model worked well, the consortium was productive and the meetings catalyzed numerous collaborations and scores of high impact papers. The CLIC (less formally, the Bad Boys of Cleveland [1] has been meeting regularly since then. Consortium membership has expanded to include other investigators (some are listed in the presentations below. Whether the goal is to prevent the morbid complications of HIV infection, to understand the determinants of HIV persistence or the factors that protect from acquisition of infection, a more clear understanding of HIV immunopathogenesis is central. Here in this issue of Pathogens and Immunity is a brief summary of the most recent CLIC//BBC meeting held in Cleveland in March 2017.

  4. Correlation models between environmental factors and bacterial resistance to antimony and copper.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zunji Shi

    Full Text Available Antimony (Sb and copper (Cu are toxic heavy metals that are associated with a wide variety of minerals. Sb(III-oxidizing bacteria that convert the toxic Sb(III to the less toxic Sb(V are potentially useful for environmental Sb bioremediation. A total of 125 culturable Sb(III/Cu(II-resistant bacteria from 11 different types of mining soils were isolated. Four strains identified as Arthrobacter, Acinetobacter and Janibacter exhibited notably high minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs for Sb(III (>10 mM,making them the most highly Sb(III-resistant bacteria to date. Thirty-six strains were able to oxidize Sb(III, including Pseudomonas-, Comamonas-, Acinetobacter-, Sphingopyxis-, Paracoccus- Aminobacter-, Arthrobacter-, Bacillus-, Janibacter- and Variovorax-like isolates. Canonical correspondence analysis (CCA revealed that the soil concentrations of Sb and Cu were the most obvious environmental factors affecting the culturable bacterial population structures. Stepwise linear regression was used to create two predictive models for the correlation between soil characteristics and the bacterial Sb(III or Cu(II resistance. The concentrations of Sb and Cu in the soil was the significant factors affecting the bacterial Sb(III resistance, whereas the concentrations of S and P in the soil greatly affected the bacterial Cu(II resistance. The two stepwise linear regression models that we derived are as follows: MIC(Sb(III=606.605+0.14533 x C(Sb+0.4128 x C(Cu and MIC((Cu(II=58.3844+0.02119 x C(S+0.00199 x CP [where the MIC(Sb(III and MIC(Cu(II represent the average bacterial MIC for the metal of each soil (μM, and the C(Sb, C(Cu, C(S and C(P represent concentrations for Sb, Cu, S and P (mg/kg in soil, respectively, p<0.01]. The stepwise linear regression models we developed suggest that metals as well as other soil physicochemical parameters can contribute to bacterial resistance to metals.

  5. The Research Consortium, 1977-2010: Contributions, Milestones, and Trends

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cardinal, Bradley J.; Claman, Gayle

    2010-01-01

    Research and innovation are a cornerstone of any progressive organization. The Research Consortium (RC) has served as the principal organization fulfilling this function on behalf of the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (AAHPERD) throughout much of its history. The RC is an organization of approximately 5,000…

  6. Ammonia and nitrite oxidation in the Eastern Tropical North Pacific

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peng, Xuefeng; Fuchsman, Clara A.; Jayakumar, Amal; Oleynik, Sergey; Martens-Habbena, Willm; Devol, Allan H.; Ward, Bess B.

    2015-12-01

    Nitrification plays a key role in the marine nitrogen (N) cycle, including in oceanic oxygen minimum zones (OMZs), which are hot spots for denitrification and anaerobic ammonia oxidation (anammox). Recent evidence suggests that nitrification links the source (remineralized organic matter) and sink (denitrification and anammox) of fixed N directly in the steep oxycline in the OMZs. We performed shipboard incubations with 15N tracers to characterize the depth distribution of nitrification in the Eastern Tropical North Pacific (ETNP). Additional experiments were conducted to investigate photoinhibition. Allylthiourea (ATU) was used to distinguish the contribution of archaeal and bacterial ammonia oxidation. The abundance of archaeal and β-proteobacterial ammonia monooxygenase gene subunit A (amoA) was determined by quantitative polymerase chain reaction. The rates of ammonia and nitrite oxidation showed distinct subsurface maxima, with the latter slightly deeper than the former. The ammonia oxidation maximum coincided with the primary nitrite concentration maximum, archaeal amoA gene maximum, and the subsurface nitrous oxide maximum. Negligible rates of ammonia oxidation were found at anoxic depths, where high rates of nitrite oxidation were measured. Archaeal amoA gene abundance was generally 1 to 2 orders of magnitude higher than bacterial amoA gene abundance, and inhibition of ammonia-oxidizing bacteria with 10 μM ATU did not affect ammonia oxidation rates, indicating the dominance of archaea in ammonia oxidation. These results depict highly dynamic activities of ammonia and nitrite oxidation in the oxycline of the ETNP OMZ.

  7. 25 CFR 1000.367 - Will the Department evaluate a Tribe's/Consortium's performance of non-trust related programs?

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... Evaluations § 1000.367 Will the Department evaluate a Tribe's/Consortium's performance of non-trust related... 25 Indians 2 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Will the Department evaluate a Tribe's/Consortium's performance of non-trust related programs? 1000.367 Section 1000.367 Indians OFFICE OF THE ASSISTANT SECRETARY...

  8. Iron oxides in acid mine drainage environments and their association with bacteria

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ferris, F G; Tazaki, K; Fyfe, W S

    1989-01-20

    A variety of iron oxides were identified by X-ray diffraction in sediments receiving acid drainage from mine tailing and coal refuse impoundments. Small amounts of goethite and hematite were found in the sediment samples. However, the major iron oxide species was ferrihydrite which gave diffuse diffraction bands at angles corresponding to d2.5, 2.2 and 1.5 Angstrom. Main core line binding energies in Fe (2p) and O (1s) X-ray photoelectron spectra were consistent with the hydrous nature and predominance of ferrihydrite. Electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy also showed that individual bacterial cells promoted the development of iron oxide mineralization. The bacterial associated iron oxides were similar to those in the bulk sediment samples, and exhibited structures conforming to the presence of chemisorbed sulfate or silicate anions. 23 refs., 3 figs.

  9. Biosynthesis of poly (3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) by bacterial community from propylene oxide saponification wastewater residual sludge.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Yiwei; Zhu, Ying; Gu, Pengfei; Li, Yumei; Fan, Xiangyu; Song, Dongxue; Ji, Yan; Li, Qiang

    2017-05-01

    The saponification wastewater from the process of propylene oxide (PO) production is contaminated with high chemical oxygen demand (COD) and chlorine contents. Although the activated sludge process could treat the PO saponification wastewater effectively, the residual sludge was difficult to be disposed properly. In this research, microbes in PO saponification wastewater residual sludge were acclimated to produce poly (3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV) from volatile fatty acids. Through Miseq Illumina highthroughput sequencing, the bacterial community discrepancy between the original and the acclimated sludge samples were analyzed. The proportions of Bacillus, Acinetobacter, Brevundimonas and Pseudomonas, the potential PHBV-producers in the residual sludge, were all obviously increased. In the batch fermentation, the production of PHBV could achieve 4.262g/L at 300min, with the content increased from 0.04% to 23.67% of mixed liquor suspended solid (MLSS) in the acclimated sludge, and the COD of the PO saponification wastewater was also decreased in the fermentation. This work would provide an effective solution for the utilization of PO saponification wastewater residual sludge. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  10. Novel electrospun polyvinylidene fluoride-graphene oxide-silver nanocomposite membranes with protein and bacterial antifouling characteristics

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    C. Liu

    2018-04-01

    Full Text Available We developed and fabricated novel polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF-(0.5–2%Ag and PVDF-(0.5–2%Ag-1% graphene oxide (GO nanocomposite membranes with antifouling properties through electrospinning. Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs were in situ synthesized from silver nitrate precursor directly. The tensile properties, wetting, antifouling characteristics of pristine PVDF and its nanocomposite membranes were studied. Tensile tests showed that the addition of 0.5–2% AgNPs to PVDF improves its elastic modulus and tensile strength markedly. A further increase in both tensile modulus and strength of PVDF were obtained by hybridizing AgNPs with 1% GO. Water contact angle measurements revealed that the incorporation of AgNPs or AgNPs/GO nanofillers into PVDF decreases its degree of hydrophobicity. This led to the nanocomposite membranes having higher water flux permeation. In addition, AgNPs and AgNPs/GO fillers played a crucial role against protein and bacterial fouling of the resulting composite membranes. The antibacterial activities of electrospun nanocomposite membranes were assessed against Gram-negative Escherichia coli and Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus. On the basis of water contact angle, water permeation flux and antifouling results, electrospun PVDF-2% Ag-GO composite membrane was found to exhibit excellent filtration performance, protein antifouling and bactericidal activities. Thus such a fibrous nanocomposite is considered as a high-potential membrane for water purification and disinfection applications.

  11. Geodesy and the UNAVCO Consortium: Three Decades of Innovations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rowan, L. R.; Miller, M. M.; Meertens, C. M.; Mattioli, G. S.

    2015-12-01

    UNAVCO, a non-profit, university consortium that supports geoscience research using geodesy, began with the ingenious recognition that the nascent Global Positioning System constellation (GPS) could be used to investigate earth processes. The consortium purchased one of the first commercially available GPS receivers, Texas Instrument's TI-4100 NAVSTAR Navigator, in 1984 to measure plate deformation. This early work was highlighted in a technology magazine, GPSWorld, in 1990. Over a 30-year period, UNAVCO and the community have helped advance instrument design for mobility, flexibility, efficiency and interoperability, so research could proceed with higher precision and under ever challenging conditions. Other innovations have been made in data collection, processing, analysis, management and archiving. These innovations in tools, methods and data have had broader impacts as they have found greater utility beyond research for timing, precise positioning, safety, communication, navigation, surveying, engineering and recreation. Innovations in research have expanded the utility of geodetic tools beyond the solid earth science through creative analysis of the data and the methods. For example, GPS sounding of the atmosphere is now used for atmospheric and space sciences. GPS reflectrometry, another critical advance, supports soil science, snow science and ecological research. Some research advances have had broader impacts for society by driving innovations in hazards risk reduction, hazards response, resource management, land use planning, surveying, engineering and other uses. Furthermore, the geodetic data is vital for the design of space missions, testing and advancing communications, and testing and dealing with interference and GPS jamming. We will discuss three decades (and counting) of advances by the National Science Foundation's premiere geodetic facility, consortium and some of the many geoscience principal investigators that have driven innovations in

  12. Grape berry bacterial inhibition by different copper fungicides

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Martins Guilherme

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Copper fungicides are widely used in viticulture. Due to its large spectrum of action, copper provides an efficient control over a great number of vine pathogens. Previous studies showed that, high levels of cupric residues can impact grape-berry microbiota, in terms of the size and population structure, reducing the diversity and the abundance. Due to the importance of grape-berry bacterial in crop health, and the potential impact of copper fungicides over the microbiota, we determined Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC of different copper formulations for bacterial species isolated from grape berries. We study the Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC of different copper formulations (copper sulphate (CuSO4 pure, Bordeaux mixture (CuSO4 + Ca(OH2, copper oxide (Cu2O, copper hydroxide (Cu(OH2 over 92 bacterial strains isolated from grape berries in different stages of the ripening process. The results of MIC measurements revealed that the different copper formulations have a variable inhibitory effect and among the different isolates, some species are the most resistant to all copper formulations than others. This study confirm that usage of cupric phytosanitary products should be reasonable independently of the farming system; they also provide evidence of the importance of the choice of which copper formulations are to be used regarding their impact on the grape berry bacterial microbiota.

  13. External RNA Controls Consortium Beta Version Update.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Hangnoh; Pine, P Scott; McDaniel, Jennifer; Salit, Marc; Oliver, Brian

    2016-01-01

    Spike-in RNAs are valuable controls for a variety of gene expression measurements. The External RNA Controls Consortium developed test sets that were used in a number of published reports. Here we provide an authoritative table that summarizes, updates, and corrects errors in the test version that ultimately resulted in the certified Standard Reference Material 2374. We have noted existence of anti-sense RNA controls in the material, corrected sub-pool memberships, and commented on control RNAs that displayed inconsistent behavior.

  14. Comparison of Bacterial Cellulose Production among Different Strains and Fermented Media

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Maryam Jalili Tabaii

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available The effect of different carbon sources on bacterial cellulose production by Gluconacetobacter xylinus (PTCC 1734 and two newly isolated strains (from vinegar under static culture conditions was studied. The production of bacterial cellulose was examined in modified Hestrin-Shramm medium by replacing D-glucose with other carbon sources. The results showed that the yield and characteristics of bacterial cellulose were influenced by the type of carbon source. Glycerol gave the highest yield in all of the studied strains (6%, 9.7% and 3.8% for S, A2 strain and Gluconacetobacter xylinus (PTCC 1734, respectively. The maximum dry bacterial cellulose weight in the glycerol containing medium is due to A2 strain (1.9 g l-1 in comparison to Gluconacetobacter xylinus as reference strain (0.76 g l-1. Although all of the studied strains were in Gluconacetobacter family, each used different sugars for maximum production after glycerol (mannitol and fructose for two newly isolated strains and glucose for Gluconacetobacter xylinus. The maximum moisture content was observed when sucrose and food-grade sucrose were used as carbon source. Contrary to expectations, while the maximum thickness of bacterial cellulose membrane was attained when glycerol was used, bacterial cellulose from glycerol had less moisture content than the others. The oxidized cellulose showed antibacterial activities, which makes it as a good candidate for food-preservatives.

  15. Determination of Ammonia Oxidizing Bacteria and Nitrate Oxidizing Bacteria in Wastewater and Bioreactors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Francis, Somilez Asya

    2014-01-01

    The process of water purification has many different physical, chemical, and biological processes. One part of the biological process is the task of ammonia oxidizing bacteria (AOB) and nitrite oxidizing bacteria (NOB). Both play critical roles in the treatment of wastewater by oxidizing toxic compounds. The broad term is nitrification, a naturally occurring process that is carried out by AOB and NOB by using oxidation to convert ammonia to nitrite and nitrite to nitrate. To monitor this biological activity, bacterial staining was performed on wastewater contained in inoculum tanks and biofilm samples from bioreactors. Using microscopy and qPCR, the purpose of this experiment was to determine if the population of AOB and NOB in wastewater and membrane bioreactors changed depending on temperature and hibernation conditions to determine the optimal parameters for AOB/NOB culture to effectively clean wastewater.

  16. Glycan array data management at Consortium for Functional Glycomics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Venkataraman, Maha; Sasisekharan, Ram; Raman, Rahul

    2015-01-01

    Glycomics or the study of structure-function relationships of complex glycans has reshaped post-genomics biology. Glycans mediate fundamental biological functions via their specific interactions with a variety of proteins. Recognizing the importance of glycomics, large-scale research initiatives such as the Consortium for Functional Glycomics (CFG) were established to address these challenges. Over the past decade, the Consortium for Functional Glycomics (CFG) has generated novel reagents and technologies for glycomics analyses, which in turn have led to generation of diverse datasets. These datasets have contributed to understanding glycan diversity and structure-function relationships at molecular (glycan-protein interactions), cellular (gene expression and glycan analysis), and whole organism (mouse phenotyping) levels. Among these analyses and datasets, screening of glycan-protein interactions on glycan array platforms has gained much prominence and has contributed to cross-disciplinary realization of the importance of glycomics in areas such as immunology, infectious diseases, cancer biomarkers, etc. This manuscript outlines methodologies for capturing data from glycan array experiments and online tools to access and visualize glycan array data implemented at the CFG.

  17. Analysis of anti-bacterial and anti oxidative activity of Azadirachta indica bark using various solvents extracts

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Raid Al Akeel

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Herbal medications have been used for relief of symptoms of disease. Regardless of the great advances observed in current medicine in recent decades, plants still make a significant contribution to health care. An alarming increase in bacterial strains resistant to a number of antimicrobial agents demands that a renewed effort be made to seek antibacterial agents effective against pathogenic bacteria resistant to or less sensitive to current antibiotics. Anti-bacterial activity of Azadirachta indica stem bark was tested against pathogenic Salmonella paratyphi and Salmonella typhi using various solvent extracts. The in vitro anti-bacterial activity was performed by agar well diffusion method and the results were expressed as the average diameter of zone of inhibition of bacterial growth around the well. The ethanol and methanol extracts showed better anti-bacterial activity with zone of inhibition (20–25 mm when compared with other tested extracts and standard antibiotic Erythromycin (15 mcg with zone of inhibition (13–14 mm. Using Fisher’s exact test of significance difference was found between two Salmonella strains sensitivity patterns against tested extracts (P ⩽ 0.035. Extracts of A. indica stem bark also exhibited significant antioxidant activity, thus establishing the extracts as an antioxidant. The results obtained in this study give some scientific support to the A. indica stem bark for further investigation of compounds and in future could be used as drug.

  18. Simultaneous biodegradation of three mononitrophenol isomers by a tailor-made microbial consortium immobilized in sequential batch reactors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fu, H; Zhang, J-J; Xu, Y; Chao, H-J; Zhou, N-Y

    2017-03-01

    The ortho-nitrophenol (ONP)-utilizing Alcaligenes sp. strain NyZ215, meta-nitrophenol (MNP)-utilizing Cupriavidus necator JMP134 and para-nitrophenol (PNP)-utilizing Pseudomonas sp. strain WBC-3 were assembled as a consortium to degrade three nitrophenol isomers in sequential batch reactors. Pilot test was conducted in flasks to demonstrate that a mixture of three mononitrophenols at 0·5 mol l -1 each could be mineralized by this microbial consortium within 84 h. Interestingly, neither ONP nor MNP was degraded until PNP was almost consumed by strain WBC-3. By immobilizing this consortium into polyurethane cubes, all three mononitrophenols were continuously degraded in lab-scale sequential reactors for six batch cycles over 18 days. Total concentrations of ONP, MMP and PNP that were degraded were 2·8, 1·5 and 2·3 mol l -1 during this time course respectively. Quantitative real-time PCR analysis showed that each member in the microbial consortium was relatively stable during the entire degradation process. This study provides a novel approach to treat polluted water, particularly with a mixture of co-existing isomers. Nitroaromatic compounds are readily spread in the environment and pose great potential toxicity concerns. Here, we report the simultaneous degradation of three isomers of mononitrophenol in a single system by employing a consortium of three bacteria, both in flasks and lab-scale sequential batch reactors. The results demonstrate that simultaneous biodegradation of three mononitrophenol isomers can be achieved by a tailor-made microbial consortium immobilized in sequential batch reactors, providing a pilot study for a novel approach for the bioremediation of mixed pollutants, especially isomers present in wastewater. © 2016 The Society for Applied Microbiology.

  19. DoD Alcohol and Substance Abuse Consortium Award

    Science.gov (United States)

    2017-10-01

    formerly ORG 34517) in Veterans with Co-morbid PTSD/AUD” (Principal Investigator: Dewleen G. Baker, MD) The primary objective of this study is to...test the efficacy, safety, and tolerability of a novel GR antagonist PT150 (formerly ORG 34517) for AUD/PTSD dual diagnosis treatment in veterans. The...Pharmacotherapies for Alcohol and Substance Abuse (PASA) Consortium PI: Rick Williams, PhD & Thomas Kosten, MD Org : RTI International Study Research Planning

  20. Rubber gloves biodegradation by a consortium, mixed culture and pure culture isolated from soil samples.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nawong, Chairat; Umsakul, Kamontam; Sermwittayawong, Natthawan

    2018-02-03

    An increasing production of natural rubber (NR) products has led to major challenges in waste management. In this study, the degradation of rubber latex gloves in a mineral salt medium (MSM) using a bacterial consortium, a mixed culture of the selected bacteria and a pure culture were studied. The highest 18% weight loss of the rubber gloves were detected after incubated with the mixed culture. The increased viable cell counts over incubation time indicated that cells used rubber gloves as sole carbon source leading to the degradation of the polymer. The growth behavior of NR-degrading bacteria on the latex gloves surface was investigated using the scanning electron microscope (SEM). The occurrence of the aldehyde groups in the degradation products was observed by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy analysis. Rhodococcus pyridinivorans strain F5 gave the highest weight loss of rubber gloves among the isolated strain and posses latex clearing protein encoded by lcp gene. The mixed culture of the selected strains showed the potential in degrading rubber within 30 days and is considered to be used efficiently for rubber product degradation. This is the first report to demonstrate a strong ability to degrade rubber by Rhodococcus pyridinivorans. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Editora Ltda.

  1. Validating genetic risk associations for ovarian cancer through the international Ovarian Cancer Association Consortium

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Pearce, C L; Near, A M; Van Den Berg, D J

    2009-01-01

    The search for genetic variants associated with ovarian cancer risk has focused on pathways including sex steroid hormones, DNA repair, and cell cycle control. The Ovarian Cancer Association Consortium (OCAC) identified 10 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in genes in these pathways, which had...... been genotyped by Consortium members and a pooled analysis of these data was conducted. Three of the 10 SNPs showed evidence of an association with ovarian cancer at P... and risk of ovarian cancer suggests that this pathway may be involved in ovarian carcinogenesis. Additional follow-up is warranted....

  2. Cerebral Metabolic Changes Related to Oxidative Metabolism in a Model of Bacterial Meningitis Induced by Lipopolysaccharide

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Munk, Michael; Rom Poulsen, Frantz; Larsen, Lykke

    2018-01-01

    BACKGROUND: Cerebral mitochondrial dysfunction is prominent in the pathophysiology of severe bacterial meningitis. In the present study, we hypothesize that the metabolic changes seen after intracisternal lipopolysaccharide (LPS) injection in a piglet model of meningitis is compatible...... with mitochondrial dysfunction and resembles the metabolic patterns seen in patients with bacterial meningitis. METHODS: Eight pigs received LPS injection in cisterna magna, and four pigs received NaCl in cisterna magna as a control. Biochemical variables related to energy metabolism were monitored by intracerebral...... dysfunction with increasing cerebral LPR due to increased lactate and normal pyruvate, PbtO2, and ICP. The metabolic pattern resembles the one observed in patients with bacterial meningitis. Metabolic monitoring in these patients is feasible to monitor for cerebral metabolic derangements otherwise missed...

  3. Simultaneous cell growth and ethanol production from cellulose by an engineered yeast consortium displaying a functional mini-cellulosome

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Madan Bhawna

    2011-11-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The recalcitrant nature of cellulosic materials and the high cost of enzymes required for efficient hydrolysis are the major impeding steps to their practical usage for ethanol production. Ideally, a recombinant microorganism, possessing the capability to utilize cellulose for simultaneous growth and ethanol production, is of great interest. We have reported recently the use of a yeast consortium for the functional presentation of a mini-cellulosome structure onto the yeast surface by exploiting the specific interaction of different cohesin-dockerin pairs. In this study, we engineered a yeast consortium capable of displaying a functional mini-cellulosome for the simultaneous growth and ethanol production on phosphoric acid swollen cellulose (PASC. Results A yeast consortium composed of four different populations was engineered to display a functional mini-cellulosome containing an endoglucanase, an exoglucanase and a β-glucosidase. The resulting consortium was demonstrated to utilize PASC for growth and ethanol production. The final ethanol production of 1.25 g/L corresponded to 87% of the theoretical value and was 3-fold higher than a similar yeast consortium secreting only the three cellulases. Quantitative PCR was used to enumerate the dynamics of each individual yeast population for the two consortia. Results indicated that the slight difference in cell growth cannot explain the 3-fold increase in PASC hydrolysis and ethanol production. Instead, the substantial increase in ethanol production is consistent with the reported synergistic effect on cellulose hydrolysis using the displayed mini-cellulosome. Conclusions This report represents a significant step towards the goal of cellulosic ethanol production. This engineered yeast consortium displaying a functional mini-cellulosome demonstrated not only the ability to grow on the released sugars from PASC but also a 3-fold higher ethanol production than a similar yeast

  4. The Consortium for the Valuation of Applications Benefits Linked with Earth Science (VALUABLES)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kuwayama, Y.; Mabee, B.; Wulf Tregar, S.

    2017-12-01

    National and international organizations are placing greater emphasis on the societal and economic benefits that can be derived from applications of Earth observations, yet improvements are needed to connect to the decision processes that produce actions with direct societal benefits. There is a need to substantiate the benefits of Earth science applications in socially and economically meaningful terms in order to demonstrate return on investment and to prioritize investments across data products, modeling capabilities, and information systems. However, methods and techniques for quantifying the value proposition of Earth observations are currently not fully established. Furthermore, it has been challenging to communicate the value of these investments to audiences beyond the Earth science community. The Consortium for the Valuation of Applications Benefits Linked with Earth Science (VALUABLES), a cooperative agreement between Resources for the Future (RFF) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), has the goal of advancing methods for the valuation and communication of the applied benefits linked with Earth observations. The VALUABLES Consortium will focus on three pillars: (a) a research pillar that will apply existing and innovative methods to quantify the socioeconomic benefits of information from Earth observations; (b) a capacity building pillar to catalyze interdisciplinary linkages between Earth scientists and social scientists; and (c) a communications pillar that will convey the value of Earth observations to stakeholders in government, universities, the NGO community, and the interested public. In this presentation, we will describe ongoing and future activities of the VALUABLES Consortium, provide a brief overview of frameworks to quantify the socioeconomic value of Earth observations, and describe how Earth scientists and social scientist can get involved in the Consortium's activities.

  5. University Research Consortium annual review meeting program

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1996-07-01

    This brochure presents the program for the first annual review meeting of the University Research Consortium (URC) of the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEL). INEL is a multiprogram laboratory with a distinctive role in applied engineering. It also conducts basic science research and development, and complex facility operations. The URC program consists of a portfolio of research projects funded by INEL and conducted at universities in the United States. In this program, summaries and participant lists for each project are presented as received from the principal investigators

  6. University Research Consortium annual review meeting program

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    1996-07-01

    This brochure presents the program for the first annual review meeting of the University Research Consortium (URC) of the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEL). INEL is a multiprogram laboratory with a distinctive role in applied engineering. It also conducts basic science research and development, and complex facility operations. The URC program consists of a portfolio of research projects funded by INEL and conducted at universities in the United States. In this program, summaries and participant lists for each project are presented as received from the principal investigators.

  7. Enhancement of Bacterial Transport in Aerobic and Anaerobic Environments: Assessing the Effect of Metal Oxide Chemical Heterogeneities

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    T.C. Onstott

    2005-01-01

    The goal of our research was to understand the fundamental processes that control microbial transport in physically and chemically heterogeneous aquifers and from this enhanced understanding determine the requirements for successful, field-scale delivery of microorganisms to metal contaminated subsurface sites. Our specific research goals were to determine; (1) the circumstances under which the preferential adsorption of bacteria to Fe, Mn, and Al oxyhydroxides influences field-scale bacterial transport, (2) the extent to which the adhesion properties of bacterial cells affect field-scale bacterial transport, (3) whether microbial Fe(III) reduction can enhance field-scale transport of Fe reducing bacteria (IRB) and other microorganisms and (4) the effect of field-scale physical and chemical heterogeneity on all three processes. Some of the spin-offs from this basic research that can improve biostimulation and bioaugmentation remediation efforts at contaminated DOE sites have included; (1) new bacterial tracking tools for viable bacteria; (2) an integrated protocol which combines subsurface characterization, laboratory-scale experimentation, and scale-up techniques to accurately predict field-scale bacterial transport; and (3) innovative and inexpensive field equipment and methods that can be employed to enhance Fe(III) reduction and microbial transport and to target microbial deposition under both aerobic and anaerobic conditions

  8. Use of a Burkholderia cenocepacia ABTS Oxidizer in a Microbial Fuel Cell

    Science.gov (United States)

    Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) often use biological processes to generate electrons from organic material contained in the anode chamber and abiotic processes employing atmospheric oxygen as the oxidant in the cathode chamber. This study investigated the accumulation of an oxidant in bacterial cultures...

  9. Bacterial degradation of emulsified crude oil and the effects of various surfactants

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bruheim, P.; Bredholt, H.; Eimhjellen, K.

    1997-01-01

    The effects of surfactants on the oxidation rate of alkanes in crude oil were investigated using a selected bacterial species, Rhodococcus sp., pregrown to various growth stages. Oxidation rates were measured in a three-hour period by Warburg respirometry. Response to emulsified oil was found to be dependent on the physiological state of the bacteria. In the exponential growth phase oxidation rates were negatively affected by surfactant amendment, whereas in the stationary growth phase oxidation rates appear to have been stimulated. The stimulatory effect was attributed to the chemical structure and physico-chemical properties of the surfactants. Surfactants with hydrophilic-lipophilic balance values (HLB) in the intermediate range of 8-12 gave the best values. Neither the commercial dispersants nor the biosurfactants exhibited any stimulative effects. 21 refs., 4 tabs., 1 fig

  10. The Science of Sustaining Health Behavior Change: The Health Maintenance Consortium

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ory, Marcia G.; Smith, Matthew Lee; Mier, Nelda; Wernicke, Meghan M.

    2013-01-01

    Objective The Health Maintenance Consortium (HMC) is a multisite Grantee Consortium funded by the National Institutes of Health from 2004–2009. The goal of HMC is to enhance understanding of the long-term maintenance of behavior change, as well as effective strategies for achieving sustainable health promotion and disease prevention. Methods This introductory research synthesis prepared by the Resource Center gives context to this theme issue by providing an overview of the HMC and the articles in this journal. Results It explores the contributions to our conceptualization of behavior change processes and intervention strategies, the trajectory of effectiveness of behavioral and social interventions, and factors influencing the long-term maintenance of behavioral and social interventions. Conclusions Future directions for furthering the science of maintaining behavior change and reducing the gaps between research and practice are recommended. PMID:20604691

  11. Bacterial prostatitis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gill, Bradley C; Shoskes, Daniel A

    2016-02-01

    The review provides the infectious disease community with a urologic perspective on bacterial prostatitis. Specifically, the article briefly reviews the categorization of prostatitis by type and provides a distillation of new findings published on bacterial prostatitis over the past year. It also highlights key points from the established literature. Cross-sectional prostate imaging is becoming more common and may lead to more incidental diagnoses of acute bacterial prostatitis. As drug resistance remains problematic in this condition, the reemergence of older antibiotics such as fosfomycin, has proven beneficial. With regard to chronic bacterial prostatitis, no clear clinical risk factors emerged in a large epidemiological study. However, bacterial biofilm formation has been associated with more severe cases. Surgery has a limited role in bacterial prostatitis and should be reserved for draining of a prostatic abscess or the removal of infected prostatic stones. Prostatitis remains a common and bothersome clinical condition. Antibiotic therapy remains the basis of treatment for both acute and chronic bacterial prostatitis. Further research into improving prostatitis treatment is indicated.

  12. Inner-City Energy and Environmental Education Consortium: Inventory of existing programs. Appendix 13.5

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    1992-08-21

    This is the ``first effort`` to prepare an inventory of existing educational programs, focused primarily on inner-city youth, in operation in Washington, DC, Baltimore, and Philadelphia. The purpose of the inventory is to identify existing programs which could be augmented, adapted, or otherwise strengthened to help fulfil the mission of the Department of Energy-sponsored Inner-City Energy and Environmental Education Consortium, the mission of which is to recruit and retain inner-city youth to pursue careers in energy-related scientific and technical areas and in environmental restoration and waste management. The Consortium does not want to ``reinvent the wheel`` and all of its members need to learn what others are doing. Each of the 30 participating academic institutions was invited to submit as many program descriptions as they wished. Due to the summer holidays, or because they did not believe than they were carrying out programs relevant to the mission of the Consortium, some institutions did not submit any program descriptions. In addition, several industries, governmental agencies, and not-for-profit institutions were invited to submit program descriptions.

  13. Analysis of bacterial metagenomes from the Southwestern Gulf of Mexico for pathogens detection.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Escobedo-Hinojosa, Wendy; Pardo-López, Liliana

    2017-07-31

    Little is known about the diversity of bacteria in the Southwestern Gulf of Mexico. The aim of the study illustrated in this perspective was to search for the presence of bacterial pathogens in this ecosystem, using metagenomic data recently generated by the Mexican research group known as the Gulf of Mexico Research Consortium. Several genera of bacteria annotated as pathogens were detected in water and sediment marine samples. As expected, native and ubiquitous pathogenic bacteria genera such as Burkolderia, Halomonas, Pseudomonas, Shewanella and Vibrio were highly represented. Surprisingly, non-native genera of public health concern were also detected, including Borrelia, Ehrlichia, Leptospira, Mycobacterium, Mycoplasma, Salmonella, Staphylococcus, Streptococcus and Treponema. While there are no previous metagenomics studies of this environment, the potential influences of natural, anthropogenic and ecological factors on the diversity of putative pathogenic bacteria found in it are reviewed. The taxonomic annotation herein reported provides a starting point for an improved understanding of bacterial biodiversity in the Southwestern Gulf of Mexico. It also represents a useful tool in public health as it may help identify infectious diseases associated with exposure to marine water and ingestion of fish or shellfish, and thus may be useful in predicting and preventing waterborne disease outbreaks. © FEMS 2017. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  14. Midwest Superconductivity Consortium: 1994 Progress report

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    1995-01-01

    The mission of the Midwest Superconductivity Consortium, MISCON, is to advance the science and understanding of high {Tc} superconductivity. During the past year, 27 projects produced over 123 talks and 139 publications. Group activities and interactions involved 2 MISCON group meetings (held in August and January); with the second MISCON Workshop held in August; 13 external speakers; 79 collaborations (with universities, industry, Federal laboratories, and foreign research centers); and 48 exchanges of samples and/or measurements. Research achievements this past year focused on understanding the effects of processing phenomena on structure-property interrelationships and the fundamental nature of transport properties in high-temperature superconductors.

  15. History of the Tinnitus Research Consortium.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Snow, James B

    2016-04-01

    This article describes the creation and accomplishments of the Tinnitus Research Consortium (TRC), founded and supported through philanthropy and intended to enrich the field of tinnitus research. Bringing together a group of distinguished auditory researchers, most of whom were not involved in tinnitus research, over the fifteen years of its life it developed novel research approaches and recruited a number of new investigators into the field. The purpose of this special issue is to highlight some of the significant accomplishments of the investigators supported by the TRC. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled "Tinnitus". Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  16. Midwest Superconductivity Consortium: 1994 Progress report

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1995-01-01

    The mission of the Midwest Superconductivity Consortium, MISCON, is to advance the science and understanding of high T c superconductivity. During the past year, 27 projects produced over 123 talks and 139 publications. Group activities and interactions involved 2 MISCON group meetings (held in August and January); with the second MISCON Workshop held in August; 13 external speakers; 79 collaborations (with universities, industry, Federal laboratories, and foreign research centers); and 48 exchanges of samples and/or measurements. Research achievements this past year focused on understanding the effects of processing phenomena on structure-property interrelationships and the fundamental nature of transport properties in high-temperature superconductors

  17. Bacterially Induced Weathering of Ultramafic Rock and Its Implications for Phytoextraction

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kidd, Petra; Kuffner, Melanie; Prieto-Fernández, Ángeles; Hann, Stephan; Monterroso, Carmela; Sessitsch, Angela; Wenzel, Walter; Puschenreiter, Markus

    2013-01-01

    The bioavailability of metals in soil is often cited as a limiting factor of phytoextraction (or phytomining). Bacterial metabolites, such as organic acids, siderophores, or biosurfactants, have been shown to mobilize metals, and their use to improve metal extraction has been proposed. In this study, the weathering capacities of, and Ni mobilization by, bacterial strains were evaluated. Minimal medium containing ground ultramafic rock was inoculated with either of two Arthrobacter strains: LA44 (indole acetic acid [IAA] producer) or SBA82 (siderophore producer, PO4 solubilizer, and IAA producer). Trace elements and organic compounds were determined in aliquots taken at different time intervals after inoculation. Trace metal fractionation was carried out on the remaining rock at the end of the experiment. The results suggest that the strains act upon different mineral phases. LA44 is a more efficient Ni mobilizer, apparently solubilizing Ni associated with Mn oxides, and this appeared to be related to oxalate production. SBA82 also leads to release of Ni and Mn, albeit to a much lower extent. In this case, the concurrent mobilization of Fe and Si indicates preferential weathering of Fe oxides and serpentine minerals, possibly related to the siderophore production capacity of the strain. The same bacterial strains were tested in a soil-plant system: the Ni hyperaccumulator Alyssum serpyllifolium subsp. malacitanum was grown in ultramafic soil in a rhizobox system and inoculated with each bacterial strain. At harvest, biomass production and shoot Ni concentrations were higher in plants from inoculated pots than from noninoculated pots. Ni yield was significantly enhanced in plants inoculated with LA44. These results suggest that Ni-mobilizing inoculants could be useful for improving Ni uptake by hyperaccumulator plants. PMID:23793627

  18. Pilot test of bacterial percolation leaching at Fuzhou uranium mine

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fan Baotuan; Liu Jian; Jiang Yngqiong; Cai Chunhui; Jiang Lang; Zhou Renhua; Tong Changning; Zhang Hongli

    2006-01-01

    Total 18 t uranium ores of Fuzhou Uranium Mine packed in three or four columns in series were leached by bacterial percolation. The results show that without adding any other chemical oxidant such as sodium chlorate, the leaching rate measured by residue is 91.45%-94.48%, leaching time is 50-60 d, acid consumption is 6.17%-7.75%, and residue grade is 0.0149%-0.0208%. Compared with conventional percolation leaching process, the leaching rate is improved by 3%, leaching time is shorted by 26%, and acid consumption is saved by 34%. Accumulation pattern of ΣFe and F - in the process of leaching is discussed. Influence of F - on bacterial growth, regeneration of barren solution as well as correlative techniques are reviewed. (authors)

  19. Effects of the Bacterial Extract OM-85 on Phagocyte Functions and the Stress Response

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baladi, S.; Kantengwa, S.; Donati, Y. R. A.; Polla, B. S.

    1994-01-01

    The effects of the bacterial extract OM-85 on the respiratory burst, intracellular calcium and the stress response have been investigated in human peripheral blood monocytes from normal donors. Activation of the respiratory burst during bacterial phagocytosis has been previously associated with heat shock/stress proteins synthesis. Whereas OM-85 stimulated superoxide production and increased Ca2+ mobilization, it fared to induce synthesis of classical HSPs. The lack of stress protein induction was observed even in the presence of iron which potentiates both oxidative injury and stress protein induction during bacterial phagocytosis. However OM-85 induced a 75–78 kDa protein, which is likely to be a glucose regulated protein (GRP78), and enhanced intracellular expression of interleukin-lβ precursor. PMID:18472933

  20. Structure of the bacterial community in a biofilter during dimethyl sulfide (DMS) removal processes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chung, Ying-Chien; Cheng, Chiu-Yu; Chen, Tzu-Yu; Hsu, Jo-Shan; Kui, Chun-Chi

    2010-09-01

    We report here both the successful treatment of DMS in a biofilter and the dynamic changes that occur in the composition of the bacterial community of the biofilter during this process. Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis of eubacterial 16S rDNA samples taken from packing material at different DMS removal stages revealed 11 distinct bands. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the sequences of these bands were closest to sequences of species of the Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, and Actinobacteria. The specific occurrence of these bacterial species varied mainly with DMS load, but it was also affected by the addition of glucose and by ambient temperature. Based on the characteristics of the identified species, the system is conducive for such processes as sulfur oxidation, sulfate reduction, carbon oxidation, and fermentation. The strains identified in this study are potential candidates for purifying waste gas effluents containing DMS gas. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  1. Bioleaching of Arsenic-Rich Gold Concentrates by Bacterial Flora before and after Mutation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xuehui Xie

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available In order to improve the bioleaching efficiency of arsenic-rich gold concentrates, a mixed bacterial flora had been developed, and the mutation breeding method was adopted to conduct the research. The original mixed bacterial flora had been enrichedin acid mine drainage of Dexing copper mine, Jiangxi Province, China. It was induced by UV (ultraviolet, ultrasonic, and microwave, and their combination mutation. The most efficient bacterial flora after mutation was collected for further bioleaching of arsenic-rich gold concentrates. Results indicated that the bacterial flora after mutation by UV 60 s combined with ultrasonic 10 min had the best oxidation rate of ferrous, the biggest density of cells, and the most activity of total protein. During bioleaching of arsenic-rich gold concentrates, the density of the mutant bacterial cells reached to 1.13×108 cells/mL at 15 days, more than 10 times compared with that of the original culture. The extraction of iron reached to 95.7% after 15 days, increased by 9.9% compared with that of the original culture. The extraction of arsenic reached to 92.6% after 12 days, which was increased by 46.1%. These results suggested that optimum combined mutation could improve leaching ability of the bacterial flora more significantly.

  2. Bioleaching of Arsenic-Rich Gold Concentrates by Bacterial Flora before and after Mutation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xie, Xuehui; Yuan, Xuewu; Liu, Na; Chen, Xiaoguang; Abdelgadir, Awad; Liu, Jianshe

    2013-01-01

    In order to improve the bioleaching efficiency of arsenic-rich gold concentrates, a mixed bacterial flora had been developed, and the mutation breeding method was adopted to conduct the research. The original mixed bacterial flora had been enrichedin acid mine drainage of Dexing copper mine, Jiangxi Province, China. It was induced by UV (ultraviolet), ultrasonic, and microwave, and their combination mutation. The most efficient bacterial flora after mutation was collected for further bioleaching of arsenic-rich gold concentrates. Results indicated that the bacterial flora after mutation by UV 60 s combined with ultrasonic 10 min had the best oxidation rate of ferrous, the biggest density of cells, and the most activity of total protein. During bioleaching of arsenic-rich gold concentrates, the density of the mutant bacterial cells reached to 1.13 × 108 cells/mL at 15 days, more than 10 times compared with that of the original culture. The extraction of iron reached to 95.7% after 15 days, increased by 9.9% compared with that of the original culture. The extraction of arsenic reached to 92.6% after 12 days, which was increased by 46.1%. These results suggested that optimum combined mutation could improve leaching ability of the bacterial flora more significantly. PMID:24381948

  3. Biological Control of Bacterial Wilt in South East Asia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Triwidodo Arwiyanto

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available Bacterial wilt disease caused by Ralstonia solanacearum destroys many crops of different plant families in South East Asia despite many researches about the disease, and the availability of developed control method in other parts of the world. There is no chemical available for the bacterial wilt pathogen and biological control is then chosen as an alternative to save the crops. Most of the biological control studies were based on antagonism between biological control agent and the pathogen. The biological control agents were intended to reduce the initial inoculum of the pathogen. The effort to minimize the initial inoculum of the pathogen by baiting with the use of hypersensitive host-plant was only reliable when conducted in the greenhouse experiments. Various microorganisms have been searched as possible biological control agents, for instance avirulent form of the pathogen, soil or rhizosphere bacteria (Bacillus spp. and fluorescent pseudomonads, actinomycetes (Streptomyces spp., yeast (Pichia uillermondii, Candida ethanolica, and a consortium of microorganisms known as effective microorganisms (EM. None of these biological control agents has been used in field application and they need further investigation in order to effectively control bacterial wilt. Opportunities and challenges in developing biological control to combat bacterial wilt are discussed in the paper. Penyakit layu bakteri yang disebabkan oleh Ralstonia solanacearum menghancurkan banyak tanaman dalam famili yang berbeda di Asia Tenggara meskipun telah banyak penelitian tentang metode pengendaliannya. Penyakit ini sulit dikendalikan karena banyaknya variabilitas patogen dan belum tersedianya sumber ketahanan yang mapan. Di samping itu, sampai saat ini belum ada bahan kimia yang tersedia untuk patogen layu bakteri ini sehingga pengendalian biologi kemudian dipilih sebagai cara alternatif untuk menyelamatkan tanaman. Sebagian besar penelitian pengendalian biologi didasarkan

  4. Silver oxide nanoparticles embedded silk fibroin spuns: Microwave mediated preparation, characterization and their synergistic wound healing and anti-bacterial activity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Babu, Punuri Jayasekhar; Doble, Mukesh; Raichur, Ashok M

    2018-03-01

    The synergistic wound healing and antibacterial activity of silver oxide nanoparticles embedded silk fibroin (Ag 2 O-SF) spuns is reported here. UV-Vis spectro photometric analysis of these spuns showed the surface plasmon resonance (SPR) confirming the formation of the silver oxide nanoparticles (Ag 2 O NPs) on the surface of the silk fibroin (SF). Scanning electron microscope (SEM) and Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) also confirmed the presence of Ag 2 O NPs on surface of SF. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis revealed the crystalline nature of both SF and Ag 2 O-SF. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) results showed the different forms of silk (I and II) and their corresponding protein (amide I, II, III) confirmations. Biodegradation study revealed insignificant changes in the morphology of Ag 2 O-SF spuns even after 14 days of immersion in phosphate buffered saline (PBS). Ag 2 O-SF spuns showed excellent antibacterial activity against both pathogen (S. aureus and M. tuberculosis) and non-pathogen (E. coli) bacteria. More importantly, In vitro wound healing (scratch assay) assay revealed fast migration of the T3T fibroblast cells through the scratch area treated with extract of Ag 2 O-SF spuns and the area was completely covered within 24 h. Cytotoxicity assay confirmed the biocompatible nature of the Ag 2 O-SF spuns, thus suggesting an ideal material for wound healing and anti-bacterial applications. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  5. TolC is important for bacterial survival and oxidative stress response in Salmonella enterica serovar Choleraesuis in an acidic environment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Jen-Jie; Wu, Ying-Chen; Kuo, Chih-Jung; Hsuan, Shih-Ling; Chen, Ter-Hsin

    2016-09-25

    The outer membrane protein TolC, which is one of the key components of several multidrug efflux pumps, is thought to be involved in various independent systems in Enterobacteriaceae. Since the acidic environment of the stomach is an important protection barrier against foodborne pathogen infections in hosts, we evaluated whether TolC played a role in the acid tolerance of Salmonella enterica serovar Choleraesuis. Comparison of the acid tolerance of the tolC mutant and the parental wild-type strain showed that the absence of TolC limits the ability of Salmonella to sustain life under extreme acidic conditions. Additionally, the mutant exhibited morphological changes during growth in an acidic medium, leading to the conflicting results of cell viability measured by spectrophotometry and colony-forming unit counting. Reverse-transcriptional-PCR analysis indicated that acid-related molecules, apparatus, or enzymes and oxidation-induced factors were significantly affected by the acidic environment in the null-tolC mutant. The elongated cellular morphology was restored by adding antioxidants to the culture medium. Furthermore, we found that increased cellular antioxidative activity provides an overlapping protection against acid killing, demonstrating the complexity of the bacterial acid stress response. Our findings reinforce the multifunctional characteristics of TolC in acid tolerance or oxidative stress resistance and support the correlative protection mechanism between oxygen- and acid-mediated stress responses in Salmonella enterica serovar Choleraesuis. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  6. High production volume chemical Amine Oxide [C8-C20] category environmental risk assessment

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Sanderson, Hans; Tibazarwa, Caritas; Greggs, William

    2009-01-01

    and personal care products. Given the lack of persistence or bioaccumulation, and the low likelihood of these chemicals partitioning to soil, the focus of the environmental assessment is on the aquatic environment. In the United States, the E-FAST model is used to estimate effluent concentrations in the United......An environmental assessment of amine oxides has been conducted under the OECD SIDS High Production Volume (HPV) Program via the Global International Council of Chemical Associations (ICCA) Amine Oxides Consortium. Amine oxides are primarily used in conjunction with surfactants in cleaning...... States from manufacturing facilities and from municipal facilities resulting from consumer product uses. Reasonable worst-case ratios of predicted environmental concentration (PEC) to predicted no effect concentration (PNEC) range from 0.04 to 0.003, demonstrating that these chemicals are a low risk...

  7. The Latin American Consortium of Studies in Obesity (LASO)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bautista, L. E.; Casas, J. P.; Herrera, V. M.; Miranda, J. J.; Perel, P.; Pichardo, R.; González, A.; Sanchez, J. R.; Ferreccio, C.; Aguilera, X.; Silva, E.; Oróstegui, M.; Gómez, L. F.; Chirinos, J. A.; Medina-Lezama, J.; Pérez, C. M.; Suárez, E.; Ortiz, A. P.; Rosero, L.; Schapochnik, N.; Ortiz, Z.; Ferrante, D.

    2009-01-01

    Summary Current, high-quality data are needed to evaluate the health impact of the epidemic of obesity in Latin America. The Latin American Consortium of Studies of Obesity (LASO) has been established, with the objectives of (i) Accurately estimating the prevalence of obesity and its distribution by sociodemographic characteristics; (ii) Identifying ethnic, socioeconomic and behavioural determinants of obesity; (iii) Estimating the association between various anthropometric indicators or obesity and major cardiovascular risk factors and (iv) Quantifying the validity of standard definitions of the various indexes of obesity in Latin American population. To achieve these objectives, LASO makes use of individual data from existing studies. To date, the LASO consortium includes data from 11 studies from eight countries (Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Peru, Puerto Rico and Venezuela), including a total of 32 462 subjects. This article describes the overall organization of LASO, the individual studies involved and the overall strategy for data analysis. LASO will foster the development of collaborative obesity research among Latin American investigators. More important, results from LASO will be instrumental to inform health policies aiming to curtail the epidemic of obesity in the region. PMID:19438980

  8. Genetic and biochemical characterization of rhizobacterial strains and their potential use in combination with chelants for assisted phytoremediation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cicatelli, Angela; Guarino, Francesco; Baldan, Enrico; Castiglione, Stefano

    2017-03-01

    Copper and zinc are essential micronutrients in plants but, at high concentrations, they are toxic. Assisted phytoremediation is an emerging "green" technology that aims to improve the efficiency of tolerant species to remove metals from soils through the use of chelants or microorganisms. Rhizobacteria can promote plant growth and tolerance and also affect the mobility, bioavailability, and complexation of metals. A pot experiment was conducted to evaluate the phytoremediation effectiveness of sunflowers cultivated in a Cu- and Zn-spiked soil, in the presence or absence of bacterial consortium and/or chelants. The consortium was constituted of two Stenotrophomonas maltophilia strains and one of Agrobacterium sp. These strains were previously isolated from the rhizosphere of maize plants cultivated on a metal-polluted soil and here molecularly and biochemically characterized. Results showed that the consortium improved sunflower growth and biomass production on the spiked soils. Sunflowers accumulated large amounts of metals in their roots and leaves; however, neither the bacterial consortium nor the chelants, singularly added to pots, influenced significantly Cu and Zn plant uptake. Furthermore, the consecutive soil amendment with the EDTA and bacterial consortium determined a consistent accumulation of metals in sunflowers, and it might be an alternative strategy to limit the use of EDTA and its associated environmental risks in phytoremediation.

  9. 25 CFR 1000.68 - May non-BIA bureaus provide technical assistance to a Tribe/Consortium in drafting its planning...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... Financial Assistance for Planning and Negotiation Grants for Non-BIA Programs Eligibility and Application... Tribe/Consortium in drafting its planning grant application? 1000.68 Section 1000.68 Indians OFFICE OF... planning grant application? Yes, upon request from the Tribe/Consortium, a non-BIA bureau may provide...

  10. Rationale and design of the multiethnic Pharmacogenomics in Childhood Asthma consortium

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Farzan, Niloufar; Vijverberg, Susanne J.; Andiappan, Anand K.; Arianto, Lambang; Berce, Vojko; Blanca-López, Natalia; Bisgaard, Hans; Bønnelykke, Klaus; Burchard, Esteban G.; Campo, Paloma; Canino, Glorisa; Carleton, Bruce; Celedón, Juan C.; Chew, Fook Tim; Chiang, Wen Chin; Cloutier, Michelle M.; Daley, Denis; den Dekker, Herman T.; Dijk, F. Nicole; Duijts, Liesbeth; Flores, Carlos; Forno, Erick; Hawcutt, Daniel B.; Hernandez-Pacheco, Natalia; de Jongste, Johan C.; Kabesch, Michael; Koppelman, Gerard H.; Manolopoulos, Vangelis G.; Melén, Erik; Mukhopadhyay, Somnath; Nilsson, Sara; Palmer, Colin N.; Pino-Yanes, Maria; Pirmohamed, Munir; Potočnik, Uros; Raaijmakers, Jan A.; Repnik, Katja; Schieck, Maximilian; Sio, Yang Yie; Smyth, Rosalind L.; Szalai, Csaba; Tantisira, Kelan G.; Turner, Steve; van der Schee, Marc P.; Verhamme, Katia M.; Maitland-van der Zee, Anke H.

    2017-01-01

    Aim: International collaboration is needed to enable large-scale pharmacogenomics studies in childhood asthma. Here, we describe the design of the Pharmacogenomics in Childhood Asthma (PiCA) consortium. Materials & methods: Investigators of each study participating in PiCA provided data on the study

  11. Rationale and design of the multiethnic Pharmacogenomics in Childhood Asthma consortium

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Farzan, Niloufar; Vijverberg, Susanne J.; Andiappan, Anand K.; Arianto, Lambang; Berce, Vojko; Blanca-Lopez, Natalia; Bisgaard, Hans; Bonnelykke, Klaus; Burchard, Esteban G.; Campo, Paloma; Canino, Glorisa; Carleton, Bruce; Celedon, Juan C.; Chew, Fook Tim; Chiang, Wen Chin; Cloutier, Michelle M.; Daley, Denis; Den Dekker, Herman T.; Dijk, Nicole F.; Duijts, Liesbeth; Flores, Carlos; Forno, Erick; Hawcutt, Daniel B.; Hernandez-Pacheco, Natalia; de Jongste, Johan C.; Kabesch, Michael; Koppelman, Gerard H.; Manolopoulos, Vangelis G.; Melen, Erik; Mukhopadhyay, Somnath; Nilsson, Sara; Palmer, Colin N.; Pino-Yanes, Maria; Pirmohamed, Munir; Potocnki, Uros; Raaijmakers, Jan A.; Repnik, Katja; Schieck, Maximilian; Sio, Yang Yie; Smyth, Rosalind L.; Szalai, Csaba; Tantisira, Kelan G.; Turner, Steve; van der Schee, Marc P.; Verhamme, Katia M.; Maitland-van der Zee, Anke H.

    2017-01-01

    Aim: International collaboration is needed to enable large-scale pharmacogenomics studies in childhood asthma. Here, we describe the design of the Pharmacogenomics in Childhood Asthma (PiCA) consortium.  Materials & methods: Investigators of each study participating in PiCA provided data on the

  12. Feasibility of bio-hydrogen production from sewage sludge using defined microbial consortium

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Shireen Meher Kotay; Debabrata Das [Fermentation Technology Lab., Department of Biotechnology, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, W.B., INDIA-721302 (India)

    2006-07-01

    Biological hydrogen production potential of a defined microbial consortium consisting of three facultative anaerobes, Enterobacter cloacae IIT-BT 08, Citrobacter freundii IIT-BT L139 and Bacillus coagulans IIT-BT S1 was studied. In this investigation their individual and combinatorial H{sub 2} production capabilities have been studied on defined media and pretreated sewage sludge. Defined medium, MYG (1% w/v Malt extract, 0.4% w/v yeast extract and 1% w/v glucose) with glucose as limiting substrate has been found to be most suitable for hydrogen production. Individually E. cloacae clearly gave higher yield (276 ml H{sub 2}/ g COD reduced) using defined medium than the other two strains. There was no considerable difference in maximal yield of hydrogen from individual and combinatorial (1:1:1 consortium) modes suggesting that E. cloacae dominated in the consortia on defined medium. Contradictorily, B. coagulans gave better bio-hydrogen yield (37.16 ml H{sub 2}/g COD consumed) than the other two strains when activated sewage sludge was used as substrate. The pretreatment of sludge included sterilization, (15% v/v) dilution and supplementation with 0.5%w/v glucose which was found to be essential to screen out the hydrogen consuming bacteria and ameliorate the hydrogenation. Considering (1:1:1) consortium as inoculum, interestingly yield of hydrogen was recorded to increase to 41.23 ml H{sub 2}/ g COD reduced inferring that in consortium, the substrate utilization was significantly higher. The hydrogen yield from pretreated sludge obtained in this study (35.54 ml H{sub 2} g sludge) has been found to be distinctively higher than the earlier reports (8.1 - 16.9 ml H{sub 2}/g sludge). However it was lower compared to the yield obtained from co-digestion of (83:17) food waste and sewage sludge (122 ml H{sub 2}/g carbohydrate COD). Employing formulated microbial consortia for bio-hydrogen production from sewage sludge was an attempt to augment the hydrogen yield from sludge

  13. Feasibility of bio-hydrogen production from sewage sludge using defined microbial consortium

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Shireen Meher Kotay; Debabrata Das [Fermentation Technology Lab., Department of Biotechnology, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, W.B., INDIA-721302 (India)

    2006-07-01

    Biological hydrogen production potential of a defined microbial consortium consisting of three facultative anaerobes, Enterobacter cloacae IIT-BT 08, Citrobacter freundii IIT-BT L139 and Bacillus coagulans IIT-BT S1 was studied. In this investigation their individual and combinatorial H{sub 2} production capabilities have been studied on defined media and pretreated sewage sludge. Defined medium, MYG (1% w/v Malt extract, 0.4% w/v yeast extract and 1% w/v glucose) with glucose as limiting substrate has been found to be most suitable for hydrogen production. Individually E. cloacae clearly gave higher yield (276 ml H{sub 2}/ g COD reduced) using defined medium than the other two strains. There was no considerable difference in maximal yield of hydrogen from individual and combinatorial (1:1:1 consortium) modes suggesting that E. cloacae dominated in the consortia on defined medium. Contradictorily, B. coagulans gave better bio-hydrogen yield (37.16 ml H{sub 2}/ g COD consumed) than the other two strains when activated sewage sludge was used as substrate. The pretreatment of sludge included sterilization, (15% v/v) dilution and supplementation with 0.5% w/v glucose which was found to be essential to screen out the hydrogen consuming bacteria and ameliorate the hydrogenation. Considering (1:1:1) consortium as inoculum, interestingly yield of hydrogen was recorded to increase to 41.23 ml H{sub 2}/ g COD reduced inferring that in consortium, the substrate utilization was significantly higher. The hydrogen yield from pretreated sludge obtained in this study (35.54 ml H{sub 2}/ g sludge) has been found to be distinctively higher than the earlier reports (8.1 - 16.9 ml H{sub 2} / g sludge). However it was lower compared to the yield obtained from co-digestion of (83:17) food waste and sewage sludge (122 ml H{sub 2}/ g carbohydrate COD). Employing formulated microbial consortia for bio-hydrogen production from sewage sludge was an attempt to augment the hydrogen yield from

  14. Feasibility of bio-hydrogen production from sewage sludge using defined microbial consortium

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shireen Meher Kotay; Debabrata Das

    2006-01-01

    Biological hydrogen production potential of a defined microbial consortium consisting of three facultative anaerobes, Enterobacter cloacae IIT-BT 08, Citrobacter freundii IIT-BT L139 and Bacillus coagulans IIT-BT S1 was studied. In this investigation their individual and combinatorial H 2 production capabilities have been studied on defined media and pretreated sewage sludge. Defined medium, MYG (1% w/v Malt extract, 0.4% w/v yeast extract and 1% w/v glucose) with glucose as limiting substrate has been found to be most suitable for hydrogen production. Individually E. cloacae clearly gave higher yield (276 ml H 2 / g COD reduced) using defined medium than the other two strains. There was no considerable difference in maximal yield of hydrogen from individual and combinatorial (1:1:1 consortium) modes suggesting that E. cloacae dominated in the consortia on defined medium. Contradictorily, B. coagulans gave better bio-hydrogen yield (37.16 ml H 2 /g COD consumed) than the other two strains when activated sewage sludge was used as substrate. The pretreatment of sludge included sterilization, (15% v/v) dilution and supplementation with 0.5%w/v glucose which was found to be essential to screen out the hydrogen consuming bacteria and ameliorate the hydrogenation. Considering (1:1:1) consortium as inoculum, interestingly yield of hydrogen was recorded to increase to 41.23 ml H 2 / g COD reduced inferring that in consortium, the substrate utilization was significantly higher. The hydrogen yield from pretreated sludge obtained in this study (35.54 ml H 2 g sludge) has been found to be distinctively higher than the earlier reports (8.1 - 16.9 ml H 2 /g sludge). However it was lower compared to the yield obtained from co-digestion of (83:17) food waste and sewage sludge (122 ml H 2 /g carbohydrate COD). Employing formulated microbial consortia for bio-hydrogen production from sewage sludge was an attempt to augment the hydrogen yield from sludge. (authors)

  15. Feasibility of bio-hydrogen production from sewage sludge using defined microbial consortium

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shireen Meher Kotay; Debabrata Das

    2006-01-01

    Biological hydrogen production potential of a defined microbial consortium consisting of three facultative anaerobes, Enterobacter cloacae IIT-BT 08, Citrobacter freundii IIT-BT L139 and Bacillus coagulans IIT-BT S1 was studied. In this investigation their individual and combinatorial H 2 production capabilities have been studied on defined media and pretreated sewage sludge. Defined medium, MYG (1% w/v Malt extract, 0.4% w/v yeast extract and 1% w/v glucose) with glucose as limiting substrate has been found to be most suitable for hydrogen production. Individually E. cloacae clearly gave higher yield (276 ml H 2 / g COD reduced) using defined medium than the other two strains. There was no considerable difference in maximal yield of hydrogen from individual and combinatorial (1:1:1 consortium) modes suggesting that E. cloacae dominated in the consortia on defined medium. Contradictorily, B. coagulans gave better bio-hydrogen yield (37.16 ml H 2 / g COD consumed) than the other two strains when activated sewage sludge was used as substrate. The pretreatment of sludge included sterilization, (15% v/v) dilution and supplementation with 0.5% w/v glucose which was found to be essential to screen out the hydrogen consuming bacteria and ameliorate the hydrogenation. Considering (1:1:1) consortium as inoculum, interestingly yield of hydrogen was recorded to increase to 41.23 ml H 2 / g COD reduced inferring that in consortium, the substrate utilization was significantly higher. The hydrogen yield from pretreated sludge obtained in this study (35.54 ml H 2 / g sludge) has been found to be distinctively higher than the earlier reports (8.1 - 16.9 ml H 2 / g sludge). However it was lower compared to the yield obtained from co-digestion of (83:17) food waste and sewage sludge (122 ml H 2 / g carbohydrate COD). Employing formulated microbial consortia for bio-hydrogen production from sewage sludge was an attempt to augment the hydrogen yield from sludge. (authors)

  16. Label-free electrochemical immunosensor based on cerium oxide nanowires for Vibrio cholerae O1 detection

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tam, Phuong Dinh; Thang, Cao Xuan

    2016-01-01

    This paper developed a label-free immunosensor based on cerium oxide nanowire for Vibrio cholerae O1 detection application. The CeO 2 nanowires were synthesized by hydrothermal reaction. The immobilization of Anti-V. cholerae O1 onto CeO 2 nanowire-deposited sensor was performed via an amino ester, which was created by using 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl) carbodiimide, and sulfo-N-hydroxysuccinimide. The electrochemical responses of the immunosensor were studied by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy with [Fe (CN) 6 ] 3−/4− as redox probe. A linear response in electron transfer resistance for cell of V. cholerae O1 concentration was found in the range of 1.0 × 10 2 CFU/mL to 1.0 × 10 4 CFU/mL. The detection limit of the immunosensor was 1.0 × 10 2 CFU/mL. The immunosensor sensitivity was 56.82 Ω/CFU·mL −1 . Furthermore, the parameters affecting immunosensor response were also investigated, as follows: pH value, immunoreaction time, incubation temperature, and anti-V. cholerae O1 concentration. - Highlights: • A label-free immunosensor based on cerium oxide nanowire for Vibrio cholerae O1 detection application was developed. • A linear response was found in the range of 1.0 × 10 2 CFU/mL to 1.0 × 10 4 CFU/mL. • The detection limit of the immunosensor was 1.0 × 10 2 CFU/mL. • The immunosensor sensitivity was 56.82 Ω/CFU.mL −1 .

  17. The UNC-CH MCH Leadership Training Consortium: building the capacity to develop interdisciplinary MCH leaders.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dodds, Janice; Vann, William; Lee, Jessica; Rosenberg, Angela; Rounds, Kathleen; Roth, Marcia; Wells, Marlyn; Evens, Emily; Margolis, Lewis H

    2010-07-01

    This article describes the UNC-CH MCH Leadership Consortium, a collaboration among five MCHB-funded training programs, and delineates the evolution of the leadership curriculum developed by the Consortium to cultivate interdisciplinary MCH leaders. In response to a suggestion by the MCHB, five MCHB-funded training programs--nutrition, pediatric dentistry, social work, LEND, and public health--created a consortium with four goals shared by these diverse MCH disciplines: (1) train MCH professionals for field leadership; (2) address the special health and social needs of women, infants, children and adolescents, with emphasis on a public health population-based approach; (3) foster interdisciplinary practice; and (4) assure competencies, such as family-centered and culturally competent practice, needed to serve effectively the MCH population. The consortium meets monthly. Its primary task to date has been to create a leadership curriculum for 20-30 master's, doctoral, and post-doctoral trainees to understand how to leverage personal leadership styles to make groups more effective, develop conflict/facilitation skills, and identify and enhance family-centered and culturally competent organizations. What began as an effort merely to understand shared interests around leadership development has evolved into an elaborate curriculum to address many MCH leadership competencies. The collaboration has also stimulated creative interdisciplinary research and practice opportunities for MCH trainees and faculty. MCHB-funded training programs should make a commitment to collaborate around developing leadership competencies that are shared across disciplines in order to enhance interdisciplinary leadership.

  18. NSF Antarctic and Arctic Data Consortium; Scientific Research Support & Data Services for the Polar Community

    Science.gov (United States)

    Morin, P. J.; Pundsack, J. W.; Carbotte, S. M.; Tweedie, C. E.; Grunow, A.; Lazzara, M. A.; Carpenter, P.; Sjunneskog, C. M.; Yarmey, L.; Bauer, R.; Adrian, B. M.; Pettit, J.

    2014-12-01

    The U.S. National Science Foundation Antarctic & Arctic Data Consortium (a2dc) is a collaboration of research centers and support organizations that provide polar scientists with data and tools to complete their research objectives. From searching historical weather observations to submitting geologic samples, polar researchers utilize the a2dc to search andcontribute to the wealth of polar scientific and geospatial data.The goals of the Antarctic & Arctic Data Consortium are to increase visibility in the research community of the services provided by resource and support facilities. Closer integration of individual facilities into a "one stop shop" will make it easier for researchers to take advantage of services and products provided by consortium members. The a2dc provides a common web portal where investigators can go to access data and samples needed to build research projects, develop student projects, or to do virtual field reconnaissance without having to utilize expensive logistics to go into the field.Participation by the international community is crucial for the success of a2dc. There are 48 nations that are signatories of the Antarctic Treaty, and 8 sovereign nations in the Arctic. Many of these organizations have unique capabilities and data that would benefit US ­funded polar science and vice versa.We'll present an overview of the Antarctic & Arctic Data Consortium, current participating organizations, challenges & opportunities, and plans to better coordinate data through a geospatial strategy and infrastructure.

  19. A DOE University-national laboratory waste-management education and research consortium (WERC)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bhada, R.K.; Morgan, J.D.; Townsend, J.S.

    1991-01-01

    This paper presents the results and current status of a consortium of three universities and two national laboratories working closely with industry for an Education and Research program on waste-management and environmental restoration. The program sponsored by the US Department of Energy has been in effect for 18 months and has achieved significant progress towards establishing: undergraduate, graduate and associate degree programs involving environmental management, interactive TV courses from the consortium members transmitted throughout the United States, Mexico ampersand Canada, a satellite TV network, a professional development teleconference series, research programs at the leading edge of technology training multi-disciplinary students, research laboratories for analyses, testing, and student training, technology transfer programs, including a TV series on research applications, outreach programs, including pre-college and minority education, community monitoring

  20. Differential contributions of ammonia oxidizers and nitrite oxidizers to nitrification in four paddy soils

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Baozhan; Zhao, Jun; Guo, Zhiying; Ma, Jing; Xu, Hua; Jia, Zhongjun

    2015-01-01

    Rice paddy fields are characterized by regular flooding and nitrogen fertilization, but the functional importance of aerobic ammonia oxidizers and nitrite oxidizers under unique agricultural management is poorly understood. In this study, we report the differential contributions of ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA), bacteria (AOB) and nitrite-oxidizing bacteria (NOB) to nitrification in four paddy soils from different geographic regions (Zi-Yang (ZY), Jiang-Du (JD), Lei-Zhou (LZ) and Jia-Xing (JX)) that are representative of the rice ecosystems in China. In urea-amended microcosms, nitrification activity varied greatly with 11.9, 9.46, 3.03 and 1.43 μg NO3−-N g−1 dry weight of soil per day in the ZY, JD, LZ and JX soils, respectively, over the course of a 56-day incubation period. Real-time quantitative PCR of amoA genes and pyrosequencing of 16S rRNA genes revealed significant increases in the AOA population to various extents, suggesting that their relative contributions to ammonia oxidation activity decreased from ZY to JD to LZ. The opposite trend was observed for AOB, and the JX soil stimulated only the AOB populations. DNA-based stable-isotope probing further demonstrated that active AOA numerically outcompeted their bacterial counterparts by 37.0-, 10.5- and 1.91-fold in 13C-DNA from ZY, JD and LZ soils, respectively, whereas AOB, but not AOA, were labeled in the JX soil during active nitrification. NOB were labeled to a much greater extent than AOA and AOB, and the addition of acetylene completely abolished the assimilation of 13CO2 by nitrifying populations. Phylogenetic analysis suggested that archaeal ammonia oxidation was predominantly catalyzed by soil fosmid 29i4-related AOA within the soil group 1.1b lineage. Nitrosospira cluster 3-like AOB performed most bacterial ammonia oxidation in the ZY, LZ and JX soils, whereas the majority of the 13C-AOB in the JD soil was affiliated with the Nitrosomona communis lineage. The 13C-NOB was overwhelmingly