Forgot your password?
New user?
New Window Opens on the Secret Life of Microbes: Scientists Develop First Microbial Profiles of Ecosystems
CAS announces the release of SciFinder Scholar for Mac OS X
Press Releases
Press Releases
| Check out our New Publishers' Select for Free Articles |
Applied Biochemistry and Biotechnology: Part A: Enzyme Engineering and Biotechnology (v.101, #3)
Significance of fluid regime and wetted area in biofilm reactors by Yilmaz Muslu (pp. 177-195).
Mass transfer within microbial films was described using Monod-type biological kinetics in terms of properties of filter media and feed solution. The performance characteristics of a trickling filter were thus modeled. The model enables one to consider the effect of inlet substrate concentration and flow rate upon the removal efficiency. For this purpose a second-order partial differential equation describing the dispersion phenomena inside the liquid layer was solved under special boundary conditions and used to determine substrate flux into the biofilm. A uniform biofilm thickness was considered. The model is based on computer techniques and the numerical evaluation of the normalized biofilm mathematical model. A design procedure was also given to calculate biological filters. The numerical model was also applied to experimental data to demonstrate its validity.
Keywords: Biological surveys; concentrations; design practices; diffusion; environmental engineering; mass transfer; mathematical models; biological filters; trickling filters
Enzyme kinetics and glycan structural characterization of secreted alkaline phosphatase prepared using the baculovirus expression vector system by Fuming Zhang; David W. Murhammer; Robert J. Linhardt (pp. 197-210).
Secreted human alkaline phosphatase (SEAP, a model protein containing a single N-glycan chain) was expressed in Spodoptera frugiperda Sf-9 (Sf-9) and Trichoplusia ni BTI-Tn-5B1-4 (Tn-5B1-4) insect cell lines infected with recombinant Autographa californica multiple nuclear polyhedrovirus expressing SEAP under control of the polyhedrin promoter. SDS-PAGE showed that both systems expressed fairly pure rSEAP products. The rSEAP expression level was 7.0 U/mL in Tn-5B1-4, higher than the 4.1 U/mL produced by Sf-9. Kinetic analysis showed that V max and K m of human placental SEAP were approx 10-fold higher than that of rSEAP, whereas the V max and K m of rSEAP prepared using both insect cell lines were comparable. To characterize the recombinant SEAP (rSEAP) glycosylation, the purified rSEAP was digested with PNGase F to release the N-glycan chains. Glycan analysis showed the presence of oligomannose-type N-linked glycans (i.e., Man2–8 GlcNAc2 and FucMan3 or 4GlcNAc2) in rSEAP from Sf9 and Tn-5B1-4 cell lines. The proportions of these oligosaccharide structures were different in the two cell lines. Man4GlcNAc2 and FucMan4GlcNAc2 were the major rSEAP N-glycans produced in Sf-9 cells, while Man2GlcNAc2 was the major rSEAP N-glycan produced in Tn-5B1-4 cells.
Keywords: Recombinant secreted human alkaline phosphatase (rSEAP); baculovirus expression vector system (BEVS); insect cells; enzyme kinetics; protein glycosylation
Scale-up of microbubble dispersion generator for aerobic fermentation by P. Hensirisak; P. Parasukulsatid; F. A. Agblevor; J. S. Cundiff; W. H. Velander (pp. 211-227).
A laboratory-scale microbubble dispersion (MBD) generator was shown to improve oxygen transfer to aerobic microorganisms when coupled to the conventional air-sparger. However, the process was not demonstrated on a large scale to prove its practical application. We investigated the scale-up of a spinning-disk MBD generator for the aerobic fermentation of Saccharomyces cerevisiae (baker’s yeast). A 1-L spinning-disk MBD generator was used to supply air for 1- and 50-L working volume fermentation of baker’s yeast. For the two levels investigated, the MBD generator maintained an adequate supply of surfactant-stabilized air microbubbles to the microorganisms at a relatively low agitation rate (150 rpm). There was a significant improvement in oxygen transfer to the microorganism relative to the conventional sparger. The volumetric mass transfer coefficient, k L a, for the MBD system at 150 rpm was 765 h−1 compared to 937 h−1 for the conventional sparger at 500 rpm. It is plausible to surmise that fermentation using larger working volumes may further improve the k L a values and the dissolved oxygen (DO) levels because of longer hold-up times and, consequently, improve cell growth. There was no statistically significant difference between the cell mass yield on substrate (0.43 g/g) under the MBD regime at an agitation rate of 150 rpm and that achieved for the conventional air-sparged system (0.53 g/g) at an agitation rate of 500 rpm. The total power consumption per unit volume of broth in the 50-L conventional air-sparged system was threefold that for the MBD unit for a similar product yield. Practical application of the MBD technology can be expected to reduce power consumption and therefore operating costs for aerobic fermentation.
Keywords: Microbubble; fermentation; aeration; Saccharomyces cerevisiae ; power consumption
Influence of tween 80 on lipid metabolism of an Aspergillus niger strain by T. Nemec; K. Jernejc (pp. 229-238).
Addition of 0.1% of nonionic surface-active Tween 80 to a medium optimized for pectolytic enzyme production of Aspergillus niger increased the amount of enzymes excreted by 70%. In the presence of Tween 80 the amount of sterol esters and triacylglycerols was increased. During the course of cultivation the amounts of precursors for ergosterol biosynthesis diminished with an increase of ergosterol. A. niger incorporated cholesterol from the medium, partly converting it to cholesterol esters. Sterol esters were formed only with selected fatty acids. Oleic acid, the hydrophobic part of Tween 80, was mainly incorporated in phospholipids and glycolipids.
Keywords: Sterols; surface-active substances; Tween 80; phospholipids; triacylglycerols; Aspergillus niger
pH-sensitive chitosan films for baker’s yeast immobilization by H. Nursevin Öztop; Dursun Saraydin; Şenay Cetinus (pp. 239-249).
Dried baker’s yeast cells were immobilized on a chitosan film, which is a natural polymer. Prepared chitosan films were treated with glutaraldehyde to facilitate the immobilization of the cells. The effects of the amount of glutaraldehyde, incubation time, pH, and temperature on immobilization were investigated. The amount of glutaraldehyde was chosen to be 0.01% (weight). The highest amount of yeast immobilization was obtained with 5 h incubation. It was determined that optimum temperature for immobilization is 25°C, and the optimum pH for immobilization is 6. Immobilized cells were allowed to stand for 3 d in distilled water and buffer solution (pH 6) to investigate the desorption, but no desorption was found. The maximum immobilization capacities were found to be 90 µg protein cm−2 film in optimum conditions.
Keywords: Yeast; cell; immobilization; chitosan