scholarly journals An Efficient Low-Cost Laboratory Workflow for the Study of Blood Cells and RNA Extractions in Marine Invertebrates

Author(s):  
Stefania Gutierrez

Marine invertebrates are model organisms in several areas of biological sciences, being a source of massive biological information. Although, the scientific relevance of marine invertebrates, the research with them can be limited for their tissue characteristics and troubles for the replication of physical and chemical properties of seawater. Thence, the main goal of this laboratory workflow is to provide a useful methodological approach to reduce the experimental limitations during the study of marine invertebrates. The present study describes experimental methodologies for the collection, transport, and maintenance of sessile tunicates. Also, an approach to observe and characterize, a diverse population of blood cells in marine invertebrates, by several cytological stains and electron microscopy. Lastly, suggestions and protocols to extract quality RNA from samples with high concentrations of salts, pigments, secondary metabolites, and polysaccharides. This methodological approach can be easily adapted to other marine invertebrates, moreover uses low-cost reagents and widely available laboratory equipment. Making possible the study of different types of marine animals in diverse locations.

2015 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 20140061 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roberta Pennati ◽  
Ute Rothbächer

The development of bioadhesives inspired from marine animals is a promising approach to generate new tissue-compatible medical components. A number of marine species, through their adhesive properties, also represent significant foulers that become increasingly problematic to aquaculture, shipping or local biodiversity. In order to develop more sophisticated man-made glues and/or efficient fouling resistant surfaces, it is important to understand the mechanical, structural and molecular properties of adhesive organs in selected species. Ascidians are marine invertebrates with larvae that opportunistically attach to almost any type of submerged surface to undergo metamorphosis into permanently sessile adults. Not only do they represent a globally important fouling organism, but they are becoming increasingly popular as model organisms for developmental biology. The latter is due to their phylogenetic position as the sister group to the vertebrates and their cellular and molecular accessibility for experimentation. In this paper, we review the mechanisms of larval adhesion in ascidians and draw conclusions from comparative analyses of selected species. We further discuss how knowledge from a developmental and functional genomics point of view can advance our understanding of cellular and molecular signatures and their hierarchical usage in animal adhesive organs.


Author(s):  
T. N. Antipova ◽  
D. S. Shiroyan

The system of indicators of quality of carbon-carbon composite material and technological operations of its production is proved in the work. As a result of the experimental studies, with respect to the existing laboratory equipment, the optimal number of cycles of saturation of the reinforcing frame with a carbon matrix is determined. It was found that to obtain a carbon-carbon composite material with a low cost and the required quality indicators, it is necessary to introduce additional parameters of the pitch melt at the impregnation stage.


1987 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 134-140 ◽  
Author(s):  
K.A. Clarke

Practical classes in neurophysiology reinforce and complement the theoretical background in a number of ways, including demonstration of concepts, practice in planning and performance of experiments, and the production and maintenance of viable neural preparations. The balance of teaching objectives will depend upon the particular group of students involved. A technique is described which allows the embedding of real compound action potentials from one of the most basic introductory neurophysiology experiments—frog sciatic nerve, into interactive programs for student use. These retain all the elements of the “real experiment” in terms of appearance, presentation, experimental management and measurement by the student. Laboratory reports by the students show that the experiments are carefully and enthusiastically performed and the material is well absorbed. Three groups of student derive most benefit from their use. First, students whose future careers will not involve animal experiments do not spend time developing dissecting skills they will not use, but more time fulfilling the other teaching objectives. Second, relatively inexperienced students, struggling to produce viable neural material and master complicated laboratory equipment, who are often left with little time or motivation to take accurate readings or ponder upon neurophysiological concepts. Third, students in institutions where neurophysiology is taught with difficulty because of the high cost of equipment and lack of specific expertise, may well have access to a low cost general purpose microcomputer system.


2002 ◽  
Vol 203 (2) ◽  
pp. 204-206 ◽  
Author(s):  
K-G. Lee ◽  
A. Braun ◽  
I. Chaikhoutdinov ◽  
J. DeNobile ◽  
M. Conrad ◽  
...  

Separations ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 13
Author(s):  
Petra Ranušová ◽  
Ildikó Matušíková ◽  
Peter Nemeček

A solid-phase extraction (SPE) procedure was developed for simultaneous monitoring of sixteen different phenolics of various polarity, quantified by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The procedure allowed screening the accumulation of intermediates in different metabolic pathways that play a crucial role in plant physiology and/or are beneficial for human health. Metabolites mostly involved in phenylpropanoid, shikimate, and polyketide pathways comprise chlorogenic acid, gentisic acid, vanillic acid, caffeic acid, protocatechuic acid, ferulic acid, rutin, quercetin, epicatechin, gallic acid, sinapic acid, p-coumaric acid, o-coumaric acid, vanillin; two rarely quantified metabolites, 2,5-dimethoxybenzoic acid and 4-methoxycinnamic acid, were included as well. The procedure offered low cost, good overall efficiency, and applicability in laboratories with standard laboratory equipment. SPE recoveries were up to 99.8% at various concentration levels. The method allowed for routine analysis of compounds with a wide range of polarity within a single run, while its applicability was demonstrated for various model plant species (tobacco, wheat, and soybean), as well as different tissue types (shoots and roots).


Author(s):  
João Marcos Pereira Galúcio ◽  
Sorrel Godinho Barbosa de Souza ◽  
Arthur Abinader Vasconcelos ◽  
Alan Kelbis Oliveira Lima ◽  
Kauê Santana da Costa ◽  
...  

: Nanotechnology is a cutting-edge area with numerous industrial applications. Nanoparticles are structures that have dimensions ranging from 1–100 nm which exhibit significantly different mechanical, optical, electrical, and chemical properties when compared with their larger counterparts. Synthetic routes that use natural sources, such as plant extracts, honey, and microorganisms are environmentally friendly and low-cost methods that can be used to obtain nanoparticles. These methods of synthesis generate products that are more stable and less toxic than those obtained using conventional methods. Nanoparticles formed by titanium dioxide, zinc oxide, silver, gold, and copper, as well as cellulose nanocrystals are among the nanostructures obtained by green synthesis that have shown interesting applications in several technological industries. Several analytical techniques have also been used to analyze the size, morphology, hydrodynamics, diameter, and chemical functional groups involved in the stabilization of the nanoparticles as well as to quantify and evaluate their formation. Despite their pharmaceutical, biotechnological, cosmetic, and food applications, studies have detected their harmful effects on human health and the environment; and thus, caution must be taken in uses involving living organisms. The present review aims to present an overview of the applications, the structural properties, and the green synthesis methods that are used to obtain nanoparticles, and special attention is given to those obtained from metal ions. The review also presents the analytical methods used to analyze, quantify, and characterize these nanostructures.


Author(s):  
M. I. Rodriguez-Laiton ◽  
H. A. León-Vega ◽  
E. Upegui

Abstract. The following article describes the implementation of a methodology for the structural reconstruction of the Heroes monument and the statue on the north side of Simon Bolivar Ecuestre located between the intersection of the north highway and 80th Street in Bogota (Colombia) from the acquisition of SFM photogrammetry methods and images, using low-cost sensors for this process and making use of drones from the obtaining of frames of a video to for areas with lower altimetric reach, and thereby creating an analysis in their accuracy, sizing and quality within the framework of appropriation and documentation of the cultural assets in the public space of the city Bogotá taking this data as a starting point for future developments in the process of 3D reconstructions Colombia.


Molecules ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 26 (23) ◽  
pp. 7271
Author(s):  
Tomasz Baran ◽  
Alberto Visibile ◽  
Michael Busch ◽  
Xiufang He ◽  
Szymon Wojtyla ◽  
...  

This work aims at reviewing the most impactful results obtained on the development of Cu-based photocathodes. The need of a sustainable exploitation of renewable energy sources and the parallel request of reducing pollutant emissions in airborne streams and in waters call for new technologies based on the use of efficient, abundant, low-toxicity and low-cost materials. Photoelectrochemical devices that adopts abundant element-based photoelectrodes might respond to these requests being an enabling technology for the direct use of sunlight to the production of energy fuels form water electrolysis (H2) and CO2 reduction (to alcohols, light hydrocarbons), as well as for the degradation of pollutants. This review analyses the physical chemical properties of Cu2O (and CuO) and the possible strategies to tune them (doping, lattice strain). Combining Cu with other elements in multinary oxides or in composite photoelectrodes is also discussed in detail. Finally, a short overview on the possible applications of these materials is presented.


2004 ◽  
pp. 79-90
Author(s):  
Vesna Vratusa

Efficient nursery production of woody plants, as well as the level of their successful application in urban green spaces, greatly depends upon properties of substrates in which these individuals grow, develop and endure. Furthermore, quality of substrate does not only affect the quality of future product (plant individual or green space), but distinctly determines its price. This element, extremely significant for all countries in transition, thus Serbia as well, commands finding ways of making qualitative, but least expensive substrate. The most logical solution is to use mixtures/substrates of precisely defined properties, composed of domestic components. Results presented in this paper imply that it is possible to create precisely such standard mixtures from domestic resources at relatively low cost, adjusted to needs of particular species, which would ultimately lead to successful, non-expensive nursery production and application of produced stock, both on domestic and foreign markets.


2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-10
Author(s):  
Ghazanfar Abbas ◽  
Muhammad Ibrahim ◽  
Ali Ahmad ◽  
Muhammad Azeem ◽  
Kashif Elahi

Natural zeolites are commonly described as macromolecular sieves. Zeolite networks are very trendy chemical networks due to their low-cost implementation. Sodalite network is one of the most studied types of zeolite networks. It helps in the removal of greenhouse gases. To study this rich network, we use an authentic mathematical tool known as M-polynomials of the topological index and show some physical and chemical properties in numerical form, and to understand the structure deeply, we compare different legitimate M-polynomials of topological indices, concluding in the form of graphical comparisons.


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