scholarly journals Polymeric Materials Used for Immobilisation of Bacteria for the Bioremediation of Contaminants in Water

Polymers ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (7) ◽  
pp. 1073
Author(s):  
Dmitriy Berillo ◽  
Areej Al-Jwaid ◽  
Jonathan Caplin

Bioremediation is a key process for reclaiming polluted soil and water by the use of biological agents. A commonly used approach aims to neutralise or remove harmful pollutants from contaminated areas using live microorganisms. Generally, immobilised microorganisms rather than planktonic cells have been used in bioremediation methods. Activated carbon, inorganic minerals (clays, metal oxides, zeolites), and agricultural waste products are acceptable substrates for the immobilisation of bacteria, although there are limitations with biomass loading and the issue with leaching of bacteria during the process. Various synthetic and natural polymers with different functional groups have been used successfully for the efficient immobilisation of microorganisms and cells. Promise has been shown using macroporous materials including cryogels with entrapped bacteria or cells in applications for water treatment and biotechnology. A cryogel is a macroporous polymeric gel formed at sub-zero temperatures through a process known as cryogelation. Macroporous hydrogels have been used to make scaffolds or supports for immobilising bacterial, viral, and other cells. The production of composite materials with immobilised cells possessing suitable mechanical and chemical stability, porosity, elasticity, and biocompatibility suggests that these materials are potential candidates for a range of applications within applied microbiology, biotechnology, and research. This review evaluates applications of macroporous cryogels as tools for the bioremediation of contaminants in wastewater.

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher H. Bowen ◽  
Cameron J. Sargent ◽  
Ao Wang ◽  
Yaguang Zhu ◽  
Xinyuan Chang ◽  
...  

AbstractManmade high-performance polymers are typically non-biodegradable and derived from petroleum feedstock through energy intensive processes involving toxic solvents and byproducts. While engineered microbes have been used for renewable production of many small molecules, direct microbial synthesis of high-performance polymeric materials remains a major challenge. Here we engineer microbial production of megadalton muscle titin polymers yielding high-performance fibers that not only recapture highly desirable properties of natural titin (i.e., high damping capacity and mechanical recovery) but also exhibit high strength, toughness, and damping energy — outperforming many synthetic and natural polymers. Structural analyses and molecular modeling suggest these properties derive from unique inter-chain crystallization of folded immunoglobulin-like domains that resists inter-chain slippage while permitting intra-chain unfolding. These fibers have potential applications in areas from biomedicine to textiles, and the developed approach, coupled with the structure-function insights, promises to accelerate further innovation in microbial production of high-performance materials.


2019 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Dmitry Svetlov ◽  
Alexander Kachalov

The research results in the field of microbiological corrosion of building materials of domestic and foreign experts are presented. It is shown that microorganisms cause corrosion of concrete on cement and other binding metal and other materials. Metals in the order of decreasing the rate of biocorrosion are arranged in the following row: aluminum, mild steel, zinc, brass, copper, stainless steel. Concrete, due to its high surface activity, is capable of adsorbing a wide variety of substances, including microorganisms: bacteria and mycelial fungi. Among bacteria, nitrifying agents, thionic, iron and silicate bacteria and others participate in the corrosion of cement concrete (mainly due to their acid secretions). According to the data of a number of authors, on the surface of stone building materials mycelial fungi of the genera Penicillium, Aspergillus, Trichoderma, Cephalosporium prevail. Biodeterioration in this case mainly comes down to the disruption of cohesion of constituent components as a result of exposure to mineral or organic acids, as well as enzymes and due to chemical reactions between the cement stone of solutions and concretes and the waste products of microorganisms. The compositions of bituminous composites at various ratios of the materials used without inclusion in the composition of fungicides showed non-fungal resistance and non-fungicide. Comparison of concrete on gypsum and phosphogypsum binders showed that samples on a phosphogypsum binder overgrow microorganisms somewhat more, wood materials are subject to significant biodeterioration at high humidity. Biodegradation of wood occurs mainly due to the use of mushrooms as food sources of cellulose, lignin and other components. Synthetic polymers and materials based on them are significantly superior to natural polymers in biostability. However, under certain operating conditions, they are damaged by biological agents. Biological damage to plastics, as well as other materials, occurs simultaneously with their aging under the influence of external physical and chemical factors (ultraviolet radiation, water, temperature changes, etc.). Additives that are usually always present in polymer compositions (fillers, plasticizers, stabilizers, antioxidants, modifiers, pigments, etc.) significantly affect the biostability of polymeric materials. One of the effective ways to increase the biostability of composite building materials is the introduction of fungicidal additives in their composition. It is also shown that of great importance in increasing the durability and increasing the life of some building structures (metal products, communications, underground pipelines and some others) is their protection by paint and varnish coatings.


Polimery ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 54 (10) ◽  
pp. 611-625 ◽  
Author(s):  
ZBIGNIEW FLORJANCZYK ◽  
MACIEJ DEBOWSKI ◽  
ELZBIETA CHWOJNOWSKA ◽  
KRZYSZTOF LOKAJ ◽  
JUSTYNA OSTROWSKA

2018 ◽  
Vol 243 (8) ◽  
pp. 665-676 ◽  
Author(s):  
Agnes B Meireles ◽  
Daniella K Corrêa ◽  
João VW da Silveira ◽  
Ana LG Millás ◽  
Edison Bittencourt ◽  
...  

Electrospinning is one of the techniques to produce structured polymeric fibers in the micro or nano scale and to generate novel materials for biomedical proposes. Electrospinning versatility provides fibers that could support different surgical and rehabilitation treatments. However, its diversity in equipment assembly, polymeric materials, and functional molecules to be incorporated in fibers result in profusion of recent biomaterials that are not fully explored, even though the recognized relevance of the technique. The present article describes the main electrospun polymeric materials used in oral applications, and the main aspects and parameters of the technique. Natural and synthetic polymers, blends, and composites were identified from the available literature and recent developments. Main applications of electrospun fibers were focused on drug delivery systems, tissue regeneration, and material reinforcement or modification, although studies require further investigation in order to enable direct use in human. Current and potential usages as biomaterials for oral applications must motivate the development in the use of electrospinning as an efficient method to produce highly innovative biomaterials, over the next few years. Impact statement Nanotechnology is a challenge for many researchers that look for obtaining different materials behaviors by modifying characteristics at a very low scale. Thus, the production of nanostructured materials represents a very important field in bioengineering, in which the electrospinning technique appears as a suitable alternative. This review discusses and provides further explanation on this versatile technique to produce novel polymeric biomaterials for oral applications. The use of electrospun fibers is incipient in oral areas, mainly because of the unfamiliarity with the technique. Provided disclosure, possibilities and state of the art are aimed at supporting interested researchers to better choose proper materials, understand, and design new experiments. This work seeks to encourage many other researchers–Dentists, Biologists, Engineers, Pharmacists–to develop innovative materials from different polymers. We highlight synthetic and natural polymers as trends in treatments to motivate an advance in the worldwide discussion and exploration of this interdisciplinary field.


Author(s):  
Varsha N, Malavika B and Vyshnavi V Rao

The world is ever developing with new inventions and technology to cater the changing lifestyles of people. The COVID-19 pandemic has stressed an increased importance of health products. One such innovation is antiviral textile which are which are capable of preventing the microbes or viruses to contact the surface of textiles. Natural fibre textiles are the best medium for the growth of many microbes which leads to degradation and unpleasant odours. To prevent all these undesirable effects, textiles are impregnated with antiviral nanoparticles in the fibres or fabrics. The use of nanoparticles makes the textiles antimicrobial, anti odour, water and stain repellent. In the last few decades, natural polymers have gained much attention among scientific communities owing to their therapeutic potential. Antiviral textiles are classified into a few broad groups, such as polymeric materials, metal ions/metal oxides, and functional nanomaterials, based on the type of materials used at the virus contamination sites. This review is an overview of antiviral textiles and their types, properties, structure of polymers and nanoparticles involved and their significance.


Author(s):  
Marcelo Torres Piza Paes ◽  
Antonio Marcos Rego Motta ◽  
Lauro Lemos Lontra Filho ◽  
Juliano Ose´ias de Morais ◽  
Sine´sio Domingues Franco

Scratching abrasion due to rubbing against the sediment layer is an important degradation mechanism of flexible cable in deep water oil and natural gas exploitation. The present study was initiated to gain relevant data on the wear behaviour of some commercial materials used to externally protect these cables. So, Comparison tests were carried out using the single-point scratching technique, which consists of a sharp point mounted at the extremity of a pendulum. The energy dissipated during the scratching is used to evaluate the relative scratch resistance. The results showed, that the contact geometry strongly affects the specific scratching energy. Using SEM imaging, it was found, that these changes were related to the operating wear mechanisms. The observed wear mechanisms are also compared with those observed on some cables in deep water operations.


Polymers ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (12) ◽  
pp. 2896
Author(s):  
Sara Ferraris ◽  
Silvia Spriano ◽  
Alessandro Calogero Scalia ◽  
Andrea Cochis ◽  
Lia Rimondini ◽  
...  

Electrospinning is gaining increasing interest in the biomedical field as an eco-friendly and economic technique for production of random and oriented polymeric fibers. The aim of this review was to give an overview of electrospinning potentialities in the production of fibers for biomedical applications with a focus on the possibility to combine biomechanical and topographical stimuli. In fact, selection of the polymer and the eventual surface modification of the fibers allow selection of the proper chemical/biological signal to be administered to the cells. Moreover, a proper design of fiber orientation, dimension, and topography can give the opportunity to drive cell growth also from a spatial standpoint. At this purpose, the review contains a first introduction on potentialities of electrospinning for the obtainment of random and oriented fibers both with synthetic and natural polymers. The biological phenomena which can be guided and promoted by fibers composition and topography are in depth investigated and discussed in the second section of the paper. Finally, the recent strategies developed in the scientific community for the realization of electrospun fibers and for their surface modification for biomedical application are presented and discussed in the last section.


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