Encapsulation of Plant Biocontrol Bacteria with Alginate as a Main Polymer Material

One of the most favored trends in modern agriculture is biological control. However, many reports show that survival of biocontrol bacteria is poor in host plants. Providing biocontrol agents with protection by encapsulation within external coatings has therefore become a popular idea. Various techniques, including extrusion, spray drying, and emulsion, have been introduced for encapsulation of biocontrol bacteria. One commonly used biopolymer for this type of microencapsulation is alginate, a biopolymer extracted from seaweed. Recent progress has resulted in the production of alginate-based microcapsules that meet key bacterial encapsulation requirements, including biocompatibility, biodegradability, and support of long-term survival and function. However, more studies are needed regarding the effect of encapsulation on protective bacteria and their targeted release in organic crop production systems. Most importantly, the efficacy of alginate use for the encapsulation of biocontrol bacteria in pest and disease management requires further verification. Achieving a new formulation based on biodegradable polymers can have significant effects on increasing the quantity and quality of agricultural products.

A programmable probiotic encapsulation system enhances therapeutic delivery in vivo

Recent advances in therapeutic modulation of human microbiota have driven new efforts to engineer living microbial medicines using synthetic biology. However, a long-standing challenge for live bacterial therapies is balancing the high dose required to achieve robust efficacy with the potential for sepsis. Here, we developed a genetically encoded microbial encapsulation system with tunable and dynamic expression of surface capsular polysaccharides to enhance therapeutic delivery. Following a synthetic small RNA knockdown screen of the capsular biosynthesis pathway, we constructed synthetic gene circuits that regulate bacterial encapsulation based on sensing the levels of environmental inducer, bacterial density, and blood pH. The induced encapsulation system enabled tunable immunogenicity and survivability of the probiotic Escherichia coli, resulting in increased maximum tolerated dose and enhanced efficacy in murine cancer models. Furthermore, triggering in situ encapsulation was found to increase microbial translocation between mouse tumors, leading to efficacy in distal tumors. The programmable encapsulation system demonstrates a new approach to control microbial therapeutic profiles in vivo using synthetic biology.

Mechanisms of encapsulation of bacteria in self-healing concrete: review

Fissures in concrete structures result from structural deterioration and inadequate building processes, among other factors. Traditional in situ repair is often expensive and complex. For this reason, self-healing techniques have been developed, such as the use of bacteria that precipitate calcium carbonate and seal fissures. However, adding bacteria directly to the concrete matrix reduces bacterial survival. We present a review of different methods of bacterial encapsulation and their effects on fissure repair and concrete resistance. We argue that encapsulation of Bacillus subtilis in clay is the most promising method for this type of concrete, increasing concrete strength by 12% and repairing fissures of up to 0.52 mm.

Effect of alginate beads on olfactory sensory perception of paraffin coated cheese

Flavour encapsulation is now an established technique, but different methods are associated with significant loss of flavour. In this work, we propose a novel alternative: the direct encapsulation of bacteria that produce useful aromatic compounds. The effect of alginate beads containing 3-methylbutanal or Carnobacterium maltaromaticum LMA 28 on olfactory sensory perception of paraffin-coated cheese was investigated. The abilities of bacteria to produce 3-methylbutanal and of alginate beads to diffuse this volatile compound in cheese was evaluated. Size, shape and encapsulation efficiency of alginate beads were determined. Moreover, the possible antimicrobial repercussions on the lactic acid flora of cheese were also examined. Alginate beads in both treatments were found to be uniform and spherical with a mean diameter of 1.69 ± 0.15 mm. Entrapped Carnobacterium maltaromaticum LMA 28 was able to produce 3-methylbutanal in sufficient amounts to facilitate diffusion through paraffin coating. The results identify bacterial encapsulation as superior to direct encapsulation of volatile compounds for imparting 3-methylbutanal olfactory notes to cheese.

Pathogenesis and pathophysiology of bacterial meningitis.

Bacterial meningitis remains a disease with associated unacceptable morbidity and mortality rates despite the availability of effective bactericidal antimicrobial therapy. Through the use of experimental animal models of infection, a great deal of information has been gleaned concerning the pathogenic and pathophysiologic mechanisms operable in bacterial meningitis. Most cases of bacterial meningitis begin with host acquisition of a new organism by nasopharyngeal colonization followed by systemic invasion and development of a high-grade bacteremia. Bacterial encapsulation contributes to this bacteremia by inhibiting neutrophil phagocytosis and resisting classic complement-mediated bactericidal activity. Central nervous system invasion then occurs, although the exact site of bacterial traversal into the central nervous system is unknown. By production and/or release of virulence factors into and stimulation of formation of inflammatory cytokines within the central nervous system, meningeal pathogens increase permeability of the blood-brain barrier, thus allowing protein and neutrophils to move into the subarachnoid space. There is then an intense subarachnoid space inflammatory response, which leads to many of the pathophysiologic consequences of bacterial meningitis, including cerebral edema and increased intracranial pressure. Attenuation of this inflammatory response with adjunctive dexamethasone therapy is associated with reduced concentrations of tumor necrosis factor in the cerebrospinal fluid, with diminished cerebrospinal fluid leukocytosis, and perhaps with improvement of morbidity, as demonstrated in recent clinical trials. Further information on the pathogenesis and pathophysiology of bacterial meningitis should lead to the development of more innovative treatment and/or preventive strategies for this disorder.

Mechanisms of Bacterial Survival in Chlorinated Drinking Water

Experiments showed that attachment of bacteria to surfaces provided the greatest increase in disinfection resistance. Attachment of high nutrient grown, unencapsulated, Klebsiellapneumoniae to glass microscope slides afforded the microorganisms as much as a 150 fold increase in disinfection resistance. Other mechanisms which increased disinfection resistance included: the age of the biofilm, bacterial encapsulation and previous growth conditions (e.g. growth medium, and growth temperature). These factors increased chlorine resistance from two to ten fold. The choice of disinfectant residual was shown to influence the type of resistance mechanism observed. Disinfection by free chlorine was affected by surfaces, age of the biofilm, encapsulation and nutrient effects. Disinfection by monochloramine, however, was only affected by surfaces. Importantly, the research showed that these resistance mechanisms were multiplicative (e.g. the resistance provided by one mechanism could be multiplied by the resistance provided by a second). These results provide important insights to understand the survival of bacteria in chlorinated drinking water supplies.