Continuous Monitoring of IgG using Immobilized Fluorescent Reporters

In the manufacture of therapeutic monoclonal antibodies (mAbs), the clarified cell culture fluid is typically loaded onto an initial protein A affinity capture column. Imperfect mass transfer and loading to maximum capacity can risk antibody breakthrough and loss of valuable product, but conservative underloading wastes expensive protein A resin. In addition, the effects of column fouling and ligand degradation require the frequent optimization of IgG loading to avoid wastage. Therefore, continuous real-time monitoring of IgG flowthrough is of great interest. We previously developed a fluorescence-based monitoring technology that allows mix-and-read mAb detection in cell culture fluid. Here we report the use of reporters immobilized on CNBr-activated Sepharose 4B resin for continuous detection of IgG in column breakthrough. The column effluent is continuously contacted with immobilized fluorescein-labeled Fc-binding ligands to produce an immediately detectable change in fluorescence intensity. The technology allows rapid and reliable monitoring of IgG in a flowing stream of clarified cell culture fluid emerging from a Protein A column, without prior sample preparation. We observed a significant change in fluorescence intensity at 0.5 g/L human IgG, sufficient to detect a 5% breakthrough of a 10 g/L load, within 2 minutes at a flow rate of 0.5 mL/min.

Hop Leaves as an Alternative Source of Health-Active Compounds: Effect of Genotype and Drying Conditions

In hop cultivation, one-third of the crop is a valuable product (hop cones), and two-thirds is unexploited biomass, consisting mainly of leaves and stems, which, in a circular economy approach, can be recovered and, once stabilized, supplied to industrial sectors, such as cosmetics, pharmaceuticals and phytotherapy, with high added value. In this regard, this study aimed to investigate the effects of two different drying methods: oven drying (OD) at 45 °C and freeze-drying (FD), on the overall nutraceutical profile (i.e., total phenols, total flavans and total thiols), pigment content (i.e., carotenoids and chlorophylls) and the antioxidant potential of leaves from five different Humulus lupulus varieties grown in central Italy. Moreover, attenuated total reflectance infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy was applied to dried leaf powders to study the influence of both the variety and treatment on their molecular fingerprints. The spectral data were then analyzed by principal component analysis (PCA), which was able to group the samples mainly based on the applied treatment. Considering the overall phytochemical profile, FD appeared to be the most suitable drying method, while OD provided higher carotenoid retention, depending on the genotype considered. Finally, unsupervised chemometric tools (i.e., PCA and hierarchical clustering) revealed that the two main clusters contained subclusters based on the drying treatment applied; these subgroups were related to the susceptibility of the variety to the drying conditions studied.

Analysis of the beryllium stability under standard and critical operation in a fusion reactor

Currently, dark fermentation is the most practically applicable for the implementation of biotechnological roduction of hydrogen. However, this process has certain limiting factors, since a significant part of the substrates are converted into various metabolic products, but not into H2 . Therefore, it is necessary to develop optimal conditions for energy recovery in the form of gaseous molecular hydrogen. Various carbohydrate-containing raw materials for hydrogen production often require pretreatment before they can be used by microorganisms. Dilute acid pretreatment represents a promising way to increase biohydrogen production. However, during acid hydrolysis of carbohydrate-containing wastes, in addition to the released soluble sugars, inhibitors of enzymatic processing, such as furfural and 5-HMF, acetic and propionic acids, etc., can accumulate. In this regard, it is necessary to select the optimal conditions for the efficient production of biohydrogen. This study investigated the production of biohydrogen during the microbial fermentation of sugars in a dilute solution of a molasses-based acid hydrolyzate using Escherichia coli and a multiple mutant. The results of the experiments showed that molasses is a valuable product as a source of carbon and energy for microorganisms in the production of biohydrogen, as well as for the production of biomass for the further production of various products with high added value.

Development of parameters for the production of biomass and biohydrogen from brewer’s grain

In this work, suitable pretreatment conditions have been studied to increase hydrogen production by dark fermentation of brewer’s grain (BG). All samples with different concentrations of raw materials were tested: treatment with sulfuric acid with a concentration of 1.5%, autoclaving at 121 ◦C, purification from impurities by filtration, centrifugation and calibration of the pH of the medium to 7.5 units. The choice of acid hydrolysis is due to the fact that this type of pretreatment is the most suitable for the further commercialization of this technology. Also, pretreatment performs the task of suppressing methanogens and creating conditions for the life of hydrogen-producing bacteria. Experiments were carried out under mesophilic conditions ( 37 ◦C) using wild-type and multiple mutant E. coli. The highest sugar yields were obtained at a 4% concentration of brewer’s grains and in the presence of a concentration of 1.5% sulfuric acid in the original substrate. The results of the experiments showed that brewer’s grains are a valuable product as a source of carbon and energy for microorganisms in the production of biohydrogen, as well as for the production of biomass for further production of value-added products.

Pre-treatment Effect on Physical and Microbial Parameters of Smoked Baltic Sprats

Smoked sprats are delicious and nutritionally valuable product. Besides protein, it contains high amount of unsaturated fatty acids and fat soluble vitamins. Nowadays, human interest for fish product consumption is increasing. It leads to the demand for increased shelf life of the smoked sprats. One way to prolong the shelf life is to use some pre-treatment prior to smoking. The aim of study was to analyse the effect of pre-treatment on smoked Baltic sprat quality and microbiological parameters. Various compositions of brine using salts (NaCl, CaCl2) and acetic acid in different proportions were used for fresh sprat pre-treatment. Pre-treatment had the influence on physical parameters; pre-treated samples had higher salt and lower moisture content, and lower pH, which allowed prolonging the shelf life of smoked sprats. The highest pH was in the control sample 6.6, and it allowed growth of yeasts, moulds, Pseudomonas spp., and mesophilic and facultative anaerobic microorganisms. The results demonstrated that after two-week storage of the smoked sprats the growth of moulds (1×102 CFU g−1) was observed only for smoked sprats without pre-treatment (control sample), indicating the positive effect of pre-treatment. Salmonella spp., Clostridium perfingens, Listeria monocytogenes, and Escherichia coli were not detected in any of the analysed samples. After pre-treatment in brine, containing combination of NaCl and CaCl2, smoked fish had darker colour compared to control sample or sample with sodium chloride only. Any of applied pre-treatments, except brine containing NaCl, made firmer texture of the smoked fish.

Probing the potentiality of the defoliator Cricula trifenestrata Helfer silk: a revisit

Background Transformation of pest to valuable product is considered to be a noteworthy innovation. This article explores the potentiality of wild silkworm Cricula trifenestrata Helfer for sustainable development towards human livelihoods. Results The innate characteristics of this silkworm with robust rearing capacity have bestowed various aspects of biomaterials with special context to diversification of wild silk products. Views on challenges, prospects and the enigma of converting a pest to beneficial product are also unraveled. Exploration on utmost utilization of raw silk, scope for varied byproduct from silk waste may contribute a ray of hope for income generation to the rural population. Conclusion With suitable plantation and congenial climatic conditions for rearing Cricula trifenestrata may serve as an alternative wild silk in contributing to the country’s wild raw silk production.

One in a Million: Genetic Diversity and Conservation of the Reference Crassostrea angulata Population in Europe from the Sado Estuary (Portugal)

The production of cupped oysters is an important component of European aquaculture. Most of the production relies on the cultivation of the Pacific oyster Crassostrea gigas, although the Portuguese oyster Crassostrea angulata represents a valuable product with both cultural and economic relevance, especially in Portugal. The authors of the present study investigated the genetic diversity of Portuguese oyster populations of the Sado estuary, both from natural oyster beds and aquaculture facilities, through cox1 gene fragment sequencing. Then, a comparison with a wide dataset of cupped oyster sequences obtained from GenBank (up to now the widest available dataset in literature for the Portuguese oyster) was performed. Genetic data obtained from this work confirmed that the Pacific oyster does not occur in the natural oyster beds of the Sado estuary but showed that the species occasionally occurs in the oyster hatcheries. Moreover, the results showed that despite the founder effect and the bottleneck events that the Sado populations have experienced, they still exhibit high haplotype diversity. Risks are arising for the conservation of the Portuguese oyster reference populations of the Sado estuary due to the occurrence of the Pacific oyster in the local hatcheries. Therefore, researchers, local authorities, and oyster producers should work together to avoid the loss of this valuable resource.

isolation of cellulose from agricultural waste using different treatments : A review

Cellulose is one of the natural resources that are very abundant in nature. Cellulose is the main component in plant cell wall, so that abundant availability makes it potential to be used as a more valuable product. Cellulose can be obtained from agricultural wastes such as pea peels, rice straw, cucumber peels, eggplant stems, and coconut husks to produce cellulose. This cellulose has good biodegradability and biocompatibility so that it can be widely beneficial in the industrial sector. The product was obtained by a method developed for isolating cellulose by alkali treatment, acid hydrolysis, delignification process, and bleaching. The best cellulose from agricultural waste utilization is indicated by the crystallinity value in pea peels of 79% and yield of rice straw 90.28%, which is better than other agricultural wastes.

Gum Arabic Production and Population Status of Senegalia senegal (L.) Britton in Dryland Forests in South Omo Zone, Ethiopia

Senegalia senegal (L.) Britton is a multi-purpose dryland tree species that produces gum arabic, a commercially valuable product. However, this resource is underused in Ethiopian dryland areas. The aim of this study was to evaluate the population status and potential gum yield of S. senegal growing in natural stands in South Omo Zone, Ethiopia. Forty-five sample plots, each measuring 20 × 20 m, were established at 500 m intervals along transects, with 1 m2 subplots located within the main plots to determine regeneration. S. senegal trees with a diameter at breast height of between 2 and 12 cm were most prevalent. Forty-two tree species were associated with S. senegal, of which 16 were gum- and resin-producing species. S. senegal was positively associated with Vachellia tortilis, Senegalia mellifera, Vachellia nilotica, Commiphora edulis, and Dobera glabra. Senegalia senegal comprised approximately 35% of regenerating trees. The maximum gum arabic yield obtained was 3948 g tree−1. Linear models of dendrometric variables indicated that gum arabic yield is better predicted by tree diameter than by height. Despite the limitations of this pioneer survey, the population status and yield potential suggest that gum arabic could be sustainably produced and commercialized in natural stands of S. senegal in the studied dryland areas, providing local communities with supplementary seasonal incomes.

Co-Pyrolysis of PCB with Cotton Stalk: Product Characterisation

With advancing technology, PCB (Printed circuit board), one of the most important components of e-waste, has become a source of pollution due to an ineffective waste management system. This problem can be solved by converting PCB waste into a valuable product which will emerge to maximize the renewable energy supplies. In this aspect, co-pyrolysis is advantageous in both simple and successful in producing high-quality pyrolysis oil. In this paper, cotton stalk (CS) as biomass was used for co-pyrolysis with PCB. Slow pyrolysis of PCB, CS, and co-pyrolysis of PCB:CS (1:1) have been carried out for temperatures up to 500 \(℃\) in a fixed-bed reactor. The products of pyrolysis: oil was analysed by GC-MS and FTIR and gas had been analysed by GC. The results indicate that there is an increase in oil yield from 19.6% to 27.5 % by weight and phenol and phenolic compounds in oil of co-pyrolysis from 60.94–76.82% than literature available. As per authors knowledge co-pyrolysis of PCB:CS has been attempted first time and the products characterisation were found completely different than any other biomass co-pyrolysis with PCB.