• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.28 no.8
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• pp.1360-1366
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• 2018

The fungi associated with termites secrete enzymes such as laccase (multi-copper oxidase) that can degrade extracellular wood matrix. Laccase uses molecular oxygen as an electron acceptor to catalyze the degradation of organic compounds. Owing to its ability to transfer electrons from the cathodic electrode to molecular oxygen, laccase has the potential to be a biocatalyst on the surface of the cathodic electrode of a microbial fuel cell (MFC). In this study, a two-chamber MFC using the laccase-producing fungus Galactomyces reessii was investigated. The fungus cultured on coconut coir was placed in the cathode chamber, while an anaerobic microbial community was maintained in the anode chamber fed by industrial rubber wastewater and supplemented by sulfate and a pH buffer. The laccase-based biocathode MFC (lbMFC) produced the maximum open circuit voltage of 250 mV, output voltage of 145 mV (with a $1,000{\Omega}$ resistor), power density of $59mW/m^2$, and current density of $278mA/m^2$, and a 70% increase in half-cell potential. This study demonstrated the capability of laccase-producing yeast Galactomyces reessii as a biocatalyst on the cathode of the two-chamber lbMFC.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.53-66
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• 1982

1. When Chong Ju and Chung Ju soils possessing different physicochemical properties were treated with 500 ppm of TOK and incubated in flooded anaerobic condition for 2, 4, and 6 months, respectively, they produced 4-Chloro-4'-amino diphenyl ether, 2,4-Dichloro-4'-amino diphenyl ether(amin-TOK), N-[4'-(4-Chlorophenoxy)] phenyl acetamide, and N-[4'-(4-Chlorophenoxy)] phenyl formamide as the metabolities. This result indicates that TOK undergose the reduction of its $NO_2\;to\;NH_2$ group, dechlorination, acetylation, and formylation under this condition. The cleavage of ether linkage does not occur. In addition, TOK degrades more readily in Chung Ju soil which is characterized by pH 6.43 and higher contents of $Ca^{++}$ and C.E.C. than in Chong Ju soil which is lower in pH, $Ca^{++}$, and C.E.C. 2. In the aerobic incubation of TOK of 25ppm in Chung Ju soil suspension for 21 days, the ratio of the resulting metabolites, TOK : amino-TOK : 4-Chloro-4'-amino diphenyl ether was 100 : 130 : 76. Meanwhile, in the 42 day incubation, the ratio was 100 : 19 : 5, which indicates that TOK in aerobic condition dose not necessrily degrade as a function of the incubation period. 3. The citrate buffer extract of Chung Ju soil has the capability of degrading TOK, which was verified to be due to the action of the microorganisms involved. 4. Twelye strains of soil bacteria were isolated from the TOK-treated soils. In the incubation of TOK in pure cultures of the respective isolates, the strain T-1-1 isolated from Chong Ju soil had almost no degradability whereas the strain T-2-3 was the most potent. The degradation of TOK by the isolates constituted mostly the reduction of the nitro group to amino group. 5. In a test for the degradability of TOK by some selected microorganisms, Pseudomonas species were more potent than fungi. Yet, Isolate B which had been isolated from Chung Ju soil suspension was the most potent.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.1-5
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• 2015

BACKGROUND: The stabilities of the two alkaloidal insecticides of S. flavescens including matrine and oxymatrine are important factor to establish expiry date and usage manual for crop protection. However, the environmental stability of the compounds had not been studied with the extract and its commercial biopesticide. METHODS AND RESULTS: The environmental stabilities of the two alkaloids were performed with extract of S. flavescens, and its two commercial biopesticides both in controlled aquatic and soil conditions. The half-lives of the total matrines for the extract and its two commercial biopesticides were estimated over 200 days both under aerobic and anaerobic water condition. Under dry soil condition, the initial decay rates of the matrines were calculated 0.0804-0.1275 ($t_{1/2}$ 5.4-8.6 days), and the half-lives under wet soil condition were calculated 33.0-231 days. Total soil bacteria on the wet soil ranged 6.0-8.0 log CFU/g-soil during the experiments period. CONCLUSION: The aquatic mixture of the extract showed excellent stability both with the extract and its biopesticides, however, the stability of soil mixture were shorter than the aquatic mixture, suggesting that soil metal consider as a catalyst for the degradation of the two alkaloids.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.902-907
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• 1998

In this study the anaerobic degradation of nitrate by in GFM (gel and foam matrix) and bead gel immobilized Paracoccus denitrificans DSM 65 in continous culture was conducted. A novel GFM immobilization system was developed in order to improve conventional system (bead). With increasing nitrate concentration in water, the nitrate reduction rate was increased. The observed maximum denitrification rate by in GFM immobilized cells was 177 mg/L h in buffered water, while that was 33 mg/L h in tap water. In comparison with bead system the reduction activity by GFM system showed $1.2{\sim}2.1$ times better. The denitrification activity was not changed after 16 days storage at $5^{\circ}C$ and also showed better activity than that of free cells or even bead immobilized cells.

• Advances in environmental research
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.151-162
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• 2014

Among the combination of 4 different second metals and 3 different noble metals, Ni 10%-Pd 1%/hematite (Ni(10)-Pd(1)/H) showed best tetrachloroethylene (PCE) removal (75.8%) and production of non-toxic products (39.8%) in closed batch reactors under an anaerobic condition. The effect of environmental factors (pH, contents of Ni and Pd in catalyst, and hydrogen gas concentration) on the reductive dechlorination of PCE by Pd-Ni/hematite catalysts was investigated. PCE was degraded less at the condition of Ni(5)/H (13.7%) than at the same condition with Ni(10)/H (20.6%). Removals of PCE were rarely influenced by the experimental condition of different Pd amounts (Pd(1)/H and Pd(3)/H). Acidic to neutral pH conditions were favorable to the degradation of PCE, compared to the alkaline condition (pH 10). Increasing Ni contents from 1 to 10% increased the PCE removal to 89.8% in 6 hr. However, the removal decreased to 74.2% at Ni content of 20%. Meanwhile, increasing Pd contents to 6% showed no difference in PCE removal at Pd content of more than 1%. Increasing H2 concentration increased the removal of PCE until 4% H2 which was maximumly applied in this study. Chlorinated products such as trichloroethylene, 1,1-dichloroethylene, cis-1,2-dichloroethylene, trans-1,2-dichloroethylene, and vinyl chloride were not observed while PCE was transformed to acetylene (24%), ethylene (5%), and ethane (11%) by Ni(10)-Pd(1)/H catalyst in 6hr.

• Advances in nano research
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.355-366
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• 2023

Biological corrosion, a crucial aspect of metal degradation, has received limited attention despite its significance. It involves the deterioration of metals due to corrosion processes influenced by living organisms, including bacteria. Soil represents a substantial threat to pipeline corrosion as it contains chemical and microbial factors that cause severe damage to water, oil, and gas transmission projects. To combat fouling and corrosion, corrosion inhibitors are commonly used; however, their production often involves expensive and hazardous chemicals. Consequently, researchers are exploring natural and eco-friendly alternatives, specifically nano-sized products, as potent corrosion inhibitors. This study aims to environmentally synthesize silver nanoparticles using an extract from Lagoecia cuminoides L and evaluate their effectiveness in preventing biological corrosion of buried pipes in soil. The optimal experimental conditions were determined as follows: a volume of 4 ml for the extract, a volume of 4 ml for silver nitrate (AgNO3), pH 9, a duration of 60 minutes, and a temperature of 60 degrees Celsius. Analysis using transmission electron microscopy confirmed the formation of nanoparticles with an average size of approximately 28 nm, while X-ray diffraction patterns exhibited suitable peak intensities. By employing the Scherer equation, the average particle size was estimated to be around 30 nm. Furthermore, antibacterial studies revealed the potent antibacterial activity of the synthesized silver nanoparticles against both aerobic and anaerobic bacteria. This property effectively mitigates the biological corrosion caused by bacteria in steel pipes buried in soil.

• Animal Bioscience
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• v.37 no.2_spc
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• pp.396-403
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• 2024

Objective: Monofluoroacetate (MFA) is a potent toxin that blocks ATP production via the Krebs cycle and causes acute toxicity in ruminants consuming MFA-containing plants. The rumen bacterium, Cloacibacillus porcorum strain MFA1 belongs to the phylum Synergistota and can produce fluoride and acetate from MFA as the end-products of dehalorespiration. The aim of this study was to identify the genomic basis for the metabolism of MFA by this bacterium. Methods: A draft genome sequence for C. porcorum strain MFA1 was assembled and quantitative transcriptomic analysis was performed thus highlighting a candidate operon encoding four proteins that are responsible for the carbon-fluorine bond cleavage. Comparative genome analysis of this operon was undertaken with three other species of closely related Synergistota bacteria. Results: Two of the genes in this operon are related to the substrate-binding components of the glycine reductase protein B (GrdB) complex. Glycine shares a similar structure to MFA suggesting a role for these proteins in binding MFA. The remaining two genes in the operon, an antiporter family protein and an oxidoreductase belonging to the radical S-adenosyl methionine superfamily, are hypothesised to transport and activate the GrdB-like protein respectively. Similar operons were identified in a small number of other Synergistota bacteria including type strains of Cloacibacillus porcorum, C. evryensis, and Pyramidobacter piscolens, suggesting lateral transfer of the operon as these genera belong to separate families. We confirmed that all three species can degrade MFA, however, substrate degradation in P. piscolens was notably reduced compared to Cloacibacillus isolates possibly reflecting the loss of the oxidoreductase and antiporter in the P. piscolens operon. Conclusion: Identification of this unusual anaerobic fluoroacetate metabolism extends the known substrates for dehalorespiration and indicates the potential for substrate plasticity in amino acid-reducing enzymes to include xenobiotics.

• Journal of the Korea Organic Resources Recycling Association
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.109-119
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• 2002

This study is to estimate that food waste bags with biodegradable plastic are really decomposed by microorganism in composting with food waste and to examinate how biodegradable plastic affects composting. 6 kinds of 30%, 4 kinds of 100% and 2 kinds of none biodegradable plastics were used in d1is study. In 30% biodegradable plastics the highest Degradation rare is 6% in meso-condition and 10% in thermal-condition. Srain at auto break decreased to 150% in meso-condition and 120% in thermal-condition. Stress at max load were also reduced to $180kgf/cm^2$ in mesocondition and $200kgf/cm^2$ in thermal-condition. Usually, LLDPE decreased larger than HDPE in physical characreristics but HDPE is higher in degradation rate. 1n stain at auto break and stress ar max load 100% biodegradable plastic declined to 230% and to $380kgf/cm^2$ in meso-condition and to 440% and to $400/cm^2$ in thermal-condition respectively. 100% biodegradable plastics showed higher biodegradation and decomposition then 30%. They appeared clearly through SEM observation. As a result, it was not appropriate to use 30% biodegradable plastics as food waste bag because they were not decomposed perfectly. It is possible to use 100% biodegradable plastic as it but cost is too high. So development of technique is needed.

• KSBB Journal
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• v.20 no.6
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• pp.408-412
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• 2005

In a previous research, it has been found that it could be possible to increase the partial pressure of hydrogen and hydrogen yield by scavenging the $CO_2$ from the heads pace of reactor. In this research, the positive and negative effects of the $CO_2$ scavenging especially on the fate of by-products were investigated by a batch experiment. Production and conversion of by-products had critical relationships with hydrogen evolution and consumption. The maximum hydrogen fraction in the headspace was increased from 66.4 to 91.2% by removing the $CO_2$ in the headspace and the degradation rate of glucose was also enhanced. The removal of $CO_2$ effectively hindered the homoacetogenesis but caused several negative phenomena. The degradation of ethanol, one of the main products, was inhibited by the high partial pressure of hydrogen and/or the absence of $CO_2$. Also it was observed that other by-products such as propionate, propanol, acetone, etc. could not be degraded further after produced from glucose. On the other hand, solventogenesis was not observed in spite of the high hydrogen partial pressure apart from previous researches and it might hinder the excess production of acetate, which could cause overall inhibition. From this research, it could be implicated that the $CO_2$ scavenging method could be recommended if the fermentation was purposed to produce hydrogen and ethanol.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.44 no.6
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• pp.1245-1251
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• 2011

As a result of the growing livestock industry, varieties of organic solid and waste biomass are be generated in swine breeding and slaughtering stages. Anaerobic digestion is a promising alternative for the treatment of livestock waste biomass, as well as for the material recovery and energy production. Objectives of this study were to analyze the biochemical methane potential of swine waste biomasses that were generated from swine pen and slaughterhouse and to investigate the material recovery and methane yield per head. As pig waste biomass, swine slurry, blood, intestine residue, and digestive tract content were collected for investigation from pig farmhouse and slaughterhouse. The $B_{th}$ (Theoretical methane potential) and $B_0$ (Biochemical methane potential) of swine slurry generating in swine breeding stage were 0.525 and $0.360Nm^3\;kg^{-1}-VS_{added}$, the ratio of degradation ($B_0/B_{th}$) was 68.6%. $B_{th}$ of blood, intestine residue, and digestive tract content were 0.539, 0.664, and $0.517Nm^3\;kg^{-1}-VS_{added}$, and $B_0$ were 0.405, 0.213, and $0.240Nm^3\;kg^{-1}-VS_{added}$, respectively. And the ratio of degradation showed 75.1, 32.1, and 46.4% in blood, intestine residue, and digestive tract content. Material yield of swine waste biomass was calculated as TS 73.79, VS 46.75, TN 5.58, $P_2O_5$ 1.94, and $K_2O$ $2.91kg\;head^{-1}$. And methane yield was $16.58Nm^3\;head^{-1}$. In the aspect that slaughterhouse is a large point source of waste biomass, while swine farmhouse is non-point source, the feasibility of an anaerobic digestion using the slaughtering waste biomass need to be assessed in the economical aspect between the waste treatment cost and the profitable effect by methane production.