• Title/Summary/Keyword: Biological Engineering

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Sericin-Fixed Silk Fiber as an Immobilization Support of Enzyme

  • Lee Ki Hoon;Kang Gyung Don;Shin Bong Seob;Park Young Hwan
    • Fibers and Polymers
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    • v.6 no.1
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    • pp.1-5
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    • 2005
  • In this study, we attempted to evaluate a novel use of sericin-fixed silk fiber (SFx) as an immobilization support of enzyme. Sericin was fixed on the silk fiber using glutaraldehyde as a fixation reagent. After 6 hours of fixation, the degree of fixation increases linearly with linear decrease of the amount of bound $\alpha$-chymotrypsin (CT). This suggests that the increase of the degree of fixation is due to the further crosslinking of free aldehyde groups on the surface of sericin-fixed silk fiber (SFx). Even though perfect fixation was not achieved, sericin did not dissolve seriously and could be removed by further washing. The specific activity did not differ significantly after 6 hours of fixation. The activity of immobilized CT on SFx decreased to its half after 6 hours of incubation at 50$^{\circ}C$. However, it retained $78\%$ of initial activity even after 1 hour of treat­ment with $100\%$ ethanol. As a result, the SFx could be used as an immobilization support of enzyme in non-aqueous media at ambient temperature.

Development of a Multi-nozzle Bioprinting System for 3D Scaffold Fabrication (3차원 지지체 제작을 위한 다중 분사체 노즐 바이오프린팅 시스템 개발)

  • Park, Sanghoon;Kim, Seongjun;Song, Seung-Joon;Choi, Jaesoon
    • Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
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    • v.36 no.6
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    • pp.271-275
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    • 2015
  • The aim of this study was to develop a multi-nozzle based bioprinting system for fabrication of three-dimensional (3D) biological structure. In this study, a thermoplastic biomaterial that has relatively high mechanical stability, polycaprolactone (PCL) was used to make the 3D structure. A multi-nozzle bioprinting system was designed to dispense thermoplastic biomaterial and hydrogel simultaneously. The system that consists of 3-axes of x-y-z motion control stage and a compartment for injection syringe control mounted on the stage has been developed. Also, it has 1-axis actuator for position change of nozzle. The controllability of the printed line width with PCL was tested as a representative performance index.

Model development to design modified atmosphere packaging of Mandarin oranges

  • Kim, Jong-Kyoung;Lee, Sang-Duk;Ha, Young-Sun;Lee, Jun-Ho
    • Proceedings of the Korean Society of Postharvest Science and Technology of Agricultural Products Conference
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    • 2003.10a
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    • pp.192.1-192
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    • 2003
  • The aim of this study was to develop a model that could be used in the design of modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) for Mandarin oranges. Respiratory data at 5, 10, 20$^{\circ}C$ for mandarin oranges were gathered and altered for create useful respiration model. The maximum rate of oxygen uptake increased with increasing temperature. The packaging materials were conventional low density polyethylene and polypropylene with anti-fog, and anti-fungi treatments, and thickness was 30 $\mu\textrm{m}$ and 50 $\mu\textrm{m}$. Permeability tests were performed to find their oxygen, carbon dioxide, water vapor transmission rate as increases in temperature. Test results were then converted to logarithm format for MAP modeling. Optimum gas composition in the package system for fruits were set according to literature and upper or lower limits of oxygen and dioxide established. To predict gas composition at certain storage time, weight of fruits, film thickness, film type, and other variables, respiration rate was studied at various storage conditions. The validity of the model was tested experimentally by observing actual atmospheric changes inside packages. It is concluded that the strategy developed is of use in designing dynamic gas exchange MAP systems, and also has potential uses in similar agricultural products.

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Rate Capability of Electric Double-Layer Capacitor (EDLC) Electrodes According to Pore Length in Spherical Porous Carbons

  • Ka, Bok-H.;Yoon, Song-Hun;Oh, Seung-M.
    • Journal of the Korean Electrochemical Society
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    • v.10 no.4
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    • pp.252-256
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    • 2007
  • A series of spherical porous carbons were prepared via resorcinol-formaldehyde (RF) sol-gel polymerization in the presence of cationic surfactant (CTAB, cetyltrimethylammonium bromide), wherein the carbon sphere size was controlled by varying the CTAB introduction time after a pre-determined period of addition reaction (termed as "pre-curing"). The sphere size gradually decreases with an increase in the pre-curing time within the range of 30-150 nm. The carbons possess two types of pores; one inside carbon spheres (intra-particle pores) and the other at the interstitial sites made by carbon spheres (inter-particle pores). Of the two, the surface exposed on the former was dominant to determine the electric double-layer capacitor (EDLC) performance of porous carbons. As the intra-particle pores were generated inside RF gel spheres by gasification, the pore diameter was similar for all these carbons, thereby the pore length turned out to be a decisive factor controlling the EDLC performance. The charge-discharge voltage profiles and complex capacitance analysis consistently illustrate that the smaller-sized RF carbons deliver a better rate capability, which must be the direct result of facilitated ion penetration into shorter pores.

Mechanical properties of epoxy composites reinforced with ammonia-treated graphene oxides

  • Park, Mi-Seon;Lee, Sangmin;Lee, Young-Seak
    • Carbon letters
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    • v.21
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    • pp.1-7
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    • 2017
  • The effects of ammonia-treated graphene oxide (GO) on composites based on epoxy resin were investigated. Ammonia solutions of different concentrations (14-28%) were used to modify GO. Nitrogen functional groups were introduced on the GO surfaces without significant structural changes. The ammonia-treated GO-based epoxy composites exhibited interesting changes in their mechanical properties related to the presence of nitrogen functional groups, particularly amine ($C-NH_2$) groups on the GO surfaces. The highest tensile and impact strength values were 42.1 MPa and 12.3 J/m, respectively, which were observed in an epoxy composite prepared with GO treated with a 28% ammonia solution. This improved tensile strength was 2.2 and 1.3 times higher than those of the neat epoxy and the non-treated GO-based epoxy composite, respectively. The amine groups on the GO ensure its participation in the cross-linking reaction of the epoxy resin under amine curing agent condition and enhance its interfacial bonding with the epoxy resin.

Pretreatment of Wastepaper using Aqueous Glycerol to enhance Enzymatic Hydrolysis (효소 가수분해 향상을 위해 glycerol 수용액을 사용한 폐지의 전처리)

  • Seo, Dong Il;Kim, Chang-Joon;Kim, Sung Bae
    • KSBB Journal
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    • v.28 no.1
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    • pp.48-53
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    • 2013
  • Pretreatment of wastepaper using aqueous glycerol was investigated to enhance the enzymatic hydrolysis. The effects of four factors (solid/liquid ratio, glycerol concentration, acid concentration, and reaction time) on the dissolution yield, the removal of cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin, and the enzymatic digestibility were examined at $150^{\circ}C$. The 1/8 of solid/liquid was determined to perform the reaction uniformly, and the 93% of glycerol concentration was found to be a minimum concentration to conduct the reaction under atmospheric pressure. Also, it was found that the acid concentration and reaction time were strongly related to the dissolution yield and the removal of cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin, but moderately to the enzymatic digestibility. At an optimum condition of $150^{\circ}C$, 1 h and 1% acid concentration, 56% and 49% of hemicellulose and lignin, respectively, were removed, while only 4% of cellulose was removed. The enzymatic digestibility at this condition was 86%, meaning that 83% of the glucan present in the initial substrate was converted to glucose. Compared to glycerol with ethylene glycol as a pretreatment solvent, glycerol is much cheaper than ethylene glycol, but ethylene glycol is superior to glycerol in delignification.

Effects of Silkworm Gland Hydrolysate on Albumin-erythropoietin Production in Transgenic Chinese Hamster Ovary Cells (형질전환 Chinese Hamster Ovary 세포에서 Albumin-erythropoietin의 생산시 Silkworm Gland Hydrolysate의 효과)

  • Choi, Min-Ho;Cha, Hyun-Myoung;Kim, Sun-Mi;Choi, Yong-Soo;Kim, Dong-Il
    • KSBB Journal
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    • v.28 no.2
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    • pp.86-91
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    • 2013
  • To date, various strategies have been studied to increase specific productivity in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cell cultures. Also, albumin-fusion platform is being applied to other important bioactive peptides with short half-lives. Here, we investigated the effects of silkworm gland hydrolysate (SGH) on the production of albumin-erythropoietin (Alb-EPO) in transgenic CHO cells. The viable cell density of CHO cells was increased by 13% in the medium containing 1 mg/mL SGH higher than in the control medium without SGH. In addition, the production of Alb-EPO was also 1.26- fold enhanced by reducing the early apoptosis of CHO cells. In conclusion, SGH could be used as a useful supplement for the enhancement of recombinant protein production.

Anti-Inflammatory Effect of Chloroform Extract from Potentilla chinensis (딱지꽃 (Potentilla chinensis) 추출물의 항염증 효과)

  • Kang, Chang-Ho;Han, Sang-Hyun;So, Jae-Seong
    • KSBB Journal
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    • v.28 no.1
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    • pp.13-17
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    • 2013
  • In this study, we investigated the anti-inflammation effect of Potentilla chinensis (PC) on Raw264.7 macrophage cells. Ethanol extract of PC decreased the production of nitric oxide (NO) in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 cells. Ethanol extract was fractioned by n-hexane, chloroform, ethyl acetate, n-butanol, water and each fraction was tested for inhibitory effects on inflammation. Among the sequential solvent fractions, PC chloroform extracts (50, 100, 300, and 500 ${\mu}g/mL$) significantly suppressed LPS-stimulated production of NO. During the entire experimental period, 200 and 300 ${\mu}g/mL$ of PC chloroform extracts had no cytotoxicity. LPS-induced NO and prostaglandin $E_2$ ($PGE_2$) production were inhibited by PC chloroform extracts up to 50% and 90% of these productions, respectively. PC chloroform extracts reduced the expression of iNOS and COX-2 gene. These results suggest that PC chloroform extracts exhibit strong effects of anti-inflammation and can be a potential candidate in the treatment of acute and chronic inflammatory diseases.

Soft robotics: A solid prospect for robotizing the natural organisms

  • Tahir, Ahmad M.;Naselli, Giovanna A.;Zoppi, Matteo
    • Advances in robotics research
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    • v.2 no.1
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    • pp.69-97
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    • 2018
  • Innovation is considered as key to ensure continuous advancement and firm progress in any field. Robotics, with no exception, has gained triumph and approval based on its strength to address divers range of applications as well as its capacity to adapt new ways and means to enhance its applicability. The core of novelty in robotics technology is the perpetual curiosity of human beings to imitate natural systems. This desire urges to continuously explore and find new feet. In the past, contemporary machines, in different shapes, sizes and capabilities, were developed that can perform variety of tasks. The major advantage of these developments was the ability to exhibit superior control, strength and repeatability than the corresponding systems they were replicating. However, these systems were rigid and composed of hard an underlying structure, which is a constraint in bringing into being the compliance that exists in natural organisms. Inspiration of achieving such compliance and to take the full advantage of the design scheme of biological systems compelled researchers and scientists to develop systems avoiding conventional rigid structures. This ambition, to produce biological duos, needs soft and more flexible materials and structures to realize innovative robotic systems. This new footpath to craft biological mockups facilitates further to exploit new materials, novel design methodologies and new control techniques. This paper presents an appraisal on such innovative comprehensions, conferring to their design specific importance. This demonstration is potentially useful to prompt the novelty of soft robotics.

The Coupling Effects of Excitatory and Inhibitory Connections Between Chaotic Neurons Having Gaussian-shaped Refractory Function With Hysteresis

  • Park, Changkyu;Lee, Ju-Jang
    • 제어로봇시스템학회:학술대회논문집
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    • 1998.10a
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    • pp.356-361
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    • 1998
  • Neural Networks, modeled succinctly from the real nervous system of a living body, can be categorized into two folds; artificial neural network(ANN) and biological neural network(BNN). While the former has been developed to solve practical problems using function approximation capability, pattern classification) clustering algorithm, etc, the latter has been focused on verifying the information processing capability to which brain research gives an impetus, by mimicking real biological systems. However, BNN suffers Iron severe nonlinearities dealt with. A bridge between two neural networks is chaotic neural network(CNN), which simply delineate the real nor-vous system and comprises almost all the ANN structures by selecting parameters. Main research theme of this area is to develop an explanation tool to clarify the information processing mechanism in biological systems and its extension to engineering applications. The CNN has a Gaussian-shaped refractory function with hysteresis effect and the chaotic responses of it have been observed fur a wide range of parameter space. Through the examination of the coupling effects of excitatory and inhibitory connections, the secrets of information processing and memory structure will appear.

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