• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.241-250
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• 2012

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), butyltins (BTs), nonylphenol (NP), and fecal sterols concentrations in sediments were investigated from Gunsan coast of Korea to evaluate organic pollution from anthropogenic activities. Sediment toxicity was also examined by bacterial bioluminescence toxicity test (Vibrio fischeri). The concentrations of 16 PAHs in sediments ranged from 67.9 to 425 ng/g dry wt; BTs ranged from 2.79 to 14.1 ng Sn/g dry wt; NP ranged from 20.7 to 2171 ng/g dry wt; and coprostanol, a fecal sterol, ranged from 7.60 to 245 ng/g dry wt. Effective concentration 50% ($EC_{50}$) of sediments ranged from 0.38 to 23.8 mg/mL. Most of the chemicals were present at levels lower than or comparable to the previously reported values from Korea. However, NP levels in the present study were in the high range of levels reported from the Korean coast, and 40% of the measured samples exceeded screening and ecotoxicological values of NP suggested by the Netherlands and Canada. This suggests that an ongoing source of NP is a serious concern in the Gunsan coast. High levels of contaminants were found in the proximity of potential sources, such as the outfall of a wastewater treatment plant for NP, an anthracite-fired power plant for PAHs, and ports for BTs, fecal sterols, and sediment toxicity. This indicates that Gunsan coast has various potential sources of marine sediment contaminants.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.32 no.8
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• pp.795-801
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• 2010

The acute toxicity of arsenic compounds was assessed and compared using following four bioassays; bioluminescence activity of the recombinant strain RB1436, germination of four different seeds, ${\alpha}$-glucosidase activity produced by Bacillus lichemiformis, acute genetic revertant mutation using mutant strain Salmonella typhimurium. Different sensitivities were observed among tested bioassays, but generally the toxicity by arsenite was greater than that of arsenate. Among tested four seeds, sensitivities of Lactucus and Raphanus were greater than others, and these two seed types were appeared as proper type for bioassay. High revertant mutation ratio (5.1) was observed with 1 mg/L arsenite, indicating high mutagenicity. The sensitivity of ${\alpha}$-glucosidase activity on arsenic compounds was much lower than other methods. The evaluation of interactive toxic effects using various bioassays may comprise a useful tool for the bioassessment of environmental pollutants.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.42-50
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• 2021

Along with the rapid growth of the food service industry, food safety requirements and hygiene are increasing in importance in restaurants and hotels. Accordingly, there is a need for quick and practical monitoring techniques to determine hygiene status in the field. In this study, we investigated 5 domestic 5-star hotels specifically, personal hygiene (hands of workers), cooking utensils (knife, cutting board, food storage container, slicing machine blade, ice-maker scoop) and other facilities (refrigerator handle, sink). In addition, we examined the hygiene management status of customer contact points (tongs for buffet, etc.) to derive the correlation between the ATP values as a, a verification method. As a result of our five-hotel survey, we found that cooking utensils and personal hygiene were relatively sanitary compared to other inspection items (cookware 92.2%, personal hygiene 91.4%, facilities and equipment 76.19%, customer contact items 88.6%). According to our ATP-based mothod, kitchen utensils (51 ± 45 RLU/25㎠) were relatively clean compared to other with facilities and equipment (167 ± 123 RLU/25㎠). In the present study, we also evaluated the usefulness of the ATP bioluminescence method for monitoring surface hygiene at hotel restaurants. After correlation analysis of surveillance of hygienic status points and ATP assay, most results showed negative and high correlation (-0.64--0.89). Our ATP assay (92 ± 67 RLU/25㎠) of each item after cleaning showed signigicantly reduced results compared to the ATP assay (1020 ± 1254 RLU/25㎠) for normal status, thereby indicating its suitability as a tool to verify the validity of cleaning. By our results, ATP bioluminescence could be used as an effective tool for visual numerical evaluation of invisible contaminants.

• Journal of Photoscience
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.41-45
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• 2004

The key riboflavin synthesis genes are located immediately downstream of luxG in the lux operon from Photobacterium leiognathi. It is of interest that a site capable of forming a rho-independent terminator does not appear to be present between luxG and ribE in our previous data. These results raise the question of whether the transcription of lux and rib genes is integrated or not. In order to answer the question, in vivo transcriptional assay and Southern blot were examined. These studies demonstrate that neither transcriptional terminator nor promoter site is present in the intergenic region between of lux and rib genes as well as that the riboflavin genes are single copy in a chromosome of Photobacterium leiognathi.

• 대한핵의학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2004.11a
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• pp.388.2-388.2
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• 2004

• BMB Reports
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.353-357
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• 2000

A new assay method of ${\alpha}-Oxidase$ (fatty acid : oxygen dioxygenase, 1-decarboxylating) was developed using a bioluminescence reaction system of marine luminous bacterium, Photobacterium phosphoreum. ${\alpha}$-Oxidase was isolated from a cucumber (Cucumis sativus). Pentadecanoic acid was used as a substrate, and the product, tetradecanal, was analyzed with a bacterial luciferase-coupled reaction. Initial light intensity was directly related to the concentration of tetradecanal in the range of 1 nM to 10 ${\mu}M$. Optimal pH and temperature were 7.5 and $25^{\circ}C$, respectively. Optimal pentadecanoic acid concentration in a standard assay of ${\alpha}$-oxidase was 0.1 mM. The Km value of pentedecanoic acid was $85{\mu}M$. This method is straightforward, rapid, convenient, and easy. Its needs no treatment or extraction of reaction mixture.

• 대한핵의학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2005.11a
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• pp.320.1-320.1
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• 2005

• Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.135-144
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• 1999

Environmental toxicities of priority water pollutants were evaluated by two selected bioassays, Lettuce seed germination/elongation test and Microtox acute toxicity test. Toxic chemicals (heavy metals, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and phenolic compounds) inhibited the germination rate and root elongation of Lettuce seed, as well as the bioluminescence of Microtox bacteria. When test biota were exposed to target chemicals, the sensitivity of Lettuce bioassay was relatively lower than that of Microtox bioassay. However, Lettuce bioassay may be a good candidate for prescreening the environmental toxicities of priority water pollutants, since the testing method with Lettuce seed was relatively easier and more economic than with Microtox bacteria. Toxicity tests were conducted to compare the validity and sensitivity of both bioassays for sediment from a small stream passed through urban area as well as leachate from a municipal solid waste landfill. From experimental results, we found that Lettuce test and Microtox test are compensated each other as a battery of bioassay for evaluating the environmental toxicities of field samples obtained from a small stream contaminated by pollutants.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.278-285
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• 1999

In order to use heat shock promoter for the detection of toxic substances, dnaK promoter was amplified from E. coli genomic DNA by using a polymerase chain reaction(PCR) followed by sequencing and sub-cloning into the multi-cloning site of the plasmid, pUCD615. The pUCD615 is a broad-host-range vector containing promoterless lux operon originated from V.fischeri. The recombinant plasmid was transfered to E. coli DH5$\alpha$ through electroporation. The recombinant E. coli showed several patterns of bioluminescent responses to ethanol stress. The bioluminescent E. coli also showed responses to other toxic substances including FeK3(CN)6, CdCl2, p-nitrophenol and HgCl2. The increases of RLU(Relative Light Unit) were observed at 100ppm of FeK3(CN)6, 10ppm and 100ppm and 100ppm of CdCl2, 1ppm of 10ppm of p-nitrophenol and at 1ppm of HgCl2.

• Biotechnology and Bioprocess Engineering:BBE
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• v.5 no.3
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• pp.202-206
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• 2000

The genetically-engineered Escherichia coli strain, DPD2540, which contains a fabA:::luxCDAbefusion gene, gives a bioluminescent output when membrane fatty acid synthesis is needed. For more pactical application of this strain in the filed as biosensor, freezedrying was adopted. A 12% surcrose solution with Luria-Bertani (LB) broth, as determined by the viability after freeze-drying, was found to be most most effective composition for lyophilization solution among various compositions testitons tested. Rapid freezing with liquid nitrogen also gave the best viability after freeze-drying as compared to samples frozen at-7$0^{\circ}C$ and -2$0^{\circ}C$. The biosensing activities of the cells showed a greater sensitivity when the cells from the expontial phase were freeze-dried. Finally, the optimum temperature for use of the freeze-dried cells in the biodencor field was determined.