• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.407-414
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• 2024

Phosphorus is an essential but non-renewable nutrient resource critical for agriculture. Luxury phosphorus uptake allows microalgae to synthesize polyphosphate and accumulate phosphorus, but, depending on the strain of algae, polyphosphate may be degraded within 4 hours of accumulation. We studied the recovery of phosphorus from wastewater through luxury uptake by an engineered strain of Synechocystis sp. with inhibited polyphosphate degradation and the effect of this engineered Synechocystis biomass on lettuce growth. First, a strain (∆phoU) lacking the phoU gene, which encodes a negative regulator of environmental phosphate concentrations, was generated to inhibit polyphosphate degradation in cells. Polyphosphate concentrations in the phoU knock-out strain were maintained for 24 h and then decreased slowly. In contrast, polyphosphate concentrations in the wild-type strain increased up to 4 h and then decreased rapidly. In addition, polyphosphate concentration in the phoU knockout strain cultured in semi-permeable membrane bioreactors with artificial wastewater medium was 2.5 times higher than that in the wild type and decreased to only 16% after 48 h. The biomass of lettuce treated with the phoU knockout strain (0.157 mg P/m²) was 38% higher than that of the lettuce treated with the control group. These results indicate that treating lettuce with this microalgal biomass can be beneficial to crop growth. These results suggest that the use of polyphosphate-accumulating microalgae as biofertilizers may alleviate the effects of a diminishing phosphorous supply. These findings can be used as a basis for additional genetic engineering to increase intracellular polyphosphate levels.

• Ecology and Resilient Infrastructure
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.259-268
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• 2022

In this study, seeds of Festuca ovina var. coreana growing in waste coal landfills exposed to heavy metal contamination for a long time were collected, and growth characteristics and heavy metal accumulation capacity were evaluated through greenhouse cultivation experiments with germinated seedlings, and was conducted for the applicability of phytoremediation technology. Concentration gradients of arsenic-treated artificial soil were 25, 62.5, 125, and 250 mg/kg, respectively, lead concentrations were 200, 500, 1000, and 2000 mg/kg, and cadmium concentrations were 15, 30, 60, and 100 mg/kg, respectively In the arsenic, lead, and cadmium-treated experimental groups, the number of leaves of F. ovina var. coreana decreased in all compared to the control group except for the lead-treated groups (200, 500, and 1000 mg/kg). Length growth of the shoot part was increased in all of the arsenic treatment groups compared to the control group, but decreased in all of the root parts. In the 1000 and 2000 mg/kg lead treatment groups, lengths increased compared to the control group, but in the other treatments, they were shorter than the control group. In the case of the cadmium treatment group, all of the shoot parts were increased compared to the control group, and all of the root parts were decreased. In the case of arsenic treatment, the biomass was decreased at all parts and all concentrations compared to the control group. The 200, 500, and 1000 mg/kg lead treatments showed larger biomass than the control group in both shoot and root parts. In the cadmium treatment group, the biomass of both shoot and root parts decreased compared to the control group. As the concentration of heavy metal treatment increased, both the number of leaves and the biomass by plant parts tended to decrease, and the length growth of the shoot part tended to increase slightly, but the root part tended to decrease slightly. The arsenic accumulation concentrations of the shoot and root parts of the 62.5 mg/kg arsenic treatment area were 9.4 mg/kg and 253.3 mg/kg, respectively. While the shoot part of the 250 mg/kg arsenic treatment area withered away, the arsenic accumulation concentration in the root part was analyzed to be 859.1 mg/kg, In the 2,000 mg/kg lead treatment area, the shoot and root parts accumulated 10,308.1 and 11,012.0 mg/kg, which were 1.1 times higher than the root parts. At 100 mg/kg cadmium treatment, the shoot and root parts were 176.0 and 287.2 mg/kg, and the root part accumulated 1.6 times higher than the shoot part. As a result of tolerance evaluation of F. ovina var. coreana, multi-tolerance to three heavy metals was confirmed by maintaining growth without dying in all treatment groups of arsenic, lead, and cadmium. Plant extraction (phytoextraction) of F. ovina var. coreana was verified as a species that can be applied up to 2,000 mg/kg of soil lead contamination.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.45 no.6
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• pp.1027-1031
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• 2012

This experiment was conducted to select winter-adaptable crop system or cropping systems for an enhanced carbon (C) fixation amount in plant biomass and soil. Single or mixed cropping systems of green manure crops, rye (R), triticale (TC), hairy vetch (HV), TC+HV, and control (fallow) were investigated during winter and spring. The amount and content of C and N in the above-ground biomass and soil C content by soil depth were measured under different green manure crops. The above-ground biomass was highest in TC+HV followed by R and TC with 664, 585, and 545 kg $10a^{-1}$, which exceeded the biomass of control by 181, 160, and 149%, respectively. The amount of C accumulation was higher in soil surface than deep soil. which was a similar pattern to the above-ground biomass. Therefore, green manure cropping in winter and spring seasons will be very helpful of improve soil organic matter.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.301-307
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• 2011

Optimal culture conditions of Spirulina platensis NIES 39 have been established using different types of light sources. Several types of photobioreactors were designed and the increase of biomass, the amount of $CO_2$, fixation and the production of chlorophyll content were studied. The result revealed that the input conditions of a 10 min period per 4 h at the condition of 5% $CO_2$ and 0.1 vvm, were excellent in the growth. The growth showing the maximum biomass accumulation is limited to 1.411 g/L when using the fluorescent bulb and the low powered surface mount device (SMD) type LEDs which were equipped-inside in the photobioreactor. However, the biomass exceeded up to 1.758 g/L level when a high powered red LED (color temperature : 12000 K) photobioreactor system was used. The $CO_2$ fixation speed and rate were increased. Although the total production of chlorophyll content undergoes a proportional increase in the biomass, the net content per dry cell weight (DCW) showed the higher production with a blue LED (color temperature : 7500 K) light than that of any other wavelengths. The carbon dioxide loss was marked as 0.15% of the inlet gas (5% $CO_2/Air$, v/v) at the maximum biomass culture condition.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.552-557
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• 2001

By UV-irradiation of Eremothecium ashbyii DTl, a higWy flavinogenic mutant (UV-18-57) and a nonflavinogenic mutant (UV -85) were obtained. The physio-morphological characteristics of these three strains were studied on glucose medium in submerged fermentation. Glucose utilization and mycelial growth occurred in 0 - 2 days of fermentation. By the third day, the biomass had declined. Extracellular riboflavin excretion was distinct from the second day, reaching a maximum rate by the fourth day. The hyphae of the highly flavinogenic mutant UV-18-57 were broader than DTl, while the nonflavinogenic UV-85 hyphae were very thin. Riboflavin accumulation was high in UV-18-57 (extracellular riboflavin,$825\mu\textrm{g}/ml$ , and intracellular, $490\mu\textrm{g}/ml$) and caused the mycelia to swell into bulbous forms. Riboflavin accumulation was less in DTl ($108\mu\textrm{g}/ml$ extracellular and $24\mu\textrm{g}/ml$ intracellular) and correspondingly its hyphae were thinner than those of UV-18-57 and swollen bulbous mycelia were not prominent. UV-85 was nonflavinogenic and, accordingly, its mOlphological characteristics included long thin filaments with no intracellular riboflavin accumulation. A large number of greenish fluorescence spores were seen in UV-18-57, whereas DTI had less spores and UV-85 was nonsporulating. Sporulation is correlated with riboflavin production. UV-18-57 had better mycelial integrity and lysis started only by the seventh day, whereas DTI and UV -85 started to lyze earlier by 4 -5 days. By the late stage of fermentation (eighth day), DTl had a few long, thin filaments indicating some secondary growth, whereas UV -85 showed a compact pellet form of mycelia. Most mycelia of UV-18-57 still appeared intact.

• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.418-429
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• 2018

Measurements of 24-hr size-segregated ambient particles were made at an urban site of Gwangju under high pressure conditions occurred in the Korean Peninsula late in March 2018. The aim of this study was to understand the effect of air stagnation on mass size distributions and formation pathways of water-soluble organic and inorganic components. During the study period, the $NO_3{^-}$, $SO_4{^{2-}}$, $NH_4{^+}$, water-soluble organic carbon (WSOC), and humic-like substances(HULIS) exhibited mostly bi-modal size distributions peaking at 1.0 and $6.2{\mu}m$, with predominant droplet modes. In particular, outstanding droplet mode size distributions were observed on March 25 when a severe haze occurred due to stable air conditions and long range transport of aerosol particles from northeastern regions of China. Air stagnation conditions and high relative humidity during the study period resulted in accumulation of primary aerosol particles from local emission sources and enhanced formation of secondary ionic and organic aerosols through aqueous-phase oxidations of $SO_2$, $NO_2$, $NH_3$, and volatile organic compounds, leading to their dominant droplet mode size distributions at particle size of $1.0{\mu}m$. From the size distribution of $K^+$ in accumulation mode, it can be inferred that in addition to the secondary organic aerosol formations, accumulation mode WSOC and HULIS could be partly attributed to biomass burning emissions.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.59-69
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• 2014

One of the major challenges in metabolic engineering for enhanced synthesis of value-added chemicals is to design and develop new strains that can be translated into well-controlled fermentation processes using bioreactors. The aim of this study was to assess the influence of various fed-batch strategies in the performance of metabolically engineered Pseudomonas putida strains, ${\Delta}gcd$ and ${\Delta}gcd-pgl$, for improving production of medium-chain-length polyhydroxyalkanoates (mcl-PHAs) using glucose as the only carbon source. First we developed a fed-batch process that comprised an initial phase of biomass accumulation based on an exponential feeding carbon-limited strategy. For the mcl-PHA accumulation stage, three induction techniques were tested under nitrogen limitation. The substrate-pulse feeding was more efficient than the constant-feeding approach to promote the accumulation of the desirable product. Nonetheless, the most efficient approach for maximum PHA synthesis was the application of a dissolved-oxygen-stat feeding strategy (DO-stat), where P. putida ${\Delta}gcd$ mutant strain showed a final PHA content and specific PHA productivity of 67% and $0.83g{\cdot}l^{-1}{\cdot}h^{-1}$, respectively. To our knowledge, this mcl-PHA titer is the highest value that has been ever reported using glucose as the sole carbon and energy source. Our results also highlighted the effect of different fed-batch strategies upon the extent of realization of the intended metabolic modification of the mutant strains.

• Journal of Climate Change Research
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• v.5 no.4
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• pp.339-348
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• 2014

Agro-ecosystem plays an important role in the mitigation of atmospheric $CO_2$ concentration through photosynthesis and soil carbon fixation. The perennial crops have capacity of carbon accumulation because they have lived for years in the same position. Carbon dioxide fixation occurs in the fruit orchard by photosynthesis and soil carbon sequestration. The objectives of this review are to introduce the fruit orchard as a carbon dioxide sink and to summarize the methods that measure $CO_2$ flux in the orchard. There are three difference methods (chamber, biomass, and eddy covariance method) to measure $CO_2$ exchanges on sites. However, there is no standard method suitable for fruit cultivation condition in Korea. Thus the standard method have to be developed in order to exactly estimate the carbon accumulation. In foreign studies, the carbon assessments were conducted in apple, peach, olive, grape orchard and so on. On the other hand the estimation of $CO_2$ exchange was carried out for apple and mandarine orchard in Korea. According to these results, fruit orchard is a $CO_2$ sink even though amount of carbon accumulation is smaller than the forest. To introduce certainly fruit orchard as greenhouse gas sink, long-term monitoring and further study have to be conducted under each planting condition.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.31 no.7
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• pp.1035-1043
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• 2021

Although engineered Saccharomyces cerevisiae fermenting cellobiose is useful for the production of biofuels from cellulosic biomass, cellodextrin accumulation is one of the main problems reducing ethanol yield and productivity in cellobiose fermentation with S. cerevisiae expressing cellodextrin transporter (CDT) and intracellular β-glucosidase (GH1-1). In this study, we investigated the reason for the cellodextrin accumulation and how to alleviate its formation during cellobiose fermentation using engineered S. cerevisiae fermenting cellobiose. From the series of cellobiose fermentation using S. cerevisiae expressing only GH1-1 under several culture conditions, it was discovered that small amounts of GH1-1 were secreted and cellodextrin was generated through trans-glycosylation activity of the secreted GH1-1. As GH1-1 does not have a secretion signal peptide, non-conventional protein secretion might facilitate the secretion of GH1-1. In cellobiose fermentations with S. cerevisiae expressing only GH1-1, knockout of TLG2 gene involved in non-conventional protein secretion pathway significantly delayed cellodextrin formation by reducing the secretion of GH1-1 by more than 50%. However, in cellobiose fermentations with S. cerevisiae expressing both GH1-1 and CDT-1, TLG2 knockout did not show a significant effect on cellodextrin formation, although secretion of GH1-1 was reduced by more than 40%. These results suggest that the development of new intracellular β-glucosidase, not influenced by non-conventional protein secretion, is required for better cellobiose fermentation performances of engineered S. cerevisiae fermenting cellobiose.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Marine Environment & Energy
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.236-245
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• 2016

Because microalgae represent high growth rate than terrestrial plants, and it can accumulate significant lipid and carbohydrate content, and other bioactive compounds such as carotenoid and polyphenol in their body, it has been considered as one of the promising resources in bio-energy, and other industries. Although many studies has been performed about the microalgae-derived biochemical accumulation under various abiotic conditions such as different temperatures, salinities and light intensities, the studies about simultaneous effect of those parameters has rarely been performed. Therefore, this study focused on evaluation of simultaneous effect of different salinity (10, 30, 50 psu) and temperatures (20, 25, $30^{\circ}C$) on the changes of biomass, lipid, starch and photosynthetic pigment accumulation. As results, the highest growth rate was achieved at $30^{\circ}C$ and 30 psu in the both algal cultures, and the photosynthetic pigment, chlorophyll a and total carotenoid content, were increased in a temperature-dependent manner. The accumulation of lipid and starch contents exhibited different aspects under different combinations of temperature and salinity. From the results, it is suggested that the changes of microalgal lipid and starch accumulation under different salinities may be affected by the different temperatures.