• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• v.24 no.5
• /
• pp.661-666
• /
• 2014

Both lactic acid productivity and cell growth were linearly correlated with yeast extract supplementation in batch fermentation. During conventional continuous operation, although fresh feed was introduced into the bioreactor with a significantly low dilution rate (0.04 $h^{-1}$), the amount of yeast extract employed was not enough to maintain the growth of microorganism. However, when the fresh feed contained 100 g/l glucose and 2 g/l yeast extract during cell-recycle continuous operation at a dilution rate of 0.04 $h^{-1}$, more than 90 g/l lactic acid was continuously produced, with the average productivity of 3.72 $g/l{\cdot}h$. In this experiment, 82 g of yeast extract (77% of reduction yield) could be reduced for the production of 1 kg of lactic acid compared with batch fermentation of a similar volumetric productivity.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• v.18 no.6
• /
• pp.1156-1163
• /
• 2008

We performed RT-nested PCR to study the distribution of human enteric viruses in urban rivers in Korea. During 2002-2003, water samples were collected from four rivers in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. Among 58 samples, 45 (77.6%), 32 (55.2%), 12 (20.7%), 2 (3.4%), 4 (6.9%), and 4 (6.9%) showed positive results with adenoviruses (AdVs), enteroviruses (EVs), reoviruses (ReVs), hepatitis A viruses (HAVs), rotaviruses (RoVs), and sapoviruses (SVs), respectively. According to the binary logistic regression model, the occurrence of each enteric virus, except ReVs and HAVs, was not statistically correlated with the water temperature and levels of fecal coliforms (P<0.05). AdVs were most often detected; only 4 samples (6.9%) were negative for AdVs while positive for other enteric viruses in the studied sites. Our results indicated that monitoring human enteric viruses is necessary to improve microbial quality, and that AdVs detection by PCR can be a useful index for the presence of other enteric viruses in aquatic environments.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• v.16 no.8
• /
• pp.1229-1235
• /
• 2006

A lab-on-a-chip (LoC) was designed for simultaneous monitoring of microorganisms, antibiotic residues, somatic cells, and pH in raw milk. The LoC was fabricated from polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) using microelectromechanical system (MEMS) technology, which consisted of two parts; a protein array and microchannel. The protein array was fabricated by immobilizing five types of antibodies corresponding to two microorganisms, two antibiotic residues, and somatic cells. A sol-gel film was deposited on a glass substrate to immobilize the antibodies. The target analytes in raw milk could be bound with the corresponding antibody by an immunoreaction, and the antigen-antibody complex was detected using fluorescence microscopy. SNARF-dextran was used as a pH indicator, and the SNARF-entrapped hydrogel was attached to the microchannel in the chip. After injecting the milk sample into the channel, the pH was measured by monitoring the change in fluorescence intensity by fluorescence microscopy. The on-chip simultaneous assay of two microorganisms (E. coli O157:H7 and Streptococcus agalactiae), two antibiotic residues (penicillin G and dihydrostreptomycin), and neutrophils was successfully accomplished using the proposed LoC system.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• v.14 no.3
• /
• pp.607-611
• /
• 2004

Glycinin, one of the predominant storage proteins in soybeans, was examined as to whether it could be used as a calcium-binding mediator after chemical phosphorylation and enzymatic hydrolysis. Glycinin is composed of six subunits. One of the proglycinin subunits $(A_{la}B_{lb})$ was overexpressed in E. coli to obtain nonphosphorylated proteins with homogeneity. To investigate the enhanced calcium-binding properties of the phosphopeptides, the proglycinin was purified, phosphorylated, and hydrolyzed with trypsin. The proglycinin expressed in E. coli was purified by ammonium sulfate precipitation, ion-exchange chromatography, and cryoprecipitation. Chemical phosphorylation by sodium trimetaphosphate was performed to obtain phosphorylated proglycinin. After the phosphorylation, one-dimensional isoelectric focusing gel electroanalysis confirmed the phosphorylation of the proglycinin. The phosphorylated peptides were then hydrolyzed with trypsin, followed by a binding reaction with calcium chloride. The calcium-bound phosphopeptides were finally separated using immobilized metal $(Ca^{2+})$ chromatography. Consequently, a limited tryptic hydrolysate of the isolated phosphopeptides exhibited an enhanced calcium-binding ability, suggesting the potential of glycinin phosphopeptides as a calcium-binding mediator with greater availability.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• v.17 no.10
• /
• pp.1622-1628
• /
• 2007

We characterized the efficacy of an electrostatic precipitator (ESP) air-cleaner in reducing the concentration of Serratia marcescens in an enclosed space. We used an experimental room ($4.5{\times}3{\times}2.9\;m$) in which electrostatic air-cleaners were located. Two air-cleaners enhanced the equivalent ventilation rates in the chamber by about 3.3 air changes per hour (ACH) over the 2 ACH provided by the mechanical ventilation system. Natural die-off of the organisms provided an additional equivalent of 3 ACH, so that the total ventilation rate with the ESP air-ccleaners was 8.3 ACH. We also examined whether the ESP air-cleaners altered the deposition of Serratia marcescens aerosols on the experimental room surfaces. We did not find any significant differences in the number of colony forming units recovered from surfaces with and without the air-cleaners. We installed UV lights inside the ESPs and determined if UV light, in addition to electrical fields, increased the efficacy of the ESPs. The presence of UV light inside the ESP reduced S. marcescens aerosols by approximately 2 ACH. Finally, a box model indicates that the efficiency of the air-cleaner increases for both biological and nonbiological particles at ventilation rates of 0.2-1, which are typical for residential settings.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• v.25 no.9
• /
• pp.1417-1424
• /
• 2015

In this study, we tried to characterize Streptomyces peucetius CYP157C4 with homology modeling using three cytochrome P450 (CYP) structures (CYP157C1, CYP164A2, and CYP107L1), having discovered that CYP157C4 lacks the ExxR motif that was considered invariant in all CYPs. We used Discovery Studio 3.5 to build our model after first assessing the stereochemical quality and side-chain environment, and a 7-ethoxycoumarin substrate was docked into the final model. The model-substrate complex allowed us to identify functionally important residues and validate the active-site architecture. We found a distance of 4.56 Å between the 7-ethoxycoumarin and the active site of the heme, and cloning and an in vitro assay of the CYP157C4 showed the dealkylation of the substrate. Since the details regarding this group of CYP structures are still unknown, the findings of this study may provide elucidation to assist with future efforts to find a legitimate substrate.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• v.25 no.9
• /
• pp.1502-1509
• /
• 2015

The objectives of this study were to evaluate the effect of combined treatments (slightly acidic electrolyzed water (SAEW), ultrasound (US), or mild heat (60℃)) on the growth of Listeria monocytogenes and Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium in fresh-cut bell pepper, and the shelf-life and sensory quality (color and texture) were followed during storage at 4℃ and 25℃. An additional 0.65, 1.72, and 2.70 log CFU/g reduction was achieved by heat treatments at 60℃ for 1 min for DW, SAEW, and SAEW+US, respectively. Regardless of the type of pathogen, the combined treatment (SAEW+US+60℃) achieved a significantly (p < 0.05) longer lag time in all treatment groups. This combined treatment also prolonged the shelf-life of bell pepper up to 8 days and 30 h for the storage at 4℃ and 25℃, respectively. There was also no significant difference in the color and hardness of treated (SAEW+US+60℃) bell pepper from that of control during the storage. This new hurdle approach is thus expected to improve the microbial safety of bell peppers during storage and distribution.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• v.28 no.9
• /
• pp.1493-1501
• /
• 2018

Wastewater from cider factories (losses during transfers, products discarded due to quality policies, and products returned from the market) exhibits a Chemical Oxygen Demand greater than $170,000mg\;O_2/l$, mainly due to the ethanol content and carbohydrates that are added to obtain the finished product. These effluents can represent up to 10% of the volume of cider produced, and they must be treated to meet environmental regulations. In this work, a process was developed, based on alcoholic fermentation of the available carbohydrates present in ciders. The impact of inhibitors at different pH, size and reuse of inoculums and different nutrient supplementation on the ethanol yield were evaluated. The use of a 0.5 g/l yeast inoculum and corn steep water as the nutrient source allowed for depletion of the sugars in less than 48 h, which increased the content of ethanol to more than 70 g/l.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
• /
• v.46 no.3
• /
• pp.201-209
• /
• 2018

Streptococcus thermophilus, Lactobacillus delbrueckii, Lactobacillus fermentum and Lactobacillus casei were successfully isolated from indigenous Indonesian fresh milk based on the general morphological and biochemical classification as described in Bergey's manual. Verification was conducted by sequencing of 16S rRNA after selection using the classification method mentioned in the manual. All isolates exhibited antimicrobial activity against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus in the well diffusion test. The susceptibilities of the isolated S. thermophilus 24/S1 and L. delbrueckii 94/L4 against 22 different antibiotics were determined by the disc diffusion method and variable susceptibility patterns were observed. Both isolates were susceptible to amoxicillin, the most commonly prescribed antibiotic, and resistant to sulfonamide. The presence of a plasmid was not detected after extraction. S. thermophilus 24/S1 and L. delbrueckii 94/L4 starter cultures were prepared for yogurt production after 9.5 h of incubation and the yogurt was evaluated for its flavor and quality by 30 volunteers. A score of $4.93{\pm}0.45$ out of 7 was obtained as compared to the yogurt prepared using commercial starter cultures which yielded a score of $4.76{\pm}0.30$ out of 7.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• v.30 no.8
• /
• pp.1116-1123
• /
• 2020

Velvet antler (VA) is a historically traditional medicinal supplement and is well known in Asian countries for its pharmaceutical and health benefits. The objectives for this study were to optimize the hot water extraction (HWE) of VA for the Korean VA industry, and to determine the most effective pretreatment method among microwave (MW), ultrasonication (US), and enzymatic (EZ) techniques. Using response surface methodology, optimum extraction temperatures and times were determined by central composite design configuration based on extraction yield and sialic acid content. Various quality parameters of VA extract including yield, soluble solid, protein, and sialic acid contents were also compared with the conjunction of HWE and pretreatment. The yield and sialic acid content of VA extract were determined to be 40% and 0.73 mg/g, respectively, under an optimum temperature of 100℃ at 24 h of extraction time. The yields from VA extracts pretreated with MW, US, and EZ were 17.42%, 19.73%, and 29.15%, respectively. Among the tested commercial enzymes, pepsin was the most effective proteolytic enzyme and led to the highest yield (47.65%), soluble solids (4.03 °brix), protein (1.12 mg/ml), and sialic acid (3.04 mg/ml) contents from VA extract.