• Molecules and Cells
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.5-14
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• 2009

The availability of effective vaccines has had the most profound positive effect on improving the quality of public health by preventing infectious diseases. Despite many successful vaccines, there are still old and new emerging pathogens against which there is no vaccine available. A better understanding of how vaccines work for providing protection will help to improve current vaccines as well as to develop effective vaccines against pathogens for which we do not have a proper means to control. Recent studies have focused on innate immunity as the first line of host defense and its role in inducing adaptive immunity; such studies have been an intense area of research, which will reveal the immunological mechanisms how vaccines work for protection. Toll-like receptors (TLRs), a family of receptors for pathogen-associated molecular patterns on cells of the innate immune system, play a critical role in detecting and responding to microbial infections. Importantly, the innate immune system modulates the quantity and quality of long-term T and B cell memory and protective immune responses to pathogens. Limited studies suggest that vaccines which mimic natural infection and/or the structure of pathogens seem to be effective in inducing long-term protective immunity. A better understanding of the similarities and differences of the molecular and cellular events in host responses to vaccination and pathogen infection would enable the rationale for design of novel preventive measures against many challenging pathogens.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.39-45
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• 1993

The effect of concentrations of phosphate buffer and acrylonitrile, pH, and various salts on the operational stability of the immobilized cells of Brevibacterium CH2 in a packed bed reactor were investigated. The effects of salts and carriers on the swelling of the immobilized beads during hydrolysis in a columnreactor were also investigated. Immobilization of the cells in Ba-alginate was more desirable than those in polyacrylamide and Ca-alinate for the swelling of the immobilized beads and the desired quality of the acrylamide produced. High quality acrylamide was produced using the Ba-alginate beads in a recycle fed-batch reactor without using an isotonic substrate. The conversion yield was nearly 100％, including a trace amount of acrylic acid produced as a by-product.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.492-499
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• 2017

Combined treatment with gaseous and aqueous chlorine dioxide ($ClO_2$) was performed to improve the microbiological safety and quality of paprika. A single treatment of 50 ppmv $ClO_2$ gas for 30 min decreased the populations of Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Salmonella Typhimurium by 2.33 and 2.91 log CFU/g, respectively. In addition, a single treatment of aqueous $ClO_2$ (50 ppm) for 5 min decreased these populations by 1.86 and 1.37, respectively. The most dramatic effects were achieved by combined treatment of 50 ppm aqueous and gaseous $ClO_2$ for 30 min, which decreased populations of E. coli O157:H7 and S. Typhimurium by 4.11 and 3.61 log CFU/g, respectively. With regard to the qualities of paprika, no adverse effects were elicited by the combined treatment. Thus, combined treatment with aqueous and gaseous $ClO_2$ is a suitable approach that can be used to improve the microbial safety and quality of paprika.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.191-196
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• 1981

In order to utilize the Koryangju distillers' grain for the acetic acid fermentation, the extracting methods and effects of the extracts on the fermentations were investigated. The result obtained are as follows. 1. Cold extracting method by which the distillers grain is extracted with 3 times of water for 60 hours at room temperature was better than hot extracting method in terms of the fermentation rate and the quality of vinegar product. 2. Optimum conditions and some results of surface fermentation based on the medium added by the extracts are as follows, optimum amount of the extracts to be added to the medium is 20-30% of total media; acetic acid production rate at log phase was 0.16g/100$m\ell$, hr.; recovery was 91.17%; and the time of 40 hours was required for the completion of fermentation. 3. Organoleptic quality of the vinegar which is produced by adding the extracts was superior to two commercial products examined.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.205-211
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• 2006

A quantitative analytical method to detect new lines of genetically modified (GM) maize, NK603 and TC1507, has been developed by using a real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). To detect these GM lines, two specific primer pairs and probes were designed. A plasmid as a reference molecule was constructed from an endogenous DNA sequence of maize, a universal sequence of a cauliflower mosaic virus (CaMV) 35S promoter used in most GMOs, and each DNA sequence specific to the NK603 and TC1507 lines. For the validation of this method, the test samples of 0, 0.1, 0.5, 1.0, 3.0, 5.0, and 10.0% each of the NK603 and TC1507 GM maize were quantitated. At the 3.0% level, the biases (mean vs. true value) for the NK603 and TC1507 lines were 3.3% and 15.7%, respectively, and their relative standard deviations were 7.2% and 5.5%, respectively. These results indicate that the PCR method developed in this study can be used to quantitatively detect the NK603 and TC1507 lines of GM maize.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.262-267
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• 2004

This study was done to observe the occurrence of heterotrophic bacteria in terms of free chlorine residuals in two different water distribution systems, which belongs to both K and Y water treatment plant of S city in Korea. The data analyzed in the distribution systems show that the free chlorine residuals decreased from 0.10 to 0.56 mg/l for K, and 0.51 to 0.78 mg/l for Y. The decay of free chlorine is clearly higher in both March and August than in January. The HPC in the distribution systems are ranged from 0 to 40 cfu/ml for K, 0 to 270 cfu/ml for Y, on $R_2$A medium. In particular, its level is relatively high at the consumer's ground storage tanks, taps, and the point-of-end area of Y. The predominant genera that were studied in the distribution systems were Acinetobacter, Sphingomonas (branch of Pseudomonas), Micrococcus, Bacillus, Staphylococcus. The diversity of heterotrophic bacteria increases in the end-point area. Most of them are either encapsulated cells or of Gram-positve cocci. In conclusion, the point-of-end area in distribution systems shows the longer flow distance from the water treatment plants, along with a greater diversity and a higher level of heterotrophic bacteria, due to the significant decay of free chlorine residuals.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.173-176
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• 2007

The purpose of this study was to improve the palatability of fermented red pepper soybean paste (Kochujang). Five individual models of Kochujang were prepared the following: control, glutinous rice containing 50% (A) and 100% (B) of barley, glutinous rice containing 1.5% (C) and 3.0% (D) of red rice. These Kochujangs were prepared and fermented for 60 days at 30 in a crock, and examined for changes in their physicochemical properties. There were no distinguishable change in their pH, acidity, formol-N content. L (lightness)-, a (redness)- and b (yellowness)-values were decreased rapidly until 20 days of fermentation. After 60 days, the values of L-, a- and b- of A, B Kochujang were increased than those of control, C, D Kochujang. Sensory profiles of color, flayer, taste and overall quality on the final products which fermented for 60 days showed that there were no differences in quality of each models. HMG-Co A reductase inhibitory activities were observed in 1.5% of red rice containing Kochujang.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.46-50
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• 2002

To investigate the quality of Koji produced by Cordyceps sp., a mixed culture of Aspergillus oryzae and the Cordyceps sp. were inoculated in Koji making. Viable cell counts and counts of fungi spore during Koji making for 120 hours were increased rapidly within 24-48 hours, after then their changes were not shown significantly during Koji making. The activities of amylase and protease in Koji inoculated with the mixed culture of A. oryzae and Cordyceps sp. were superior to one with A. oryzae only. The sensory evaluation on the Koji with 0.5％ (w/w) A. oryzae and 0.5％ (w/w) Cordyceps sp. were evaluated to be superior to ones. The best quality of Koji is prepared from the mixture of Cordyceps sp. and A. oryzae with the ratio of 0.5％ and 0.5％ (w/w).

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.297-304
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• 2007

The effect of yeast propagated at different aeration conditions on yeast physiology, fermentation ability, and beer quality was investigated using three strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. It was shown that yeast cells grown under continuous aeration conditions during propagation were almost two times higher as compared with discontinuous aeration conditions. The maximum of cell growth of all samples reached between 36 hand 48 h. The concentration of trehalose was increased under continuous aerated yeasts, whereas glycogen was decreased. It was also observed that the concentration of glycogen and trehalose in yeast cells had no direct effect on subsequent fermentation ability. The effect of yeast propagated under different aeration conditions on subsequent fermentation ability was different from yeast strains, in which the influence will be most pronounced at the first fermentation. Later, the yeasts might regain its original characteristics in the following fermentations. Generally, continuously propagated yeast had a positive effect on beer quality in subsequent fermentation. Hence, the concentration of aroma compounds obtained with yeast propagated under 6 1/h for 48 h aeration was lower than those grown under other aeration conditions in the bottom yeasts; in particular, the amounts of phenylethyl alcohol, ester, and fatty acids were decreased.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.47 no.2
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• pp.234-241
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• 2019

In Korea, traditional doenjang is manufactured using the conventional method at home and by small-scale enterprises. Because this age-old process depends on natural inoculation of various microorganisms, it is difficult to reproduce or maintain consistency in the final product quality across batches. Moreover, doenjang occasionally prepared by this method raises safety concerns related to aflatoxin, biogenic amine, and Bacillus cereus contamination. To develop starters that can be conveniently used at home or in small industry settings for the manufacturing of safe and flavor-improved doenjang, autochthonous microbe starters were developed in dried forms as ready-to-use starters. Each starter powder prepared by heat- or freeze-drying methods remained stable even after 24-week storage. These ready- to-use starter powders were successfully applied to lab-scale fermentation for the production of safe and flavor-improved doenjang. We believe that these ready-to-use starter powders will benefit small-scale enterprises in the manufacturing of doenjang of good reproducible quality.