• Journal of Biosystems Engineering
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• v.40 no.4
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• pp.373-393
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• 2015

Background: Cellulose is a ubiquitous, renewable and environmentally friendly biopolymer, which has high promise to fulfil the rising demand for sustainable and biocompatible materials. Particularly, the recent progress in the synthesis of highly crystalline cellulose-based nanoscale biomaterials, namely cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs), draws significant attention from many research communities, ranging from bioresource engineering, to materials science and engineering, to biological and biomedical engineering to bionanotechnology. The feasibility of harnessing CNCs' unique biophysicochemical properties has inspired their basic and applied research, offering much promise for new biomaterials with diverse advanced functionalities. Purpose: This review focuses on vital issues and topics on the recent advances in CNC-based biomaterials with potential, in particular, for bionanotechnology and biological and biomedical engineering. The challenges and limitations of CNC technology are discussed as well as potential strategies to overcome them, providing an essential source of information in the exploration of possible and futuristic applications of the CNC-based functional "green" nanomaterials. Conclusion: CNCs offer exciting possibilities for advanced "green" nanomaterials, driving innovative research and development in a wide range of fields, including biological and biomedical engineering.

• Preventive Nutrition and Food Science
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.57-66
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• 2010

Passion fruit fiber pectin gels represent a new alternative pectin source with potential for food and non-food applications on a commercial scale. Pectic polysaccharides were extracted from passion fruit (Passiflora edulis) fiber using citric acid as a clean catalyst and autoclaved for 20 to 60 min at $121^{\circ}C$. The best condition of pectin yield with the highest molecular weight was obtained with 1.0% of citric acid (250 mg/g dry passion fruit fiber pectin) for 20 min of autoclaving. Spectroscopic analyses by Fourier transform infrared, enzymatic degradation reactions, and ion-exchange chromatography assays showed that passion fruit pectin extracted for 20 min was homogeneous high methoxylated pectin (70%). Gel permeation analysis confirmed that the pectin extract obtained by autoclaving by 20 min showed higher molecular weights than those autoclaved for 40 and 60 min. Passion fruit pectin extracted for 20 min was enzymatically modified with fungal pectinmethylesterase to create restructured gels. Short autoclave treatment (20 min) with citric acid as extractant resulted in a significant increase of gel strength, improving pectin extraction in terms of functionality. The treatment of solubilized material (pectic polysaccharides) in the presence of insoluble material (cellulose and hemicellulose) with pectinmethylesterase and calcium led to the creation of a stiffer passion fruit fiber pectin gel, while syneresis was not observed.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Precision Engineering
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• v.24 no.4 s.193
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• pp.138-146
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• 2007

Some biodegradable polymers and other materials such as hydrogels have shown the promising potential for surgical applications. Post surgical adhesion caused by the natural consequence of surgical wound healing results in repeated surgery and harmful effects. Recently, scientists have developed absorbable anti-adhesion barriers that can protect a tissue from adhesion in case they are in use; however, they are dissolved when no longer needed. Although these approaches have been attempted to fulfill the criteria for adhesion prevention, none can perfectly prevent adhesions in all situations. Overall, we developed a new method to fabricate an anti-adhesion membrane using biodegradable polymer and hydrogel. It employed a highly accurate three-dimensional positioning system with pressure-controlled syringe to deposit biopolymer solution. The pressure-activated microsyringe was equipped with fine-bore nozzles of various inner-diameters. This process allowed that inner and outer shapes could be controlled arbitrarily when it was applied to a surgical region with arbitrary shapes. In order to fulfill the properties of the ideal barriers f3r preventing postoperative adhesion, we adopted the pre-mentioned method combined with surface modification with the hydrogel coating by which anti-adhesion property was improved.

• Proceedings of the Korea Water Resources Association Conference
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• 2020.06a
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• pp.54-54
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• 2020

본 연구에서는 제방의 세굴이나 붕괴를 방지하기 위해 바이오폴리머(Biopolymer) 기반 신소재를 활용한 흙 제방의 보강공법을 제시하였다. 바이오폴리머 기반 제방의 보강공법은 흙과 바이오폴리머를 소량만 섞어도 흙의 강도 증진시킴과 동시에 빗물에 대한 내침식성과 식생의 생장을 촉진하는 생태성도 뛰어나기 때문에 제방 사면을 보호할 수 있는 친환경적이고 효율적인 공법이다. 이에 안동하천연구센터는 실증실험을 통한 신소재 제방 보강공법의 안정성 검증을 목표로 2 건의 월류붕괴 실험을 수행하였다. 첫 번째는 흙 제방 조건(Case 1)이며, 두 번째는 바이오폴리머 혼합 토양을 사면에 도포한 후 식생이 활착된 조건(Case 2)이다. 제방 붕괴에 따른 수로 내 수위변화를 측정하기 위해 압력식 수위계를 설치하였으며, 영상분석을 위한 다수의 카메라 및 드론을 활용하여 실험의 전 과정을 실시간 촬영하였다. 또한, 제내지 측 사면을 대상으로 월류에 따른 붕괴 지연효과를 정량적으로 제시하기 위해 이미지 픽셀 변화 측정 기법을 통한 시간에 따른 표면 손실률을 산정하였다. 흙 제방과 신소재 처리 제방의 시간에 따른 표면손실률을 비교한 결과, Case 2의 사면손실률이 Case 1에 비해 약 1.5~2.3 배 지연되는 것을 확인하였다. 하지만 단일 조건만으로 실험군과 비교군의 붕괴지연 결과가 제방 성능을 평가함에 있어서 일반화될 수 없으므로 이러한 정량적 평가는 다소 한계가 있다. 향후 이러한 부족한 부분을 해결하기 위한 노력과 다양한 조건의 추가실험을 통한 계측 데이터 및 붕괴지연시간의 평균값을 도출하여 신소재 제방의 안정성을 평가하기 위한 타당한 결과를 도출할 예정이다.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.53 no.3
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• pp.200-207
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• 2017

A new approach to the solubilization of waste activated sludge (WAS) using alginate-quaternary ammonium complex beads was investigated under controlled mild alkaline conditions. The complex beads were prepared by the reaction of sodium alginate (SA) with 3-(trimethoxysilyl)propyl-octadecyldimethylammonium chloride (TSA) in acid solution, followed by crosslinking with $CaCl_2$. Treatment of WAS with SA-TSA complex beads was effective for enhancing the efficacy of WAS solubilization. The highest value of soluble chemical oxygen demand (SCOD) concentration (3,900 mg/L) was achieved after 10 days of treatment with 30% (v/v) SA-TSA complex beads. The WAS solubilization efficacy of the complex beads was also evaluated by estimating the concentrations of volatile fatty acids (VFAs). The maximum value of VFAs was 2,961 mg/L, and the overall proportions of VFAs were more than 75% of SCOD. The main components of VFAs were acetic, propionic, iso-butyric, and butyric acids. These results suggest that SA-TSA complex beads might be useful for enhancing the solubilization of WAS. The potential use of VFAs as the external carbon substrate for the production of polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) by a mixed microbial culture (MMC) was also examined. The enrichment of PHA-accumulating MMC could be achieved by periodic feeding of VFAs generated from WAS in a sequencing batch reactor. The composition of PHA synthesized from VFAs mainly consisted of 3-hydroxybutyrate. The maximum PHA content accounted for 25.9% of dry cell weight. PHA production by this process is considered to be promising since it has a doubly beneficial effect on the environment by reducing the amount of WAS and concomitantly producing an eco-friendly biopolymer.