• Title/Summary/Keyword: biofilm

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Immunomodulatory properties of medicinal maggots Lucilia sericata in wound healing process

  • Bohova, Jana;Majtan, Juraj;Takac, Peter
    • CELLMED
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    • v.2 no.3
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    • pp.23.1-23.7
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    • 2012
  • The healing properties of medicinal maggots (larval stage of Lucilia sericata) are widely used in the chirurgical debridement of non-healing wounds including diabetic foot ulcers, venous and pressure ulcers, where classical approaches have failed. Several kinds of wounds are prone to complications coming out of a specific wound bed environment. There are multi-resistant bacterial species present, their pathogenic impact is multiplied by their ability to form a biofilm. Moreover, immunological events in chronic wounds differ from those in acute wounds. Non-healing wounds are cycled in the early inflammation phase with increased levels of inflammation attributes like inflammation cytokines and matrix metalloproteinases produced by inflammation phase cells. Application of larval therapy promotes progress in the healing process to the next stages involving tissue granulation and re-epithelisation. Larval debridement is an effective method of cleaning the wound of cell debris, necrotic tissue and bacterial load. This happens in a mechanical and biological manner, but the whole complex mechanism of the maggot healing activity is still not fully elucidated. Centuries of clinical practice brings noticeable proof of the maggots' beneficial effect in wound healing management. This long history led to the investigation of the bioactive components of the larval body and its extracts in vitro. We introduce a review which describes the immunomodulation impact of maggot body components on the cellular and molecular levels of the wound healing process.

Nitrogen Removal Rate of Free-Water-Surface Treatment Wetland System Constructed on Floodplain During Its Initial Operating Stage (고수부지에 조성한 수질정화 자유수면습지의 초기운영단계 질소제거)

  • Yang, Hongmo
    • Journal of the Korean Society of Environmental Restoration Technology
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    • v.6 no.6
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    • pp.41-48
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    • 2003
  • Nitrogen removal rate and emergent plant growth were investigated of a free-water-surface constructed treatment wetland system, whose dimensions were 31m in length and 12m in width. The system was constructed on floodplain in the Kwangju Stream from May to June 2001. Cattails(Typha angustifolia) were transplanted from natural wetlands and their stems were cut at about 40cm height from their bottom ends. Water of the Kwangju Stream were funneled into the system by gravity flow and its treated effluent was discharged back into the stream. The average height of the cattail stems was 45.2cm in July 2001 and 186cm in October 2001. The number of stems averaged 22 stems/$m^2$ in July 2001 and 52 stems/$m^2$ in September 2001. Volume and water quality of inflow and outflow were analyzed from July 2001 through December 2001. Inflow and outflow averaged 40.01 and 39.55 $m^3$/day, respectively. Hydraulic detention time was about 1.5 days. Average nitrogen uptake by cattails was 69.31 $N\;mg\;m^{-2}\;day^{-1}$. Removal rate of $NO_3-N$, $NH_3-N$ and T-N averaged 195.58, 53.65 and 628.44 $mg\;m^{-2}\;day^{-1}$, respectively. The average removal rate of T-N was about 39%.

The Gac/Rsm Signaling Pathway of a Biocontrol Bacterium, Pseudomonas chlororaphis O6

  • Anderson, Anne J.;Kang, Beom Ryong;Kim, Young Cheol
    • Research in Plant Disease
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    • v.23 no.3
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    • pp.212-227
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    • 2017
  • Pseudomonas chlororaphis O6, isolated from the roots of dryland, field-grown commercial wheat in the USA, enhances plant health and therefore it is used in agriculture as a biofertilizer and biocontrol agent. The metabolites produced by this pseudomonad stimulate plant growth through direct antagonism of pathogens and by inducing systemic resistance in the plant. Studies upon P. chlororaphis O6 identify the pathways through which defined bacterial metabolites generate protection against pathogenic microbes, insects, and nematodes. P. chlororaphis O6 also triggers plant resistance to drought and salinity stresses. The beneficial determinants are produced from bacterial cells as they form biofilms during root colonization. Molecular control these processes in P. chlororaphis O6 involves the global regulatory Gac/Rsm signaling cascade with cross-talk between other global regulatory pathways. The Gac/Rsm regulon allows for coordinate phasing of expression of the genes that encode these beneficial traits among a community of cells. This review provides insights on the Gac/Rsm regulon in expression of beneficial traits of the P. chlororaphis O6 which can contribute to help yield enhancement and quality in agricultural production.

Involvement of Organic Acid During Corrosion of Iron Coupon by Desulfovibrio desulfuricans

  • Park, Kyung-Ran;Lee, Hyun-Jin;Lee, Hong-Keum;Kim, Yeong-Kwan;Oh, Young-Sook;Choi, Sung-Chan
    • Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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    • v.13 no.6
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    • pp.937-941
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    • 2003
  • Microbiologically influenced corrosion (MIC) is an electrochemical process where the participation of microorganisms initiates, facilitates, or accelerates the corrosion reaction. Sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) reduce sulfate to sulfide and are known to be the most destructive microorganisms in anaerobic MIC. Accordingly, the current study attempted to elucidate the mechanisms involved and the relative importance of the corrosive products in SRB-induced corrosion. The measured rate of anaerobic corrosion of iron coupons by Desulfovibrio desulfuricans was $89.9{\;}\mu\textrm{g}{\;}\textrm{m}^{-2}{\;}d^{-1}$. Direct contact between the cells and the iron coupon did not seem to be necessary for corrosion to occur, since the corrosion rate was similar ($100.8{\;}\mu\textrm{g}{\;}\textrm{m}^{-2}{\;}d^{-1}$) when the coupon was enclosed in a dialysis bag. The participation of sulfide in the corrosion process was only marginal, as the specific corrosion rate was 2.5 times higher in a sulfate-free pyruvate medium than in an $H_2S-producing$ lactate medium. Acetate (18.8-22.1 mM), the end-product of pyruvate and lactate metabolism, was identified in the culture medium and thus presumed to play a major role in the corrosion process involving Desulfovibrio desulfuricans.

The Phenol Wastewater Treatment by Candida tropicalis in Fluidized Bed Biofilm Reactor (유동층 반응기에서 Candida tropicalis 균에 의한 페놀함유 폐수처리에 관한 연구)

  • Kim, Woo Sik;Youm, Kyung Ho;Kim, Eung Sik
    • Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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    • v.13 no.1
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    • pp.33-39
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    • 1985
  • The effects of initial concentration, flow rate, and recycle ratio on the removal efficiency of phenol were studied in a tapered fluidized bed reactor packed with activated carbon which was attached with Candida tropicalis. The optimum conditions of Candida tropicalis were showed that pH was 7.0 and temperature was $30^{\circ}C$, and the specific growth rate of Candida tropicalis was satisfied with the Monod equation up to 500 mg/L of phenol, and beyond it the inhibition of substrate was found. According to the increases of initial concentration and flow rate, the removal efficiency was decreased, as the recycle ratio was increased, the removal efficiency was increased. In the case of flow rate of 10mL/sec and the recycle ratio of 2, the removal efficiency was 90% above for the all of initial concentration. The removal rate of phenol was the first order reaction in this system, and the rate equation of reaction was as follows.

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Enrichment of Electrochemically Active Bacteria Using a Three-Electrode Electrochemical Cell

  • Yoon, Seok-Min;Choi, Chang-Ho;Kim, Mi-A;Hyun, Moon-Sik;Shin, Sung-Hye;Yi, Dong-Heui;Kim, Hyung-Joon
    • Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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    • v.17 no.1
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    • pp.110-115
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    • 2007
  • Electrochemically active bacteria were successfully enriched in an electrochemical cell using a positively poised working electrode. The positively poised working electrode (+0.7 V vs. Ag/AgCl) was used as an electron acceptor for enrichment and growth of electrochemically active bacteria. When activated sludge and synthetic wastewater were fed to the electrochemical cell, a gradual increase in amperometric current was observed. After a period of time in which the amperometric current was stabilized (generally 8 days), linear correlations between the amperometric signals from the electrochemical cell and added BOD (biochemical oxygen demand) concentrations were established. Cyclic voltammetry of the enriched electrode also showed prominent electrochemical activity. When the enriched electrodes were examined with electron microscopy and confocal scanning laser microscopy, a biofilm on the enriched electrode surface and bacterium-like particles were observed. These experimental results indicate that the electrochemical system in this study is a useful tool for the enrichment of an electrochemically active bacterial consortium and could be used as a novel microbial biosensor.

Characterization of a Bioflocculant Produced by an Isolate, Bacillus megaterium G31

  • Chung, Sun-Ho;Kim, Hyung-Woo;Moon, Myeng-Nim;Yang, Young-Ki;Rhee, Young-Ha
    • Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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    • v.21 no.4
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    • pp.358-365
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    • 2003
  • A bacterial strain capable of producing a novel bioflocculant was isolated from a biofilm sample and identified as Bacillus megaterium G31. The highest biopolymer yield was achieved when the organism was cultivated in a medium containing acetate as the sole carbon source and ($NH_4)_2HPO_4$as the nitrogen source. In kaolin suspension, the flocculating activity was highest at 170 mg I$^{-1}$ and decreased at the higher bioflocculant concentrations. The crude bioflocculant produced by the organism was purified by ethanol precipitation and gel permeation chromatography. The FTIR spectrum of the purified bioflocculant revealed that the bioflocculant might be a heterogeneous polysaccharide composed of hexosamines and neutral sugars. The analysis of sugar components of the bioflocculant using high performance anion-exchange chromatography showed that the sugar constituents of the bioflocculant were glucosamine, fucose, galactosamine, galactose, glucose, mannose in approximate molar ratio of 4 : 1 : 6 : 3 : 8 : 19. Its flocculating activity was stimulated by various cations. The bioflocculant was thermo-stable and retained 64% of its original activity after heating at $100^{\circ}C$ for 50 min.

Isovitexin, a Potential Candidate Inhibitor of Sortase A of Staphylococcus aureus USA300

  • Mu, Dan;Xiang, Hua;Dong, Haisi;Wang, Dacheng;Wang, Tiedong
    • Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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    • v.28 no.9
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    • pp.1426-1432
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    • 2018
  • Staphylococcus aureus causes a broad variety of diseases. The spread of multidrug-resistant S. aureus highlights the need to develop new ways to combat S. aureus infections. Sortase A (SrtA) can anchor proteins containing LPXTG binding motifs to the bacteria surface and plays a key role in S. aureus infections, making it a promising antivirulence target. In the present study, we used a SrtA activity inhibition assay to discover that isovitexin, a Chinese herbal product, can inhibit SrtA activity with an $IC_{50}$ of $28.98{\mu}g/ml$. Using a fibrinogen-binding assay and a biofilm formation assay, we indirectly proved the SrtA inhibitory activity of isovitexin. Additionally, isovitexin treatment decreased the amount of staphylococcal protein A (SpA) on the surface of the cells. These data suggest that isovitexin has the potential to be an anti-infective drug against S. aureus via the inhibition of sortase activity.

Electric power generation from sediment microbial fuel cells with graphite rod array anode

  • Wang, Zejie;Lim, Bongsu
    • Environmental Engineering Research
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    • v.25 no.2
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    • pp.238-242
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    • 2020
  • Sediment microbial fuel cells (SMFCs) illustrated great potential for powering environmental sensors and bioremediation of sediments. In the present study, array anodes for SMFCs were fabricated with graphite rods as anode material and stainless steel plate as electric current collector to make it inconvenient to in situ settle down and not feasible for large-scale application. The results demonstrated that maximum power of 89.4 ㎼ was obtained from three graphite rods, twice of 43.3 ㎼ for two graphite rods. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy revealed that three graphite rods resulted in anodic resistance of 61.2 Ω, relative to 76.0 Ω of two graphite rods. It was probably caused by the parallel connection of the graphite rods, as well as more biomass which could reduce the charge transfer resistance of the biofilm anode. The presently designed array configuration possesses the advantages of easy to enlarge the surface area, decrease in anodic resistance because of the parallel connection of each graphite rod, and convenience to berry into sediment by gravity. Therefore, the as prepared array node would be an effective method to fabricate large-scale SMFC and make it easy to in situ applicate in natural sediments.

A Study of Nitrification Kinetics in the Biofilter Process for Aquaculture Water Treatment: A Review (양식 수처리를 위한 생물막 공정에서 질산화 영향인자에 대한 고찰)

  • Park, Noh Back;Park, Mi Seon;Lee, Jin Hwan;Myeong, Jeong In
    • Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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    • v.46 no.6
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    • pp.675-681
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    • 2013
  • There have been many studies on biofilter process regarding satisfactory water quality and the operational conditions of Recirculating Aquaculture Systems (RAS). For effective nitrification processes, it is necessary to dynamically identify and apply nitrifying microorganisms. Physical, chemical and biological processes concerning biofilms can be applied and influential factors including substrate, dissolved oxygen concentrations, organic matter, temperature, pH, alkalinity, salinity and mixing velocity intensity need to be considered. Also, designing and managing the process based on the dynamic interpretation of these factors are prerequisites for engineering applications of the biofilter process. This paper draws on current literature on the kinetics of nitrification of biofilms in the biofilter process. Influential factors for nitrification are crucial during the biofilter process and are expected to be critical in informing the design and operation of recirculating aquaculture systems.