• KSBB Journal
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• v.29 no.6
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• pp.399-404
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• 2014

Production of biodegradable polymer polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) from industrial wastes exhibits several advantages such as recycle of waste and the production of high valuable products. To this end, this study aimed at isolating from the sewage treatment plant a PHA producing bacterium capable of utilizing wastes generated from biodiesel and food industries. A Bacillus cereus strain capable of producing poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) [P(3HB)] was isolated, which was followed by confirmation of P(3HB) accumulation by gas-chromatographic analyses. Then, the effects of nutrient limitation on P(3HB) production by B. cereus was first examined. Cells cultured in a minimal medium under the limitation of nitrogen, potassium and sulfur suggested that nitrogen limitation allows the highest P(3HB) accumulation. Next, production of P(3HB) was examined from both waste of biodiesel production (crude glycerol) and waste from food industry (spent coffee grounds). Cells cultured in nitrogen-limited minimal medium supplemented crude glycerol and waste spent coffee grounds extract accumulated P(3HB) to the contents of 2.4% and 1.0% of DCW. This is the first report demonstrating the capability of B. cereus to produce P(3HB) from waste raw materials such as crude glycerol and spent coffee grounds.

• 한국생물공학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2000.04a
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• pp.355-356
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• 2000

Three 'stress probe' plasmids were constructed and characterized which utilize a green fluorescent protein (CFP) as a non-invasive reporter to elucidate Escherichia coli cellular stress responses in quiescent or 'resting' cells. Facile detection of cellular stress levels was achieved by fusion of three heat shock stress protein promoter elements, those of the heat shock transcription factor ${\sigma}^{32}$, pretense subunit ClpB, and chaperone DnaK, to the reporter gene $gfp_{uv}$. When perturbed by chemical or physical stress (such as heat shock, nutrient (amino acid) limitation, addition of IPTG, acetic acid, ethanol, phenol, antifoam, and salt (osmotic shock), the E. coli cells produced GFPuv which was easily detected from within the cells as emitted green fluorescence. A temporal and amplitudinal mapping of these responses was performed, demonstrating regions where quantitative delineation of cell stress was afforded.

• Journal of Institute of Control, Robotics and Systems
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• v.15 no.5
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• pp.555-561
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• 2009

The established mathematical modeling methods have limitation to know the hydraulic characteristics at the wastewater treatment plant which are complex and nonlinear systems. So, an artificial neural network (ANN) model based on hydraulic characteristics is applied for modeling wastewater quality of a full-scale wastewater treatment plant using DNR (Daewoo nutrient removal) process. ANN was trained using data which are influents (TSS, BOD, COD, TN, TP) and effluents (COD, TN, TP) components in a year, and predicted the effluent results based on the training. To raise the efficiency of prediction, inputs of ANN are added the influent and effluent information that are in yesterday and the day before yesterday. The results of training data tend to have high accuracy between real value and predicted value, but test data tend to have lower accuracy. However, the more hydraulic characteristics are considered, the results become more accuracy.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.10 no.5
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• pp.628-631
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• 2000

The timing of poly(3-Hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) biosynthesis was controlled by varying the agitation speed of a stirred tank fermentor during the pH-stat fed-batch culture of recombinant Escherichia coli strain GCSC 6576 harboring pSYL107. Using a concentrated whey solution containing ca. 200 g/l lactose as the nutrient feed, the PHB content was only 57% after 35h due to volumetric limitation of the fermentor. However, by limiting the oxygen by maintaining the agitation speed at 300 rpm, the final PHB content increased to 70% after 70h with a cell concentration of 15 g/l. When the agitation speed was increased up to 500 rpm, a cell concentration of 31 g/l with 80% PHB was obtained after 52h. A further increase in the maximum agitation speed increased the cell concentration, PHB concentration, and PHB productivity, however, the PHB content decreased to 56-58%.

• Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.271-278
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• 2019

Mass cultivation of microalgae is necessary to achieve economically feasible production of microalgal biodiesel. However, the high cost of nutrients is a major limitation. In this study, corncob extract (CCE) was used as an inorganic and organic nutrient source for the mass cultivation of Chlorella vulgaris (C. vulgaris). Chemical composition analysis of CCE revealed that it contained sufficient nutrients for mixotrophic cultivation of C. vulgaris. The highest specific grow rate of C. vulgaris was obtained at pH of 7-8, temperature of $25-30^{\circ}C$, and CCE amount of 5 g/L. In the analysis using various growth models, Luong model was found to be the most suitable empirical formula for mass cultivation of C. vulgaris using CCE. Analysis of biomass and production of triacyglycerol showed that microalgae grown in CCE medium produced more than 17.23% and 3% more unsaturated fatty acids than cells cultured in Jaworski's Medium. These results suggest that growing microalgae in CCE-supplemented medium can increase lipid production. Therefore, CCE, agricultural byproduct, has potential use for mass cultivation of microalgae.

• Journal of Korean Society of Coastal and Ocean Engineers
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.217-224
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• 2014

Cochlodinium polykrikoides is a typical harmful algal species which generates the red-tide in the coastal zone, southern Korea. Accurate algal growth model can be established and then the prediction of the red-tide occurrence using this model is possible if the information on the optimal growth model parameters are available because it is directly related between the red-tide occurrence and the rapid algal bloom. However, the limitation factors on the algal growth, such as light intensity, water temperature, salinity, and nutrient concentrations, are so diverse and also the limitation function types are diverse. Thus, the study on the algal growth model development using the available laboratory data set on the growth rate change due to the limitation factors are relatively very poor in the perspective of the model. In this study, the growth model on the C. polykrikoides are developed and suggested as the optimal model which can be used as the element model in the red-tide or ecological models. The optimal parameter estimation and an error analysis are carried out using the available previous research results and data sets. This model can be used for the difference analysis between the lab. condition and in-situ state because it is an optimal model for the lab. condition. The parameter values and ranges also can be used for the model calibration and validation using the in-situ monitoring environmental and algal bloom data sets.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.272-277
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• 2007

The physiological responses of microorganisms to specific nutrient limitation can be regulated at the transcriptional levels. In this study, in order to develop the Pichia pastoris-derived promoter inducible by nutrient-limited condition, we constructed cDNA libraries using RT-PCR of total RNA from P. pastoris in steady-states of phosphate-limited chemostat with different dilution rates. Various genes were detected from cDNA library. Among these genes, the gene encoding putative sodium/phosphate ($Na^+$/Pi) symporter (NPS), high affinity transporter of phosphate, was detected. It was observed that expression of NPS increased in a manner specific to phosphate-limited condition through Northern blot. Therefore, it is thought that the promoter from NPS gene may have the potential as auto-inducible promoter by phosphate-limited culture condition without inducer.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.25 no.6
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• pp.553-558
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• 2014

Microalgae are a promising alternative feedstock for biodiesel production because their growth rates and oil contents are higher than those of conventional energy crops. Microalgal lipid is mainly triacylglyceride that can be converted to biodiesel as fatty acid methyl esters through trans-esterification. In this paper, the influence of several important lipid inducing factors such as nutrient limitation and changes in salinity and metallic components in microalgae and their potential strategies to be used for biodiesel production are reviewed. Depending upon strains/species that we use, microalgae react to stresses by producing different amount of triacylglyceride and/or by altering their fatty acids composition. Although the most widely applied method is the nitrogen starvation, other potential factors, including nutrient surplus conditions and changes in salinity, pH, temperature and metal concentrations, should be considered to increase biodiesel productivity.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.305-312
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• 2007

This study focused on the involvement of the unusual nucleotide (p)ppGpp, a stringent factor, during the morphological and physiological differentiation of Streptomyces coelicolor. Two genes, relA and rshA, were disrupted to demonstrate the roles of the stringent factor in the differentiation. The intracellular concentration of (p)ppGpp in the wild-type (M600) and disrupted mutants was measured in relation to the intentional starvation of a specific nutrient, such as carbon, nitrogen, and phosphate or the in situ depletion of nutrients in a batch culture. As a result, it was found that the morphological characteristic of the ${\Delta}relA$ mutant was a bld phenotype forming condensed mycelia, whereas the ${\Delta}rshA$ mutant grew fast-forming spores and straightforward mycelia. In both mutants, the production of actinorhodin (Act) was completely abolished, yet the undecylprodigiosin (Red) production was increased. Intracellular (p)ppGpp was detected in the ${\Delta}relA$ mutant in the case of limited phosphate, yet not with limited carbon or nitrogen sources. In contrast, (p)ppGpp was produced in the ${\Delta}rshA$ mutant under limited carbon and nitrogen conditions. Therefore, (p)ppGpp in S. coelicolor was found to be selectively regulated by either the RelA or RshA protein, which was differentially expressed in response to the specific nutrient limitation. These results were also supported by the in situ ppGpp production during a batch culture. Furthermore, it is suggested that RelA and RshA are bifunctional proteins that possess the ability to both synthesize and hydrolyze (p)ppGpp.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.245-248
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• 2010

This study was conducted to investigate effect of changes in target fat and protein contents in milk on feed cost using a simulation modeling approach based on the 2001 dairy NRC. Two simulations were done; simulation I had a limitation (up to 20%), but simulation II had no limitation for the use of cottonseed hull in a diet. Using commonly used feed ingredients in Korea, we formulated least cost diets that meet nutrient requirement of a lactating dairy cow producing 36 kg of milk with combinations of 0.1% decrease or 0.1% increase in target milk fat or protein, respectively, from the national average milk fat (4.0%) and milk protein (3.1%). The contents of alfalfa and corn in a least-cost diet were decreased and those of tall fescue, whole cottonseed and rapeseed meal were increased with decreasing fat and/or increasing protein in milk. Scenarios that decreased target milk fat percentage from 4.0% to 3.9% reduced feed cost by 2 won per kg. Due to decrease in feed intake, daily feed cost was even more reduced (136 won per head) by decreasing target milk fat percentage. Increase in target milk protein percentage from 3.1% to 3.2% reduced feed cost by 6 won per kg. Among scenarios simulated, the least feed cost was obtained in scenario aimed for 3.9% fat and 3.2% of protein in milk. We conclude that a feeding practice for increasing milk protein percentage does not directly increase feed cost. In addition, feeding practices that increase protein content in milk is expected to improve economic life-span and reproductive performance of dairy cows.