Almost all currently available retroviral vectors based on murine leukemia virus (MLV) contain one or more viral coding sequences Because these sequences are also present in the packaging genome, it has been suggested that homologous recombination may occur between the same nucleotide sequence in the packaging genome and the vector, resulting in the production of replication competent retrovirus (RCR). Up until now, it has been difficult to completely remove viral coding sequences since some were thought to be involved in the optimum function of the retroviral vector. For example, the gag coding sequence present in almost all available retroviral vectors has been believed to be necessary for efficient viral packaging, while the pol coding sequence present in the highly efficient vector MFG has been thought to be involved in achieving the high levels of gene e(pression. However, we have now developed a series of reroviral vectors that are absent of any retroviral coding sequences but produce even higher levels of gene expression without compromising viral titer. In these vectors the intron and exon sequences from heterologous cellular or viral genes are present, When compared to the well blown MLV-based vectors, some of these newly developed vectors have been shown to produce significantly higher levels of gene expression for a longer period. In an experimental system that can maximize the production of RCR, our newly constructed vectors produced an absence of RCR. These vectors should prove to be safer than other currently available retroviral vectors containing one or more viral coding sequences

장류 중 비교적 늦게 우리식생활에 도입된 고추장은 고추의 도입시기인 임진란 이후 장류의 기본인 메주와 어울려 채소류 중심의 우리 식생활에 도입되었을 것이며 지금은 우리의 모든 요리에 광범위하게 이용되고 있는 향신 조미료의 하나로 세계에 그 유례를 찾아볼 수 없다. 고추장은 크게 나눠 전통고추장과 개량식으로 구분하는 바 가장 큰 차이점은 전자는 자연 발효한 고추장 메주를 사용하는 반면 후자는 순수 황국균에 의한 koji를 이용하면서 최종 제품에 가열과정이 없는 것이다. 우리나라 고추장 수요량은 약16만 톤 정도며 매출액은 약 1,165억 원으로 추산되는데 그중 60％가 공장산으로 고추장의 제조가 급격히 주부의 손을 떠나고 있다. 전통고추장의 비중은 전체 고추장에서 미미하나 아직도 상당수의 소비자에게서 선호되고 있으며 중소형 혹은 가내 규모로 농민의 소득증대에 기여하고 있다. 전통고추장의 문제는 자연발효에 의한 품질균일화 미흡과 품질개선 노력이 부족한 점과 유통 중 변색 및 가스생성에 의한 팽창과 내용물 유출인바 이번 연구를 통하여 변색의 주원인은 빛(U.V.)과 열 임을 밝혔고 주로 효모에 의해서 발생되는 가스 및 내용물의 유출문제는 천연 항균성 물질을 함유한 양고추냉이와 겨자를 첨가하는 경우 성공적으로 방지할 수 있었으며 품질도 오히려 개선되는 결과를 얻었다.

Bacterial community structure composing enhanced biological phosphorus removal (EBPR) activated sludge was analyzed phylogenetically by cloning 165 rDNA after direct DNA extraction. Then, this result was compared with 165 rDNA sequences of randomly isolated bacterial species. The results clearly showed that there are no coincidence between the sequences retrieved directly from activated sludge and those of isolated strains, suggesting that many important bacteria are hidden in activated sludge because of the difficulty in isolation and culture of them.

Zn-resistant Methylosobacterium strains were isolated from several non-polluted soil samples collected in all over Japan. Zn-resistant Methylosobacterium strains were predominantly detected in all soil samples and they were also characterized as a UV-tolerant bacteria. The MIC test revealed that the isolates have high zinc resistance in comparison with that of reference Methylosobacterium strains obtained from culture collections. The 16S rDNA-based phylogenetic analysis showed that all strains were divided into two clusters designated as cluster A and cluster B in the present study. All isolates were distributed only in the cluster A. The phylogenetic clustering also well coincided with the differences in the pattern of carbon source utilization.

The differential enhanced degradation of cis- and trans-1,3-D was observed in the previous two studies performed by Ou et al. (1995) and especially Chung et al. (1999). This study was initiated to investigate the involvement of microorganisms in the differential enhanced degradation of the chemicals. As expected, microorganisms were responsible for the enhanced degradation of the chemicals. A mixed bacterial culture capable of degrading 1,3-D was isolated from an enhanced soil sample collected from a site treated with 1,3-D. Similar to the enhanced soil, the mixed culture degraded trans-1,3-D faster than cis-1,3-D. This mixed culture could not utilize cis- and trans-1,3-D as a sole source of carbon for growth. Rather, a variety of second substrates were evaluated to stimulate the differential enhanced degradation of the two isomers. As a result, the mixed culture degraded cis- and trans-1,3-D only in the presence of a suitable second substrate. Second substrates that had the capacity to stimulate the degradation included soil leachate, tryptone, tryptophan, and alanine. Other substrates tested, including soil extract, glucose, yeast extract, and indole (ailed to stimulate the degradation of the two isomers. Therefore, it appeared that the degradation of cis- and trans-1,3-D was a cometabolic process. The mixed culture was composed of four morphologically distinctive bacterial colonies.

The electrocatalytic reduction of NAD$^{＋}$ using diaphorase was studied. methyl viologen (MV$^{2＋}$) mediator between an electrode and the enzyme. Steady-state currents could be obtained under the conditions of slow scan rate, low MV$^{2＋}$concentration, and high NAD$^{＋}$ concentration as the electrode reaction was converted to an electrochemical-catalytic (EC') reaction. The biomecular rate constant for the reaction of the reduced methyl viologen with the oxidized diaphorase was estimated as 7.5$\times$10$^3$M$^{-1}$ s$^{-1}$ from the slope of the current versus [MV$^{2＋}$] plot. And the optimal concentrations of diaphorase, MV$^{2＋}$ and NAD$^{＋}$ in the mediated electrocatalytic reduction of NAD$^{＋}$ were decided by applying the cyclic voltammetry. The optimal concentrations of the species were obtained by finding the conditions which gave the highest and steady-state current at a gold-amalgam electrode. The highest and steady-state catalytic current was achieved under the conditions of 1.5 U/ml diaphorase, 0.2 mM MV$^{2＋}$, and 4.8 mM NAD$^{＋}$ at the scan rate of 2 mV s$^{-1}$ , suggesting that the rate of the electrocatalytic reation is the higest under the former conditions. The electrochemical procedure under the conditions of 1.5 U/ml diaphorase,0.2 mM MV$^{2＋}$, and 4.8 mM NAD$^{＋}$ was used favorably to drive an enzymatic reduction of pyruvate to D-lactate.