• Journal of Life Science
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.237-242
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• 2015

The use of calcite-forming bacteria (CFB) in crack remediation and durability improvements in construction materials creates a permanent and environmentally-friendly material. Therefore, research into this type of application is stimulating interdisciplinary studies between microbiology and architectural engineering. However, the mechanisms giving rise to these materials are dependent on calcite precipitation by the metabolism of the CFB, which raises concerns about possible hazards to cement-based construction due to microbial metabolic acid production. The aim of this study was to determine target microorganisms that possibly can have bio-corrosive effects on cement mortar and to assess multi-functional CFBs for their safe application to cement structures. The chalky test was first used to evaluate the $CaCO_3$ solubilization feature of construction sites by fungi, yeast, bacterial strains. Not all bacterial strains are able to solubilize $CaCO_3$, but C. sphaerospermum KNUC253 or P. prolifica KNUC263 showed $CaCO_3$ solubilization activity. Therefore, these two strains were identified as target microorganisms that require control in cement structures. The registered patented strains Bacillus aryabhatti KNUC205, Arthrobacter nicotianae KNUC2100, B. thuringiensis KNUC2103 and Stenotrophomonas maltophilia KNUC2106, reported as multifunctional CFB (fungal growth inhibition, crack remediation, and water permeability reduction of cement surfaces) and isolated from Dokdo or construction site were unable to solubilize $CaCO_3$. Notably, B. aryabhatti KNUC205 and A. nicotianae KNUC2100 could not hydrolyze cellulose or protein, which can be the major constituent macromolecules of internal materials for buildings. These results show that several reported multi-functional CFB can be applied to cement structures or diverse building environments without corrosive or bio-deteriorative risks.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.45 no.5
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• pp.817-821
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• 2012

Soil samples collected from abounded mines of Boryeong area in South Korea were used in isolating bacterial strains and their capacity to solubilize inorganic phosphates and heavy metal tolerance were assessed in vitro. Three different inorganic phosphate sources (Ca phosphate, Fe phosphate, and Al phosphate) and four different heavy metals (Co, Cd, Pb and Zn) each with three concentrations ($100{\mu}g\;mL^{-1}$, $200{\mu}g\;mL^{-1}$, and $400{\mu}g\;mL^{-1}$) were used. The bacterial isolates PSB-1, PSB-2, PSB-3, and PSB-4 solubilized significantly higher amount of Ca phosphate during the first five days of incubation though subsequent drop in soluble phosphorus level in the medium was observed at the later stage (after 5 days) of the incubation. Solubilization of Ca phosphate and Fe phosphate was concomitant with the acidification of the culture medium compared to the control where it remained constant. Isolated strains could solubilize Fe phosphate to certain extent ($25-45{\mu}g\;mL^{-1}$) though solubilization of Al phosphate was found negligible. All the isolates were tolerant to heavy metals (Cd, Pb, and Zn) up to the concentration of $400{\mu}g\;mL^{-1}$ except PSB-1 and PSB-8, which were shown to be vulnerable to Co even at $100{\mu}g\;mL^{-1}$. Heavy metal tolerant strains should be further evaluated for plant growth promoting activities also under field conditions in order to assess their agricultural and environmental significance.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.31-36
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• 2011

BACKGROUND: Disposal of slurry animal manure produced by an anaerobic slurry-type barn method is not easy since the animal slurry contain high moisture content which makes solid-liquid separation a difficult process. However, recently, the interest about anaerobic digestion process as an environment-friendly waste disposal method has gained a wide interest because it can treat highly organic matter contained by the piggery slurry, decrease the odor after treatment, and enable the effective recovery of the methane gas which is a valuable energy resource. The objectives of this study were to identify the solubilization characteristics and to improve the anaerobic digestion efficiency of piggery slurry through full-scale anaerobic digestion experiments. METHODS AND RESULTS: In a full-scale continuous anaerobic digestion operation, the adaptability of single anaerobic digestion and its digestion efficiency were also evaluated in the farm field. The actual pH range and alkalinity concentration of piggery slurry used during the operation were comparatively higher than the concentrations of pH and alkalinity in the digestion tank which were stable at 7.5~8.0, 4,008 mg/L (as$CaCO_3$), respectively. The removal efficiency of organic matter (TCOD) by anaerobic digestion was 75~90% and methane gas production amount was at 0.33 L/L/day, a little higher than that of ordinary animal manure. CONCLUSION(s): Our findings showed higher recovery of highly purified methane and greater efficiency of anaerobic tank digestion since its methane gas content was at 65~70%.

• BMB Reports
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.253-260
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• 1996

An enzyme that hydrolyzes flavin-adenine dinucleotide (FAD) was found to be present in rat liver lysosomal membrane prepared from Triton WR-1339 filled lysosomes (tritosomes) purified by flotation on sucrose. This FAD phosphohydrolase (FADase) exhibited optimal activity at pH 8.5 and had an apparent Km of approximately 3.3 mM. The activity was decreased 50~70% by dialysis against EDTA and this was restored by $Zn^{2+}$, $Mg^{+2}$, $Hg^{+2}$, and $Ca^{+2}$ ions inhibited the enzyme, but $F^-$ and molybdate had no effect. The enzyme was also inhibited by p-chloromercuribenzoate (pCMB), reduced glutathione and other thiols, cyanide, and ascorbate. The presence of ATP, ADP, AMP. ${\alpha}-{\beta}-methylene$ ATP, AMP-p-nitrophenyl phosphate (PNP), GMP, and coenzyme A (CoA) decreased the activity on FAD, but pyrimidine nucleotides, adenosine, adenine, or $NAD^+$ were without effect. Phosphate stimulated the activity slightly. FAD phosphohydrolase activity was separated from ATPase and inorganic pyrophosphatase activities by solubilization with detergents and polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and by linear sucrose density gradient centrifugation suggesting that the enzyme is different from ATPase, inorganic pyrophosphatase, and soluble lysosomal FAD pyrophosphatase. Paper chromatography showed that FAD was hydrolyzed to flavin mononucleotide (FMN) and AMP which were further hydrolyzed to riboflavin and AMP by phosphatases known to be present in lysosomal membranes. Incubation of the intact Iysosomes with pronase showed that the active site of FAD phosphohydrolase must be oriented to the cytosol. The FAD hydrolyzing activity was detected in Golgi, microsome, and plasma membrane, but not in mitochondria or soluble lysosomal preparations.