• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.626-632
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• 2005

A new bacterium BL-2 excreting a novel cationic polyglucosamine biopolymer was isolated from the spoiled leaves of Chinese cabbage and identified as Enterobacter sp. BL-2. The isolated Enterobacter sp. BL-2 was cultivated in pH-stat fed-batch culture using acetic acid as the feeding stock at pH 8.0, resulting in 17.11 g/l of cells and 1.53 g/l of an extracellular biopolymer after 72 h. The excreted biopolymer was purified by a three-step procedure, involving ethanol precipitation and deproteinizations, to a nearly homogeneous state, and its molecular weight was found to be 106 kDa. It was composed of glucosamine, rhamnose, and galactose at a molar ratio of 86.4:1.6:1.0, respectively, indicating a rarely found novel high-glucosamine-containing biopolymer. The FT-IR and $^{13}C-NMR$ spectra of the novel cationic polyglucosamine biopolymer PGB-l revealed a close identity with chitosan from crab shell. It can effectively flocculate various suspended solids, including kaolin clay, $Ca(OH)_2,\;Al_{2}O_3$, active carbon, microbial cells, and acidic dyes.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.104-106
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• 2008

Enterobacter sp. BL-2 excretively produced a unique cationic polyglucosamine biopolymer PGB-1 comprised of more than 95% D-glucosamine in an acetate-mediated culture condition. The excretion of the biopolymer PGB-1 was closely associated with the cellular morphology of Enterobacter sp. BL-2, a feature highly dependable on the pH of the medium. The initially formed uneven and irregular surface cells were aggregated into the cell-biopolymer network structure connected by the adhesion modules of the cell-bound biopolymer. The excretive production of the biopolymer PGB-1 coincided with the disruption of the cell-biopolymer network, most actively at the medium pH of 8.0.

• KSBB Journal
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• v.25 no.5
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• pp.409-420
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• 2010

Biopolymer-based materials recently have garnered considerable interest as they can decrease dependency on fossil fuel. Biopolymers are naturally obtainable macromolecules including polysaccharides, polyphenols, polyesters, polyamides, and proteins, that play an important role in biomedical applications such as tissue engineering, regenerative medicine, drug-delivery systems, and biosensors, because of their inherent biocompatibility and biodegradability. However, the insolubility of unmodified biopolymers in most organic solvents has limited the applications of biopolymer-based materials and composites. Ionic liquids (ILs) are good solvents for polar organic, nonpolar organic, inorganic and polymeric compounds. Biopolymers such as cellulose, chitin/chitiosan, silk, and DNA can be fabricated from ILs into films, membranes, fibers, spheres, and molded shapes. Various biopolymer/biopolymer and biopolymer/synthetic polymer composites also can be prepared by co-dissolution of polymers into IL mixtures. Heparin/biopolymer composites are especially of interest in preparing materials with enhanced blood compatibility.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.17 no.5
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• pp.485-496
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• 2019

Sealing of leakage in waterfront or water-retaining structures is one of the major issues in geotechnical engineering practices. With demands for biological methods as sustainable ground improvement techniques, bioclogging, defined as the reduction in hydraulic conductivity of soils caused by microbial activities, has been considered as an alternative to the chemical grout techniques for its economic advantages and eco-friendliness of microbial by-products. This study investigated the feasibility of bioaugmentation and biostimulation methods to induce fermentation-based bioclogging effect in coarse sands. In the bioaugmentation experiments, effects of various parameters and conditions, including grain size, pH, and biogenic gas generation, on hydraulic conductivity reduction were examined through a series of column experiments while Leuconostoc mesenteroides, which produce an insoluble biopolymer called dextran, was used as the model bacteria. The column test results demonstrate that the accumulation of bacterial biopolymer can readily reduce the hydraulic conductivity by three-to-four orders of magnitudes or by 99.9-99.99% in well-controlled environments. In the biostimulation experiments, two inoculums of indigenous soil bacteria sampled from waterfront embankments were prepared and their bioclogging efficiency was examined. With one inoculum containing species capable of fermentation and biopolymer production, the hydraulic conductivity reduction by two orders of magnitude was achieved, however, no clogging was found with the other inoculum. This implies that presence of indigenous species capable of biopolymer production and their population, if any, play a key role in causing bioclogging, because of competition with other indigenous bacteria. The presented results provide fundamental insights into the bacterial biopolymer formation mechanism, its effect on soil permeability, and potential of engineering bacterial clogging in subsurface.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Food and Cookery Science Conference
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• 1987.12a
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• pp.115-124
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• 1987

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.17 no.12
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• pp.1983-1990
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• 2007

Antidiabetic effects of a novel microbial biopolymer (PGB) 1 excreted from new Enterobacter sp. BL-2 were tested in the db/db mice. The animals were divided into normal control, rosiglitazone (0.005%, wt/wt), low PGB1 (0.1%, wt/wt), and high PGB1 (0.25%, wt/wt) groups. After 5 weeks, the blood glucose levels of high PGB1 and rosiglitazone supplemented groups were significantly lower than those of the control group. In hepatic glucose metabolic enzyme activities, the glucokinase activities of PGB1 supplemented groups were significantly higher than the control group, whereas the PEPCK activities were significantly lower. The plasma insulin and hepatic glycogen levels of the low and high PGB1 supplemented groups were significantly higher compared with the control group. Specifically, the insulin and glycogen increases were dose-responsive to PGB1 supplement. PGB1 supplement did not affect the IPGTT and IPITT compared with the control group; however, rosiglitazone significantly improved IPITT. High PGB1 and rosiglitazone supplementation preserved the appearance of islets and insulin-positive cells in immunohistochemical photographs of the pancreas compared with the control group. These results demonstrated that high PGB1 (0.25% in the diet) supplementation seemingly contributes to preventing the onset and progression of type 2 diabetes by stimulating insulin secretion and enhancing the hepatic glucose metabolic enzyme activities.

• KSBB Journal
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• v.7 no.3
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• pp.166-171
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• 1992

Zoogloea ramigera 115 was cultured for biopolymer production and its bioflocculant usages. Cultural conditions of the organism were examined with regard to high production of the microbial polysaccharide. The most suitable medium was found to contain glucose as a carbon source, $NaNO_3$ as a nitrogen source, and yeast extract as an organic nutrient. The initial pH of 6.0 proved to optimal. The biopolymer was extracted effectively using ultrasonication and high speed centrifugation, followed by propanol addition. Jar test results indicate that the polysaccharide produced by the organism is an effective flocculant.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.196-202
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• 1992

Zoogloea ramigera 115 was selected for the production of viscous microbial polysaccharide for bioflocculants usage. Batch, fed-batch, and continuous culture processes were examined with regard to the high biopolymer production. Several carbon sources were tested, including glucose, lactose, molasses, and cheese whey. The C/N ratio of 90 was most effective for biopolymer production from glucose, while the C/N ratios of 30 for lactose and 60 for both molasses and cheese whey substrate gave a maximum production. Fed batch culture proved more effective to increase final biopolymer concentration than batch culture. Continuous fermentation with two stages modifying C/N ratio increased the productivity. The production rates were a maximum at dilution rate of 0.048 $hr^{-1}$ for molasses and at 0.096 $hr^{-1}$for cheese whey.

• Ecology and Resilient Infrastructure
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• v.5 no.3
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• pp.180-188
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• 2018

Biopolymer based on microbial ${\beta}$-glucan and xanthan gum is a rising geotechnical material that can enhance the cohesion between soil particles and consequently reduce soil erosion. Recently, biopolymer is proposed to utilize for the riverbank strengthening. As an effort of the ecological assessment of biopolymer application in civil engineering, this study examined the effects of biopolymer on seed germination and growth of nine plant species inhabiting in the Korean riverside. Responses of above-ground growth to the biopolymer differed among plant species. One species grew less but others maintained their growth when plants were grown in the soil with biopolymer. In contrast, root grew more vigorously and root/shoot ratio decreased in the biopolymer across testing plant species. These results indicate that biopolymer application on the river bank likely stimulate root growth of native plant species, which, in turn, possibly reinforces riverbank. Species specific responses of above-ground growth implies that ecological effects of biopolymer application would depend on the species composition of the ecosystem.

• Ecology and Resilient Infrastructure
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• v.6 no.4
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• pp.304-313
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• 2019

Biopolymer based on microbial β-glucan and xanthan gum is effective for vegetation and has a function of enhancing soil strength, which can be used as soil reinforcement and stabilization materials in river embankment. The purpose of this study is to verify the vegetation effect of the surface of levee by biopolymer with seed spraying method. Mixed soils with biopolymer were used to cover the surface of embankments. The strength is higher in biopolymer-treated soil and xanthan gum based biopolymer has advantage for quality control in field scale. In addition, the vegetation of F. arundinacea and L. perenne showed various reactions with types of biopolymers. Biopolymer has a positive effect on the vegetation of them. In contrast, root growth tended to decrease in biopolymer-treated soils. The results indicate that root growth is slow down due to increasing ability to retain water in biopolymer-treated soil. In order to apply biopolymer to river embankment, it is necessary to examine the effects of biopolymers on a wide range of plant species in river embankment.