• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.26 no.7
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• pp.1234-1241
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• 2016

Methanol is a versatile compound that can be biologically synthesized from methane (CH₄) by methanotrophs using a low energy-consuming and environment-friendly process. Methylocella tundrae is a type II methanotroph that can utilize CH₄ as a carbon and energy source. Methanol is produced in the first step of the metabolic pathway of methanotrophs and is further oxidized into formaldehyde. Several parameters must be optimized to achieve high methanol production. In this study, we optimized the production conditions and process parameters for methanol production. The optimum incubation time, substrate, pH, agitation rate, temperature, phosphate buffer and sodium formate concentration, and cell concentration were determined to be 24 h, 50% CH₄, pH 7, 150 rpm, 30℃, 100 mM and 50 mM, and 18 mg/ml, respectively. The optimization of these parameters significantly improved methanol production from 0.66 to 5.18 mM. The use of alginate-encapsulated cells resulted in enhanced methanol production stability and reusability of cells after five cycles of reuse under batch culture conditions.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.267-272
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• 1984

${\beta}-Fructofuranosidase$ was immobilized covalently on the oxidized microbial wall of a Penicillium spp. 'PS-8', which is totally different from the conventional whole cell immobilization in concept. The immobilization of ${\beta}-fructofuranosidase$ by a series of treatments; oxidation of microbial cells with sodium metaperiodate, enzyme loading on the oxidized cells, extrusion, and crosslinking induced by glutaradehyde, were carried out. The final product had a good mechanical strength and showed 26% of the applied enzyme activity. The specific activity was 750 units per g of the dry cell product. The immobilized enzyme showed the kinetic parameters as follows; optimum pH at 5, optimum temperature at $55^{\circ}C$, activation energy of 19 kJ $mol^{-1}$, and apparent Km of 55 mM.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.33 no.6
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• pp.365-371
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• 1989

Microbiological conversion of sterols to 17-ketosteroids has been recognized as a source for commercial preparation of steroidal drugs. In order to develop bacterial strains and process with Brevibacterium lipolyticum IAM 1398 capable of converting cholesterol to 1,4-Androstadiene-3,17-dione (ADD) at about 27% yield, we studied on strain improvement, fermentation condition and whole cell immobilization. By using UV and/or NTG as mutagens, a mutant to convert cholesterol to ADD with higher yield than 60% was selected. Better production of ADD was manifested in the case of maltose used as a supplemental carbon source, and yeast extract or soytone as a nitrogen source. Addition of tween 80 (0.05%) as a surfactant beneficial for increasing the productivity. The optimal initial pH of the medium was 6.5 and optimal culture temperature was $30^{\circ}C$. Whole cell immobilization by using carrageenan, agar, alginate and acrylamide was carried out and the activity of conversion was tested. In the case of carrageenan and agar, immobilized cells were active for at least two cycles of fermentation.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.159-164
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• 2011

Microbial whole-cell biosensors can be excellent analytical tools for monitoring environmental pollutants. They are constructed by fusing reporter genes (e.g., lux, gfp or lacZ) to inducible regulatory genes which are responsive to the relevant pollutants, such as aromatic hydrocarbons and heavy metals. A large spectrum of microbial biosensors has been developed using recombinant DNA technology and applied in fields as diverse as environmental monitoring, medicine, food processing, agriculture, and defense. Furthermore, their sensitivity and target range could be improved by modification of regulatory genes. Recently, microbial biosensor cells have been immobilized on chips, optic fibers, and other platforms of high-throughput cell arrays. This paper reviews recent advances and future trends of genetically modified microbial biosensors used for monitoring of specific environmental pollutants.

• KSBB Journal
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.82-90
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• 1999

In order to eventually fabricate an analytical system for infectious microorganisms, we synthesized major immunochemical components, utilized them for the construction of model system, and investigated an assay concept for bacterial whole cells. For the preparation of system components, a polyclonal antibody, against Salmonella thompson as model analyte, purified by immuno-affinity chromatography was used to chemically link to streptavidin or an enzyme, horseradish peroxidase(HRP). The antibody and streptavidin was modified with sulfosuccinimidyl 4-[N-maleimidomethyl]cyclohexane-1-carboxylate and N-succinimidyl-3-[2-pyridyldithio]propionate(subsequently activated by dithiotheritol), respectively. The modified components were reacted to synthesize antibody-streptavidin conjugates which were then purified on a two-layer chromatography column of diaminobiotin gel and Sephadex G-100. For antibody-HRP conjugates, HRP molecules were activated by $NalO_4$ oxidation and then coupled to immunoglobulin. After stabilizing with ($NaCNBH_3$, the conjugates were purified by size exclusion chromatography on Biogel A5M column. To devise a model system, such produced components were combined with a dot-blotter in which a nitrocellulose membrane($12{\mu}m$ pre size) with immobilized biotin was already located. The analyte (S. thompson cells) was reacted with the both antibody conjugates in a liquid phase, and the complexes formed were captured on the membrane surfaces by applying vacuum in the bottom compartment of the blotter to invoke biotin-streptavidin reaction. Under optimal conditions, the system enabled to identify the analytical concept for bacterial whole cells, and the lower limit of detection was approximately $1{\mu}g/m{\ell}$($10^5-10^6$ cells/m$m{\ell}$). The controlling factors were the concentrations of each antibody conjugate that caused agglutination in the presence of analyte as they increased.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.25 no.11
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• pp.1773-1781
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• 2015

Environmental security is one of the major concerns for the safety of living organisms from a number of harmful pollutants in the atmosphere. Different initiatives, legislative actions, as well as scientific and social concerns have been discussed and adopted to control and regulate the threats of environmental pollution, but it still remains a worldwide challenge. Therefore, there is a need for developing certain sensitive, rapid, and selective techniques that can detect and screen the pollutants for effective bioremediation processes. In this perspective, isolated enzymes or biological systems producing enzymes, as whole cells or in immobilized state, can be used as a source for detection, quantification, and degradation or transformation of pollutants to non-polluting compounds to restore the ecological balance. Biosensors are ideal for the detection and measurement of environmental pollution in a reliable, specific, and sensitive way. In this review, the current status of different types of microbial biosensors and mechanisms of detection of various environmental toxicants are discussed.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.15 no.6
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• pp.1317-1322
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• 2005

This work describes neo-fructooligosaccharides (neo-FOSs) production using the immobilized mycelia of Penicillium citrinum. Some critical factors were evaluated to optimize maximal production of neo-FOS. Optimal alginate and cell concentrations were determined to be $1.96\%$ alginate and $7.17\%$ cell, respectively, by statistical analysis. The optimal concentration of $CaCl_{2}$, which is related to bead stability, was determined to be 2 M. It was possible to increase the neo-FOS production by adding 15 units of glucose oxidase to the batch reaction. By co-immobilizing cells and glucose oxidase, neoFOS productivity increased $123\%$ compared with the whole-cell immobilization process. Based on the results above, a co-immobilization technique was developed and it can be utilized for large-scale production.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.119-125
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• 2006

The rat is an accepted model for studying human psychiatric/neurological disorders. We provide a protocol for total soluble protein extraction using trichloroacetic acid/acetone (TCA/A) from rat (female) whole brain, 10 brain regions and the pituitary gland, and show that two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DGE) using precast immobilized pH (4-7) gradient (IPG) strip gels (13 cm) in the first dimension yields clean silver nitrate stained protein profiles. Though TCA/A precipitation may not be "ideal", the important choice here is the selection of an appropriate lysis buffer (LB) for solubilizing precipitated proteins. Our results reveal enrichment of protein spots by use of individual brain regions rather than whole brain, as well as the presence of differentially expressed spots in their proteomes. Thus individual brain regions provide improved protein coverage and are better suited for differential protein detection. Moreover, using a phosphoprotein-specific dye, ingel detection of phosphoproteins was demonstrated. Representative high-resolution silver nitrate stained proteome profiles of rat whole brain total soluble protein are presented. Shortcomings apart (failure to separate membrane proteins), gel-based proteomics remains a viable option, and 2-DGE is the method of choice for generating high-resolution proteome maps of rat brain and brain regions.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.111-116
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• 1991

The effective p.eduction of 5'-GMP(5'-Guanylic acid) by enzymatic conversion of 5'-XMP(5'-Xanthyic acid) was investigated. The Iyophilized Brevibacterium ammoniagenes ATCC 19216 which were used as the XHP aminase source, was immobilized by entrapping in K-carrageenan, agar, polyacrylamide or Ca-alginate. $3\%$ K-carrageenan was selected as the most suitable matrix. In the production of 5'-GMP using the free cells of 3. ammoniagenes ATCC 19216, the optimum conditions were $42^{\circ}C$, PH 7.0, 100mg/ml glucose, 120mg/ml cell ,8mg/ml $MgSO_4\cdot7H_2O$, 5mg/ml POESA, 5mg/ml phytic acid. Under the conditions, $94.5\%$ of 5'-GMP was converted within 8 hours. In the production of 5'-GMP using the immobilized whole cells of B. ammoniagenes ATCC 19216, the optimum conditions were $37^{\circ}C$, pH 7.5, 50mg/ml glucose, 1mg/ml $KH_2PO_4$, 10mg/ml phytic acid, 60mg/ml cell, 8mg/ml $MgSO_4\;\cdot\;7H_2O$, 5mg/ml POESA. Under the conditions, $64.7\%$ of 5'-GMP was converted within 40 hours.

• KSBB Journal
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• v.25 no.6
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• pp.520-526
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• 2010

In this work we have investigated the production of catalase from Bacillus sp. strains, which were screened and identified from soil. These strains were cultivated in shaking flasks with tryptic soy broth (TSB) at $30^{\circ}C$ and 200 rpm. Effects of the temperature and pH on the stability of the native catalase and whole cell viability were studied in the temperature range of $25-60^{\circ}C$ and the pH range of 7-13. Korean natural zeolite was added to culture medium and mixed with microorganisms for 24 hours. The native catalase maintained its activity over $50^{\circ}C$. The enzyme acitiviy of the catalase from Bacillus flexus BKBChE-3 was highest among the Bacillus sp. strains studied. Bacillus flexus BKBChE-3 and immobilized Bacillus cells have survived under extreme conditions of over $50^{\circ}C$ and pH 12. 60 mL of 10.5 mM $H_2O_2$ solution were entirely removed within 1 hour with catalase produced from Bacillus sp. on the flask. When Bacillus cells were immobilized on Korean natural zeolite, colony forming unit of Bacillus flexus BKBChE-3 was increased and high efficiency of hydrogen peroxide removal was observed.