• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
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• 제43권4호
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• pp.207-210
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• 2000

As a typical example of the screening for a microbial biocatalyst from nature, isolation of nitrilesynthesizing microorganisms, characterization of a new enzyme aldoxime dehydratase, and its function in the aldoxime-nitrile pathway are introduced. Catalytic properties of some of our enzymes were improved through a direct evolutionary approach.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• 제28권8호
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• pp.1360-1366
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• 2018

The fungi associated with termites secrete enzymes such as laccase (multi-copper oxidase) that can degrade extracellular wood matrix. Laccase uses molecular oxygen as an electron acceptor to catalyze the degradation of organic compounds. Owing to its ability to transfer electrons from the cathodic electrode to molecular oxygen, laccase has the potential to be a biocatalyst on the surface of the cathodic electrode of a microbial fuel cell (MFC). In this study, a two-chamber MFC using the laccase-producing fungus Galactomyces reessii was investigated. The fungus cultured on coconut coir was placed in the cathode chamber, while an anaerobic microbial community was maintained in the anode chamber fed by industrial rubber wastewater and supplemented by sulfate and a pH buffer. The laccase-based biocathode MFC (lbMFC) produced the maximum open circuit voltage of 250 mV, output voltage of 145 mV (with a $1,000{\Omega}$ resistor), power density of $59mW/m^2$, and current density of $278mA/m^2$, and a 70% increase in half-cell potential. This study demonstrated the capability of laccase-producing yeast Galactomyces reessii as a biocatalyst on the cathode of the two-chamber lbMFC.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• 제17권7호
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• pp.1083-1089
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• 2007

Because of their selectivity and catalytic efficiency, BVMOs are highly valuable biocatalysts for the chemoenzymatic synthesis of a broad range of useful compounds. In this study, we investigated the microbial Baeyer-Villiger oxidation and sulfoxidation of thioanisole and bicyclo[3.2.0]hept-2-en-6-one using whole Escherichia coli cells that recombined with each of the Baeyer-Villiger monooxygenases originated from Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAOl and two from Streptomyces coelicolor A3(2). The three BVMOs were identified in the microbial genome database by a recently described protein sequence motif; e.g., BVMO motif(FXGXXXHXXXW). The reaction products were identified as (R)-/(S)-sulfoxide and 2-oxabicyclo/3-oxabicyclo[3.3.0]oct-6-en-2-one by GC-MS analysis. Consequently, this study demonstrated that the three enzymes can indeed catalyze the Baeyer-Villiger reaction as a biocatalyst, and effective annotation tools can be efficiently exploited as a source of novel BVMOs.

• 생명과학회지
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• 제16권3호
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• pp.375-381
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• 2006

Saccharomyces cerevisiae 로부터 알데히드 환원효소를 정제하였다. 정제된 알데히드 환원효소를 biocatalyst로 사용하여 치환기가 있는 카르보닐 화합물의 선택적 환원을 시도하였다. 효소를 이용한 환원반응의 생성물의 구조를 TLC, GC, Mass, NMR, FT-IR을 이용하여 확인하였으며 효소를 이용한 환원반응이 높은 선택성을 가지고 진행됨을 확인하였다. 또한 이 반응은 알데히드 환원효소의 억제제인 벤조산에 의해 크게 억제되었다. 치환기가 있는 카르보닐 화합물의 선택적 환원반응은 의약품 제조 분야에서 매우 중요한 반응이며 미생물에서 정제한 알데히드 환원효소가 biocatalyst 로서 선택적 환원반응에 이용될 수 있으리라 사료된다.

• 한국미생물·생명공학회지
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• 제50권1호
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• pp.122-125
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• 2022

The cellulose-fed microbial fuel cell (MFC) is a biotechnological process that directly converts lignocellulosic materials to electricity without combustion. In this study, the cellulose-fed, MFC-integrated thermophilic bacterium, Bacillus sp. WK21, with endoglucanase and exoglucanase activities of 1.25 ± 0.08 U/ml and 0.95 ± 0.02 U/ml, respectively, was used to generate electricity at high temperatures. Maximal current densities of 485, 420, and 472 mA/m² were achieved when carboxymethyl cellulose, avicel cellulose, and cellulose powder, respectively, were used as substrates. Their respective maximal power was 94.09, 70.56, and 89.30 mW/m³. This study demonstrates the value of the novel use of a cellulase-producing thermophilic bacterium as a biocatalyst for electricity generation in a cellulose-fed MFC.

• Molecules and Cells
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• 제28권4호
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• pp.369-373
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• 2009

Heterologous secretory expression of endoglucanase E (Clostridium thermocellum) and ${\beta}$-glucosidase 1 (Saccharomycopsis fibuligera) was achieved in Saccharomyces cerevisiae fermentation cultures as an ${\alpha}$-mating factor signal peptide fusion, based on the native enzyme coding sequence. Ethanol production depends on simultaneous saccharification of cellulose to glucose and fermentation of glucose to ethanol by a recombinant yeast strain as a microbial biocatalyst. Recombinant yeast strain expressing endoglucanase and ${\beta}$-glucosidase was able to produce ethanol from ${\beta}$-glucan, CMC and acid swollen cellulose. This indicates that the resultant yeast strain of this study acts efficiently as a whole cell biocatalyst.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• 제29권7호
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• pp.1344-1348
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• 2008

A microbial fuel cell (MFC) has been regarded as noble clean energy technology that can directly convert biomass to electricity. However, its low power density is a main limitation to be used as a new energy source. To overcome this limitation, we focused on the anode improvement in a mediator-type MFC using P. vulgaris as a biocatalyst. Fuel cell performance increased when the anode was coated with carbon black or polypyrrole. The best performance was observed when polypyrrole/carbon black (Ppy/CB) composite material was coated on a carbon paper electrode. Our obtained value of 452 mW $m^{-2}$ is the highest value among the reported ones for the similar system. The effects of amount of Ppy/CB, mediator concentration, and amount of P. vulgaris have also been examined.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• 제32권10호
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• pp.3726-3729
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• 2011

Biofilm formation is inevitable in a bioelectrochemical system in which microorganisms act as a sole biocatalyst. Cathodic biofilm (CBF) works as a double-edged sword in the performance of the air-cathode microbial fuel cells (MFCs). Proton and oxygen crossover through the CBF are limited by the robust structure of extracellular polymeric substances, composition of available constituents and environmental condition from which the biofilm is formed. The MFC performance in terms of power, current and coulombic efficiency is influenced by the nature and origin of CBF. Development of CBF from different ecological environment while keeping the same anode inoculums, contributes additional charge transfer resistance to the total internal resistance, with increase in coulombic efficiency at the expense of power reduction. This study demonstrates that MFC operation conditions need to be optimized on the choice of initial inoculum medium that leads to the biofilm formation on the air cathode.

• 한국지하수토양환경학회지:지하수토양환경
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• 제20권3호
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• pp.83-91
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• 2015

Mine soil contamination by high levels of metal ions that prevents the successful vegetation poses a serious problem. In the study presented here, we used the microbial biocatalyst of urease producing bacterium Sporosarcina pasteurii or plant extract based BioNeutro-GEM (BNG) agent. The ability of the biocatalysts to bioremediate contaminated soil from abandoned mine was examined by solid-state composting vegetation under field conditions. Treatment of mine soil with the 2 biocatalysts for 5 months resulted in pH increase and electric conductivity reduction compared to untreated control. Further analyses revealed that the microbial catalysts also promoted the root and shoot growth to the untreated control during the vegetation treatments. After the Sporosarcina pasteurii or plant extract based BNG treatment, the microbial community change was monitored by culture-independent pyrosequencing. These results demonstrate that the microbial biocatalysts could potentially be used in the soil bioremediation from mine-impacted area.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• 제27권2호
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• pp.281-285
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• 2006

Microbial fuel cells (MFC) stacked with bipolar plates have been constructed and their performance was tested. In this design, single fuel cell unit was connected in series by bipolar plates where an anode and a cathode were made in one graphite block. Two types of bipolar plate stacked MFCs were constructed. Both utilized the same glucose oxidation reaction catalyzed by Gram negative bacteria, Proteus vulgaris as a biocatalyst in an anodic compartment, but two different cathodic reactions were employed: One with ferricyanide reduction and the other with oxygen reduction reactions. In both cases, the total voltage was the mathematical sum of individual fuel cells and no degradation in performance was found. Electricity from these MFCs was stored in a supercapacitor to drive external loads such as a motor and electric bulb.