• Journal of Electrochemical Science and Technology
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• 제12권3호
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• pp.297-301
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• 2021

Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) convert chemical energy to electrical energy via electrochemically active microorganisms. The interactions between microbes and the surface of a carbon electrode play a vital role in capturing the respiratory electrons from bacteria. Therefore, improvements in the electrochemical and physicochemical properties of carbon materials are essential for increasing performance. In this study, a microwave and sulfuric acid treatment was used to modify the surface structure of graphite granules. The prepared expandable graphite granules (EGG) exhibited a 1.5 times higher power density than the unmodified graphite granules (1400 vs. 900 mW/m³). Scanning electron microscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy revealed improved physical and chemical characteristics of the EGG surface. These results suggest that physical and chemical surface modification using sulfuric acid and microwave heating improves the performance of electrode-based bioprocesses, such as MFCs.

• 한국환경농학회지
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• 제38권3호
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• pp.185-196
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• 2019

BACKGROUND: This study investigated the effects of rice genetically modified to be resistant against rice blast and rice bacterial blight on the soil microbial community. A comparative analysis of the effects of rice genetically modified rice choline kinase (OsCK1) gene for disease resistance (GM rice) and the Nakdong parental cultivar (non-GM rice) on the soil microbial community at each stage was conducted using rhizosphere soil of the OsCK1 and Nakdong rice. METHODS AND RESULTS: The soil chemistry at each growth stage and the bacterial and fungal population densities were analyzed. Soil DNA was extracted from the samples, and the microbial community structures of the two soils were analyzed by pyrosequencing. No significant differences were observed in the soil chemistry and microbial population density between the two soils. The taxonomic analysis showed that Chloroflexi, Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, Actinobacteria, and Acidobacteria were present in all soils as the major phyla. Although the source tracking analysis per phylogenetic rank revealed that there were differences in the bacteria between the GM and non-GM soil as well as among the cultivation stages, the GM and non-GM soil were grouped according to the growth stages in the UPGMA dendrogram analysis. CONCLUSION: The difference in bacterial distributions between Nakdong and OsCK1 rice soils at each phylogenetic level detected in microbial community analysis by pyrosequencing may be due to the genetic modification done on GM rice or due to heterogeneity of the soil environment. In order to clarify this, it is necessary to analyze changes in root exudates along with the expression of transgene. A more detailed study involving additional multilateral soil analyses is required.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• 제8권6호
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• pp.533-555
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• 1995

Direct-fed microbials (DFM) have been used to enhance milk production in lactating cattle and to increase feed efficiency and body weight gain in growing ruminants. Primary microorganisms that have been used as DFM for ruminants are fungal cultures including Aspergillus oryzae and Saccharomyces cerevisiae and lactic acid bacteria such as Lactobacillus or Streptococcus. Attempts have been made to determine the basic mechanisms describing beneficial effects of DFM supplements. Various modes of action for DFM have been suggested including : stimulation of ruminal microbial growth, stabilization of ruminal pH, changes in ruminal microbial fermentation pattern, increases in digestibility of nutrients ingested, greater nutrient flow to the small intestine, greater nutrient retention and alleviation of stress, however, these responses have not been observed consistently. Variations in microbial supplements, dosage level, production level and age of the animal, diet and environmental condition or various combinations of the above may partially explain the inconsistencies in response. This review summarizes production responses that have been observed under various conditions with supplemental DFM and also corresponding modification of ruminal fermentation and other changes in the gastrointestinal tract of ruminant animals.

• 접착 및 계면
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• 제7권2호
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• pp.19-25
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• 2006

미생물 합성 고분자인 poly(hydroxylalkanoate)s (PHAs)의 초기효소분해는 표면침식의 메커니즘으로 진행하므로 이들의 분해거동은 표면특성을 개질로서 조절할 수 있다. 본 연구에서는 효소분해속도를 조절하기 위하여 플라즈마 기법을 PHAs 표면특성의 개질에 적용하였다. $CF_3H$와 $O_2$ 플라즈마를 사용하여 재료 표면에 각각 소수성 및 친수성을 부여하였다. 효소분해 실험은 pH 7.4의 0.1 M potassium phosphate 완충용액에서 Alcaligenes facalis T1에서 정제된 poly(hydroxybutyrate) 분해효소를 첨가하여 행하였다. $CF_3H$ 플라즈마 처리된 시편의 경우 표면 층의 불소화에 따른 소수성의 증가와 분해 효소에 대한 비활성으로 초기분해 속도가 상당히 지연됨을 관찰하였으나 $O_2$ 플라즈마 처리에 의한 표면 친수성은 분해속도의 촉진 등에 큰 영향을 미치지 않았다.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• 제24권1호
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• pp.44-47
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• 2014

A biotransformation approach using microbes as biocatalysts can be an efficient tool for the targeted modification of existing antibiotic chemical scaffolds to create previously uncharacterized therapeutic agents. By employing a recombinant Streptomyces venezuelae strain as a microbial catalyst, a reduced macrolide, 10,11-dihydrorosamicin, was created from rosamicin macrolide. Its chemical structure was spectroscopically elucidated, and the new rosamicin analog showed 2-4-fold higher antibacterial activity against two strains of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus compared with its parent rosamicin. This kind of biocatalytic approach is able to expand existing antibiotic entities and can also provide more diverse therapeutic resources.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• 제32권11호
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• pp.3928-3932
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• 2011

We synthesized peptide-resin conjugates (1 and 2) by immobilizing ${\beta}$-sheet antibacterial peptide and ${\alpha}$ helical antibacterial peptide on PEG-PS resin, respectively. Conjugate 1 showed considerable antibacterial activity in various conditions, whereas conjugate 2 did not exhibit antibacterial activity. The growths of various bacteria were inhibited by conjugate 1 even at lower concentrations than MIC. Conjugate 1 killed bacteria at MIC and had a potent synergistic effect with current antibacterial agents such as vancomycin and tetracycline, respectively. Overall results indicate that polymer surface modification using antibacterial ${\beta}$ sheet peptide is a powerful way to prevent microbial contamination on polymer surfaces.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• 제60권6호
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• pp.15.1-15.10
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• 2018

Methane emission from the enteric fermentation of ruminant livestock is a main source of greenhouse gas (GHG) emission and a major concern for global warming. Methane emission is also associated with dietary energy lose; hence, reduce feed efficiency. Due to the negative environmental impacts, methane mitigation has come forward in last few decades. To date numerous efforts were made in order to reduce methane emission from ruminants. No table mitigation approaches are rumen manipulation, alteration of rumen fermentation, modification of rumen microbial biodiversity by different means and rarely by animal manipulations. However, a comprehensive exploration for a sustainable methane mitigation approach is still lacking. Dietary modification is directly linked to changes in the rumen fermentation pattern and types of end products. Studies showed that changing fermentation pattern is one of the most effective ways of methane abatement. Desirable dietary changes provide two fold benefits i.e. improve production and reduce GHG emissions. Therefore, the aim of this review is to discuss biology of methane emission from ruminants and its mitigation through dietary manipulation.

• Macromolecular Research
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• 제15권7호
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• pp.671-675
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• 2007

Soybean proteins appear to harbor a great deal of potential as functional ingredients due to the fact that they are composed of highly bioavailable peptides and amino acids. To develop drink- or gel-type foods formulated with soybean protein, the physicochemical properties of intact and chemically modified soy glycinin were assessed. Maleylation to soy glycinin altered the surface charges of glycinin via the modification of lysine residues, and subsequently generated the dissociation of glycinin subunits owing to the increase in charge repulsion. This modification thus improved the solubility of glycinin, particularly under acidic pH conditions. It is worthy of note that maleylation increased the susceptibility of the basic subunits of mTGase and the formation of a substantial quantity of molecules at a low protein solution concentration. The results of dynamic rheological studies indicated that the 5% intact glycinin progressively formed the gel with mTGase treatment in a concentration-dependent manner, but maleylated-glycinin did not.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• 제28권8호
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• pp.1352-1359
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• 2018

Lactobacillus plantarum is a lactic acid bacterium that promotes animal intestinal health as a probiotic and is found in a wide variety of habitats. Here, we investigated the genomic features of different clusters of L. plantarum strains via pan-genomic analysis. We compared the genomes of 108 L. plantarum strains that were available from the NCBI GenBank database. These genomes were 2.9-3.7 Mbp in size and 44-45% in G+C content. A total of 8,847 orthologs were collected, and 1,709 genes were identified to be shared as core genes by all the strains analyzed. On the basis of SNPs from the core genes, 108 strains were clustered into five major groups (G1-G5) that are different from previous reports and are not clearly associated with habitats. Analysis of group-specific enriched or depleted genes revealed that G1 and G2 were rich in genes for carbohydrate utilization (${\text\tiny{L}}-arabinose$, ${\text\tiny{L}}-rhamnose$, and fructooligosaccharides) and that G3, G4, and G5 possessed more genes for the restriction-modification system and MazEF toxin-antitoxin. These results indicate that there are critical differences in gene content and survival strategies among genetically clustered L. plantarum strains, regardless of habitats.

• 대한환경공학회지
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• 제34권11호
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• pp.757-764
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• 2012

본 연구에서는 흑연섬유직물로 이루어진 산화전극의 표면을 하이드로젤 및 하이드로젤과 다중벽탄소나노튜브 복합체를 이용하여 표면을 개질하였다. 개질된 산화전극이 미생물연료전지의 성능향상에 미치는 영향을 회분식 시스템을 이용하여 평가하였으며, 개질하지 않은 흑연섬유직물 및 흑연펠트 산화전극과 비교하였다. 미생물연료전지의 전력밀도는 산화전극 및 환원전극의 성능에 크게 영향을 받았다. 최대전력밀도는 하이드로젤과 다중벽탄소나노튜브 복합체로 흑연섬유직물 표면을 개질한 산화전극을 사용한 경우 $1,162mW/m^2$로서 표면개질을 하지 않은 흑연섬유직물 산환전극을 사용한 미생물연료전지에 비하여 27.7% 향상되었다. 산화전극 표면을 개질에 사용된 하이드로젤과 다중벽탄소나노튜브 복합체는 산화전극 표면의 생물친화도와 전도성을 증가시키고 활성화저항을 크게 감소시킬 수 있는 우수한 표면개질제로 평가되었다.