• Food Science and Biotechnology
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• 제17권3호
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• pp.587-593
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• 2008

Microbial exopolysaccharide (EPS) is a biothickener that can be added to a wide variety of food products, where it serves as a viscosifying, stabilizing, emulsifying, and gelling agent. The objective of this study was to investigate the optimum conditions of pH, incubation temperature, and whey protein concentration (WPC) for EPS production by Lactobacillus rhamnosus ATCC 9595. We found that maximal EPS production was achieved at a pH of 5.5 and temperature of $37^{\circ}C$. At the same fermentation conditions, EPS production was affected by the addition of L. rhamnosus GG (a weak-EPS producer). After growth for 24 hr, total EPS production was $583{\pm}15.4mg/L$ in the single culture system, and $865{\pm}22.6\;mg/L$ in the co-culture system with L. rhamnosus GG. Based on the presence of WPC, EPS production dramatically increased from $583{\pm}15.4$ (under no WPC supplementation) to $1,011{\pm}14.7\;mg/L$ (under supplementation with 1.0% WPC). These results suggest that WPC supplementation and the co-culture systems coupled with small portions of weak-EPS producing strain can play an important role in the enhancement of EPS production.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• 제28권1호
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• pp.95-104
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• 2018

Biosurfactants or microbial surfactants are surface-active biomolecules that are produced by a variety of microorganisms. Biodegradability and low toxicity have led to the intensification of scientific studies on a wide range of industrial applications for biosurfactants in the field of environmental bioremediation as well as the petroleum industry and enhanced oil recovery. However, the major issues in biosurfactant production are high production cost and low yield. Improving the bioindustrial production processes relies on many strategies, such as the use of cheap raw materials, the optimization of medium-culture conditions, and selecting hyperproducing strains. The present work aims to obtain a mutant with higher biosurfactant production through applying mutagenesis on Bacillus subtilis SPB1 using a combination of UV irradiation and nitrous acid treatment. Following mutagenesis and screening on blood agar and subsequent formation of halos, the mutated strains were examined for emulsifying activity of their culture broth. A mutant designated B. subtilis M2 was selected as it produced biosurfactant at twice higher concentration than the parent strain. The potential of this biosurfactant for industrial uses was shown by studying its stability to environmental stresses such as pH and temperature and its applicability in the oil recovery process. It was practically stable at high temperature and at a wide range of pH, and it recovered above 90% of motor oil adsorbed to a sand sample.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• 제12권5호
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• pp.831-847
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• 2017

Conventional geotechnical engineering soil binders such as ordinary cement or lime have environmental issues in terms of sustainable development. Thus, environmentally friendly materials have attracted considerable interest in modern geotechnical engineering. Microbial biopolymers are being actively developed in order to improve geotechnical engineering properties such as aggregate stability, strength, and hydraulic conductivity of various soil types. This study evaluates the geotechnical engineering shear behavior of sand treated with xanthan gum biopolymer through laboratory direct shear testing. Xanthan gum-sand mixtures with various xanthan gum content (percent to the mass of sand) and gel phases (initial, dried, and re-submerged) were considered. Xanthan gum content of 1.0% sufficiently improves the inter-particle cohesion of cohesionless sands 3.8 times and more (up to 14 times for dried state) than in the untreated (natural) condition, regardless of the xanthan gum gel condition. In general, the strength of xanthan gum-treated sand shows dependency with the rheology and phase of xanthan gum gels in inter-granular pores, which decreases in order as dried (biofilm state), initial (uniform hydrogel), and re-submerged (swollen hydrogel after drying) states. As xanthan gum hydrogels are pseudo-plastic, both inter-particle friction angle and cohesion of xanthan gum-treated sand decrease with water adsorbed swelling at large strain levels. However, for 2% xanthan gum-treated sands, the re-submerged state shows a higher strength than the initial state due to the gradual and non-uniform swelling behavior of highly concentrated biofilms.

• 지질공학
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• 제29권4호
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• pp.383-391
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• 2019

Bio-grouting based on microbial-induced calcite precipitation (MICP) is recently emerging as a novel and environmentally friendly technique for improvement of coarse-grained ground. To date, the mechanical behaviour of bio-grouted coarse-grained soil with different calcite contents and grain sizes still remains poorly understood. The primary objective of this study is to investigate the influence of calcite content on the mechanical properties of bio-grouted coarse-grained soil with different grain sizes. This is achieved through an integrated study of uniaxial loading experiments of bio-grouted coarse-grained soil, 3D digitization of the grains in conjunction with discrete element modelling (DEM). In the DEM model, aggregates were represented by clump logic based on the 3D morphology digitization of the typical coarse-grained aggregates while the CaCO₃ was represented by small-sized bonded particle model. The computed stress-strain relations and failure patterns of the bio-grouted coarse-grained soil were validated against the measured results. Both experimental and numerical investigation suggest that aggregate sizes and calcite content significantly influence the mechanical behaviour of bio-cemented aggregates. The strength of the bio-grouted coarse-grained soil increases linearly with calcite content, but decreases non-linearly with the increasing particle size for all calcite contents. The experimental-based DEM approach developed in this study also offers an optional avenue for the exploring of micro-mechanisms contributing to the mechanical response of bio-grouted coarse-grained soils.

• Journal of Life Science
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• 제11권1호
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• pp.7-10
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• 2001

Nonactin is the parent compound of a group of ionophore antibiotics, that known as the macrotetrolides. In previous report, in th course of screening superoxide radical-generating compounds from microbial sources, we first screened Streptomyces viridochromogenes JM-4151 that produces nonactin. It was proved that nonactin is superoxide radical-producing compound. In present study, we examined the optimal culture conditions of nonacin. Th optimal culture conditions for nonactin production were as follows: 1% soluble starch, 1% yeast extract, 0.2% ammonium nitrate, 0.06% magnesium sulfate, 0.2% calcium carbonate, initial pH 7.0 at 28$^{\circ}C$ for 96 h. The highest nonactin production was achieved in the production medium of initial pH7.0 at 28$^{\circ}C$ for 96h. The threshold level of dissolved oxygen was found to be above 33.2% at 28$^{\circ}C$ when 1% soluble starch was used as a carbon source. These results suggest that S. viridochromogenes JM-4151 might be a possible strain for industrial nonactin producer.

• 대한약침학회지
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• 제19권4호
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• pp.312-318
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• 2016

Objectives: Bacterial resistant infections have become a global health challenge and threaten the society's health. Thus, an urgent need exists to find ways to combat resistant pathogens. One promising approach to overcoming bacterial resistance is the use of herbal products. Green tea catechins, the major green tea polyphenols, show antimicrobial activity against resistant pathogens. The present study aimed to investigate the effect of catechins, green tea extract, and methylxanthines in combination with gentamicin against standard and clinical isolates of Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) and the standard strain of Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa). Methods: The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and the minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) values of different agents against bacterial strains were determined. The interactions of green tea extract, epigallate catechin, epigallocatechin gallate, two types of methylxanthine, caffeine, and theophylline with gentamicin were studied in vitro by using a checkerboard method and calculating the fraction inhibitory concentration index (FICI). Results: The MICs of gentamicin against bacterial strains were in the range of $0.312-320{\mu}g/mL$. The MIC values of both types of catechins were $62.5-250{\mu}g/mL$. Green tea extract showed insufficient antibacterial activity when used alone. Methylxanthines had no intrinsic inhibitory activity against any of the bacterial strains tested. When green tea extract and catechins were combined with gentamicin, the MIC values of gentamicin against the standard strains and a clinical isolate were reduced, and synergistic activities were observed (FICI < 1). A combination of caffeine with gentamicin did not alter the MIC values of gentamicin. Conclusion: The results of the present study revealed that green tea extract and catechins potentiated the antimicrobial action of gentamicin against some clinical isolates of S. aureus and standard P. aeruginosa strains. Therefore, combinations of gentamicin with these natural compounds might be a promising approach to combat microbial resistance.

• 한국지하수토양환경학회지:지하수토양환경
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• 제11권1호
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• pp.1-6
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• 2006

환경 내에서 생물학적 복원을 이해하기 위해서는 미생물 기능성 군집 및 활성을 분석하는 것은 필수적이다. 본 연구에서는 유류오염 토양의 미생물 군집을 모니터링하기 위하여 난분해성 물질의 생물학적 분해에 관여하는 100개의 알려진 대사경로 및 유전자를 기반으로 한 oligonucleotide microarray를 개발하였다. 본 연구에 사용된 microarray는 유류오염 분해 대사에 관련된 유전자를 진단하기 위한 15개의 고유한 probe를 포함하고 있다. 디자인된 probe의 hybridization specificity는 표준 균주, Pseudomonas aeruginosa KCTC1636을 이용하여 확인 하였으며, 유류오염토양 시료의 분석결과 alkane, naphthalene, biphenyl, pyrene(PAH ring-hydroxylating) 분해에 관련된 8개의 유전자 발현을 확인 하였다. 이러한 결과는 DNA microarray가 유류오염토양환경에서 생물학적 분해유전자 진단에 효과적으로 이용될 수 있을 뿐만 아니라 생물학적 복원의 가능성을 진단하기에도 적합한 기법이라는 것을 나타내고 있다.

• 한국수산과학회지
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• 제23권1호
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• pp.1-6
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• 1990

수산발효식품의 제조, 숙성중에 생성되는 부패성 불휘발성아민의 효과적인 분해방법을 모색하기 위하여 정어리 젓갈에서 아민분해능이 있는 균주를 분리 동정하였고, 이 균주중 가장 아민분해능이 강한 균주를 선별하여 분해최적조건을 실험한 결과를 요약하면 다음과 같다. 1. 정어리젓갈에서 amine분해능이 있는 4균주를 분리하였는데 각각 Pseudomonas aeruginosa, 2종의 Pseudomonas fluorescens 그리고 Enterobacter aeruginosa로 동정되었다. 2. 위의 4균주에 의한 histamine, putrescine 그리고 cadaverine의 분해능은 어느 경우이든 Pseudomonas fluorescens가 가장 강하였고, Enterobacter aerogenes가 가장 약하였다. 3. Pseudomonas fluorescens에 의한 histamine, putrescine 그리고 cadaverine의 분해능은 약간의 차이가 있었으나 온도 $35^{\circ}C$, pH 7.5부근에서 가장 좋았고 식염농도의 증가에 따라서 감소하여 $0\~1\%$ 사이에서 가장 분해능이 좋았다.

• 유기물자원화
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• 제6권2호
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• pp.95-112
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• 1998

186종의 후보미생물을 대상으로 우수발효(소멸)균 선발시험을 실시한 결과, Rhizopus sp., Galactomyecs sp., Pichia sp., Hyphopichia sp.로 구성되는 4종의 발효균을 선발하였다. 이들 발효균을 이용한 발효(소멸)공정 시험결과, 내용적 50L의 발효조에 대해서, BIO-CHIP Volume 25-30L, BIO CHIP입도 2.0-6.0mm, 송풍량 200-280L/min, 교반강도 24 rpm, 온도 $30-45^{\circ}C$가 최저 발효조건인 것으로 나타났으며, 이러한 조건에서 1일 1kg의 음식물을 30일간 투입하면서 소멸기를 가동한 결과, 93%의 소멸율을 나타내었다. 소멸기 배출물의 재활용 가치를 평가하기 위하여, 발아율 시험을 실시한 결과, 배출물을 적절하게 희석하여 사용하면, 퇴비로서의 가치가 매우 양호한 것으로 나타났다.

• 한국토양비료학회지
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• 제45권4호
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• pp.565-571
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• 2012

This study was conducted to investigate the tolerance of some resistant fungal strains from soils contaminated with heavy metals. Various fungal strains were isolated from soil samples collected from studied sites which heavy metals and other pollutants have been emitted in effluents for several years. Fungi isolated belong to different genera; however, Penicillium spp. showed the most frequent species. The microbial number was remarkably higher in the control soil than contaminated soil samples collected from mining areas. $Pb^{2+}$ and $Zn^{2+}$ had the highest concentration in the polluted soils ranging from 89 - 3,521 ppm and 98 - 4,383 ppm, respectively. The minimum inhibition concentrations (MICs) of $Pb^{+2}$ and $Zn^{+2}$ showed the highest values against the fungal strains. $Ni^{+2}$ and $Co^{+2}$ were the lowest contaminants in the polluted soils with the concentration of 5 to 12.1 ppm and 1.8 to 4.8 ppm, respectively. The tested resistant strains showed the strongest inhibition for $Ni^{+2}$ and $Co^{+2}$ up to 200-400 ppm. Cadmium was the most highly toxic heavy metal for most of strains, however, 1 mM of $Cr^{3+}$, $Cu^{2+}$ and $Pb^{2+}$ accelerated the growth of Penicillium verrucosum KNU3. $Cu^{+2}$ and $Zn^{+2}$ at concentration of 1 mM did not affect the growth rate P. funiculosum KNU4. Tolerance of fungal species to heavy metals appears to be strain and origin dependent.