570 Biowissenschaften; Biologie
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- 3D fluorescence scan (1)
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We quantitatively studied the hydration and dehydration behaviour of the three astrobiological model lichens Xanthoria elegans, Buellia frigida and Circinaria gyrosa by thermoanalysis and gravimetric isotherm measurements under close-to-Martian environmental conditions in terms of low temperature and low pressure. Additionally, the impact of UVC exposure on the isolated symbionts of B. frigida and X. elegans was studied by thermoanalysis and mass spectrometry as well as by gravimetric isotherm measurements. The thermal analysis revealed whewellite as a component of C. gyrosa which was not found in B. frigida and X. elegans. Neither the water retention nor the thermal behaviour of symbionts changed when irradiated with UVC under dry conditions. On the other hand, UVC irradiation of the wet mycobiont of B. frigida had a distinct impact on the hydration/dehydration ability which was not observed for the mycobiont of X. elegans. Possibly the melanin of B. frigida's mycobiont, that is not present in X. elegans, or a specifically damaged acetamido group of the chitin of B. frigida may be the sources of additional UVC-induced sorption sites for water associated with the UVC exposure.
The study aimed at comparing the effects of three coffee processing methods on aroma profiles and sensory quality of Ruiru 11 and SL 28 coffee varieties. The processing methods varied on stages of processing and method of mucilage removal. The green coffee beans obtained from the three processing methods were graded and roasted, ground and analyzed for the aroma profiles and sensory quality. Headspace Solid phase Microextraction fibre (SPME) technique were used for the extraction of aroma compounds from coffee samples and characterization of the compounds with use of gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Sensory quality were analyzed by an expert panelist. Various volatile aroma compounds were identified in roasted coffee and classified into their chemical classes involving furans, ketones, pyrazines ketones pyridines, pyrroles and acids. The intensity of aroma compounds were compared in terms of their peak areas and variations were noted between the processing methods with the ecopulper showing higher levels of pyrazines such as 2-methylpyrazine, 2-ethyl-6-methylpyrazine, and wet pulper showing higher levels of furans such as furfuryl formate and furfuryl alcohol, acetate. The hand pulper was high in the level of acids and esters such as acetic acid and propanoic acid, ethyl ester. Similar aroma compounds were identified in headspace of Ruiru 11 and SL 28 and there were variations in the intensities of aroma groups such as pyrroles and pyridines. It was concluded that the eco-pulper and hand pulper methods gives better aroma quality than the wet pulper while SL 28 variety gives higher sensory quality than Ruiru 11.
Current genomic studies are limited by the availability of fresh tissue samples. Here, we show that Illumina RNA sequencing of formalin-fixed diagnostic tumor samples produces gene expression that is strongly correlated with matched frozen tumor samples (r > 0.89). In addition, sequence variations identified from FFPE RNA show 99.67% concordance with that from exome sequencing of matched frozen tumor samples. Because FFPE is a routine diagnostic sample preparation, the feasibility results reported here will facilitate the setup of large-scale research and clinical studies in medical genomics that are currently limited by the availability of fresh frozen samples.
Ethanol production via genetically engineered cyanobacteria is a promising solution for the production of biofuels. Through the introduction of a pyruvate decarboxylase and alcohol dehydrogenase direct ethanol production becomes possible within the cells. However, during cultivation genetic instability can lead to mutations and thus loss of ethanol production. Cells then revert back to the wild type phenotype.
A method for a rapid and simple detection of these non-producing revertant cells in an ethanol producing cell population is an important quality control measure in order to predict genetic stability and the longevity of a producing culture. Several comparable cultivation experiments revealed a difference in the pigmentation for non-producing and producing cells: the accessory pigment phycocyanin (PC) is reduced in case of the ethanol producer, resulting in a yellowish appearance of the culture. Microarray and western blot studies of Synechocystis sp. PCC6803 and Synechococcus sp. PCC7002 confirmed this PC reduction on the level of RNA and protein.