570 Biowissenschaften; Biologie
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- 3D fluorescence scan (1)
- Adaptive Evolution (1)
- Cyanobakterien (1)
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- PCC6803 (1)
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Ziel dieser Arbeit war die Erhöhung der Temperaturtoleranz des Cyanobakteriums Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 mittels ungerichteter Mutagenese und adaptiver Evolution. Trotz des erneuten Interesses an Cyanobakterien und Mikroalgen in den letzten Jahren, gibt es nur relativ wenige aktuelle Studien zum Einsatz dieser Methoden an Cyanobakterien. Zur Analyse eines mittels Mutagenese erzeugten Gemischs an Stämmen, ist es von großem Vorteil Hochdurchsatz-Methoden zur Kultivierung und zum Screening einsetzen zu können. Auf Basis eines Pipettierroboters wurde solch eine Plattform für phototrophe Mikroorganismen neu entwickelt und folgend stetig verbessert. Die Kultivierung erfolgt in 2,2ml Deepwell-Mikrotiterplatten innerhalb einer speziell angefertigten Kultivierungskammer. Schüttelbedingungen, Beleuchtung, Temperatur und CO2-Atmosphäre sind hierbei vollständig einstellbar.Die Plattform erlaubt semi-kontinuierliche Kultivierungen mit automatisierten Verdünnungen von hunderten Kulturen gleichzeitig. Automatisierte Messungen des Wachstums, des Absorptionsspektrums, der Chlorophyllkonzentration, MALDI-TOF-MS sowie eines neu entwickelten Vitalitätsassays wurden etabliert. Für die Mutagenese wurden die Letalität- und die nicht-letale Punktmutationsrate von ultravioletter Strahlung und Methylmethansulfonat für Synechocystis charakterisiert. Synechocystis wurde mit den so ermittelten optimalen Dosen mehrfach behandelt und anschließend einer in vivo Selektion unterzogen. Somit wurde dessen Temperaturtoleranz um bis zu 3°C erhöht. Über die Screeningplattform wurden die thermotolerantesten monoklonalen Stämme identifiziert. Nach einer Validierung wurde das vollständige Genom der Stämme sequenziert. Hierdurch wurden erstmals Mutationen in verschiedenen Genen mit der Langzeittemperaturtoleranz von Synechocystis in Verbindung gebracht. Bei einigen dieser Gene ist es sehr unwahrscheinlich, dass sie mittels anderer Verfahren hätten identifiziert werden können.
In the present study we report on the ability of gold nanoparticles (AuNP) to enhance the antimicrobial activity of the photosensitizer Rose Bengal (RB), a very effective singlet oxygen generator. Our experiments were conducted using a suspension of Escherichia Coli in the presence of either RB or a combination of RB and AuNP. Nanoparticles were synthesized by laser ablation in water, which allows high purity, biologically friendly AuNP production, as compared to traditional chemical methods. Several relative concentrations of bacteria, photosensitizes and AuNP were studied. Bacterial survival rates were determined before and after LED light illumination. The phototoxicity of RB with and without AuNP was checked following illumination for 10 and 20 minutes. As a control, the dark toxicity of RB was verified. The results show that the survival rate of bacteria decreases significantly with the increase of RB concentration and illumination time, which is in accordance with previous works. Interestingly, our results also indicate a significant increase in the lethal photosensitization of RB in the presence of AuNP. We propose this effect is due to plasmonic light enhancement, considering the superposition of RB and AuNP absorption spectra, which favors electric field enhancement effects in the presence of AuNP. Similar experiments using the photosensitizer Methylene Blue (MB) allowed us to test our hypothesis for MB did not show any difference in its phototoxicity in the presence of AuNP. We propose this observed synergistic effect could be an effective way for improving photodynamic inactivation of microorganisms.
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.
Diese Studie beschreibt einen labelfreien impedimetrischen Sensor auf der Grundlage von kurzen einzelsträngigen DNA-Erkennungselementen für den Nachweis von Hybridisierungsereignissen. Der Fokus der Arbeit liegt auf der Aufklärung des Einflusses der Ziel-DNA-Länge und der Erkennungssequenzposition auf die sensorische Leistungsfähigkeit. Die impedimetrischen Messungen werden in Anwesenheit des Redoxsystems Kaliumhexacyanoferrat (II/III) durchgeführt und zeigen einen Anstieg des Durchtrittswiderstandes nach der Hybridisierung mit komplementärer Ziel-DNA mit einer Nachweisgrenze im unteren nanomolaren Bereich. Nach der Hybridisierung kann die Regeneration des Sensors mit deionisiertem Wasser durch die Einstellung effektiver Konvektionsbedingungen erreicht werden und ermöglicht somit eine Wiederverwendbarkeit des Sensors. Untersuchungen zu längeren Ziel-DNA-Strängen mit einem zur Lösung exponierten Überhang demonstrieren die Anwendbarkeit des impedimetrischen Nachweises für längere Sequenzen. Allerdings resultiert eine zunehmende Überhanglänge in einer verringerten Durchtrittswiderstandsänderung. Um die Impedanzänderung für längere Ziel-DNA zu erhöhen, wird die Erkennungssequenzposition verändert, sodass ein kleiner Überhang zur Elektrode ausgerichtet ist. Die Ergebnisse legen nahe, dass DNA in direkter Nähe zur Elektrode einen größeren Einfluss auf das impedimetrische Signal besitzt als weiter entfernte DNA.