Bioprocess design and economic analysis for the commercial production of environmentally friendly bioinsecticides from Bacillus thuringiensis HD-1 kurstaki

A production process for B. thuringiensis (Bt) bioinsecticides was designed in detail, including alternative batch, low-density fed-batch (LDFB), and high-density fed-batch (HDFB) fermentation configurations. Capital and operating costs, as well as profitability based on simple rate of return, were performed using a purpose-written FORTRAN program, explicitly analyzing production of a water-based flowable product used in forestry applications.The total capital cost was 18 million dollars (Canadian dollars) for a stand-alone plant with base-scale capacity of 3 x 10(7) billion international units (BIU)/year. Raw material costs amounted to 1.5 million dollars yearly, of which approximately half was for formulation ingredients. Per-unit production cost rose sharply for scales of less than 1 x 10(7) BIU/year, but was little affected by scale above 3 x 10(7) BIU/year. Product cost was much lower at all scales for a LDFB as opposed to batch fermentation process, but HDFB gave relatively little additional cost benefit. Profitability analysis performed by co-varying scale and selling price showed that break-even occurred at a price of 0.45 dollars/BIU for a batch process at base scale, while with LDFB fermentation the same production volume sold at 0.35 dollars/BIU gave a 12% rate of return. Since the assumed base scale would represent 8-15% of current world Bt bioinsecticide production, based on value or volume, it was concluded that profitability would require some or all of the following elements: targeting higher-value markets such as disease vector control, in addition to forestry; a potentially lower plant capacity (although at least 1 x 10(7) BIU/year;) and coproduction of other large-volume microbial products to absorb capacity and match bioinsecticide output to market demand.     

Follicular atresia during Dacus oleae oogenesis

Programmed cell death, constitutes a common fundamental incident that occurs during oogenesis in a variety of different animals. It plays a significant role in the maturation process of the female gamete and also in the removal of abnormal and superfluous cells at certain checkpoints of development. In the present study, we demonstrate the existence of follicular atresia during mid-oogenesis in the olive fruit fly Dacus oleae (Tephritidae). The number of atretic follicles increases following the age of the fly, suggesting for the presence of an age-susceptible process. The atretic follicles contain nurse cells that exhibit chromatin condensation, DNA fragmentation and actin cytoskeleton alterations, as revealed by propidium iodide staining, TUNEL labeling and phalloidin-FITC staining. Conventional light and electron microscopy disclose that the nurse cell remnants are phagocytosed by the adjacent follicle cells. The follicular epithelium also eliminates the oocyte through phagocytosis, resulting to an egg chamber with no compartmentalized organization. The data presented herein are very similar compared to previous reported results in other Diptera species, strongly suggesting the occurrence of a phylogenetically conserved mechanism of follicular atresia. All these observations also support the notion that mid-oogenesis in D. oleae may be the critical regulation point at which superfluous and defective egg chambers are selectively eliminated before they reach maturity.     

Olive oil production in Hellenistic Greece: the interpretation of charred olive remains from the site of Tria Platania,Macedonia, Greece (fourth–second century <Emphasis Type="SmallCaps">b.c.</Emphasis>)

The Hellenistic farm site of Tria Platania in Macedonia, Greece, has revealed large quantities of charred olive remains, indicative of olive oil production from the fourth to the second century b.c. There, besides stones (the endocarp), new archaeobotanical elements such as olive pulp and flesh (the mesocarp) and kernels (the seed) were recovered for the first time in the archaeobotanical record in Greece. It is the purpose of this paper to present some of the material recovered from Tria Platania and interpret it in the light of developed model sequences of olive processing. In addition, Olea assemblages from other Greek sites are discussed in which Olea remains have been interpreted in various ways.     

Poly(glutamic Acid) for Biomedical Applications

ABSTRACT:?

Paclitaxel is a widely used anti-cancer agent. Conjugates of paclitaxel with poly(glutamic acid) have shown great promise in preclinical trials, and clinical trials are now underway. Preclinical data suggest that more paclitaxel is preferentially delivered to tumor sites vs. nonconjugated paclitaxel. When poly(glutamic acid) is conjugated to other families of cancer drugs, similar improvements in effectiveness and reduced toxicity are observed. Optimization of poly(glutamic acid) for use in drug delivery applications is a key step in making this technology viable.     

Quantitative changes and ultrastructural alterations of the cornea in response to ultraviolet light. II. Effects of amphibia; elucidation of desmosomal structure and basement membrane synthesis.

The effects of far ultraviolet light irradiation upon an amphibian cornea were studied to compare the effects observed both quantitatively and ultrastructurally with data obtained after UV irradiation of mammalian corneas. The ultimate goal of this series of investigations is the elucidation of the alterations and the regeneration mechanisms, which might reflect existing morphological diversities among the species, observed in vertebrate corneas following exposure to UV light. It was found that while the epithelial cells undergo oedema after low dose exposures and are gradually damaged after high doses of UV light, 2-4 days leter a new epithelium has been formed. Intercellular permeability is increased by low dose exposure as was detected by the penetration of Ruthenium Red into the intercellular clefts. Under these conditions desmosomal structure revealed a 21-laminar configuration. The basement membrane of the amphibian, unlike that of the mammal, does not dissolve away upon exposure but shows localized disruptions which are thought to accommodate the passage of leucocytes from stroma to epithelium. That a new basement membrane is subsequently formed is evident by the existence of extracellular and intracellular secretion granules. In comparison to irradiated rabbit corneas, this stroma remains remarkably at the same thickness following a high dose exposure although a noticeable disorganization of collagen arrangement is apparent. Finally, as in the case of the rabbit corneas, a secondary degeneration of endothelium was observed 4 days after a moderate dose exposure.     

Different modes of programmed cell death during oogenesis of the silkmoth Bombyx mori

It is increasingly recognized that programmed cell death includes not only apoptosis and autophagy, but also other types of nonapoptotic cell death, such as paraptosis, which are all characterized by distinct morphological features. Our findings indicate that all three types of programmed cell death occur in the ovarian nurse cell cluster during late vitellogenesis (formation of the egg yolk) of Bombyx mori (Lepidoptera), whereas middle vitellogenesis is exclusively characterized by the presence of a nonapoptotic type of cell death, known as paraptosis. During middle vitellogenesis, nurse cells exhibit clearly cytoplasmic vacuolization, as revealed by ultrastructural examination performed through conventional light and transmission electron microscopy, while no signs of apoptotic or autophagic features are detectable. Moreover, nurse cells of developmental stages 7, 8 and 9 contain autophagic compartments, as well as apoptotic characteristics, such as condensed chromatin, fragmented DNA and activated caspases, as revealed by in vitro assays. We propose that paraptosis precedes both apoptosis and autophagy during vitellogenesis, since its initial activation is detectable during middle vitellogenesis, whereas no apoptotic nor autophagic features are observed. In contrast, at the late stages of Bombyx mori oogenesis, paraptosis, autophagy and apoptosis operate synergistically, resulting in a more efficient elimination of the degenerated nurse cells.