Neutrino communication,intergalactic transit,and Astrobiology

This is a brief summary, snapshot, of a few issues that relate to possible communication with Extraterrestrial Intelligence (ETI) using neutrinos. Essentially, more research is required to better understand possible detection and communication with intelligent life (Astrobiology and ETI). Because of the possible scarcity of life in any single galaxy, to enhance the possibility of life detection, inter-galactic transit neutrinos necessitate consideration. Neutrino-based potential communications are inferred as the optimal mechanism or venue for detection of communications from ETI as well as sending communications to ETI. A paradox exists within this central theme. On the one hand, neutrino technology should be further developed and used to receive signals from or to send signals to ETI, because they transit inter-galactic distances. On the other hand, however, neutrinos have a very low cross-section interaction and are very difficult to detect. This concise Editorial incorporates several diverse research areas. Various issues are briefly and conjointly mentioned to inform the reader of multiple fields required towards a deeper understanding of astrobiology, astro virology, and ETI. This understanding is required for future advances, just as innovations in classical physics, quantum mechanics, particle physics, biophysics, chemistry, biochemistry, and molecular biology were required for the breakthroughs and advances in biology and virology, from the last century to the present - thus, the need for innovations and applications in neutrino particle physics research.     

配糟对清香型白酒发酵中环境因子及微生物群落的影响

【背景】环境因子是影响微生物生长代谢的重要因素,解析半开放条件下酿造过程中环境因子对微生物群落演替的作用对于清香型白酒生产调控具有重要意义。配糟在白酒发酵过程中起着调节发酵速度的作用,其对微生物群落组成变化的影响尚不明确。【目的】揭示使用不同发酵周期配糟对清香型白酒发酵过程中环境因子及微生物群落演替的影响。【方法】采用PacBio测序平台和多元统计分析比较使用2种配糟酒醅中微生物群落结构组成,结合蒙特卡洛置换检验明确环境因子对微生物群落的影响。【结果】与使用正常发酵周期配糟酒醅相比,使用延长发酵周期配糟酒醅水分较低,而酸度、氨基酸态氮、总游离氨基酸、还原糖和残余淀粉较高;微生物多样性和丰富度分析发现,使用延长发酵周期配糟酒醅中细菌α多样性极显著高于使用正常发酵周期配糟酒醅(P<0.001),而真菌α多样性显著/极显著低于使用正常发酵周期配糟酒醅(P<0.05, P<0.001);通过组间差异性分析发现,细菌群落共产生28个差异指示种,而真菌群落共产生15个差异指示种;水分、酸度、氨基酸态氮、还原糖、残余淀粉和总游离氨基酸对微生物群落结构的影响显著(P<0.05)...     

基于高通量测序技术解析浓香型白酒中窖泥臭味物质4-甲基苯酚的来源

【目的】研究浓香型白酒中主要窖泥臭味物质4-甲基苯酚的原料来源;解析窖泥菌群结构,从中分离得到产4-甲基苯酚的菌株,以明确4-甲基苯酚的微生物来源。【方法】运用气相色谱-质谱连用(GC-MS)技术对窖泥、糖化料和大曲中的4-甲基苯酚定性定量;运用高通量测序技术解析窖泥的菌群结构,并通过可培养技术从中筛选产4-甲基苯酚的微生物。【结果】糖化料和曲粉中4-甲基苯酚含量均低于检测限。窖泥中检测到4-甲基苯酚,其中窖底窖泥4-甲基苯酚含量达到24.24μg/g。测定的窖泥菌群主要包括8个纲,其中Bacteroidia、Clostridia和Methanobacteria在上中底部窖泥中含量均高于8%,为主要优势纲。窖泥中含量在1%的属有11个,主要包括Clostridium、Aminobacterium、Methanobacterium、Methanobrevibacter等。经过分离筛选,窖泥中的Clostridium aminovalericum、Clostridium ultunense和Clostridium purinilyticum可产4-甲基苯酚,与窖泥高通量测序结果比对显示,含量都在0.20%以上。【结论】4-甲基苯酚主要来源于窖泥,窖泥微生物可代谢产生4-甲基苯酚。窖泥菌群结构复杂,窖池不同深度的菌群结构并不一致,其中Clostridia及Clostridium与4-甲基苯酚的变化规律相似,含量随深度增加而升高。从窖泥中筛选得到3株产4-甲基苯酚的菌株,3株菌都属于Clostridium。Clostridium在窖泥中的含量达到4.89%,其中筛选得到的3株菌在窖泥中的总含量接近1%,综上得出Clostridium是4-甲基苯酚的主要微生物来源。     

葱属蔬菜植物风味前体物质的合成途径及调节机制

葱属蔬菜植物风味前体物质S-烃基半胱氨酸亚砜是一类非蛋白含硫氨基酸(蒜氨酸类物质),在蒜氨酸酶的作用下形成独特的刺激性风味成分。现对风味前体物质的种类、功能、组织和亚细胞定位以及合成途径及合成过程的调控等方面的研究进展给予概述。     

超临界CO_2萃取当归挥发油及其在烟草中的应用研究

为开发新的天然烟用香料,研究了超临界CO2萃取当归挥发油的工艺,用GC/MS分析了挥发油中的挥发性和半挥发性成分,并用该挥发油进行了卷烟加香试验。结果表明:①超临界CO2萃取当归挥发油的优化工艺条件为:萃取温度40℃、萃取压力45Mpa、萃取时间1.5 h、CO2流量20 L.h-1,分离釜压力8 Mpa,分离釜温度45℃。②当归挥发油共鉴定出29种成分,主要有藁本内酯、丁烯基芙内酯、亚油酸、棕榈酸、油酸以及萜烯类化合物等。③卷烟加香评价结果表明,当归挥发油在丰富烟香、掩盖杂气、改善口感方面有较好的作用。     

Genetic and metabolic engineering of microorganisms for the development of new flavor compounds from terpenic substrates

Throughout human history, natural products have been the basis for the discovery and development of therapeutics, cosmetic and food compounds used in industry. Many compounds found in natural organisms are rather difficult to chemically synthesize and to extract in large amounts, and in this respect, genetic and metabolic engineering are playing an increasingly important role in the production of these compounds, such as new terpenes and terpenoids, which may potentially be used to create aromas in industry. Terpenes belong to the largest class of natural compounds, are produced by all living organisms and play a fundamental role in human nutrition, cosmetics and medicine. Recent advances in systems biology and synthetic biology are allowing us to perform metabolic engineering at the whole-cell level, thus enabling the optimal design of microorganisms for the efficient production of drugs, cosmetic and food additives. This review describes the recent advances made in the genetic and metabolic engineering of the terpenes pathway with a particular focus on systems biotechnology.     

Response of Tomato Sugar and Acid Metabolism and Fruit Quality under Different High Temperature and Relative Humidity Conditions

The combined stress of high temperature and high relative air humidity is one of the most serious agrometeorological disasters that restricts the production capacity of protected agriculture. However, there is little information about the precise interaction between them on tomato fruit quality. The objectives of this study were to explore the effects of the combined stress of high temperature and relative humidity on the sugar and acid metabolism and fruit quality of tomato fruits, and to determine the best relative air humidity for fruit quality under high temperature environments. Four temperature treatments (32°C, 35°C, 38°C, 41°C), three relative air humidity (50%, 70%, 90%) and four duration (3, 6, 9, 12 d) orthogonal experiments were conducted, with 28°C, 50% as control. The results showed that under high temperature and relative air humidity, the activity of sucrose metabolizing enzymes in young tomato fruits changed, which reduced fruits soluble sugar content; in addition, enzyme activities involved phosphopyruvate carboxylase (PEPC), mitochondria aconitase (MDH) and citrate synthetase (CS) increased which increased the content of organic acids (especially malic acid). Eventually, vitamin C, total sugar and sugar-acid ratio decreased significantly, while the titratable acid increased, resulting in a decrease in fruit flavor quality and nutritional quality in ripe fruit. Specifically, a temperature of 32°C and a relative air humidity of 70% were the best cultivation conditions for tomato reproductive growth period under high temperature. Our results indicating that fruit quality reduced under high temperature at the flowering stage, while increasing the relative air humidity to 70% could alleviate this negative effect. Our results are benefit to better understand the interaction between microclimate parameters under specific climatic conditions in the greenhouse environment and their impact on tomato flavor quality.     

基于GC-IMS技术的不同红火蚁监测诱饵的风味成分分析

探讨不同红火蚁Solenopsis invicta Buren监测诱饵的风味成分,以期获得优化诱饵配方的科学依据。本文采用顶空气相色谱-离子迁移谱法分析不同红火蚁监测诱饵在60℃下的气味指纹图谱,并通过主成分分析法分析其风味物质的差异。结果共鉴定出93个信号峰和87种挥发性化合物,载体物质(CK)中具有较高强度峰的化合物包括3种苯、2种醇、3种酮、2种酯、4种醛、1种呋喃和1种烯;自主配制的诱饵(JR、ZR、JZ)的风味组成相似,较高强度峰的化合物包括2种醇、1种酸、12种醛和1-8桉叶素等;市售火腿肠(HT)中的3种烯、10种酮、1种苯、5种醛、1种呋喃、3种醚、7种醇和4种酯是具有较高强度峰的化合物。主成分分析表明,CK、HT与自主研发的诱饵聚集距离较远,三者均单独聚为一类,相互风味成分区别较大。综上所述,JR、ZR和JZ诱饵中醛类物质较多,而HT中酮类与醇类物质较为丰富。上述诱饵的风味成分分析结果能为研发精准高效的红火蚁监测专用诱饵提供重要信息。     

Use of a plant-derived enzyme template for the production of the green-note volatile hexanal

Hexanal is a key organoleptic element of green-note that is found in both fragrances and flavors. We report a novel process for the production of hexanal using immobilized enzyme templates extracted from different plant sources in combination with hollow-fiber ultrafiltration for in situ separation. Enzyme templates, known to be responsible for the synthesis of hexanal from linoleic acid (18:2), were isolated from naturally enriched tissues including carnation petals, strawberry and tomato leaves. These templates were immobilized in an alginate matrix and used as a biocatalyst in a packed-bed bioreactor. Continuous product recovery was achieved using a hollow-fiber ultrafiltration unit. The effects of pH, reaction temperature, and substrate and enzyme concentrations were studied and their effects on hexanal generation identified and optimized. Utilizing optimized conditions, hexanal production 112-fold higher than endogenous steady-state levels in a corresponding amount of plant tissue could be achieved over a 30-minute period. Based on the reactor studies, product inhibition also appears to be an important factor for bioreactor-based hexanal production.