Oligochaetes and eutrophication; an experiment over four years in outdoor mesocosms

Eight experimental ditch mesocosms were used to study the effect of eutrophication over four years. The experimental ditches had a sand or clay bottom. The ditches were treated with additions of phosphorus, phosphorus and nitrogen, or without additions (controls). Oligochaetes were sampled by deploying trays with substratum for colonization over twenty weeks. Both the important variables phosphorus, nitrogen and oxygen as well as the oligochaete species and numbers are presented. The effects of nutrient additions on phosphorus, nitrogen and oxygen concentrations were described together with changes in oligochaete species composition and numbers. The results were further analyzed by redundancy analysis (RDA). In the clay-lined ditches nutrient addition coincided with fluctuation in oxygen concentration. The higher the nutrient addition levels the longer the period of oxygen depletion became. During oxygen depletion the number of oligochaetes was strongly reduced or even became zero. The low nutrient status of the sandy bed in the sand-lined ditches slowed down the rate of colonization. Only a few tubificids were collected. Eutrophication effects were only observed at the highest nutrient addition level. Considerable variation is attributed to stochastic factors in the sand-lined ditches. Whether oligochaete species were present was related to the length of the colonization period. The substratum composition and food together with oxygen regime decided whether they become more or less abundant in ditches. Large-scale mesocosm experiments require time to develop. Only after the first colonization period variables of species presences and abundances can be employed to detect changes associated with eutrophication. Oligochaetes can be used to measure colonization as well as eutrophication processes.     

光生物反应器培养微藻研究进展

微藻具有固定CO2和净化有机废水的能力,在环保、食品饲（饵）料、医药和生物能源开发等领域备受关注,但规模化培养及其产业化仍是研究的难点,亟待解决。就常用于大规模培养微藻的光生物反应器的特点和结构进行了综述。其中,封闭式微藻光生物反应器能够较好地调控藻种的培养条件、不易遭受污染,藻种的纯度容易控制,但培养规模小,生产成本较高;而开放式微藻光生物反应器无法精确控制藻种生长环境,但生产规模大、产量高、生产成本低,因此应用广泛。最佳的方法是综合两者优点,即首先利用封闭式微藻光生物反应器进行中试放大,大量繁殖藻种,然后投入开放式微藻光生物反应器内进行大规模商业生产,此方法有望成为微藻光生物反应器的发展方向,以期为微藻大规模培养提供参考借鉴。     

大尺度陆地生态系统动态变化与空间变异的过程模型及模拟系统

当代生态系统科学研究更加关注区域生态环境及生态系统状态变化的监测、评估、预测、预警及生态环境可持续管理。在深入理解陆地生态系统的要素、过程、功能、格局及其相互作用机理基础上,发展生态系统定量化描述方法和数值模拟技术,集成构建大陆尺度的“多过程耦合-多技术集成-多目标应用”的陆地生态系统数值模拟器已成为生态系统与全球变化及其资源、环境和灾害效应科学研究的重要科技任务。本研究围绕宏观生态系统模拟分析方法问题,在回顾陆地生态系统模型研究现状和发展趋势的基础上,深入讨论开发大尺度陆地生态系统动态变化和空间变异及其资源环境效应模拟系统的理念,以及模拟系统的功能定位、结构设计等基本问题,为构造中国陆地生态系统数值模拟器提供参考。     

大尺度区域生态环境治理及国家生态安全格局构建的技术途径和战略布局

陆地生态系统是地球生物圈系统的核心组分,是人类生活、生产及社会经济活动的场所。然而,人类文明发展和科学技术进步在不断地扩大对资源的利用规模和强度,也导致了严重威胁社会可持续发展的全球气候变化、生物多样性丧失、环境污染、资源枯竭、生态系统退化等环境问题。社会公众期望生态学研究能够为区域、大陆及全球尺度的生态系统的利用和保护、维持人类社会可持续发展提供科学理论及系统性的解决方案。本研究以服务中国生态文明建设、生态安全格局构建、区域生态环境治理,以及宏观生态系统科学发展为目标,回顾了中国的区域生态环境治理成效及经验;分析了我国生态文明建设对大尺度生态系统科学研究的科技需求与时代特征,提出了利用基于自然的宏生态系统途径的新思路提升区域生态环境治理及安全格局构建的设想。在此基础上,讨论了中国的大尺度区域安全格局构建及生态环境治理的新思路、战略布局、技术途径与科技支撑体系,为中国安全、健康和美丽的国土空间利用及生态文明建设进步提供理论参考。     

Large-scale purification of recombinant hepatitis B surface antigen from Pichia pastoris with non-affinity chromatographic methods as a substitute to immunoaffinity chromatography

Abstract

The costly media, inconsistent ligand density, ligand leakage, and possible destabilization of recombinant hepatitis B surface antigen (rHBsAg) particles are main drawbacks of using immunoaffinity chromatography (IAF) in the large-scale downstream processing. In this study, we aimed to use an efficient large-scale purification system as an alternative purification method for immunoaffinity chromatography. For this purpose, we suggested integrating non-affinity chromatographic methods of hydrophobic interaction chromatography (HIC) and size-exclusion chromatography (SEC) for cost-effective purification of rHBsAg expressed in P. pastoris. The optimization of such process is not trivial and straightforward since diverse molecular characteristics of expressed rHBsAg in each type of host cell cause different interactions in non-affinity chromatography processes. The working buffer composition and chromatography parameters are the most influential factors in hydrophobic interaction chromatography. The best result for lab-scale HIC was achieved by using ammonium sulfate buffer in 10% of saturation concentration in pH 7.0 with Butyl-S Sepharose 6 Fast Flow medium and with subsequent Tween-100 and urea elution. In this process, the recovery, purity, and total yield were about 84%, 82%, and 69%, respectively. By scaling-up the HIC and integrating it with Sephacryl S-400?SEC, we obtained highly pure, i.e.,?>?90%, rHBsAg virus-like particles (VLP).     

大规模蛋白质相互作用组实验技术及其应用

大规模蛋白质相互作用研究的主要实验技术包括酵母双杂交技术、串联亲和纯化技术和蛋白质芯片技术,随着这些技术的不断发展和完善,科学家们在模式生物、哺乳动物、病原微生物中展开了大规模的蛋白质相互作用组研究,并进行了药物研发方面的研究,绘制了多种生物的蛋白质相互作用连锁图,揭示了多种蛋白质的新功能,为全面研究蛋白质（群）的分子作用机制、药物研发和疾病的临床预防与治疗等提供了崭新的线索。     

Plant cryopreservation: Progress and prospects

Summary Cryopreservation (liquid nitrogen, −196°C) represents the only safe and cost-effective option for long-term conservation of germplasm of non-orthodox seed species, vegetatively propagated species, and of biotechnology products. Classical cryopreservation techniques, which are based on freeze-induced dehydration, are mainly employed for freezing undifferentiated cultures and apices of cold-tolerant species. New cryopreservation techniques, which are based on vitrification of internal solutes, are successfully employed with all explant types, including cells suspensions and calluses, apices, and somatic and zygotic embryos of temperate and tropical species. The development of cryopreservation protocols is significantly more advanced for vegetatively propagated species than for recalcitrant seed species. Even though its routine use is still limited, there are a growing number of examples where cryopreservation is employed on a large scale for different types of materials, including seeds with orthodox and intermediate storage behaviour, dormant buds, pollen, biotechnology products, and apices sampled from in vitro plantlets of vegetatively propagated species. Cryopreservation can also be employed for uses other than germplasm conservation, such as cryoselection, i.e., the selection through freezing of samples with special properties, or cryotherapy, i.e., the elimination of viruses from infected plants through apex cryopreservation. Because of its high potential, it is expected that cryopreservation will become more frequently employed for long-term conservation of plant genetic resources.