Biotechnology for sustainable development: Meeting report of the Asia Pacific Biochemical Engineering Conference APBioChEC'09

Meeting report of the Asia Pacific Biochemical Engineering Conference APBioChEC'09 Meeting Preview: 1^st Asian Congress on Biotechnology 2011 Analytica Asia AchemaAsia 2010     

The importance and future of biochemical engineering

Today's Biochemical Engineer may contribute to advances in a wide range of technical areas. The recent Biochemical and Molecular Engineering XXI conference focused on “The Next Generation of Biochemical and Molecular Engineering: The role of emerging technologies in tomorrow's products and processes”. On the basis of topical discussions at this conference, this perspective synthesizes one vision on where investment in research areas is needed for biotechnology to continue contributing to some of the world's grand challenges.     

Biotechnology in Asia

Cover illustration: The Asian Federation of Biotechnology (AFOB, http://www.afob.org ) was established to promote cooperation between all those interested in biotechnology in Asia and stimulate innovation and technology transfer with the goal of advancing biotechnology in Asia and the rest of the world. BTJ continues its cooperation with AFOB and Asian Congress on Biotechnology (ACB-2011), with a special issue of articles from selected invited speakers at the congress, edited by Jian-Jiang Zhong (Chair ACB-2011 Organizing Committee; SJTU, China), and Sang Yup Lee (BTJ's Editor-in-Chief; KAIST, Korea). Read the Editorial: http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/201100445     

生化工程双语教学改革探索

“生化工程”是高等院校生物工程专业的一门重要的专业课。为了与国际生物技术的快速发展接轨, 目前我国高校“生化工程”普遍采用双语教学模式。主要从教学方式、教学内容、实验环节及考试方式等方面分析了生化工程双语教学中存在的问题, 提出了一系列改革措施, 为取得良好教学效果进行了探讨。     

Hydroclimate Variations in Central and Monsoonal Asia over the Past 700 Years

Hydroclimate variations since 1300 in central and monsoonal Asia and their interplay on interannual and interdecadal timescales are investigated using the tree-ring based Palmer Drought Severity Index (PDSI) reconstructions. Both the interannual and interdecadal variations in both regions are closely to the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO). On interannual timescale, the most robust correlations are observed between PDO and hydroclimate in central Asia. Interannual hydroclimate variations in central Asia are more significant during the warm periods with high solar irradiance, which is likely due to the enhanced variability of the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean, the high-frequency component of PDO, during the warm periods. We observe that the periods with significant interdecadal hydroclimate changes in central Asia often correspond to periods without significant interdecadal variability in monsoonal Asia, particularly before the 19^th century. The PDO-hydroclimate relationships appear to be bridged by the atmospheric circulation between central North Pacific Ocean and Tibetan Plateau, a key area of PDO. While, in some periods the atmospheric circulation between central North Pacific Ocean and monsoonal Asia may lead to significant interdecadal hydroclimate variations in monsoonal Asia.     

Biochemical Engineering Science

Cover illustration: Biochemical Engineering Science. This issue of BTJ highlights a selection of articles presented at the 8th European Symposium on Biochemical Engineering Science (ESBES), which was held in Bologna, Italy 6–8 September 2010. Highlights of this issue include mutation detection in plasmid-based biopharmaceuticals, PEGylation, magnetic separation and process development. The cover image shows the Fountain of Neptune (Fontana di Nettuno) located at the Piazza Nettuno in Bologna and was kindly provided by Dr. Karin Tiemann.     

Environmental biotechnology in India: prospects and case studies

The emergence and acceptance of the concept of sustainable development warrants that the scope of environmental biotechnology be enlarged to address issues like environmental monitoring, restoration of environmental quality, resource/residue/waste-recovery/utilization/treatment, and substitution of the non-renewable resource base with renewable resources. This paper delineates the current and prospective applications in these sub-areas of environmental biotechnology, and documents case studies on environmental monitoring (enteric viruses), restoration of environmental quality (oil spill remediation), resource recovery (hydrocarbon recovery from oily sludges, biosurfactants from distillery spentwash, desulphurization of coal & sour gases), and substitution of non-renewable resources with renewables (conversion of lignocellulisics into value added chemicals).The author is with the National Environmental Engineering Research Institute, Nagpur: 440 020, India     

Characterisation of Patients Receiving Moxifloxacin for Acute Bacterial Rhinosinusitis in Clinical Practice: Results from an International,Observational Cohort Study

We conducted a prospective, non-controlled, multi-centre Phase IV observational cohort study of patients with acute bacterial rhinosinusitis who were treated with moxifloxacin in clinical practice in 19 countries in Asia Pacific, Europe and the Middle East. With the data collected we evaluated the presentation and course of the current disease episode, particularly in terms of the principal clinical signs and symptoms of acute rhinosinusitis and diagnostic procedures. A final assessment of moxifloxacin therapy was made to evaluate the impact of the sinusitis episode on activities of daily life and on sleep disturbance, and to evaluate the clinical outcome of treatment. A total of 7,090 patients were enrolled, of whom 3909 (57.6%) were included in the valid for clinical outcome and safety population. Regional differences were observed in the main symptoms of acute rhinosinusitis and, according to several characteristics, disease episodes appeared to be more severe in patients in Europe than in the Asia Pacific or Middle East regions. The sinusitis episode impacted on daily living for mean (SD) periods of 3.6 (3.2), 4.6 (3.9) and 3.1 (3.0) days and disturbed sleep for 3.6 (3.2), 4.6 (3.9) and 3.1 (3.0) nights in the Asia Pacific, Europe and Middle East regions, respectively. With moxifloxacin treatment, the mean (SD) time to improvement of symptoms was 3.0 (1.5), 3.4 (1.6) and 3.2 (1.5) days, and the time to resolution of symptoms was 4.8 (2.6) days, 5.7 (2.4) days and 5.5 (2.5) days, in the Asia Pacific, Europe and Middle East regions, respectively. In conclusion, acute rhinosinusitis remains a substantial health burden with significant impact on patients’ quality of life, and there are differences between global regions in the clinical presentation, diagnosis and clinical course of disease episodes. Moxifloxacin was an effective and well-tolerated treatment option in the overall population. Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: {"type":"clinical-trial","attrs":{"text":"NCT00930488","term_id":"NCT00930488"}}NCT00930488     

不同酿酒酵母菌株来源异麦芽糖酶IMA1的克隆、表达及表征（英文）

【目的】异麦芽糖酶IMA1在充分利用含有α-1,6-O-糖苷键的低聚糖中起着关键作用。【方法】在本研究中,对来自4株酿酒酵母菌株(包括3株嗜酸性菌株)来源的异麦芽糖酶IMA1进行克隆、表达、纯化和表征。【结果】研究发现,4种异麦芽糖酶IMA1表现出类似的pH和温度依赖性,但表现出不同的动力学参数和热稳定性。IMA1-A对α-MG(α-甲基葡糖苷)表现出最高的结合亲和力、转换数、催化效率和热稳定性。结构和序列分析表明,2个远离活性位点和底物结合位点的氨基酸的差异对异麦芽糖酶IMA1的动力学参数和热稳定性有重要影响。【结论】本研究结果对进一步研究异麦芽糖酶IMA1的结构-功能关系奠定了基础。     

DISPERSAL AND EVOLUTION OF THE PACIFIC BASIN GEKKONID LIZARDS GEHYRA OCEANICA AND GEHYRA MUTILATA

The Pacific island geckos Gehyra mutilata and Gehyra oceanica were studied on several Pacific Basin archipelagos to determine the degree that their distributions have been modified by humans (as commensals), through the analysis of protein variation using starch gel electrophoresis. Gehyra mutilata is an anthropophilic species that is widespread in the Pacific Basin and Southeast Asia. No protein variation was found in the Pacific Basin and southern Asia, although there were fixed allelic differences between populations of southern Asia and those further north. These results suggest possible recent human-aided transport across the Pacific from a population that experienced a genetic bottleneck in southern Asia. Gehyra oceanica, based on protein variation, consists of two natural groups in the Pacific, a northern (Micronesian) form and a southern (Melanesian and Polynesian) form. The northern form has very similar gene frequencies across its range in Micronesia. The southern form has its greatest allelic diversity in the south-central Pacific. F-statistics for G. oceanica in the south fall within the range of values in the literature for mainland Australian species of Gehyra that are not human commensals and for other island lizards that have been considered as natural dispersers. These values are consistent with the hypothesis that G. oceanica was naturally dispersed across the Pacific, prior to the arrival of humans and that the equatorial currents are a barrier to natural, north-south gene flow/dispersal in Pacific Basin lizards. However, human-aided dispersal within the northern and southern regions cannot be ruled out. By comparing the ecology of these two species, G. oceanica has the adaptations necessary for natural oversea dispersal, whereas G. mutilata has an ecology consistent with human-mediated dispersal, in support of the conclusions from the genetic data.     

Comparative developmental and reproductive biology of geographical populations from two cryptic species in Brontispa longissima (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae)

Brontispa longissima is a serious pest of the coconut palm Cocos nucifera, presumed to have originated in Papua New Guinea and Indonesia. It recently invaded Southeast and East Asia, where outbreaks have been reported. Mitochondrial DNA analysis reveals two cryptic species in B. longissima: one is distributed over a wide area including Asia and the Pacific region (the Asian clade) and the other in a limited area in the Pacific region (the Pacific clade). Recent invasions and outbreaks have been reported only from the area where the Asian clade has been found, suggesting that this clade has become a pest in Asia. To infer if the Asian clade has the ability to establish, spread and outbreak in novel habitats more effectively than the Pacific clade, we compared life‐history traits between the two populations of different clades. The net reproduction rate (R₀) was 130.0 and 94.0, the mean length of a generation (T) was 57.7 and 54.7 days, and the intrinsic rate of natural increase (r) was 0.084 and 0.083 per day for the population from Ishigaki Island, Japan (ISH) (the Asian clade) and for the population from Papua New Guinea (PNG) (the Pacific clade), respectively. Although the difference in r was little, the simulated population growth showed that the ISH population can be 1.6 times larger than that of the PNG after ten generations. The rapid population growth of the Asian clade would be partly responsible for its establishment, spread and frequent outbreaks in Asia.     

Tissue banking in Asia Pacific region: past,present and future

Tissue banking in the Asia Pacific regions is driven by two main forces—firstly the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) via Regional Co-operative Agreement projects and secondly by the Asia Pacific Association of Surgical Tissue Banking (APASTB). This overview is written in three sections: (1) History of tissue banking in individual country in the region. (2) History of APASTB. (3) History of IAEA programme in Asia Pacific region. The current status and future of the tissue banking programme in the region will be discussed.     

Genetic structure of the global population of banana black leaf streak fungus, Mycosphaerella fijiensis

The genetic structure of Mycosphaerella fijiensis populations around the world was examined using DNA restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) markers. Allele frequencies at 19 nuclear RFLP loci were estimated in a sample of 136 M. fijiensis isolates from five geographical populations representative of banana-producing areas (South-East Asia including the Philippines and Papua New Guinea, Africa, Latin America and Pacific Islands). Within each population, gametic disequilibrium tests between the 19 nuclear RFLP loci were mainly non significant ( P > 0.05), indicating that random sexual reproduction occurred in these populations. All M. fijiensis populations had a high level of genotypic and allelic diversity ( H , gene diversity: 0.25–0.59). The highest levels of gene diversity were found in the two South-East Asian populations ( H : 0.57 and 0.59). Most of the alleles (> 88%) detected in Africa, Latin America and Pacific Islands populations were also detected in South-East Asian populations. Furthermore, a high and significant ( P < 0.05) level of genetic differentiation was observed among M. fijiensis geographical populations (overall estimate of F_st : 0.32). These results were consistent with the hypothesis that M. fijiensis originated in South-East Asia and spread recently to other parts of the world. The level of allelic diversity in M. fijiensis populations from regions other than South-East Asia was drastically reduced, indicating founder effects. The data also suggested rare occurrence of migration of M. fijiensis between continents.     

Biochemical Engineering Science

Cover illustration Coast of the Portuguese Algarve, location of the 7^th European Symposium of Biochemical Engineering Science (ESBES) held last September in Faro, Portugal. This special issue of BTJ is edited by ESBES President Alois Jungbauer and highlights not only a meeting report but also 17 selected scientific contributions from international speakers at the conference. Topics include process analytical technology, bioprocessing and engineering, biocatalysis, system scale-up and much more.     

Biogeographical and geological evidence for a smaller, completely-enclosed Pacific Basin in the Late Cretaceous

Aim To use biogeographical, palaeomagnetic, palaeosedimentary, and plate circuit data from Late Cretaceous regions in and around the Pacific to test the plate tectonic hypothesis of a pre‐Pacific superocean. Location East Asia, Australia, Antarctica, the western Americas, and the Pacific. Methods Literature surveys of the distributions of Cretaceous, circum‐Pacific taxa were compared with palaeomagnetic and palaeosedimentary data. Uncontroversial plate motions based on seafloor spreading data were also used to test the results of the biogeographical and palaeomagnetic analyses. Results The distributions of Cretaceous terrestrial taxa, mostly dinosaurs, imply direct, continental connections between Australia and East Asia, East Asia and North America, North America and South America, South America and Antarctica, and Antarctica and Australia. Palaeomagnetic, palaeosedimentary, and basic plate circuit analyses require little to no latitudinal motion of the Pacific plate with respect to the surrounding continents. Specifically, the data implies that western North America, East Asia, and the Pacific plate all increased in latitude by roughly the same amount (c. 11 ± 5°) since the Campanian – and that the Pacific Ocean Basin has increased in length north‐to‐south. Main conclusions Each of the analyses provides independent corroboration for the same conclusion: the Late Cretaceous Pacific plate was completely enclosed by the surrounding continents and has not experienced significant latitudinal motion with respect to North America, East Asia, or the Bering land bridge. This contrasts significantly with the plate tectonic history of the Pacific, implying instead that the Pacific plate formed in situ, pushing the continents apart as the plate and basin expanded. These results also substantiate recent biogeographical analyses that have concluded that a narrower Pacific Ocean Basin in the Mesozoic and early Tertiary provides the most reasonable explanation for the great number of trans‐Pacific disjunctions of poor dispersing taxa.     

Invasive trees and shrubs: where do they come from and what we should expect in the future?

The global database of invasive trees and shrubs has been updated, resulting in a total of 751 species (434 trees and 317 shrubs) from 90 families (Rejmánek and Richardson 2013 Divers Distrib 19:1093–1094). This database is used to assess major trends in human-assisted exchanges of dendrofloras among 15 major geographical regions. Areas most invaded by non-native trees are Pacific Islands (136 species), Southern Africa (118), Australia (116), and North America (114). Areas most invaded by non-native shrubs are North America (98), Australia (87), Pacific Islands (71), and Europe (61). The most important sources of invasive trees are Asia (122–146 species, depending on how many Eurasian species are considered to have been introduced only from Europe), Australia (81), and South America (81). The most important sources of invasive shrubs are Asia (103–118), Europe (68), and South America (54). Mean number of native geographical regions for invasive trees is 1.64, while the mean number of invaded regions by trees is 2.51. The difference is smaller for shrubs: 1.60 versus 2.11. Asia is the major source of invasive Rosaceae shrubs, as well as invasive Arecaceae and Oleaceae species. South America and Australia are major sources of invasive Fabaceae trees. North America and Europe are major sources of invasive Pinaceae. Most of the invasive Salicaceae are of Eurasian origin. The identified trends will very likely continue in this century. Because of increasing interactions with many states in Asia, even more invasive woody species will be introduced from this part of the world.     

Marine bioprocess engineering: the missing link to commercialization

Success of US biotechnology has been and continues to be dependent on new discoveries and their timely transformation into useful products through bioprocess engineering and a systems approach. Bioprocess engineering is an essential element of ‘generic applied’ or ‘precompetitive’ research. For marine biotechnology, like biopharmaceutical biotechnology, bioprocess engineering represents the key. The many hundreds of tantalizing bioactive compounds discovered and isolated from varied marine organisms over the past decades have led to only minimal commercialization due to the limited availability of the compounds in question. To address international competitiveness and the revitalization of key US industries, the National Science Foundation launched the Engineering Research Centers Program in the mid 1980s. The essential feature of this program is a partnership among academia, industry and the government to develop next-generation technology through cutting-edge research, relevant education and innovative technology transfer. MarBEC (Marine Bioproducts Engineering Center) is a recently established multi-disciplinary engineering-science cooperative effort of the University of Hawaii and the University of California at Berkeley. Additional partners include three federal laboratories—Argonne National Laboratory, the Edgewood Research, Development and Engineering Center and the Eastern Regional Research Center of the US Department of Agriculture—and the Bishop Museum. MarBEC's research program consists of four major thrusts: Production Systems; Marine Bioproducts and Bioresources; Separation and Conversion; and Bioproduct Formulation.     

Biochemical Engineering Sciences

Cover illustration Special Issue: Biochemical Engineering Sciences. This Special Issue is a collection of the latest research in biochemical engineering science presented at the 9^th ESBES Conference in Istanbul, Turkey, in 2012. The cover illustrates the development in biochemical engineering science by showing symbols for several biochemical engineering subdisciplines, such as process engineering, strain and drug design, and material science, linked by covalent bonds in a hypothetical biological molecule. Images: © JarnoM, © Amelie Olivier, © teracreonte, © ermess, © by-studio, © Sergey Nivens, all from Fotolia.com.     

酶工程专刊序言

酶工程是酶学与工程科学融合的综合性科学技术,是现代生物技术的支柱之一。近年来我国在酶工程研究方面取得了较大进步,为促进国内酶工程研究的发展,本期"酶工程专刊"集中展现了我国酶工程专家学者在酶促生物转化、医药用酶、饲料用酶、环境修复用酶和生物能源用酶等领域所取得的最新进展。     

Continuous anaerobic phenol degradation using an adapted mixed culture

A mixed culture derived from cow dung and sewage sludge and adapted to phenol was used for anaerobic phenol degradation. The phenol degradation rate depended on the period of adaptation of the mixed culture to phenol. In the continuous process, a higher degradation rate (2500 mg.1^-1 d^-1) and better reactor stability was achieved with a granular activated-carbon-packed bed reactor than with a stirred tank reactor.The authors are with the Department of Biochemical Engineering & Biotechnology, Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi Hauz Khas, New Delhi, India.