The Fine Structure of Apple, Pear, and Plum Fruit Surfaces, their Changes during Ripening, and their Response to Polishing

The appearance of a fruit depends upon the way in which lightis reflected and scattered at its surface, and this is partlydetermined by the form of the surface waxes. The fine fibrilspredominating on the surface of plums scatter light much morethan the platelets present on apples and pears, and cause thecharacteristic and prominent bloom. Polishing crushes the wax elements together, giving a much smootherreflecting surface, and sometimes the wax layer completely recrystallizes.The bloom, however, begins to regenerate within a few days,but it does not attain its original prominence. Changes comparable with those caused by polishing occur duringthe ripening of some varieties of apple.     

Polishing the Oxford Nanopore long-read assemblies of bacterial pathogens with Illumina short reads to improve genomic analyses

Oxford Nanopore sequencing has been widely used to achieve complete genomes of bacterial pathogens. However, the error rates of Oxford Nanopore long reads are high. Various polishing algorithms using Illumina short reads to correct the errors in Oxford Nanopore long-read assemblies have been developed. The impact of polishing the Oxford Nanopore long-read assemblies of bacterial pathogens with Illumina short reads on improving genomic analyses was evaluated using both simulated and real reads. Ten species (10 strains) were selected for simulated reads, while real reads were tested on 11 species (11 strains). Oxford Nanopore long reads were assembled with Unicycler to produce a draft assembly, followed by three rounds of polishing with Illumina short reads using two polishing tools, Pilon and NextPolish. One round of NextPolish polishing generated genome completeness and accuracy parameters similar to the reference genomes, whereas two or three rounds of Pilon polishing were needed, though contiguity remained unchanged after polishing. The polished assemblies of Escherichia coli O157:H7, Salmonella Typhimurium, and Cronobacter sakazakii with simulated reads did not provide accurate plasmid identifications. One round of NextPolish polishing was needed for accurately identifying plasmids in Staphylococcus aureus and E. coli O26:H11 with real reads, whereas one and two rounds of Pilon polishing were necessary for these two strains, respectively. Polishing failed to provide an accurate antimicrobial resistance (AMR) genotype for S. aureus with real reads. One round of polishing recovered an accurate AMR genotype for Klebsiella pneumoniae with real reads. The reference genome and draft assembly of Citrobacter braakii with real reads differed, which carried blaCMY-83 and fosA6, respectively, while both genes were present after one round of polishing. However, polishing did not improve the assembly of E. coli O26:H11 with real reads to achieve numbers of virulence genes similar to the reference genome. The draft and polished assemblies showed a phylogenetic tree topology comparable with the reference genomes. For multilocus sequence typing and pan-genome analyses, one round of NextPolish polishing was sufficient to obtain accurate results, while two or three rounds of Pilon polishing were needed. Overall, NextPolish outperformed Pilon for polishing the Oxford Nanopore long-read assemblies of bacterial pathogens, though both polishing strategies improved genomic analyses compared to the draft assemblies.     

Polishing approach with fully connected flow‐through purification for therapeutic monoclonal antibody

The biopharmaceutical industry is evolving toward process intensification that can offer increased productivity and improved economics without sacrificing process robustness. A semi‐continuous downstream process linking purification/polishing unit operations in series can reduce or eliminate intermediate holding tanks and reduce overall processing time. Accordingly, we have developed a therapeutic monoclonal antibody polishing template comprised of a connected flow‐through polishing technologies that include activated carbon, cation exchange, and anion‐exchange chromatography. In this report, we evaluated fully‐connected pool‐less polishing with three flow‐through technologies, operating as a single skid to streamline and improve an mAb purification platform. Laboratory‐scale pool‐less processing was achieved without utilizing in‐line pH adjustment and conductivity dilution based on the previously optimized single process parameter. Two connected flow‐through configurations of polishing steps were evaluated: a two‐step process using anion exchange and cation exchange and a three step process using activated carbon, anion exchange and cation exchange chromatography. Laboratory‐scale proof of concept studies showed comparable performance between the batch purification process and the pool‐less process configuration. Three step polishing highly intensified the processes and provided higher process loading and achieved bulk drug specification with higher impurity clearance (>95%) and high overall mAb yield (>95%).     

Decontamination ofFusarium mycotoxins,nivalenol, deoxynivalenol,and zearalenone,in barley by the polishing process

Korean dehusked and unhusked barley naturally contaminated withFusarium mycotoxins were polished using a Satake Grain Testing Mill. The pearled barley and bran fractions with different degrees of polishing were analyzed for nivalenol (NIV) and deoxynivalenol (DON) by gas chromatography with an electron capture detector, and for zearalenone (ZEN) by high-performance liquid chromatography with a fluorescence detector. NIV was detected in all the pearled barley fractions, but DON and ZEN were not detected in ≥27 % pearled barley fractions from dehusked barley and ≥36% pearled barley fractions from unhusked barley. However, for all degrees of polishing, NIV, DON, and ZEN were detected in bran fractions. The levels of NIV, DON, and ZEN in the bran fractions increased several fold over the original barley. Polishing was effective in removing DON and ZEN from the naturally contaminated barley, but not NIV.     

The role of seed depth,litter, and fire in the seedling establishment of amphicarpic peanutgrass (Amphicarpum purshii)

Summary Amphicarpum purshii is an annual grass which mostly grows in disturbed areas of the New Jersey Pine Barrens, USA. It is amphicarpic, producing spikelets (and seeds) both above and below the soil surface. Previous research has shown that subterranean seed production ensures reproduction in the event of a major disturbance such as fire and results in rapid post-burn colonization of these sandy habitats. The effects of fire, litter, and seed depth were further examined by planting subterranean seeds at four depths in 16 litter-covered flats buried at ground level and comparing plants arising from burned flats with those in undisturbed litter-covered flats. At 0 and 1 cm depth, rates of seedling emergence were lowest in burned flats. Surface-sown seeds produced seedlings more likely to desiccate. Sowing depth had a greater influence on most measured characters than burning treatments. The mean depth of subterranean seed placement by Amphicarpum is 3.5 cm and this coincides with the seed depth from which plants showed the greatest height growth, shoot biomass, and reproductive output. In a second experiment, subterranean seeds on the bare soil surface in clay pots were more likely to lose viability and less likely to germinate than seeds protected by litter or burial in soil. In addition to providing protection from fire, placement of seeds below ground in the sandy habitat of peanutgrass provides conditions more suitable for seed survival and subsequent seedling establishment.     

High-capacity multimodal anion-exchange membranes for polishing of therapeutic proteins

This contribution reports on a study using Purexa™-MQ multimodal anion-exchange (AEX) membranes for protein polishing at elevated solution conductivities. Dynamic binding capacities (DBC₁₀) of bovine serum albumin (BSA), human immunoglobulins, and salmon sperm DNA (ss-DNA) are reported for various salt types, salt concentrations, flowrates, and pH. Using 1 mg/ml BSA, DBC₁₀ values for Purexa™-MQ were >90 mg/ml at conductivities up to 15 mS/cm. The membranes maintained a high, salt-tolerant BSA DBC₁₀ of 89.8 ± 2.7 (SD) over the course of 100 bind-elute cycles. Polishing studies with acidic and basic monoclonal antibodies at >2 kg/L loads showed that Purexa™-MQ had higher clearance of host cell proteins and aggregate species at high conductivity (13 mS/cm) and in the presence of phosphate than other commercial AEX media. Purexa™-MQ also had a high ss-DNA DBC₁₀ of 50 mg/ml at conductivities up to 15 mS/cm, markedly outperforming other commercial products. In addition to the effectiveness of Purexa™-MQ for protein polishing at elevated solution conductivities, its unusually high binding capacity for ss-DNA indicates potential applications for plasmid DNA purification.     

Hydrologic, Edaphic, and Vegetative Responses to Microtopographic Reestablishment in a Restored Wetland

Microtopography is a characteristic feature of many natural wetlands that is commonly lacking in restored wetlands (RWs). Consequently, it has been suggested that microtopography must be reestablished in RWs to accelerate the development of wetland function. The objective of this research was to examine responses of hydrology, soils, and vegetation to microtopographic reestablishment at a 3‐year‐old RW site in North Carolina. Microtopography was reestablished by configuring hummocks (mounds) and hollows (depressions), on otherwise level terrain (flats) of intermediate elevation. For most of the 2003 growing season, mean water table depths were below the soil surface in the flats and 10 cm above the soil surface in the hollows. Analysis of variance revealed significant microtopography by time interactions for soil temperature (p < 0.05) and moisture (p < 0.001), indicating that differences between zones were not consistent throughout the growing season. Hummocks had significantly higher nitrate (p < 0.0001) and ammonium (p= 0.001) than flats and hollows for most of the growing season. Differences in microbial biomass carbon and denitrification enzyme activity across the microtopographic zones were not detected. Plant species richness was significantly different (p < 0.001) across the microtopographic zones, with hummocks < hollows < flats. Flats supported the greatest numbers of wetland species. Aboveground biomass differed significantly (p < 0.001) across the microtopographic zones and followed a different pattern than richness: hummocks < flats < hollows, owing to the growth of emergent wetland herbs in hollows.     

Polishing low-biodegradable and saline industrial effluent in a full-scale horizontal subsurface flow constructed wetland: evaluation of bio-treatability and predictive power of kinetic models

Abstract

This study evaluates the bio-treatability performance and kinetic models of full-scale horizontal subsurface flow constructed wetland used for the tertiary treatment of composite industrial effluent characterized by high-salt content ranging from 5830 to 10,400 µS/cm and biochemical oxygen demand (BOD₅): chemical oxygen demand (COD) ratio below 0.2. The wetland vegetated with Phragmites australis was operated in a semi-arid climate under an average hydraulic loading rate of 63?mm/d. The results of a 4-year operation calculated based on the concentration of pollutants showed that the average removal efficiency of COD, BOD_5, and total suspended solids (TSS) were 17.5, 5.1, and 11.2%, respectively. The system reduced up to 6.5?±?0.7% of electrical conductivity presenting poor phyto-desalination potential without considering the contribution of evapotranspiration in water balance in contrast to satisfying performance for heavy metals reduction. The comparison of the kinetics of organic matter removal obtained by the first-order and Monod models paired with continuous stirred-tank reactor and plug flow regime showed that Monod-plug flow model provided the best fit with the constants of 2.01?g COD/m²·d and 0.3014?g BOD₅/m²·d with the best correlation coefficient of 0.610 and 0.968 between the predicted and measured concentrations, respectively. The low kinetic rates indicate that the process is capable of effluent polishing instead of purification due to the presence of organic compounds recalcitrant to biodegradation and a high level of salinity.     

Effects of surface topography and chemistry of Rumex obtusifolius leaves on the attachment of the beetle Gastrophysa viridula

Broad-leaved dock, Rumex obtusifolius L. (Polygonaceae), is the main host plant of the green dock beetle, Gastrophysa viridula Degeer (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae). Adult beetles are able to attach and walk on leaves of this plant. Leaf surface is rather uneven, because of irregularly shaped prominent epidermal cells with a maximum height of about 9 µm. The surface is covered with a smooth epicuticular wax layer having relatively low free surface energy (FSE). The aim of this study was to measure beetle attachment force applying a 'centrifugal technique' on adult insects on the leaf surface and other substrates, in order to understand the effect of surface architecture and its physicochemical properties on insect attachment. We compared forces on an adaxial leaf surface with forces on a smooth silanized glass plate having low FSE, and on a polishing paper having slightly lower FSE and similar surface roughness (asperities' size = 9 µm). Smooth plate made of normal untreated clean glass with high FSE was used as a reference substrate. On the leaf surface and the polishing paper, attachment forces were lower compared to both glass samples. There was no significant difference between force values on leaves and the polishing paper, but on both glass surfaces they were significantly higher than on the other substrates. Hydrophobicity alone explains a decrease in attachment force of the beetle, but when combined with roughness the decrease in force is four times greater.     

Easy parallel screening of reagent stability,quality control,and metrology in solid phase peptide synthesis (SPPS) and peptide couplings for microarrays

Evaluating the stability of coupling reagents, quality control (QC), and surface functionalization metrology are all critical to the production of high quality peptide microarrays. We describe a broadly applicable screening technique for evaluating the fidelity of solid phase peptide synthesis (SPPS), the stability of activation/coupling reagents, and a microarray surface metrology tool. This technique was used to assess the stability of the activation reagent 1‐{[1‐(Cyano‐2‐ethoxy‐2‐oxo‐ethylidenaminooxy)dimethylamino‐morpholinomethylene]}methaneaminiumHexafluorophosphate (COMU) (Sigma‐Aldrich, St. Louis, MO, USA) by SPPS of Leu‐Enkephalin (YGGFL) or the coupling of commercially synthesized YGGFL peptides to (3‐aminopropyl)triethyoxysilane‐modified glass surfaces. Coupling efficiency was quantitated by fluorescence signaling based on immunoreactivity of the YGGFL motif. It was concluded that COMU solutions should be prepared fresh and used within 5 h when stored at ~23 °C and not beyond 24 h if stored refrigerated, both in closed containers. Caveats to gauging COMU stability by absorption spectroscopy are discussed. Commercial YGGFL peptides needed independent QC, due to immunoreactivity variations for the same sequence synthesized by different vendors. This technique is useful in evaluating the stability of other activation/coupling reagents besides COMU and as a metrology tool for SPPS and peptide microarrays. Copyright © 2015 European Peptide Society and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Lethal and sublethal effects of rice polishing process on Sitophilus oryzae (Coleoptera: Curculionidae)

The mechanical impact of rice polishingon the rice weevil, Sitophilus oryzae (L.), and the subsequent postpolishing effects associated with rice quality were studied. "Brown" rice (not polished), "White (infest then polish)" rice, and "White (polish then infest)" rice were used with different polishing process intensities and different initial weevil densities. Weevil progeny were more numerous in Brown than in White (infest then polish) or White (polish then infest) rice. Polishing corresponding to a weight loss of 11% in rice generated an immediate mortality of approximately 40%; the subsequent mortality caused by rice quality was also 40% (total >80%). A polishing process corresponding to 14 and 16% of rice weight loss generated a drastic mortality in the weevil population (>95%). The progeny per adult weevil was similar with high and low initial weevil densities. The development of weevil progeny was also delayed by about 1 wk in White (infest then polish) rice compared with Brown rice. Furthermore, weevil adults of the progeny were significantly heavier in Brown than in White (infest then polish) or White (polish then infest) rice.     

Microwave Photonics Systems Based on Whispering-gallery-mode Resonators

Microwave photonics systems rely fundamentally on the interaction between microwave and optical signals. These systems are extremely promising for various areas of technology and applied science, such as aerospace and communication engineering, sensing, metrology, nonlinear photonics, and quantum optics. In this article, we present the principal techniques used in our lab to build microwave photonics systems based on ultra-high Q whispering gallery mode resonators. First detailed in this article is the protocol for resonator polishing, which is based on a grind-and-polish technique close to the ones used to polish optical components such as lenses or telescope mirrors. Then, a white light interferometric profilometer measures surface roughness, which is a key parameter to characterize the quality of the polishing. In order to launch light in the resonator, a tapered silica fiber with diameter in the micrometer range is used. To reach such small diameters, we adopt the "flame-brushing" technique, using simultaneously computer-controlled motors to pull the fiber apart, and a blowtorch to heat the fiber area to be tapered. The resonator and the tapered fiber are later approached to one another to visualize the resonance signal of the whispering gallery modes using a wavelength-scanning laser. By increasing the optical power in the resonator, nonlinear phenomena are triggered until the formation of a Kerr optical frequency comb is observed with a spectrum made of equidistant spectral lines. These Kerr comb spectra have exceptional characteristics that are suitable for several applications in science and technology. We consider the application related to ultra-stable microwave frequency synthesis and demonstrate the generation of a Kerr comb with GHz intermodal frequency.     

A modern analogue for the trace fossil Gyrolithes: burrows of the thalassinidean shrimp Axianassa australis

The tidal flats at Praia do Araça, Brazil have muddy siliciclastic sediments on the surface and a layer of heavily packed shells down to 30–40 cm depth. The most obvious element of the infauna is the thalassinidean shrimp Axianassa australis. Several animals were captured with a yabby pump. Burrow openings were characterized by a low mound (1-2 cm high and 10–30 cm in diameter at the base) with one or two simple holes nearby (20-70 cm away). Counts along two transects showed a mean density of Axianassa burrow openings of 1.4 m⁻² (range: 0–7), mounds ranged in density from 0 to 3 m⁻² (mean 1.25). Three nearly complete (and several incomplete) resin casts showed a unique burrow shape, with spiral shafts leading to wide horizontal galleries from which several evenly proportioned corkscrew-shaped spirals branched off, leading to further horizontal galleries at greater sediment depths. Burrows had up to 15 such spirals and a total length of over 8 m. The total burrow depth was between 106 and 130 cm. The role of the spirals and the similarity of Axianassa burrows to the trace fossil Gyrolithes are discussed.     

Host-Acceptance Requirements of Melittobia digitata (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae), a Parasitoid of Mud Dauber Wasps

Behavioral studies were conducted of Melittobia digitata Dahms on Apis mellifera (L.) pupae, pupa-shaped glass dummies, flat glass, and flat glass treated with honey bee extract to determine if females use shape or chemicals to identify a host for oviposition. Response to untreated flat glass was consistently lower than that to pupa-shaped glass. Females spent much more time on a pupa-shaped glass object than on a rectangular piece of glass. Time spent antennating on the bee pupa and on the glass pupa did not differ. However, antennation response to extract-treated flat glass and untreated flat glass was lower than that on pupa-shaped glass. The addition of host extract did not increase probing on flat glass. Wasps probed and antennated the glass dummy about as much as the bee pupa but did not respond much to the rectangular glass objects, indicating that shape plays a major role in the process of host acceptance. In these experiments, only bee pupae were accepted for oviposition and never the glass objects. In further experiments, M. digitata was found to oviposit on Parafilm domes containing agar-based diet but not on domes containing only agar. Females responded to both shape and nutritional content of the host but the surface chemical cues tested were unimportant to females considering an object for oviposition.     

Biomachining: metal etching via microorganisms

The use of microorganisms to remove metal from a workpiece is known as biological machining or biomachining, and it has gained in both importance and scientific relevance over the past decade. Conversely to mechanical methods, the use of readily available microorganisms is low-energy consuming, and no thermal damage is caused during biomachining. The performance of this sustainable process is assessed by the material removal rate, and certain parameters have to be controlled for manufacturing the machined part with the desired surface finish. Although the variety of microorganisms is scarce, cell concentration or density plays an important role in the process. There is a need to control the temperature to maintain microorganism activity at its optimum, and a suitable shaking rate provides an efficient contact between the workpiece and the biological medium. The system’s tolerance to the sharp changes in pH is quite limited, and in many cases, an acid medium has to be maintained for effective performance. This process is highly dependent on the type of metal being removed. Consequently, the operating parameters need to be determined on a case-by-case basis. The biomachining time is another variable with a direct impact on the removal rate. This biological technique can be used for machining simple and complex shapes, such as series of linear, circular, and square micropatterns on different metal surfaces. The optimal biomachining process should be fast enough to ensure high production, a smooth and homogenous surface finish and, in sum, a high-quality piece. As a result of the high global demand for micro-components, biomachining provides an effective and sustainable alternative. However, its industrial-scale implementation is still pending.     

Metrology in physics,chemistry, and biology

The association of physics and chemistry with metrology (the science of measurements) is well documented. For practical purposes, basic metrological measurements in physics are governed by two components, namely, the measure (i.e., the unit of measurement) and the measurand (i.e., the entity measured), which fully account for the integrity of a measurement process. In simple words, in the case of measuring the length of a room (the measurand), the SI unit meter (the measure) provides a direct answer sustained by metrological concepts. Metrology in chemistry, as observed through physical chemistry (measures used to express molar relationships, volume, pressure, temperature, surface tension, among others) follows the same principles of metrology as in physics. The same basis percolates to classical analytical chemistry (gravimetry for preparing high-purity standards, related definitive analytical techniques, among others). However, certain transition takes place in extending the metrological principles to chemical measurements in complex chemical matrices (e.g., food samples), as it adds a third component, namely, indirect measurements (e.g., AAS determination of Zn in foods). This is a practice frequently used in field assays, and calls for additional steps to account for traceability of such chemical measurements for safeguarding reliability concerns. Hence, the assessment that chemical metrology is still evolving.     

Tribological Behavior of Gampsocleis Gratiosa Foot Pad Against Vertical Flat Surfaces

Some tribological behavior between mature Gampsocleis gratiosa foot pads and vertical flats of different materials were studied in this work. stereomicroscope （SMS） and scanning electron microscope （SEM） were used to measure the morphology of the Gampsocleis gratiosa foot pads. An atomic force microscope （AFM） was used to measure the morphologies of the surfaces of glass and a wall doped with calcium carbonate material. The attaching behavior of Gampsocleis gratiosa feet on the two vertical surfaces was observed. The attaching force （perpendicular to the vertical surface） and the static frictional force （along the direction of gravitation） of Gampsocleis gratiosa foot pads on a vertical glass were measured. It was shown that the average attaching force is 50.59 mN and the static frictional force is 259.10 mN. The physical models of the attaching interface between Gampsocleis gratiosa foot pads and the two vertical surfaces were proposed. It was observed that the foot pads are smooth in macroscale; however, the pad surface is composed by approximate hexagonal units with sizes of 3 μm to 7 μm in microscale; the adjacent units are separated by nanoscale grooves. The Observations showed that the Gampsocleis gratiosa can not climb the vertical calcium carbonate wall; in contrast, they can easily climb the vertical glass surface. Based on the features of the geometrical morphologies of the foot pads and the glass surface, we speculate that the attaching force and strong static frictional force are attributed to the interinlays between the deformable Gampsocleis gratiosa foot pads and the nanoscale sharp tips of the glass surface.     

Construction of oligonucleotide arrays on a glass surface using a heterobifunctional reagent, N-(2-trifluoroethanesulfonatoethyl)-N-(methyl)-triethoxysilylpropyl-3-amine (NTMTA)

A rapid method for construction of oligonucleotide arrays on a glass surface, using a novel heterobifunctional reagent, N-(2-trifluoroethanesulfonatoethyl)-N-(methyl)-triethoxysilylpropyl-3-amine (NTMTA), has been described. The heterobifunctional reagent, NTMTA, carries two different thermoreactive groups. The triethoxysilyl group on one end is specific towards silanol functions on the virgin glass surface, while the trifluoroethanesulfonyl (tresyl) group on the other end of the reagent reacts specifically with aminoalkyl- or mercaptoalkyl- functionalized oligonucleotides. Immobilization of oligonucleotides on a glass surface has been realized via two routes. In the first one (A), 5′- aminoalkyl- or mercaptoalkyl-functionalized oligonucleotides were allowed to react with NTMTA to form a oligonucleotide-triethoxysilyl conjugate which, in a subsequent reaction with unmodified (virgin) glass microslide, results in surface-bound oligonucleotides. In the second route (B), the NTMTA reagent reacts first with a glass microslide whereby it generates trifluoroethanesulfonate ester functions on it, which in a subsequent step react with 5′-aminoalkyl or mercaptoalkyl oligonucleotides to generate support-bound oligonucleotides. Subsequently, the oligonucleotide arrays prepared by both routes were analyzed by hybridization experiments with complementary oligonucleotides. The constructed microarrays were successfully used in single and multiple nucleotide mismatch detection by hybridizing these with fluorescein-labeled complementary oligonucleotides. Further more, the proposed method was compared with the existing methods with respect to immobilization efficiency of oligonucleotides.     

Role of membrane integral proteins in the modulation of red cell shape by albumin, dinitrophenol and the glass effect

Defatted serum albumin is found to induce a cup shape in erythrocytes. At 40 mg/ml of albumin, approx. 80% of washed erythrocytes possess this morphology, which can be reversed to disc shape by dinitrophenol. Erythrocytes treated with trypsin, papain, pronase or neuraminidase show enhanced susceptibility to cup formation by albumin; however, chymotrypsinized erythrocytes exhibit a normal response. Red cells treated with concanavalin A (but not its succinylated derivative) show resistance to the cupping effect of albumin as well as the crenating effects of dinitrophenol and glass. The resistance develops after about 20 min following the exposure of cells to the lectin, and is rapidly abrogated on removal of the bound lectin by alpha-methylmannoside. Incubation of the concanavalin A-exposed cells at low temperature leads to prolongation of the time required to achieve the resistance. These results indicate an involvement of membrane integral proteins in mediating the shape modulating effects of albumin, dinitrophenol and exposure to glass.     

The use of activated carbon for the removal of pharmaceuticals from aqueous solutions: a review

The presence of pharmaceutically active compounds in surface and ground water is of concern due to the adverse effects they may have on human health, aquatic life, and the environment, emphasizing the importance of their removal from the water compartment. Activated carbon adsorption has proven to be effective for the removal of several types of inorganic and organic contaminants either as a stand-alone polishing step or in combination with other conventional and advanced water and wastewater treatment systems. This paper discusses the current status of the removal of pharmaceuticals from water using activated carbon derived from numerous precursors, providing an in-depth review of the multitude of factors (adsorbent properties, adsorbate properties, operating conditions) affecting the adsorption process, from the preparation of the activated carbon to its regeneration. A critical assessment of the existing literature is presented, highlighting research and development needs that may ultimately lead to a more comprehensive and sustainable use of activated carbon for the removal of pharmaceuticals from the water environment.