Improved baculovirus vectors expressing barnase using promoters from Cotesia plutellae bracovirus

The goal of this study was to create a novel baculovirus expression system that does not require recombinant virus purification steps. Transfection of insect cells with transfer vectors containing barnase under control of the Cotesia plutellae bracovirus (CpBV) promoters ORF3004 or ORF3005 reduced cell growth. Co-transfection with bApGOZA DNA yielded no recombinant viruses and non-recombinant backgrounds. To further investigate the detrimental effects of barnase on insect cells, two recombinant bacmids harboring the barnase gene under control of the CpBV promoters, namely bAcFast-3004ProBarnase and bAcFast-3005ProBarnase, were constructed. While no viral replication was observed when only the recombinant bacmids were transfected, recombinant viruses were generated when the bacmids were co-transfected with the transfer vector, pAcUWPolh, through substitution of the barnase gene with the native polyhedrin gene by homologous recombination. Moreover, no non-recombinant backgrounds were detected from unpurified recombinant stocks using PCR analysis. These results indicate that CpBV promoters can be used to improve baculovirus expression vectors by means of lethal gene expression under the control of these promoters.     

Isolation of Nine Bacteriophages Shown Effective against Erwinia amylovora in Korea

Erwinia amylovora is a devastating bacterial plant pathogen that infects Rosaceae including apple and pear and causes fire blight. Bacteriophages have been considered as a biological control agent for preventing bacterial infections of plants. In this study, nine bacteriophages (ΦFifi011, ΦFifi044, ΦFifi051, ΦFifi067, ΦFifi106, ΦFifi287, ΦFifi318, ΦFifi450, and ΦFifi451) were isolated from soil and water samples in seven orchards with fire blight in Korea. The genetic diversity of bacteriophage isolates was confirmed through restriction fragment length polymorphism pattern analysis. Host range of the nine phages was tested against 45 E. amylovora strains and 14 E. pyrifoliae strains and nine other bacterial strains. Among the nine phages, ΦFifi044 and ΦFifi451 infected and lysed E. amylovora only. And the remaining seven phages infected both E. amylovora and E. pyrifoliae. The results suggest that the isolated phages were different from each other and effective to control E. amylovora, providing a basis to develop biological agents and utilizing phage cocktails.     

A consequential approach to life cycle sustainability assessment with an agent-based model to determine the potential contribution of chemical recycling to UN Sustainable Development Goals

Chemical recycling (CR) could support a circular approach for municipal solid waste (MSW) treatment. In promoting the recirculation of recyclable carbon-containing waste as secondary feedstock for chemical production, it could contribute to resource conservation, emissions reduction, and supply security. To evaluate CR's contribution to the transition from a linear to a circular carbon economy—and correspondingly to the achievement of environmental, economic, and social sustainability as indicated in the UN Sustainable Development Goals (UN-SDGs)—this study builds on extant literature of life cycle sustainability assessment (LCSA) to investigate consequential environmental, economic, and social CR impacts. Specifically, an integrated approach whereby process-based life cycle assessment, techno-economic analysis, and social indicators are linked in the framework of an agent-based model is developed to investigate sustainability consequences of CR via gasification of residual MSW in Germany. Results suggest that CR contributes to reducing climate change and to addressing terrestrial acidification and fossil resource scarcity. However, its deployment will be associated with significant system costs. Hence, to promote CR implementation, measures such as obliging direct waste incineration to trade CO₂ certificates—provided that certificate prices increase sharply in the future—as well as implementing a recycling rate are found to be necessary to gap economic disadvantages. This study not only contributes to extending life cycle approaches for LCSA methodologically, it furthermore provides valuable insights into temporal and spatial interactions in waste management systems to inform science, industry, and politics about the sustainability impacts of CR on the achievement of the UN-SDGs. This article met the requirements for a gold-gold JIE data openness badge described at http://jie.click/badges .