抗菌肽及其工业应用前景

抗菌肽是生物体内经诱导产生的一种对抗外源性致病菌作用的防御性小分子多肽,广泛存在于动植物和微生物体内。其分子量一般在4000Da左右,带正电荷,由30～40个氨基酸组成。抗菌肽一般都具有耐热性,100℃温度下活性最长可保持30min以上。抗菌肽具广谱抗菌活性,通过破坏细胞膜等作用,可以抑制革兰氏阴性菌、革兰氏阳性菌、真菌,有些抗菌肽还具有抗原虫、病毒及抗癌功能。抗菌肽在工业应用中展示出了广阔的前景。     

透明颤菌血红蛋白的研究进展

血红蛋白广泛存在于动植物、微生物中,是一种氧结合蛋白。透明颤菌血红蛋白是20世纪70年代后期发现的一种血红蛋白,该蛋白质能使细菌在低氧的情况下生存,并保持较高的生长速率。随着作用机理研究深入,透明颤菌血红蛋白在发酵工业和植物转基因等生物工程领域有着广泛的应用。     

我国宠物业现状、机遇与挑战

我国宠物业是一个朝阳产业,发展速度快,问题多,整体水平不高,以市场化为主。宠物业的发展应当是全面的,逐步走向成熟。我们在宠物饲养观念、宠物在社会生活中的作用研究、宠物疾病防治、宠物与人共患疾病的关注度、宠物医疗、宠物药品、宠物食品、宠物医学教育等全方位面临机会和挑战。今后,中国大陆的宠物业在宠物疫苗研制、新宠物药品研发、新中兽药研制和推广、高质量宠物食品和处方食品生产、高水平的宠物医疗机构的扩展、和宠物与人类比较医学上必将得到很大的发展机会。     

加入WTO后我国生物技术产业发展战略

加入WTO后,我国生物技术产业将面临严峻的机遇与挑战,如何面对这一实际情况及采取哪些措施将直接影响目前还处于发展初期的我国生物技术产业,并对我国21世纪生物技术产业的可持续发展具有重要的意义,本文论述了我国生物技术产业发展现状,存在问题及国外发达国家生物技术产业发展现状,政策及法规,提出了加入WTO后适合我国国情的生物技术产业发展战略的建议。     

生物塑料引领塑料产业新方向

塑料作为一种重要的基础材料,给人类的生产和生活带来极大的便利的同时,由于其难以降解的特性,也给人类的生存环境造成灾难性的污染。为此,生物塑料应运而生。本文综述了发展生物塑料的缘由,生物塑料的定义和分类,开发生物塑料的现状,并展望了未来发展的趋势。     

Human genetic databanks in Australia: indications of inconsistency and confusion

This paper reports on a survey of human biotechnology organizations in Australia. The study provides insights into the nature, use and practices involved with human genetic databanking in the country. The survey was conducted at a time when databanks were becoming increasingly important to an expanding genomics industry, and while the nature and extent of industry regulation was being debated. The data revealed a surprising level of confusion and inconsistency in the interpretation of terminology and in ethical practice, even among those organizations subject to the relevant government ethics guidelines. It is argued that despite the extensive level of public consultation, recommendations for reform and actual reform in the intervening years, human genetic databanking remains an under-regulated sector of the human biotechnology industry in Australia, and at least as far as the private sector is concerned, will remain so in the foreseeable future.     

Nutritional composition of black soldier fly larvae feeding on agro-industrial by-products

Black soldier fly (BSF) larvae, Hermetia illucens L. (Diptera: Stratiomyidae), bio-convert organic side streams into high-quality biomass, the composition of which largely depends on the side stream used. In the present study, BSF larvae were reared on feed substrates composed of dried brewers’ spent grains, each supplemented with either water, waste brewer’s yeast, or a mixture of waste brewer’s yeast and cane molasses to obtain 12 different substrates: barley/water, barley/yeast, barley/yeast/molasses, malted barley/water, malted barley/yeast, malted barley/yeast/molasses, malted corn/water, malted corn/yeast, malted corn/yeast/molasses, sorghum-barley/water, sorghum-barley/yeast, and sorghum-barley/yeast/molasses. The crude protein, fat, ash, and mineral contents of the BSF larvae fed each feed substrate were quantified by chemical analyses. The effect of substrate, supplementation, and their interaction on crude protein, fat, and ash contents of BSF larval body composition was significant. Calcium, phosphorus, and potassium were the most abundant macrominerals in the larvae and their concentrations differed significantly among substrates. These findings provide important information to support the use of BSF larval meal as potential new source of nutrient-rich and sustainable animal feed ingredients to substitute expensive and scarce protein sources such as fishmeal and soya bean meal.     

IMPLEMENTATION OF 12-HOUR SHIFTS IN A BRAZILIAN PETROCHEMICAL PLANT: IMPACT ON SLEEP AND ALERTNESS

A recent worldwide trend in chemical and petrochemical industries is to extend the duration of shifts. Optimization of the labor force to reduce costs is one reason to increase the length of working time in a shift. Implementation of 12h shifts is a controversial decision for managers and scientists. Literature reviews show alertness is lower during the nighttime hours, and sleep duration is reduced and worse during the daytime. The main objective of this study was to evaluate the impacts of 12h shifts on alertness and sleep. To evaluate the duration and quality of sleep and alertness during work, 22 male shift workers on a continuous rotating schedule at a petrochemical plant completed activity logs and estimated alertness using analog 10-cm scales for 30 consecutive days, three times (at 2h, 6h, and 10h of the shift) every work shift. Statistical tests (analysis of variance [ANOVA] and Tukey) were performed to detect differences between workdays and off days. The shift schedule was 2 days/3 nights/4 off days, followed by 3 days/2 nights/5 off days, followed by 2 days/2 nights/5 off days. Sleep duration varied significantly (p <. 001) among the work shifts and off days. Comparing work nights, the shortest mean sleep occurred after the second night (mean = 311.4 minutes, SD = 101.7 minutes), followed by the third night (mean = 335.3 minutes, SD = 151.2 minutes). All but one shift (sleep after the first work night) were significantly different from sleep after the first 2 workdays (p <. 002). Tukey tests showed no significant differences in sleep quality between workdays and nights, with the exception of sleep after the third day compared to sleep after night shifts. However, significant differences were detected between off days and work nights (p <. 01). ANOVA analysis showed borderline differences among perceived alertness during day shifts (p =. 073) and significant differences among the hours of theshifts(p =. 0005), especially when comparing the 2nd hour of the first day with the 10th hour of all the day shifts. There were no significant differences in perceived alertness during night work among the first, second, and third nights (p =. 573), but there were significant differences comparing the times (2nd, 6th, 10th hour) of the night shifts (p ≤. 001). The evaluation of sleep (duration and quality) and level of alertness have been extensively used in the literature as indicators of possible performance decrements at work. The results of this study show poorer sleep after and significantly decreased alertness during night work. Shifts of 12h are usually implemented for technical and economic reasons. These results point out the necessity of a careful trade-off between the financial and technical gains longer shifts might bring and the possible losses due to incidents or accidents from performance decrements during work. (Chronobiology International, 17(4), 521–537, 2000)