Glycogen Metabolism in Aureobasidium Pullulans: A Glycogen Synthetase with Unusual Activation Properties

Abstract

Cultures of filamentous fungi that secrete significant amounts of exopolysaccharides are among the most difficult of fermentation fluids, presenting difficulties in the areas of aeration, agitation, mixing, and control that may in turn impact the physiology of the microorganism in an undesirable manner. The fungus Sclerotium glucanicum, which produces a potentially useful exopolysaccharide known as scleroglucan, illustrates many such difficulties. This review discusses in detail the range of physiological studies on the producing microorganism itself, including those concerning formation of “undesirable” byproducts, principally oxalate, but also, under certain conditions, other TCA cycle acids. In addition, the bioreactor technology in use for production of this type of biopolymer is discussed in relation to the difficulties such fluid types present. The potential of pneumatically agitated reactors for such production is evaluated, and the lack of fundamental studies on such reactors and on the hydrodynamics and mixing behavior of such complex fluids is pointed out.     

Algae on the internet

Increasingly electronic communication and a variety of electronic resources are accessible to a larger group of people within the scientific community. This paper outlines the range of resources that are available, and comments on their current and future value to the phycological community. Resources discussed include mailing lists and newsgroups. These are useful tools for rapid, informal, targeted communication, although the technology employed places limitations on the type and format of information which may be distributed. The World Wide Web (WWW) has the potential to overcome these limitations, the quality, complexity and value to the phycological community of the sites on the WWW are extremely variable, with some material being of dubious quality. However, it is possible to access high quality resources including culture collection catalogues, high quality images and microbial and molecular databases. As well as some of the current resources, this paper discusses some possible directions for the future of phycology on the internet.http://wiua.nwi.ac.uk/     

棉铃虫病毒杀虫乳悬剂的生产及其药效试验

成功研制出棉铃虫病毒（ＮＰＶ）杀虫乳悬剂,改进了生产工艺和设备,建立了棉铃虫的室内品系,提高了生产效率,建立了产品的检测方法,提高了产品质量,促使棉铃虫病毒杀虫剂商品开发获得成功。大田试验证明,病毒乳悬剂的防治效果,相当于当前推广的化学农药,优于原病毒可湿性粉剂。相同剂量（０．５３一１．０７×１０（１０）ＰＩＢ／公顷）的病毒乳悬剂可使虫口平均减退９１．７％,而病毒可湿性粉剂为８３．７％。     

Modulation of somatic embryogenesis in hypocotyl-derived cultures of geranium (Pelargonium X hortorum bailey) CV ringo rose by a bacterium

Summary The Ringo Rose cultivar of zonal geranium (Pelargonium x hortorum Bailey) has been shown to be morphogenetically unresponsive. Attempts to improve somatic embryogenesis using various seed stress treatments before germination proved ineffective. However, bacterial contamination of one of the seed-stress treatments led to infected explants that had a significant increase in frequency of high-quality somatic embryos. The co-cultivation of explants with the isolated bacterium (tentatively identified asBacillus sp.) was found to be repeatable, and potentially represents a novel way to improve morphogenesis in geranium and possibly other species.     

The application of reproductive technology to endangered species breeding programmes

Captive breeding plays an increasingly important role in species conservation, but special problems are encountered in achieving the ideal of a demographically stable but genetically diverse population. Breeding programmes involving co-operation among a number of centres are now being developed which will overcome some of these difficulties by identifying individual animals, genetic lineages or age cohorts from which to breed. Application of techniques such as artificial insemination, embryo transfer and semen collection and storage, as well as the monitoring of reproductive status will contribute to the success of such programmes. The usefulness of these procedures for various population problems is discussed and criteria for their appropriate implementation within breeding programmes is outlined.     

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     

Toward the brave new zoo: Species program planning for reproductive technology development

This article outlines some of the advantages inherent in domestic animal reproductive technology development and compares them to the disadvantages in such development in wildlife species. Species program planning (as proposed by the American Association of Zoological Parks and Aquariums' Species Survival Plan) is offered as an important first step in organizing appropriate research toward reproductive technology development in wildlife species.     

耐药菌感染的噬菌体治疗专利技术

耐药菌,尤其是多重耐药菌的出现和持续进化给人类健康带来了巨大的威胁。在抗生素逐渐失去特效作用的情况下,科学界和医药界又把眼光重新投向了抗菌的天然生物-噬菌体,并在一些研究中证明了噬菌体可以作为新的武器去替代抗生素治疗耐药菌感染。通过对噬菌体治疗及衍生的裂解酶治疗的世界专利申请进行统计及分析,获得了专利发展趋势、申请人分布特点及主要专利申请人等信息,详细分析了噬菌体及裂解酶治疗的主要专利技术路线和研发热点。