Modeling Tetrahymena thermophila growth and protease production

Oxygen concentrations stimulated growth (maximum number of cells) and protease secretion by Tetrahymena thermophila. Agitation and aeration conditions for growth and protease secretion were optimised by a central composite design. The best optimised combination was a stirrer speed of 338 rpm and an aeration of 1 vvm. Journal of Industrial Microbiology & Biotechnology (2000) 25, 58–61. Received 24 September 1999/ Accepted in revised form 06 March 2000     

The relative toxicity of a spore preparation of Bacillus thuringiensis var. israelensis against fourth instar larvae of Aedes aegypti and Toxorhynchites amboinensis: suspension feeding compared with enemas and forced feeding

The toxic effect of a spore preparation of Bacillus thuringiensis var. israelensis Berliner Serotype H-14 (Bti) on 4th instar larvae of Aedes aegypti L. and Toxorhynchites amboinensis (Doleschall) was observed when given either in a suspension feeding test or when injected orally as a forced feeding or via the anus as an enema. The A. aegypti larvae showed the greater sensitivity to Bti both because they greatly concentrate the toxin by filter feeding and they are more sensitive to Bti than are the larvae of T. amboinensis. The latter appeared approximately two-fold less sensitive to Bti than the former after taking into account their greater body weight.

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Résumé La toxicité sur des larves de 4ème stade de A. aegypti et T. amboinensis, d'une préparation de spores de B. thuringiensis var. israelensis Berliner sérotype H-14, a été examinée après: injection orale par alimentation forcée, injection anale comme lavement, — le témoin étant une alimentation à partir d'une suspension de spores.Les larves de A. aegypti ont présenté la plus grande sensibilité au Bti d'une part parce qu'elles concentrent beaucoup la toxine avec leur alimentation par filtration, et parce qu'elles sont plus sensibles sensu stricto au Bti. Même en tenant compte de leur poids plus élevé, T. amboinensis est apparu comme deux fois moins sensible au Bti.

     

Behavior of bonobos (Pan paniscus) following their capture of monkeys in Zaire

For the first time, three cases of capture and forced interaction were observed between bonobos (Pan paniscus)and two other species of primates (Colobus angolensisand Cercopithecus ascanius)in the Lilungu (Ikela) region, Republic of Zaire. The bonobos interacted with the captured primates as if they were dealing with individuals of their own species. They sought cooperation in their interactions with the captured young primates without scccess. There is no evidence that they ate the captives.     

Pressurized gas transport in two Japanese alder species in relation to their natural habitats

Oxygen uptake measurements have shown that pressurized gas transport, resulting from the physical effect of thermo-osmosis of gases, improves oxygen supply to the roots of the seedlings in two alder speciesAlnus japonica (Thunb.) Steud. andAlnus hirsuta (Spach) Rupr., which are both native in Japan. When gas transport conditions were established by irradiation of the tree stems the internal aeration was increased to a level nearly equal to the oxygen demand of the root system in leafless seedlings ofA. hirsuta, but was higher inA. japonica so that excess oxygen was excreted into the environment. An increase of superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, which protects plants from toxic oxygen radicals and post-anoxic injury, has been observed in root tissues ofA. japonica when the seedlings were flooded for 3 days. The increase of SOD activity, in concert with high gas transport rates, may enable this tree species to grow in wet sites characterized by low oxygen partial pressure in the soil and by varying water tables. A less effective gas transport, flood-induced reduction of SOD activity in root tissues, and reduced height growth in waterlogged soil may be responsible for the fact thatA. hirsuta is unable to inhabit wettland sites.     

Agitation,aeration and perfusion modules for cell culture bioreactors

For an optimized bioreactor design which is adapted to the cultivation of sensitive animal cells different modular bioreactor components for gentle agitation, sufficient aeration and long-term perfusion were developed and investigated with respect to their suitability from laboratory to production scale. Aeration systems have been designed for both shear sensitive cells and cells which tolerate bubbles. The systems are based on either membranes for bubble-free aeration or stainless steel sparger systems. They were characterized by determination of their oxygen transfer capacity and optimized in cultivation processes of different cell lines under process conditions such as batch and perfusion mode.Different impellers for suspension cells and cells grown on carriers were investigated for their suitability to ensure homogeneous gentle mixing. A large pitch blade impeller as well as a novel 3-blade segment impeller are appropriate for homogeneous mixing at low shear rates. Especially with the 3-blade segment impeller fluid mechanical stress can be reduced at a given stirrer speed which is advantageous for the cultivation of cells attached to microcarriers or extremely shear sensitive suspension cells. However, our results indicate that shear sensitivity of animal cells has been generally overestimated.Continuous perfusion of both suspension cell cultures and cells cultivated on microcarriers could be successfully performed over extended periods of time using stainless steel spinfilters with appropriate pore sizes and systems based on microporous hydrophilic membranes. Spinfilters are suitable cell retention systems for technical scale bioreactors allowing continuous perfusion cultures of suspension cells (pore size 10 to 20 m) as well as anchorage dependent cells grown on microcarriers (pore size 75 m) over six weeks to 3 months.Applying the developed modules for agitation, aeration and perfusion process adapted bioreactor set-ups can be realized which ensure optimum growth and product formation conditions in order to maximize cell and product yields.     

High oxygen transfer rate in a new aeration system using hollow fiber membrane

A new type of bubble aeration column called a hollow fiber membrane (HFM) aeration column was proposed, which was featured in the use of hollow fiber membranes and gave a high bubble density in the column. The value of k(L)a was increased by modifying the membrane surface for making the pore size smaller. The Sauter mean diameter of bubbles (D(vs)) was 2.0 +/- 0.1 mm in the range of the superficial gas velocity from 0.02 m s(-1) to 0.065 m s(-1), while that obtained for the bubbles near the membrane was 811 mum at the superficial gas velocity of 4.0 x 10(-4) m s(-1). The difference was ascribed to the effect of coalescence of bubbles. The value of K(L)a increased in proportion to the superficial gas velocity up to 0.02 m s(-1), and was almost constant above 0.03 m s(-1). The maximum value of k(L)a, 2.5 s(-1), was higher than those of the other aeration columns reported previously. The pneumatic power consumption per unit liquid volume (P(v)) for obtaining the same k(L)a was the smallest in the HFM aeration columns. P(v), for obtaining the same interfacial area of bubbles per liquid volume, was also lower than those for other types of aeration columns. It was suggested from the measurement of bubble diameter that the larger interfacial area generated in the HFM aeration column ascribes to the larger gas holdup than the smaller D(vs). (c) 1992 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Aeration: A simple method to control vitrification and improve in vitro culture of rare australian plants

Summary Aeration of tissue cultured rare Australian plantsConostylis wonganensis S.D. Hopper (Haemodoraceae);Diplolaena andrewsii Ostenf.;Drummondita ericoides Harvey (Rutaceae);Eremophila resinosa F. Muell. (Myoporaceae);Eucalyptus ‘graniticola’ (Myrtaceae);Lechenaultia pulvinaris C. Gardner (goodeniaceae); andSowerbaea multicaulis E. Pritzel (Liliaceae) has been found to reduce vitrification in sensitive species as well as significantly improving shoot quality and transfer to soil in most study species. A simple 7-mm hole with a double-layer insert of filter paper in the polypropylene screw lids of the culture vessel decreased shoot vitrification over a 4-wk culture period. The method has implications for facilitating the tissue culture of other rare Australian plants and reducing the occurrence of this developmental abnormality.     

Development of a technique to study seedling emergence in response to moisture deficit in the field —The seed bed environment*

The ability of crops of sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench) to establish in farmers' fields depends largely on its capacity to germinate and emerge under limited soil moisture conditions. Studies on germination under moisture stress have been previously conducted using osmotic media which do not wholly reproduce the conditions of the seed bed in the field. Hence the need for a field screening technique. A line source irrigation system was used to provide five moisture regimes ranging from -0.08 MPa to -0.92 MPa. The drying rate of the soil and the soil temperature depended largely on incident radiation, and the relationship between the moisture content and daily soil temperature and daily radiation was consistant. Total porosity of the seed bed, derived from bulk density measurements and particle density ranged from 43.8% to 45.3%, which would allow sufficient aeration when as in the experiments conducted here, water content was low (> 0.14 g/g). Under these seed bed conditions the pattern of response of emergence to the moisture gradient was linear or curvilinear. Genotypic differences existed for emergence and its response to water level. The field method developed is useful for identifying genotypes able to germinate and emerge under conditions of low seed bed moisture.     

Characterization of a thermo-osmotic gas transport mechanism in Alnus glutinosa (L.) Gaertn.

Summary A gas transport system based upon the physico-chemical effect of thermo-osmosis of gases in described for the black alder, Alnus glutinosa (L.) Gaertn. Air is transported through the alder's stem to the roots, thus improving O₂ supply to respiring tissues of the root system. The gas transport system is investigated by means of a tracer gas technique (11% ethane in air, v/v). Gas transport depends on any source of radiant heat generating a temperature difference between the tree's stems and the atmosphere. The amount of gas transported in leafless trees is four times higher than the amount of gas reaching the roots by gas diffusion. Two-thirds of the gas is transported in the wood, only one-third in the bark. Intercellular spaces inside the porous lenticels of the bark are responsible for this kind of gas transport. Their diameters are estimated by the effusion rates of different tracer gases to be in the range of 1 m.