Bioenergy production from chicken feather waste by anaerobic digestion and bioelectrochemical systems.

BACKGROUND: Poultry feather waste has a potential for bioenergy production because of its high protein content. This research explored the use of chicken feather hydrolysate for methane and hydrogen production via anaerobic digestion and bioelectrochemical systems, respectively. Solid state fermentation of chicken waste was conducted using a recombinant strain of Bacillus subtilis DB100 (p5.2). RESULTS: In the anaerobic digestion, feather hydrolysate produced maximally 0.67 Nm3 CH4/kg feathers and 0.85 mmol H2/day.L concomitant to COD removal of 86% and 93%, respectively. The bioelectrochemical systems used were microbial fuel and electrolysis cells. In the first using a microbial fuel cell, feather hydrolysate produced electricity with a maximum cell potential of 375 mV and a current of 0.52 mA. In the microbial electrolysis cell, the hydrolysate enhanced the hydrogen production rate to 7.5 mmol/day.L, with a current density of 11.5 A/m2 and a power density of 9.26 W/m2. CONCLUSIONS: The data indicated that the sustainable utilization of keratin hydrolysate to produce electricity and biohydrogen via bioelectrical chemical systems is feasible. Keratin hydrolysate can produce electricity and biofuels through an integrated aerobic-anaerobic fermentation system.

Recombinant N-terminal outer membrane porin (OprF) of Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a promising vaccine candidate against both P. aeruginosa and some strains of Acinetobacter baumannii.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an evolving pathogen which can cause serious infections especially to immunocompromised patients. Its high resistance profile to antibiotics results in difficulty, and sometimes impossibility, in treating afflicted patients. Developing an effective vaccine against P. aeruginosa is an important approach to tackle this problem. A similar problematic situation exists for Acinetobacter baumannii. Several vaccine candidates have been investigated up till now but still there is no approved vaccine in the market. One important antigen of P. aeruginosa is the outer membrane protein F (OprF) which functions as a porin with relevant important roles in virulence. Previous studies focused mainly on the C-terminal peptidoglycan binding domain of OprF as a vaccine candidate. In the current study, we have investigated the N-terminal porin domain of OprF as a potential vaccine candidate against P. aeruginosa. Histidine-tagged recombinant N-terminal OprF (amino acid range 25-200; OprF25-200) was overexpressed in Escherichia coli and purified using metal affinity chromatography. Swiss albino mice were immunized with OprF25-200 adjuvanted with Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) and alum and the immune response was evaluated. Immunized mice developed antigen-specific IgG1 and IgG2a and were protected against challenge by both P. aeruginosa and a clinical isolate of A. baumannii expressing OprF. Serum from OprF25-200-immunized mice showed cross-reactivity with both pathogens using western blotting and whole cell enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). To our knowledge, this is the first report to demonstrate that the N-terminal domain of OprF is sufficiently immunogenic to protect against the two pathogens.

Recombinant Ax21 protein is a promising subunit vaccine candidate against Stenotrophomonas maltophilia in a murine infection model.

Stenotrophomonas maltophilia is an emerging pathogen that can cause several disease manifestations such as bacteremia, meningitis, respiratory tract infections and others. More seriously, this pathogen has a highly evolving antibiotic resistance profile. Antibiotic misuse is further aggravating the situation by inducing the development of multi- and even pan-resistance. Thus, employing diverse strategies to overcome this increasing antibiotic resistance is of paramount importance. In general, vaccination is one of these strategies that prevents the onset of infection, provides long term protection against infection, and most importantly diminishes the antibiotic consumption, thus, resulting in controlling resistance. Unfortunately, vaccine research concerning S. maltophilia is very scarce in the literature. Ax21 protein is an outer membrane protein implicated in several virulence mechanisms of S. maltophilia such as quorum sensing, biofilm formation, and antibiotic resistance. Our computational analysis of Ax21 revealed its potential immunogenicity. In the current study, Ax21 protein of S. maltophilia was cloned and heterologously expressed in Escherichia coli. Mice were immunized with the purified recombinant antigen using Bacillus Calmette-Guérin(BCG) and incomplete Freund's adjuvant (IFA) as immune-adjuvants. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) revealed significant antigen-specific IgG1, IgG2a and total IgG levels in immunized mice which reflected successful immune stimulation. Immunized mice that were challenged with S. maltophilia showed a substantialreduction in bacterial bioburden in lungs, liver, kidneys, and heart. In addition, liver histological examination demonstrated a remarkable decrease in pathological signs such as necrosis, vacuolation, bile duct fibrosis and necrosis, infiltration of inflammatory cells, and hemorrhage. Whole cell ELISA and opsonophagocytic assay confirmed the ability of serum antibodies from immunized mice to bind and facilitate phagocytosis of S. maltophilia, respectively. To our knowledge, this is the first report to demonstrate the vaccine protective efficacy of Ax21 outer membrane protein against S. maltophilia infection.

Immunization with the basic membrane protein (BMP) family ABC transporter elicits protection against Enterococcus faecium in a murine infection model.

Enterococcus faecium is evolving as a multi-resistant pathogen causing infections with high morbidity and mortality. A protective vaccine against E. faecium is lacking up till now. ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporter proteins have important functions in bacteria to maintain survival and homeostasis. In the present study, we evaluated the basic membrane protein (BMP) family ABC transporter substrate-binding protein, designated herein as BMP, as a potential vaccine candidate against E. faecium. Recombinant BMP of E. faecium was expressed in Escherichia coli, and purified by metal affinity chromatography. Swiss albino mice were immunized with the recombinant BMP combined with Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) and/or alum as adjuvants. Mice immunized with BMP combined with alternating BCG and alum developed BMP-specific IgG and were protected against E. faecium challenge as evidenced from organ bioburden and histopathological examination. Furthermore, serum from immunized mice showed enhanced opsonophagocytic activity and protected mice against E. faecium challenge by passive immunization. Bioinformatic analysis revealed appreciable degrees of homology between E. faecium BMP and proteins from other pathogens which suggests BMP could be a useful vaccine against multiple pathogens. To our knowledge, this is the first report of in-vivo evaluation of BMP as a potential vaccine candidate against E. faecium.