Application of biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) biosensor for optimization of biological carbon and nitrogen removal from synthetic wastewater in a sequencing batch reactor system.

A bench scale reactor using a sequencing batch reactor process was used to evaluate the applicability of biosensors for the process optimization of biological carbon and nitrogen removal. A commercial biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) biosensor with a novel microbial membrane was used to determine the duration of each phase by measuring samples in real time in an SBR cycle with filling/anoxic-anaerobic/aerobic/sludge wasting/settling/withdrawal periods. Possible strategies to increase the efficiency for the biological removal of carbon and nitrogen from synthetic wastewater have been developed. The results show that application of a BOD biosensor enables estimation of organic carbon, in real time, allowing the optimization or reduction the SBR cycle time. Some typical consumption patterns for organic carbon in the non-aeration phase of a typical SBR operation were identified. The rate of decrease of BOD measured using a sensor BOD, was the highest in the initial glucose breakdown period and during denitrification. It then slowed down until a 'quiescent period' was observed, which may be considered as the commencement of the aeration period. Monitoring the BOD curve with a BOD biosensor allowed the reduction of the SBR cycle time, which leads to an increase in the removal efficiency. By reducing the cycle time from 8 to 4 h cycle, the removal efficiencies of nitrate, glucose, and phosphorus in a given time interval, were increased to nearly double, while the removal of nitrogen ammonium was increased by one-third.

The utility of 2-hydroxypropyl-beta-cyclodextrin as a vehicle for the intracerebral and intrathecal administration of drugs.

The substituted glucopyranose ring structure 2-hydroxypropyl-beta-cyclodextrin (CDEX) increases the solubility of molecules by inclusion of the agent in the lipophilic interior of the ring. This property is of particular use for the administration of molecules by the intracerebral (ICV) or intrathecal (IT) routes. In concentrations up to 40% w/v (isotonic), this agent (10 microliters) effect upon nociceptive or motor function after IT injection or on EEG and general behavior after ICV injection in rats. Using 20% CDEX, there is no change in the ED50 as compared to saline on the hot plate (HP) after IT injection of morphine, D-Ala2-D-Leu5 enkephalin or Tyr-Aib-Gly-gPhe-mAib-NH2, (Aib: alpha-aminoisobutyric acid) although there is an increase in their respective durations of effect. Cyclic peptide opioids: Tyr-c[D-A2bu-Gly-D-beta Nal(1)-D-Leu] (A2bu: alpha, gamma-diaminobutyric acid; beta-Nal(1): beta-naphthylalanine(1)) or Tyr-c[DA2bu-Gly-beta Nal(1)-D-Leu] are insoluble in saline but are readily dissolved in CDEX, and display a naloxone-sensitive antinociception following spinal administration. In other studies, saline insoluble capsaicin is administered in 25% dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) or 20% CDEX (15 microliters; 5 mg/ml) which result in a significant reduction in the spinal levels of substance P and calcitonin gene related peptide and an increase in the HP latency. DMSO alone, but not CDEX alone, reduces the levels of the two peptides. These data emphasize the utility of complexation with CDEX for intracerebral drug delivery and compatibility with brain and spinal tissue.

Characterization of the pcbE gene encoding 2-hydroxypenta-2,4-dienoate hydratase in Pseudomonas sp. DJ-12.

Nucleotide sequence extending 2,3-dihydroxybiphenyl 1,2-dioxygenase gene (pcbC) and 2-hydroxy-6-oxo-6-phenylhexa-2,4-dienoate hydrolase gene (pcbD) of Pseudomonas sp. DJ-12 was previously analyzed and the two genes were present in the order of pcbD-pcbC preceded by a promoter from Pseudomonas sp. DJ-12. In this study, a 3.8-kb nucleotide sequence located downstream of the pcbC gene was analyzed to have three open reading frames (ORFs) that are designated as orf1, pcbE and orf2 genes. All of the ORFs were preceded by each ribosome-binding sequence of 5-GGAXA-3 (X=G or A). However, no promoter-like sequence and transcription terminator sequence were found in the analyzed region, downstream of pcbC gene. Therefore, the gene cluster appeared to be present in the order of pcbD-pcbC-orf1-pcbE-orf2 as an operon, which is unique organization characterized so far in biphenyl- and PCB-degrading bacteria. The orf1 gene was composed of 1,224 base pairs which can encode a polypeptide of molecular weight 44,950 containing 405 amino acid residues. A deduced amino acid sequence of the orf1 gene product exhibited 21-33% identity with those of indole dioxygenase and phenol hydroxylase components. The pcbE gene was composed of 783 base pairs encoding 2-hydroxypenta-2,4-dienoate hydratase involved in the 4-chlorobiphenyl catabolism. The orf2 gene was composed of 1,017 base pairs encoding a polypeptide of molecular weight 37,378 containing 338 amino acid residues. A deduced amino acid sequence of the orf2 gene product exhibited 31% identity with that of a nitrilotriacetate monooxygenase component.

Effect of feed rate on growth rate and antibody production in the fed-batch culture of murine hybridoma cells.

Batch and fed-batch cultures of a murine hybridomacell line (AFP-27) were performed in a stirred tankreactor to estimate the effect of feed rate on growthrate, macromolecular metabolism and antibodyproduction. Macromolecular composition was foundto change dynamically during batch culture ofhybridoma cells possibly due to active production ofDNA, RNA and protein during the exponential phase.Antibody synthesis is expected to compete with theproduction of cellular proteins from the amino acidpool. Therefore, it is necessary to examine therelationship between cell growth in terms of cellularmacromolecules and antibody production. In this study,we searched for an optimum feeding strategy bychanging the target specific growth rate in fed-batchculture to give higher antibody productivity whileexamining the macromolecular composition. Concentratedglucose (60 mM) and glutamine (20 mM) in DR medium(1:1 mixture of DMEM and RPMI) with additional aminoacids were fed continuously to the culture and thefeed rate was updated after every sampling to ensureexponential feeding (or approximately constantspecific growth rate). Specific antibody productionrate was found to be significantly increased in thefed-batch cultures at the near-zero specific growthrate in which the productions of cellular DNA, RNA,protein and polysaccharide were strictly limited byslow feeding of glucose, glutamine and other nutrients. Possible implications of these results are discussed.

Structured modeling of recombinant protein production in batch and fed-batch culture of baculovirus-infected insect cells.

The infection of insect cells with baculovirus was described in a mathematical model as a part of the structured dynamic model describing whole animal cell metabolism. The model presented here is capable of simulating cell population dynamics, the concentrations of extracellular and intracellularviral components, and the heterologous product titers. The model describes the whole processes of viral infection and theeffect of the infection on the host cell metabolism. Dynamic simulation of the model in batch and fed-batch mode gave goodagreement between model predictions and experimental data. Optimum conditions for insect cell culture and viral infectionin batch and fed-batch culture were studied using the model.