SARS-CoV-2 Spike Protein (RBD) Subunit Adsorption at Abiotic Surfaces and Corona Formation at Polymer Particles

The adsorption kinetics of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein subunit with the receptor binding domain at abiotic surfaces was investigated. A combination of sensitive methods was used such as atomic force microscopy yielding a molecular resolution, a quartz microbalance, and optical waveguide lightmode spectroscopy. The two latter methods yielded in situ information about the protein adsorption kinetics under flow conditions. It was established that at pH 3.5–4 the protein adsorbed on mica and silica surfaces in the form of compact quasi-spherical aggregates with an average size of 14 nm. The maximum coverage of the layers was equal to 3 and 1 mg m⁻² at pH 4 and 7.4, respectively. The experimental data were successfully interpreted in terms of theoretical results derived from modeling. The experiments performed for flat substrates were complemented by investigations of the protein corona formation at polymer particles carried out using in situ laser Doppler velocimetry technique. In this way, the zeta potential of the protein layers was acquired as a function of the coverage. Applying the electrokinetic model, these primary data were converted to the dependence of the subunit zeta potential on pH. It was shown that a complete acid-base characteristic of the layer can be acquired only using nanomolar quantities of the protein.     

Revealing the Phenotypic and Genomic Background for PHA Production from Rapeseed-Biodiesel Crude Glycerol Using Photobacterium ganghwense C2.2

Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) are promising biodegradable and biocompatible bioplastics, and extensive knowledge of the employed bacterial strain’s metabolic capabilities is necessary in choosing economically feasible production conditions. This study aimed to create an in-depth view of the utilization of Photobacterium ganghwense C2.2 for PHA production by linking a wide array of characterization methods: metabolic pathway annotation from the strain’s complete genome, high-throughput phenotypic tests, and biomass analyses through plate-based assays and flask and bioreactor cultivations. We confirmed, in PHA production conditions, urea catabolization, fatty acid degradation and synthesis, and high pH variation and osmotic stress tolerance. With urea as a nitrogen source, pure and rapeseed-biodiesel crude glycerol were analyzed comparatively as carbon sources for fermentation at 20 °C. Flask cultivations yielded 2.2 g/L and 2 g/L PHA at 120 h, respectively, with molecular weights of 428,629 g/mol and 81,515 g/mol. Bioreactor batch cultivation doubled biomass accumulation (10 g/L and 13.2 g/L) in 48 h, with a PHA productivity of 0.133 g/(L·h) and 0.05 g/(L·h). Thus, phenotypic and genomic analyses determined the successful use of Photobacterium ganghwense C2.2 for PHA production using urea and crude glycerol and 20 g/L NaCl, without pH adjustment, providing the basis for a viable fermentation process.     

Roles of Keratins in Intestine

Keratins make up a major portion of epithelial intermediate filament proteins. The widely diverse keratins are found in both the small and large intestines. The human intestine mainly expresses keratins 8, 18, 19, and 20. Many of the common roles of keratins are for the integrity and stability of the epithelial cells. The keratins also protect the cells and tissue from stress and are biomarkers for some diseases in the organs. Although an increasing number of studies have been performed regarding keratins, the roles of keratin in the intestine have not yet been fully understood. This review focuses on discussing the roles of keratins in the intestine. Diverse studies utilizing mouse models and samples from patients with intestinal diseases in the search for the association of keratin in intestinal diseases have been summarized.     

Cloning and Characterization of a Thermostable Endolysin of Bacteriophage TP-84 as a Potential Disinfectant and Biofilm-Removing Biological Agent

The obligatory step in the life cycle of a lytic bacteriophage is the release of its progeny particles from infected bacterial cells. The main barrier to overcome is the cell wall, composed of crosslinked peptidoglycan, which counteracts the pressure prevailing in the cytoplasm and protects the cell against osmotic lysis and mechanical damage. Bacteriophages have developed two strategies leading to the release of progeny particles: the inhibition of peptidoglycan synthesis and enzymatic cleavage by a bacteriophage-coded endolysin. In this study, we cloned and investigated the TP84_28 endolysin of the bacteriophage TP-84, which infects thermophilic Geobacillus stearothermophilus, determined the enzymatic characteristics, and initially evaluated the endolysin application as a non-invasive agent for disinfecting surfaces, including those exposed to high temperatures. Both the native and recombinant TP84_28 endolysins, obtained through the Escherichia coli T7-lac expression system, are highly thermostable and retain trace activity after incubation at 100 °C for 30 min. The proteins exhibit strong bacterial wall digestion activity up to 77.6 °C, decreasing to marginal activity at ambient temperatures. We assayed the lysis of various types of bacteria using TP84_28 endolysins: Gram-positive, Gram-negative, encapsulated, and pathogenic. Significant lytic activity was observed on the thermophilic and mesophilic Gram-positive bacteria and, to a lesser extent, on the thermophilic and mesophilic Gram-negative bacteria. The thermostable TP84_28 endolysin seems to be a promising mild agent for disinfecting surfaces exposed to high temperatures.     

一种基于D-S 和ARIMA 的多模型软测量方法

针对传统软测量方法存在的预测性能差、融合能力低等缺点, 提出一种基于证据理论(D-S) 合成规则和差分自回归滑动平均(ARIMA) 模型的多模型软测量方法. 首先利用自适应模糊核聚类方法和最小二乘支持向量机建立多个子模型; 然后利用D-S 合成规则构造的概率分配函数作为权值因子, 对子模型输出进行融合以得到多模型的输出; 最后结合ARIMA 模型对静态多模型输出进行动态校正. 仿真研究与工业应用的结果表明, 所提出的方法具有良好的预测性能和融合能力.

     

一种基于高斯核化有效性指标的自适应优选聚类数的FKCM

针对传统的模糊核聚类算法(FKCM)需给出聚类个数,且对初始值敏感、易陷入局部最优的缺点,本文提出了一种基于高斯核化有效性指标的自适应优选聚类数的模糊核聚类算法(GKVI-AOCN-FKCM)。利用基于密度和距离的方法选取初始聚类中心,克服了对初始值的敏感,提高了聚类效率。然后用高斯核函数核化后的有效性指标评价聚类效果并自动确定最佳分类数,从而无监督地实现对数据集的模糊划分。对Iris数据集的仿真实验及石脑油属性数据分类的应用验证了算法的可行性和有效性。     

氧化铜矿氨浸渣的综合回收试验

氧化铜矿氨浸渣浮选法处理得到的铜精矿采用中温氧压盐酸浸出,铜的浸出率达98%以上,浸出过程中产生的三废可回收或无害化处理。