Carnobacterium maltaromaticum: Identification,isolation tools,ecology and technological aspects in dairy products

Carnobacterium species constitute a genus of Lactic Acid Bacteria (LAB) present in different ecological niches. The aim of this article is to summarize the knowledge about Carnobacterium maltaromaticum species at different microbiological levels such as taxonomy, isolation and identification, ecology, technological aspects and safety in dairy products. Works published during the last decade concerning C. maltaromaticum have shown that this non-starter LAB (NSLAB) could present major interests in dairy product technology. Four reasons can be mentioned: i) it can grow in milk during the ripening period with no competition with starter LAB, ii) this species synthesizes different flavouring compounds e.g., 3-methylbutanal, iii) it can inhibit the growth of foodborne pathogens as Listeria monocytogenes due to its ability to produce bacteriocins, iv) it has never been reported to be involved in human diseases as no cases of human infection have been directly linked to the consumption of dairy products containing this species.     

Protective effects of taurine on human hair follicle grown in vitro

Taurine is a naturally occurring beta-amino acid produced by methionine and cysteine metabolism. It is involved in a variety of physiological functions, including immunomodulatory and antifibrotic. Taking advantage of the ability of human hair follicle grown in vitro to recapitulate most of the characteristic features of normal hair follicle in vivo, we studied (i) taurine uptake by isolated human hair follicles; (ii) its effects on hair growth and survival rate; and (iii) its protective potential against transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta1, an inhibitor of in vitro hair growth and a master switch of fibrotic program. We showed that taurine was taken up by the connective tissue sheath, proximal outer root sheath and hair bulb, promoted hair survival in vitro and prevented TGF-beta1-induced deleterious effects on hair follicle.     

Multi-Material 3D Microprinting of Magnetically Deformable Biocompatible Structures

Two-photon polymerization (2PP) allows precise 3D printing at the micrometer scale, and by associating it with magnetic materials, the creation of remotely actuatable micro-structures. Such structures attract a growing interest for biomedical applications, thanks to their size and to the biocompatibility of some photoresist materials. Gelatin methacryloyl (Gel-MA) is one such material, and can be used to create physiological scaffolds for cell culture. Here, the physico-chemical properties of two resins are exploited, the first being a silica-based hybrid polymer, the OrmoComp, and the second a Gel-MA-based hydrogel. A 2PP manufacturing protocol is defined and designed to print both materials in succession as a single structure, which is then linked to a neodymium-iron-boron (NdFeB) magnetic bead for actuation. By this combination, a magnetically deformable 3D culture substrate is created to study cells in an environment that mimics soft, curved, and dynamic properties of tissues in vivo. The structure is actuated via an external magnetic field and bends back and forth along its longest axis. Lastly, preliminary cell culture trials are conducted showing the proliferation of cells on the structures.