0000000000447109
AUTHOR
Maria A. Rao
Interaction of a Recombinant Prion Protein with Organo-Mineral Complexes as Assessed by FT-IR and CPMAS 13C NMR Analysis
Prion proteins are considered as the main agents for the Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies (TSE). The misfolded form, PrP Sc , which is also indicated as the etiological agent for TSE, exhibits high resistance to degradation in environmental processes. Soil contamination by prion proteins is a real environmental issue since contaminated soils can become potential reservoir and diffuser for TSE infectivity. In this work, the interaction of prion protein with organo- mineral complexes was studied by using a recombinant non pathogenic prion protein and a model soil system. This latter was represented by a soil manganese mineral coated with polymerized catechol. FT-IR spectra showed ami…
Assessing the effectiveness of Byssochlamys nivea and Scopulariopsis brumptii in pentachlorophenol removal and biological control of two Phytophthora species
Bioremediation and biological-control by fungi have made tremendous strides in numerous biotechnology applications. The aim of this study was to test Byssochlamys nivea and Scopulariopsis brumptii in sensitivity and degradation to pentachlorophenol (PCP) and in biological-control of Phytophthora cinnamomi and Phytophthora cambivora. B. nivea and S. brumptii were tested in PCP sensitivity and degradation in microbiological media while the experiments of biological-control were carried out in microbiological media and soil. The fungal strains showed low PCP sensitivity at 12.5 and 25 mg PCP L(-1) although the hyphal size, fungal mat, patulin, and spore production decreased with increasing PCP…
Biochar based remediation of water and soil contaminated by phenanthrene and pentachlorophenol
Abstract Phenanthrene (Phe) and pentachlorophenol (PCP) are classified as persistent organic pollutants and represent serious concern for the environment as they are toxic and ubiquitous. Biochar based remediation is an emerging technology used in water and soil contamination. In this study we used poplar (BP) and conifer (BC) biochars to remediate water and soil contaminated by Phe and PCP. BP and BC were able to remove completely either Phe or PCP from contaminated water within one to three days. When biochar was confined in a porous membrane, BC and BP maintained their sorption efficiency for several remediation cycles. However, in these conditions BC allowed faster Phe removal. In soil …
Effect of Organic Amendments on the Evolution of Soil Organic Matter in Soils Stressed by Intensive Agricultural Practices
Losses of soil organic carbon often occur because of intensive agricultural practices that lead to removal of organic carbon following harvest production and to insufficient inputs. Organic amendments can be a very appropriate matrix for enhancing organic carbon content in very stressed agricultural soils. In general, they, enhancing soil organic matter, play an important role in environmental matrices due, for example, to their capacity in retaining water, in interacting with organic and inorganic pollutants, and in enhancing nutrient availability to plants. For this reason, the understanding of the mechanisms with which organic amendments interact with other chemicals in the environment i…