Search results for "Biochemical"

Fundamentals on the Molecular Mechanism of Action of Antimicrobial Peptides

2019

Abstract Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are produced by several organisms as their first line of defense. Constituted by amino acids, they may present different mechanisms of action. The antimicrobial activity can be used by the peptide-producing organism itself, as innate immune strategy, or in the industry, applying as natural source preservatives. Understanding the possibilities of the operation of these compounds is a prerequisite for the development of effective uses, as well as for the establishment of combinations, which can even expand their applications considering the possibilities of genetic manipulations. Thus, the objective of this article is to review the basic principles of AM…

The Challenges of Air Protection and Control

2016

Electrostatic complementarity in pseudoreceptor modeling based on drug molecule crystal structures: the case of loxistatin acid (E64c)

2015

After a long history of use as a prototype cysteine protease inhibitor, the crystal structure of loxistatin acid (E64c) is finally determined experimentally using intense synchrotron radiation, providing insight into how the inherent electronic nature of this protease inhibitor molecule determines its biochemical activity. Based on the striking similarity of its intermolecular interactions with those observed in a biological environment, the electrostatic potential of crystalline E64c is used to map the characteristics of a pseudo-enzyme pocket.

Opening of New Synthetic Routes Using Segmented Microflow in Multistep Syntheses

2017

The application of microfluidics in organic chemistry is a valuable tool to access new synthesis pathways and to break limitations set by traditional batch chemistry. In the past, the majority of research focused on solving problems associated with individual reactions. It is necessary to advance the field by incorporating flow chemistry in longer multistep syntheses to open more direct paths towards complicated compounds. Several strategies were developed to meet the demands of a four-step synthesis, which includes biphasic nitrations, gaseous substrates, and very fast reactions on multifunctional molecules. A unique micro flow setup was applied in each reaction to meet its specific requir…

Anticipating the impact of pitfalls in kinetic biodegradation parameter estimation from substrate depletion curves of organic pollutants

2019

[EN] Accurate and reliable estimation of kinetic parameters of pollutant biodegradation processes is essential for environmental and health risk assessment. Common biodegradation models proposed in the literature, such as the nonlinear Monod equation and its simplified versions (e.g. Michaelis-Menten-like and first-order equations), are problematic in terms of accuracy of kinetic parameters due to the parameter correlation. However, a comparison between these models in terms of accuracy and reliability, related to data imprecision, has not been performed in the literature. This task is necessary, mainly because the model selection cannot be straightforward, as shown in this work. To facilit…

Microbiology and atmospheric processes: biological, physical and chemical characterization of aerosol particles

2008

Abstract. The interest in bioaerosols has traditionally been linked to health hazards for humans, animals and plants. However, several components of bioaerosols exhibit physical properties of great significance for cloud processes, such as ice nucleation and cloud condensation. To gain a better understanding of their influence on climate, it is therefore important to determine the composition, concentration, seasonal fluctuation, regional diversity and evolution of bioaerosols. In this paper, we will review briefly the existing techniques for detection, quantification, physical and chemical analysis of biological particles, attempting to bridge physical, chemical and biological methods for …

Top-of-Atmosphere Retrieval of Multiple Crop Traits Using Variational Heteroscedastic Gaussian Processes within a Hybrid Workflow.

2021

In support of cropland monitoring, operational Copernicus Sentinel-2 (S2) data became available globally and can be explored for the retrieval of important crop traits. Based on a hybrid workflow, retrieval models for six essential biochemical and biophysical crop traits were developed for both S2 bottom-of-atmosphere (BOA) L2A and S2 top-of-atmosphere (TOA) L1C data. A variational heteroscedastic Gaussian process regression (VHGPR) algorithm was trained with simulations generated by the combined leaf-canopy reflectance model PROSAILat the BOA scale and further combined with the Second Simulation of a Satellite Signal in the Solar Spectrum (6SV) atmosphere model at the TOA scale. Establishe…

Loop Mediated Isothermal Amplification: Principles and Applications in Plant Virology

2020

In the last decades, the evolution of molecular diagnosis methods has generated different advanced tools, like loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP). Currently, it is a well-established technique, applied in different fields, such as the medicine, agriculture, and food industries, owing to its simplicity, specificity, rapidity, and low-cost efforts. LAMP is a nucleic acid amplification under isothermal conditions, which is highly compatible with point-of-care (POC) analysis and has the potential to improve the diagnosis in plant protection. The great advantages of LAMP have led to several upgrades in order to implement the technique. In this review, the authors provide an overview r…

Algae in Biotechnological Processes

2018

As photoautotrophic organisms, algae possess all of the valuable features that determine their role as the primary producers in the biosphere. A wide range of tolerance based on their extremely efficient adaptation to biochemical processes, as well as the specific cellular structure of these organisms, when correlated with the ecological plasticity of microalgae in particular, predispose these biota to growing and developing under either laboratory or industrial conditions. Hence, the natural features of algae have opened wide the door for the multidirectional biotechnological use of these organisms, with a dynamically growing number of such applications fully supporting this thesis. Among …

Recent advancements in lactic acid production - a review.

2017

Abstract Lactic acid, as an organic acid, has essential roles in industrial applications ranging from the food industry to life-sciences. Conventional fermentation methods have been well-studied since late 18th century, but are unable to achieve consumers' expectations regarding both quality and quantity. Therefore, novel technological developments of lactic acid production to increase yield and decrease over-all cost have become the primary goal. Genetic and metabolic engineering are great tools to overcome problems associated with product inhibition, undesired by-product formation, the negative effect of extreme culture conditions and most importantly inefficient use of expensive substrat…