Search results for "Bioengineering"
showing 10 items of 1963 documents
Effect of saffron addition on the microbiological, physicochemical, antioxidant and sensory characteristics of yoghurt
2018
The impact of added saffron on the characteristics of yoghurt was evaluated during storage. The fat content was lower in the saffron yoghurt. All colour variables were significantly affected by saffron and storage. From the 15th day of storage, bacterial numbers in the saffron yoghurt were higher than those of the control yoghurt. Sensory analysis data suggested that colour, odour and texture impacted consistently on the overall acceptability of the saffron yoghurt. Saffron addition significantly increased polyphenol content and antioxidant activity, providing evidence that the enrichment of natural yoghurt with saffron yields an innovative fermented product useful for supplementing antioxi…
Release of copper-amended particles from micronized copper-pressure-treated wood during mechanical abrasion
2016
Background We investigated the particles released due to abrasion of wood surfaces pressure-treated with micronized copper azole (MCA) wood preservative and we gathered preliminary data on its in vitro cytotoxicity for lung cells. The data were compared with particles released after abrasion of untreated, water (0% MCA)-pressure-treated, chromated copper (CC)-pressure-treated wood, and varnished wood. Size, morphology, and composition of the released particles were analyzed. Results Our results indicate that the abrasion of MCA-pressure-treated wood does not cause an additional release of nanoparticles from the unreacted copper (Cu) carbonate nanoparticles from of the MCA formulation. Howev…
Unveiling the evolution of bivalve nacre proteins by shell proteomics of Unionoidae.
2015
The formation of the molluscan shell nacre is regulated to a large extent by a matrix of extracellular macromolecules that are secreted by the shell forming tissue, the mantle. This so called “calcifying matrix” is a complex mixture of proteins and glycoproteins that is assembled and occluded within the mineral phase during the calcification process. While the importance of the calcifying matrix to shell formation has long been appreciated, the molecular basis that dictates nacre formation remains largely uncharacterized.Recent expressed sequence tag (EST) investigations of the freshwater mussels (Elliptio complanata and Villosa leinosa) provide an opportunity to further characterize the pr…
Influence of the Fabrication Accuracy of Hot-Embossed PCL Scaffolds on Cell Growths
2020
Polycaprolactone (PCL) is a biocompatible and biodegradable polymer widely used for the realization of 3D scaffold for tissue engineering applications. The hot embossing technique (HE) allows the obtainment of PCL scaffolds with a regular array of micro pillars on their surface. The main drawback affecting this kind of micro fabrication process is that such structural superficial details can be damaged when detaching the replica from the mold. Therefore, the present study has focused on the optimization of the HE processes through the development of an analytical model for the prediction of the demolding force as a function of temperature. This model allowed calculating the minimum demoldin…
The development of a tissue-engineered tracheobronchial epithelial model using a bilayered collagen-hyaluronate scaffold
2016
Today, chronic respiratory disease is one of the leading causes of mortality globally. Epithelial dysfunction can play a central role in its pathophysiology. The development of physiologically-representative in vitro model systems using tissue-engineered constructs might improve our understanding of epithelial tissue and disease. This study sought to engineer a bilayered collagen-hyaluronate (CHyA-B) scaffold for the development of a physiologically-representative 3D in vitro tracheobronchial epithelial co-culture model. CHyA-B scaffolds were fabricated by integrating a thin film top-layer into a porous sub-layer with lyophilisation. The film layer firmly connected to the sub-layer with del…
Salmon fibrinogen and chitosan scaffold for tissue engineering: in vitro and in vivo evaluation
2018
3D fibrous scaffolds have received much recent attention in regenerative medicine. Use of fibrous scaffolds has shown promising results in tissue engineering and wound healing. Here we report the development and properties of a novel fibrous scaffold that is useful for promoting wound healing. A scaffold made of salmon fibrinogen and chitosan is produced by electrospinning, resulting in a biocompatible material mimicking the structure of the native extracellular matrix (ECM) with suitable biochemical and mechanical properties. The scaffold is produced without the need for enzymes, in particular thrombin, but is fully compatible with their addition if needed. Human dermal fibroblasts culture…
Isolation of lactic acid-forming bacteria from biogas plants.
2017
Direct molecular approaches provide hints that lactic acid bacteria play an important role in the degradation process of organic material to methanogenetic substrates in biogas plants. However, their diversity in biogas fermenter samples has not been analyzed in detail yet. For that reason, five different biogas fermenters, which were fed mainly with maize silage and manure from cattle or pigs, were examined for the occurrence of lactic acid-forming bacteria. A total of 197 lactic acid-forming bacterial strains were isolated, which we assigned to 21 species, belonging to the genera Bacillus, Clostridium, Lactobacillus, Pediococcus, Streptococcus and Pseudoramibacter-related. A qualitative m…
Exploring Strategies for Labeling Viruses with Gold Nanoclusters through Non-equilibrium Molecular Dynamics Simulations.
2017
Biocompatible gold nanoclusters can be utilized as contrast agents in virus imaging. The labeling of viruses can be achieved noncovalently but site-specifically by linking the cluster to the hydrophobic pocket of a virus via a lipid-like pocket factor. We have estimated the binding affinities of three different pocket factors of echovirus 1 (EV1) in molecular dynamics simulations combined with non-equilibrium free-energy calculations. We have also studied the effects on binding affinities with a pocket factor linked to the Au102pMBA44 nanocluster in different protonation states. Although the absolute binding affinities are over-estimated for all the systems, the trend is in agreement with r…
Diastereoselectivity of 5-Methyluridine Osmylation Is Inverted inside an RNA Chain
2016
In this study, we investigated the reaction of the osmium tetroxide-bipyridine complex with pyrimidines in RNA. This reagent, which reacts with the diastereotopic 5-6 double bond, thus leading to the formation of two diastereomers, was used in the past to label thymidine and 5-methylcytosine in DNA. In light of the growing interest in post-transcriptional RNA modifications, we addressed the question of whether this reagent could be used for labeling of the naturally occurring RNA modifications 5-methylcytosine and 5-methyluridine. On nucleoside level, 5-methylcytosine and 5-methyluridine revealed a 5- and 12-fold preference, respectively, over their nonmethylated equivalents. Performing the…
Anhydrobiosis in yeast: Glutathione overproduction improves resistance to dehydration of a recombinant Ogataea (Hansenula) polymorpha strain
2018
Abstract We show for the first time that a recombinant strain of yeast Ogataea (Hansenula) polymorpha is at least as tolerant to dehydration-rehydration treatment as the wild type strain. It is believed that this unusual characteristic of this recombinant yeast strain is linked with its ability to overproduce glutathione. Based on plasma membrane permeability analysis, we hypothesise that glutathione, in addition to its powerful antioxidative protective effects on membrane lipids, may also protect membrane proteins and/or nucleic acids. The combination of yeast cell dehydration with immobilisation and subsequent preliminary slow rehydration in water vapour gave good results in terms of reco…