Final Lecture Flashcards
What are the advantages of bioconversion process?
- Stereo specificity is maintained
- Super specific on location of action
- Performed in mild conditions
What is reverse vaccinology?
Researching pathogens genomic sequence that could be potential antigen targets
What must a “good” antigen target, have for an effective vaccine?
- Ag target must be expressed during infection
- Secreted on surface of Ag
- Found in the strain at all times
- Generate an immune response
- The antigen can’t target self-Abs
What are two approaches used to determine which antigen would be a good target to reduce the infection?
- Examine sequence of a single species
2. Perform pan-genomic analysis to evaluate multiple strains of pathogens
Is ehtanol a potential biofuel?
- Yes
2. Seen in energy productions.
How can ethanol be produced?
- Degrade plant starch in corn. Raises price of food
2. use crop residues to ferment cellulose and hemicellulose
What are disadvantages of ethanol use as a fuel?
Absorbs water and has to be distilled before use.
- requires more energy to refine than what it produces as an energy source.
Can hydrogen gas be made from direct product fermentation?
Yes.
Problematic:
1. Release of CO2. Doesn’t form clean energy.
What are two enzymes that produce hydrogen gas?
- Hydrogenase
- Nitrogenase
Super sensitive to oxygen and anaerobic microbes are hard to grow (expensive)
What is a bio pesticide?
Biological agent that is used to kill a targeted insect. No pesticide applied
Where is Bt toxin found?
Corn, soy beans
What is the bacillus thruingiensis toxin?
- Bt toxin
2. Parasporal body from sporulation as an intracellular crystal toxin
What is the main use of Bt toxin?
Spore consumption by the insect causes release of crystals in an alkaline environment. Pro teases cleave them to be an active form.
What is the primarily active form of the Bt toxin that is dangerous to the insect?
- Insect gut activates spore to release crystals
- Crystals accumulate as a pore in the gut epithelium
- The pores causes loss of ATP in the gut to reduce gut activity.
- Insect dies of starvation and germination of endospores.
What are three common forms of biodegradation?
- Minor changes (dehalogenation)
- Fragmentation
- Mineralization (compound degrade to ions)
What is bioremediation?
Use of microbes to transform toxic molecules to nontoxic degradation products
What are the stages of dehalogenation?
- Loss of halogen substituent by adding electrons.
2. Process occurs anaerobically
What is the meta effect?
Improved rate of degradation of a compound that is in meta position as compared to ortho position
Why are microbes only able to degrade one isomer of a substance?
Compounds have asymmetry and handedness, allowing one susceptible to the microbe and the other is not affected.
What happens to a microbe when it is introduced into an area for biodegradation?
- Acclimation
What is acclimation?
Increased degradation rate of a chemical after repeated exposures of the microbes to that chemical
What are the downsides of biodegradation?
- Widespread damages such as metal corrosion, and toxic degradation products
What are 4 toxic degradation products we discussed?
- DDT
- DDE
- TCE
- Vinyl Chloride
What is bioremediation?
Stimulating degradation activity of microbes already present in the contaminated areas
What is a necessary step in performing bioremediation?
- Recognize the limiting factors
2. Stimulating or increasing the limiting factors will increase the rate of the bioremediation
What is bioconversion process?
- Minor changes in molecules via the microbial enzymes
What is metal bio leaching?
Use of microorganisms that produce acid to solubility desired metals for recovery
What microorganisms perform bioleaching?
- Leptospirilium-like species and thiobacilli recover copper.
