scholarly journals Preservation, Characterization and Exploitation of Microbial Biodiversity: The Perspective of the Italian Network of Culture Collections

2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (12) ◽  
pp. 685 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luciana De Vero ◽  
Maria Beatrice Boniotti ◽  
Marilena Budroni ◽  
Pietro Buzzini ◽  
Stefano Cassanelli ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Human Beings ◽  
Microbial Biodiversity ◽  
Natural Ecosystems ◽  
Culture Collections ◽  
Quality Management Systems ◽  
Biological Resource Centres ◽  
Microbial Resources ◽  
Ecological Habitat ◽  
Living Organisms

Microorganisms represent most of the biodiversity of living organisms in every ecological habitat. They have profound effects on the functioning of any ecosystem, and therefore on the health of our planet and of human beings. Moreover, microorganisms are the main protagonists in food, medical and biotech industries, and have several environmental applications. Accordingly, the characterization and preservation of microbial biodiversity are essential not only for the maintenance of natural ecosystems but also for research purposes and biotechnological exploitation. In this context, culture collections (CCs) and microbial biological resource centres (mBRCs) are crucial for the safeguarding and circulation of biological resources, as well as for the progress of life sciences. This review deals with the expertise and services of CCs, in particular concerning preservation and characterization of microbial resources, by pointing to the advanced approaches applied to investigate a huge reservoir of microorganisms. Data sharing and web services as well as the tight interconnection between CCs and the biotechnological industry are highlighted. In addition, guidelines and regulations related to quality management systems (QMSs), biosafety and biosecurity issues are discussed according to the perspectives of CCs and mBRCs.

scholarly journals International postal, quarantine and safety regulations

2019 ◽  
Vol 40 (3) ◽  
pp. 117
Author(s):  
David Smith ◽  
Matthew Ryan
Keyword(s):  
Biological Diversity ◽  
Safety Information ◽  
Health And Safety ◽  
Relevant Information ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
Convention On Biological Diversity ◽  
World Federation ◽  
Culture Collections ◽  
Biological Resource Centres ◽  
Microbial Resources

There are numerous legislative regulations that impact on microbiology, microbial Biological Resource Centres (mBRCs) and culture collections, with which all microbiologists must comply. These affect access for collection, handling, distribution/shipping and utilisation of microbial resources. Areas where regulations are triggered are international post, quarantine and safety. The legislation and supporting documents are often difficult to find and understand, therefore the World Federation for Culture Collections (WFCC) has a long history in providing advice and guidance to help compliance with such legislation. A visit to the WFCC library (http://www.wfcc.info/wfcc_library/) will provide information on postal requirements shipping dangerous goods and on control measures in place for biosecurity to control access to dangerous pathogens. This paper will update such communications and provide relevant information on: Health and Safety (H&S); Quarantine regulations; and Postal Regulations and Safety. Other papers in this special issue will address elements that impact on distribution and use of microorganisms for example in packaging, legislation on the proliferation, distribution and misuse of dangerous pathogens, export licensing measures, the Convention on Biological Diversity and the Nagoya Protocol, ownership of Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) and the provision of safety information to the recipient of microorganisms. The advice is generic and users are advised to refer to their own National guidance and implementation acts to ensure they are compliant. The work was compiled from authors' efforts in their management of an mBRC and most recently contributions to the EMBRIC project (http://www.embric.eu/) in particular Deliverable 6.1 ‘Microbial pipeline from environment to active compounds' (http://www.embric.eu/deliverables).

scholarly journals Development of the Characterizing Indicators for the Existing Biodiversity and Natural Ecosystems and Their Role in Habitat Formation

2019 ◽  
Vol 105 ◽  
pp. 02009 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexander Myaskov ◽  
Svetlana Kostyuk ◽  
Dora Marinova
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Policy ◽  
Natural Environment ◽  
Biological Diversity ◽  
Biological Species ◽  
Environmental Condition ◽  
Human Beings ◽  
Natural Ecosystems ◽  
Economic Decisions ◽  
Living Organisms ◽  
Specific Species

Particular species of living organisms contribute to our natural environment in respective particular ways. Joined together, these species form biocenoses, able to run vital natural functions. Biogeocenoses that tightly link living and non-living organisms are the basis of ecosystems, our planet and human beings as biological species in particular, as later ones are fully dependent on the environmental condition. Determining the contributions of specific species and, subsequently, ecosystems is an essential aspect of human environmental policy. Determining the importance and value of biological diversity as well as understanding of its existence is a mandatory element of environmental policy of major industrial corporations and the basis of future economic decisions of all countries.

Water Pollution and Its Impact on Environment of Society

2016 ◽  
Vol 3 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
N. Thyagaraju
Keyword(s):  
Water Pollution ◽  
Pollution Prevention ◽  
Human Beings ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
The Public ◽  
The Government ◽  
Living Organisms ◽  
Set Up ◽  
Biological Entities ◽  
Micro Organisms

The present seminar paper mainly highlight  the concept of  water pollution, causes of water pollution,  Its Effects, Elements of  pollutants, Methods  used to prevent the water pollution in environment  and the mandatory initiatives taken by the concerned authorities for prevention of  water pollution. Water   is essential for survival of all living organisms on the earth. Thus for human beings and plants to survive on land, water should be easily accessible. The term “Pollution” is generally refers to addition of any foreign body either living or non – living or deletion of anything that naturally exists. The basic Sources of Water pollution causes due to Culmination into lakes, rivers, ponds, seas, oceans etc. Domestic drainage and sanitary waste, Industrial drainage and sewage, Industrial waste from factories, Dumping of domestic garbage, Immersion of Idols made of plaster of Paris, Excess use of Insecticides , pesticides, fungicides, Chemical fertilizers, Soil erosion during heavy rains and floods, Natural disasters, tsunami etc. General pollutants  which are also caused for water pollution  which include Organic, Inorganic, and Biological entities, Insecticides, Pesticides, Disinfectants ,Detergents, Industrial solvents, Acids, Ammonia fertilizers, heavy metals, Harmful bacteria, Virus, Micro –Organisms and worms, Toxic chemicals. Agricultural lands become infertile and thereby production also drops, Spread of epidemic diseases like Cholera, Dysentery, Typhoid, Diarrhea, Hepatitis, Jaundice etc. The  basic responsibility of the Government, NGOs, National Pioneer scientific Research Institutions may conduct  research oriented programs on control of water pollution by create  awareness among the public through mass media and Environmental Education on recycling units,  and  water treatment plants must be established both at domestic levels and Industry levels, Every citizen must feel responsible to control water pollution. There have been many water pollution prevention acts that have been set up by the governments of the world. But these are not enough for permanent water pollution solutions. Each of us needs to take up the responsibility and do something at an everyday at individual level. Otherwise we can’t survive in a society forever in a future. 

scholarly journals Chiral Auxiliaries and Chirogenesis II

Symmetry ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (7) ◽  
pp. 1157
Author(s):  
Victor Borovkov
Keyword(s):  
Nuclear Physics ◽  
Human Beings ◽  
Chiral Auxiliaries ◽  
Living Organisms

Chirality is an inevitable property of our Universe, having an enormous impact in different fields, ranging from nuclear physics and astronomy to living organisms and human beings [...]

scholarly journals Changes Caused by Low Doses of Bisphenol A (BPA) in the Neuro-Chemistry of Nerves Located in the Porcine Heart

Animals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 780
Author(s):  
Krystyna Makowska ◽  
Slawomir Gonkowski
Keyword(s):  
Bisphenol A ◽  
Endocrine Disruptor ◽  
Sympathetic Innervation ◽  
Daily Intake ◽  
Everyday Objects ◽  
Living Organisms ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Heart Wall ◽  
Cholinergic Structures

Bisphenol A (BPA) contained in plastics used in the production of various everyday objects may leach from these items and contaminate food, water and air. As an endocrine disruptor, BPA negatively affects many internal organs and systems. Exposure to BPA also contributes to heart and cardiovascular system dysfunction, but many aspects connected with this activity remain unknown. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the impact of BPA in a dose of 0.05 mg/kg body weight/day (in many countries such a dose is regarded as a tolerable daily intake–TDI dose of BPA–completely safe for living organisms) on the neurochemical characterization of nerves located in the heart wall using the immunofluorescence technique. The obtained results indicate that BPA (even in such a relatively low dose) increases the number of nerves immunoreactive to neuropeptide Y, substance P and tyrosine hydroxylase (used here as a marker of sympathetic innervation). However, BPA did not change the number of nerves immunoreactive to vesicular acetylcholine transporter (used here as a marker of cholinergic structures). These observations suggest that changes in the heart innervation may be at the root of BPA-induced circulatory disturbances, as well as arrhythmogenic and/or proinflammatory effects of this endocrine disruptor. Moreover, changes in the neurochemical characterization of nerves in the heart wall may be the first sign of exposure to BPA.

scholarly journals Enabling Cyber Physical Systems with Wireless Sensor Networking Technologies, Multiagent System Paradigm, and Natural Ecosystems

2015 ◽  
Vol 2015 ◽  
pp. 1-15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nafaâ Jabeur ◽  
Nabil Sahli ◽  
Sherali Zeadally
Keyword(s):  
Cyber Physical Systems ◽  
Wireless Sensor ◽  
Natural Ecosystems ◽  
Distributed Sensors ◽  
Physical Systems ◽  
Structure Topology ◽  
Spatially Distributed ◽  
Engineered Systems ◽  
Networking Technologies ◽  
Living Organisms

Wireless sensor networks (WSNs) are key components in the emergent cyber physical systems (CPSs). They may include hundreds of spatially distributed sensors which interact to solve complex tasks going beyond their individual capabilities. Due to the limited capabilities of sensors, sensor actions cannot meet CPS requirements while controlling and coordinating the operations of physical and engineered systems. To overcome these constraints, we explore the ecosystem metaphor for WSNs with the aim of taking advantage of the efficient adaptation behavior and communication mechanisms of living organisms. By mapping these organisms onto sensors and ecosystems onto WSNs, we highlight shortcomings that prevent WSNs from delivering the capabilities of ecosystems at several levels, including structure, topology, goals, communications, and functions. We then propose an agent-based architecture that migrates complex processing tasks outside the physical sensor network while incorporating missing characteristics of autonomy, intelligence, and context awareness to the WSN. Unlike existing works, we use software agents to map WSNs to natural ecosystems and enhance WSN capabilities to take advantage of bioinspired algorithms. We extend our architecture and propose a new intelligent CPS framework where several control levels are embedded in the physical system, thereby allowing agents to support WSNs technologies in enabling CPSs.

scholarly journals Exploring Indonesian Microbial Genetic Resources for Industrial Application

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Atit Kanti ◽  
◽  
Endang Sukara ◽  
Harmastini Sukiman ◽  
Puspita Lisdiyanti ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Resources ◽  
Industrial Application ◽  
Sustainable Use ◽  
Culture Collections ◽  
Human Welfare ◽  
Microbial Resources

Indonesia is a mega biodiversity country consisting of various types of animals and plants, including genetic microbial resources. However, the exploration on microbes has not been yet extensively explored. This book highlights some important findings and achievements carried out by the microbiologists in LIPI on the sustainable use of Indonesian microbial genetic resources. Through this book, some successful processes of identification, characterization, and preservation in culture collections of Indonesian microbial genetic resources have been showed vividly. Some of potential microbes useful for human welfare are also described in this book, including their utilization for food, feed, health, and bioenergy. It is expected that this book can be a useful reference for those who are interested in the importance of microbial genetic resources for the prosperity of the nation as it revealed some significant findings on microbes, which have been isolated from various sources in Indonesia.

scholarly journals Characterization of an Insoluble and Soluble Form of Melanin Produced by Streptomyces cavourensis SV 21, a Sea Cucumber Associated Bacterium

Marine Drugs ◽  
2022 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 54
Author(s):  
Joko Tri Wibowo ◽  
Matthias Y. Kellermann ◽  
Lars-Erik Petersen ◽  
Yustian R. Alfiansah ◽  
Colleen Lattyak ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Biological Properties ◽  
Water Soluble ◽  
Soluble Form ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Biological Form ◽  
Insoluble Form ◽  
New Perspective ◽  
Living Organisms ◽  
Purification Protocol

Melanin is a widely distributed and striking dark-colored pigment produced by countless living organisms. Although a wide range of bioactivities have been recognized, there are still major constraints in using melanin for biotechnological applications such as its fragmentary known chemical structure and its insolubility in inorganic and organic solvents. In this study, a bacterial culture of Streptomyces cavourensis SV 21 produced two distinct forms of melanin: (1) a particulate, insoluble form as well as (2) a rarely observed water-soluble form. The here presented novel, acid-free purification protocol of purified particulate melanin (PPM) and purified dissolved melanin (PDM) represents the basis for an in-depth comparison of their physicochemical and biological properties, which were compared to the traditional acid-based precipitation of melanin (AM) and to a synthetic melanin standard (SM). Our data show that the differences in solubility between PDM and PPM in aqueous solutions may be a result of different adjoining cation species, since the soluble PDM polymer is largely composed of Mg2+ ions and the insoluble PPM is dominated by Ca2+ ions. Furthermore, AM shared most properties with SM, which is likely attributed to a similar, acid-based production protocol. The here presented gentler approach of purifying melanin facilitates a new perspective of an intact form of soluble and insoluble melanin that is less chemical altered and thus closer to its original biological form.

Minimalist Biological Race

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael O. Hardimon
Keyword(s):  
Population Genetics ◽  
Evolutionary Biology ◽  
Geographic Location ◽  
Common Ancestry ◽  
Human Beings ◽  
Physical Features ◽  
Biological Race

The minimalist concept of race represents the barest characterization of the ordinary concept race possible. Minimalist races are groups of human beings distinguished by patterns of visible physical features, groups whose members are linked by a common ancestry peculiar to members of the group, and which originate from a distinctive geographic location. Minimalist races exist because there are existing human groups that satisfy the minimalist concept of race. Their existence is not precluded by the findings of population genetics. Appeal to contemporary studies in evolutionary biology and population genetics makes it possible to rebut the objection that minimalist races do not exist because they are not genetically distinct.

The Scope of the Conceptual

2012 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephen Laurence ◽  
Eric Margolis
Keyword(s):  
Natural Language ◽  
Social Practice ◽  
Donald Davidson ◽  
Human Beings ◽  
Conceptual Content ◽  
Michael Dummett ◽  
Contemporary Philosopher ◽  
Conceptual Thought ◽  
The Moment

This article explains different views on concepts, which are among the most fundamental constructs in cognitive science. Michael Dummett argues that nonhuman animals are not capable of full-fledged conceptual thought but only a diminished form of thought, which he calls, proto-thought. Human beings can remove themselves from the moment and can rise above the confined world of current perceptions because of their linguistic abilities. Donald Davidson, a contemporary philosopher, denies that animals are capable of conceptual thought and claim that conceptual content requires a rich inferential network. Donald Davidson made an argument against animals having conceptual thought. Davidson's original formulation of the argument begins with the claim that having a belief requires having the concept of a belief but adds that having the concept of belief requires possession of a natural language. It follows, then, that to have a belief requires facility with natural language. The characterization of the conceptual/nonconceptual distinction that is implicit in Davidson's metacognitive argument is a complex one involving a capacity for belief about beliefs, a concept of belief, and concepts of truth and falsity. Both Robert Brandom and John McDowell argued that conceptual thought requires more than a capacity for detection. They claim that conceptual thought requires the ability to appreciate the reasons that would justify a given concept's application and use, and this, in turn, is inherently a social practice that is dependent on natural language

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