Scholarly Work - Center for Biofilm Engineering
Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://scholarworks.montana.edu/handle/1/9335
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Item Biopolymer and water dynamics in microbial biofilm extracellular polymeric substance(2008-09) Hornemann, Jennifer A.; Lysova, Anna A.; Codd, Sarah L.; Seymour, Joseph D.; Busse, S.; Stewart, Philip S.; Brown, Jennifer R.Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) is a noninvasive and nondestructive tool able to access several observable quantities in biofilms such as chemical composition, diffusion, and macroscale structure and transport. Pulsed gradient spin echo (PGSE) NMR techniques were used to measure spectrally resolved biomacromolecular diffusion in biofilm biomass, extending previous research on spectrally resolved diffusion in biofilms. The dominant free water signal was nulled using an inversion recovery modification of the traditional PGSE technique in which the signal from free water is minimized in order to view the spectra of components such as the rotationally mobile carbohydrates, DNA, and proteins. Diffusion data for the major constituents obtained from each of these spectral peaks demonstrate that the biomass of the biofilm contains both a fast and slow diffusion component. The dependence of diffusion on antimicrobial and environmental challenges suggests the polymer molecular dynamics measured by NMR are a sensitive indicator of biofilm function.Item Evaluation of cellulose as a substrate for hydrocarbon fuel production by Ascocoryne sarcoides (NRRL 50072)(2014-02) Mallette, Natasha D.; Pankrantz, E. M.; Busse, S.; Strobel, Gary A.; Carlson, Ross P.; Peyton, Brent M.The fungal endophyte, Ascocoryne sarcoides, produced aviation, gasoline and diesel-relevant hydrocarbons when grown on multiple substrates including cellulose as the sole carbon source. Substrate, growth stage, culturing pH, temperature and medium composition were statistically significant factors for the type and quantity of hydrocarbons produced. Gasoline range (C5-C12), aviation range (C8-C16) and diesel range (C9-C36) organics were detected in all cultured media. Numerous non-oxygenated hydrocarbons were produced such as isopentane, 3,3-dimethyl hexane and d-limonene during exponential growth phase. Growth on cellulose at 23˚C and pH 5.8 produced the highest overall yield of fuel range organics (105 mg * g·biomass−1). A change in metabolism was seen in late stationary phase from catabolism of cellulose to potential oxidation of hydrocarbons resulting in the production of more oxygenated compounds with longer carbon chain length and fewer fuel-related compounds. The results outline rational strategies for controlling the composition of the fuel-like compounds by changing culturing parameters.