Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Xia Kang, Laszlo Csetenyi, Xiang Gao, Geoffrey Michael Gadd
Summary: In this research, the solubilization of natural struvite by Aspergillus niger and its ability to recover cerium were investigated. The study found that after two weeks of fungal growth, struvite was completely solubilized and released inorganic phosphate through the production of oxalic acid. Various analyses confirmed the formation of cerium minerals, which led to the removal of over 99% of cerium from the solution. Thermal decomposition experiments showed that the biogenic cerium phosphates could be transformed into a mixture of cerium phosphate and cerianite after heat treatment. These findings highlight the potential of using struvite leachate for the biotransformation of soluble rare earth elements and the recovery of cerium for various applications.
APPLIED MICROBIOLOGY AND BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Agronomy
Da Tian, Jingjing Xia, Ningning Zhou, Meiyue Xu, Xiang Li, Liangliang Zhang, Shuhua Du, Hongjian Gao
Summary: This study found that phosphate-solubilizing fungi can effectively promote phosphorus release from phosphogypsum. Application of phosphogypsum fertilizer can significantly increase the available phosphorus content in the soil and maintain a high concentration, which is important for the sustainable use of phosphate resources.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Binqiao Ren, Luyang Zhao, Yanli Wang, Xiaoxiao Song, Yu Jin, Fengju Ouyang, Chongwei Cui, Hongwei Zhang
Summary: The study found that freezing/thawing pretreated Aspergillus niger spores exhibited higher removal efficiency for hexavalent chromium, with the biosorption mechanism characterized using various surface chemistry analysis techniques. The pretreatment resulted in rougher surface morphology of the spores, bio-transforming Cr(vi) into Cr(iii) and improving overall removal efficiency of Cr(vi).
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Jinbao Yin, Chen Wang, Yilian Li, Bo Lv, Haosheng Lv, Yuyuan Xue, Jing Wu, Jianan Zhang
Summary: In this study, an inhibitor-tolerant strain of A. niger was used for the biological detoxification of corncob hydrolysate. The results showed that A. niger M13 could tolerate high concentrations of acetic acid, furfural, and HMF, and exhibited higher detoxification efficiency in spore form. It could also accumulate citric acid directly from undetoxified hydrolysate.
FERMENTATION-BASEL
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Yi Jiang, Xingqing Zhao, Yucheng Zhou, Congcong Ding
Summary: This study investigated the phosphate solubilization and mineralization mechanism of a Pb-tolerant strain Ochrobactrum sp. J023. The strain secreted organic acids and acid phosphatase that synergistically promoted phosphate dissolution. The extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) provided protection to the strain by chelating Pb(II) and preventing its penetration into the cell. The formation of mineralized precipitation was induced by the complexation of metal cations and cell surface groups under the catalysis of enzymes.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Lingzi Meng, Shang Pan, Limin Zhou, Choochad Santasup, Mu Su, Da Tian, Zhen Li
Summary: Phosphate-solubilizing fungi can enhance P release from phosphate minerals to immobilize heavy metals, but their survival in polluted soils depends on factors such as limited P supply and soil buffering effects. Phosphogypsum, as a major by-product in the phoschemical industry, has the potential to serve as a P source for microbial growth and heavy metal remediation in soil systems.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Agronomy
Yi Feng, Liangliang Zhang, Xiang Li, Liyan Wang, Kianpoor Kalkhajeh Yusef, Hongjian Gao, Da Tian
Summary: Co-application of Aspergillus niger and phosphate rocks has been effective for lead remediation, with phosphogypsum showing a higher capability for lead removal compared to fluorapatite. Nitrate promotes the secretion of oxalic acid by Aspergillus niger, leading to the formation of insoluble lead oxalate which reduces the availability of removed lead.
Article
Agronomy
Yijun Huang, Liangliang Zhang, Shijia Yuan, Wenpei Liu, Chaochun Zhang, Da Tian, Xinxin Ye
Summary: In this study, the production of organic acid by Aspergillus niger (A. niger) under different lead (Pb) concentrations was investigated. A. niger showed high Pb tolerance and was able to produce oxalic acid even at 1500 mg/L Pb concentration. The formation of lead oxalate minerals played a key role in protecting A. niger from Pb toxicity. Moreover, the presence of Pb stimulated the activity of pyruvate dehydrogenase enzyme and improved the production of oxalic acid by A. niger.
Article
Energy & Fuels
Juanjuan Ma, Shuyan Li, Jinxi Wang, Shuting Jiang, Balaji Panchal, Yuzhuang Sun
Summary: This study optimized the culture conditions and bioleaching process of Aspergillus niger for the extraction of rare earth elements (REEs) from coal fly ash (CFA). It was found that organic nitrogen sources influenced the morphology and acid production capacity of A. niger, with oxalic acid being the main acid secreted (4.05 mg/L). The initial pH value was identified as the most influential factor affecting the bioleaching process, and by optimizing it, a leaching rate of 30.91% for total REEs in CFA was achieved. The main mechanism of REEs bioleaching by A. niger from CFA was speculated to be proton exchange and organic ligand complexation.
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Shu Zhang, Sha Zhao, Weihao Shang, Zijuan Yan, Xiuyun Wu, Yingjie Li, Guanjun Chen, Xinli Liu, Lushan Wang
Summary: Aspergillus niger An76 encodes a comprehensive set of xylan-degrading enzymes, including five endo-xylanases (one GH10 and four GH11). Quantitative transcriptional analysis showed that three xylanase genes (xynA, xynB, and xynC) were up-regulated by xylan substrates, with different secretion orders and amounts. Among the GH11 xylanases, XynB demonstrated the best performance in xylan degradation, and synergistic effects were observed between XynA and XynB.
BIOTECHNOLOGY FOR BIOFUELS
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Jiaying Cui, Nengwu Zhu, Fulin Mao, Pingxiao Wu, Zhi Dang
Summary: The study showed that optimization of fermentation methods can enhance the bioleaching efficiency of Aspergillus niger for indium in waste LCD panels, and identified carboxy groups from organic acids and proteins as key substances for releasing H+ to leach indium.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Food Science & Technology
Yu Lei, Yahui Guo, Hang Yu, Yuliang Cheng, Weirong Yao, Jian Ju
Summary: Essential oil components, such as eugenol and citral, have antifungal preservative effects, but only at high concentrations that can affect the sensory quality of foods. This study investigated the synergistic antifungal mechanism of eugenol and citral (S-EC) against Aspergillus niger. The results showed that S-EC disrupted various aspects of A. niger and induced cellular apoptosis, effectively prolonging the shelf life of bread by 6 days at 28 degrees Celsius without affecting its sensory properties.
LWT-FOOD SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Qiuju Peng, Yang Xiao, Su Zhang, Changwei Zhou, Ailin Xie, Zhu Li, Aijuan Tan, Lihong Zhou, Yudan Xie, Jinyi Zhao, Chenglin Wu, Lei Luo, Jie Huang, Tengxia He, Ran Sun
Summary: In this study, the ARTP mutagenesis technology was used to improve the phosphorus solubilization abilities of A. niger mutant strains. The xj120-12 strain showed the highest efficiency in promoting plant growth and solubilizing phosphorus, resulting in significant increases in plant height, biomass, chlorophyll and soluble protein content of peanut plants.
Article
Plant Sciences
Pin-Hua Lin, Yun-Yang Chao
Summary: This experiment investigated the effects of different water supply conditions on the growth of two djulis varieties, showing that drought stress significantly reduced plant growth and relative water content, increased antioxidant enzyme activities, total soluble sugars, and proline content. The study also revealed differences in drought tolerance mechanisms between Chenopodium formosana and Chenopodium quinoa.
Article
Microbiology
Pablo Martinez-Rodriguez, Ivan Sanchez-Castro, Jesus J. Ojeda, Maria M. Abad, Michael Descostes, Mohamed Larbi Merroun
Summary: In this study, the effect of different phosphate sources on the uranium biomineralization process mediated by Microbacterium sp. Be9 was investigated. It was found that the interaction mechanisms between the bacteria and uranium depended on the type of phosphate substrate. In the absence of exogenous phosphate substrate, the cells interacted with uranium through U phosphate biomineralization, achieving a 98% removal of uranium within 48 hours. However, in the presence of inorganic phosphate, the main interaction mechanism was uranium solubilization, demonstrating the phosphate solubilizing potential of the strain.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Lihong Yang, Zongbing Chen, Yalun Dong, Fan Zi, Jinshui Yang, Linzhi Wu
Summary: A new type of composite armor, utilizing piecewise ceramic tiles and metal grids, has been designed to enhance the ballistic properties and reduce the damage area of the ceramic layer.
MECHANICS OF ADVANCED MATERIALS AND STRUCTURES
(2022)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Ying Luo, Anping Su, Jinshui Yang, Qijun Yu, Entao Wang, Hongli Yuan
Summary: This study demonstrated an economic way to produce 5-aminolevulinic acid (ALA) using a microbial platform. Through genetic engineering modifications and improving cell permeability, the production of ALA was significantly increased. The foliar spray of ALA produced by B. cereus PT1-hemA-Delta tagU strain improved salt tolerance and enhanced the growth of cucumber plants.
MICROBIAL BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biology
Xuan Fu, Yaopeng Zhang, Bin Shi, Xiaokang Wu, Hongwen Zhao, Zhongbao Xin, Jinshui Yang
Summary: It is urgent to explore new ways to protect endangered wild animals and develop sustainable animal husbandry on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau due to its fragile ecological environment. In this study, the relationship between gut microbes and ruminant health was studied using yaks and goats in free-range and captive modes. The results showed that the gut microbial diversity differed between different breeding modes, and different microbial families were enriched in each mode.
Article
Agricultural Engineering
Yu Zhang, Ruonan Wang, Jinshui Yang, Liang Liu, Yi Yang, Entao Wang, Hongli Yuan
Summary: Optimization of enzyme cocktail composition is an effective approach to enhance the hydrolytic efficiency of lignocellulose. This study quantitatively formulated the optimal enzyme ratios for efficient hydrolysis of corncobs with different pretreatments, and also determined the specific types of cellulases required for each pretreatment method. The results showed that high yields of glucose and xylose can be achieved simultaneously using the optimized enzyme formulation strategy, even at high solid loading, and high isopropanol yield was also obtained without detoxification of the hydrolysate.
INDUSTRIAL CROPS AND PRODUCTS
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Mechanical
Shuang Li, Jin-Shui Yang, Fang Yang, Ruediger Schmidt, Yong-Le Fan, Lin-Zhi Wu, Kai-Uwe Schroeder
Summary: Sandwich structures have been widely used in various fields for their lightweight and high load bearing properties. With the development of ship stealth technology, there is a demand for multifunctional structures with lightweight, high loading capacity, and excellent vibration reduction performances. The study focuses on the design and fabrication of novel gradient metallic lattice sandwich structures, and investigates their vibration characteristics and isolation performances through testing and simulation. The results show that interlayer gradient and face sheet thickness significantly affect the vibration characteristics, and the positive gradient structure has the best vibration isolation performance.
MECHANICAL SYSTEMS AND SIGNAL PROCESSING
(2022)
Article
Acoustics
Xin Wang, Junjie Li, Jinshui Yang, Bowei Chen, Shengchun Liu, Yongyao Chen
Summary: Inspired by the non-adiabatic wave propagation effect in plasmonic waveguides, we explore the non-adiabatic wave compression effect in acoustic metamaterial waveguides and demonstrate its potential for compact metamaterial devices with sound amplification capability. Our numerical and experimental results reveal that the combined effects of structure discontinuity and thermal viscous dissipations are essential to reduce the size of metamaterial devices and optimize their field enhancement capability. This work provides a new approach to design high-performance and compact metamaterial devices for various applications.
Article
Acoustics
Hong-Ze Li, Xu-Chang Liu, Qi Liu, Shuang Li, Jin-Shui Yang, Li-Li Tong, Sheng-Bo Shi, Ruediger Schmidt, Kai-Uwe Schroeder
Summary: This paper presents a sandwich structure of double membrane-type acoustic metamaterials combined with a Helmholtz resonator, which has both good acoustic insulation and mechanical properties. It has broad development prospects in fields such as aerospace, ship and civil engineering.
Article
Engineering, Mechanical
Yan-Zuo Liu, Shuang Li, Xin Lin, Jin-Shui Yang, Yue Li, Xiong-Wen Jiang, Yu Tang, Wei Zhang
Summary: In this paper, a composite reinforced hyper-elastic porous polyurethane structure filled with carbon fiber composite circular tubes is designed and fabricated. The dynamic responses and failure modes of the structure under underwater blast loads are investigated through tests and simulations. The results show that adding composite tubes significantly improves the stiffness and energy absorption capacity of the structure. The CRHPPs without reinforcement in the front first layer, whether gradient or uniform in the other layers, show better underwater explosion resistance and protection effect.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF IMPACT ENGINEERING
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Fuying Ma, Fan Zhang, Yu Zhu, Dengyong Lan, Peiwen Yan, Ying Wang, Zejun Hu, Xinwei Zhang, Jian Hu, Fuan Niu, Mingyu Liu, Shicong He, Jinhao Cui, Xinyu Yuan, Ying Yan, Shujun Wu, Liming Cao, Hongwu Bian, Jinshui Yang, Zhikang Li, Xiaojin Luo
Summary: Auxin is a crucial plant hormone that plays a significant role in regulating the growth, development, and productivity of rice. The study investigated how rice grain yield traits are controlled by auxin signaling pathways and validated the functional relationships among regulatory genes involved in these pathways. The findings provide insights into the genetic and molecular mechanisms underlying rice grain and yield traits and suggest potential target genes and strategies for rice breeding programs.
JOURNAL OF INTEGRATIVE PLANT BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Zejun Hu, Fuan Niu, Peiwen Yan, Kai Wang, Lixia Zhang, Ying Yan, Yu Zhu, Shiqing Dong, Fuying Ma, Dengyong Lan, Siwen Liu, Xiaoyun Xin, Ying Wang, Jinshui Yang, Liming Cao, Shujun Wu, Xiaojin Luo
Summary: Amylose content (AC) is influenced by the Waxy (Wx) gene, and OsEBP89, OsBP5, and OsSK41 play important roles in its regulation. OsSK41 phosphorylates OsEBP89, leading to its instability and reduced interaction with OsBP5, resulting in increased AC. In contrast, loss of OsEBP89 function reduces Wx expression and decreases AC. These findings provide potential targets for gene editing to regulate AC in rice grains.
JOURNAL OF INTEGRATIVE PLANT BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Civil
Wei-Jing Wang, Wei-Ming Zhang, Meng-Fu Guo, Jin-Shui Yang, Li Ma
Summary: This study systematically investigates the dynamic response of windmill-like star-hexagon (WSH) honeycombs through theoretical calculations, numerical simulations, and experimental methods. The static and dynamic plateau stresses of WSH honeycombs are calculated, and critical velocities leading to different deformation modes are determined. Furthermore, the gradient design of WSH honeycombs is analyzed, and the energy absorption performance of gradient WSH honeycombs is explored through numerical simulations. It is found that WSH honeycombs exhibit better energy absorption capacity than conventional honeycombs under low-velocity impact loading, and the concave angle gradient design and thickness gradient design can further enhance their energy absorption performance.
THIN-WALLED STRUCTURES
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Dengyong Lan, Liming Cao, Mingyu Liu, Fuying Ma, Peiwen Yan, Xinwei Zhang, Jian Hu, Fuan Niu, Shicong He, Jinhao Cui, Xinyu Yuan, Jinshui Yang, Ying Wang, Xiaojin Luo
Summary: Plant height and grain size are important agronomic traits affecting rice yield. In this study, a new allele of OsBRI1, hfr131, was identified to regulate plant height and grain length in rice. It was found that OsARF17, an auxin response factor, positively regulated the expression of HFR131, thereby influencing brassinosteroid sensitivity and plant height and grain length regulation. This study provides insights into the coordination of brassinosteroid and auxin signaling in rice and offers a potential target for rice yield improvement.
FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Yi Wang, Fang Yang, Jin-Shui Yang, Li-Li Tong, Qi Liu, Ruediger Schmidt, Kai-Uwe Schroeder
Summary: In this paper, a new seismic metamaterial (SM) with curved boundaries and reduced contact area between cells is proposed, which results in a wide bandgap at very low frequencies. The vibration modes and the effects of rubber parameters on the first bandgap are analyzed, and vibration experiments are performed. The structure shows excellent damping performance in the low frequency band and effective attenuation for Oroville, Gilroy, and Corralitos earthquakes, indicating potential applications in seismic isolation and attenuation of buildings.
MECHANICS OF ADVANCED MATERIALS AND STRUCTURES
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Ying Luo, Liang Liu, Jinshui Yang, Anping Su, Qijun Yu, Entao Wang, Hongli Yuan
Summary: In this study, we selected 4 candidate hemA genes with high potential for ALA production and found that hemA from Burkholderia caryophylli had the best effect. By optimizing the gene expression model and using E. coli hosts, the efficiency of ALA synthesis through the C5 pathway was significantly enhanced. Finally, a whole-cell bioconversion system was developed to produce ALA for the first time, achieving a conversion rate of 63.51%.
CATALYSIS SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Polymer Science
Liu Han, Yao Song, Hui Qi, Jin-Shui Yang, Shuang Li, Ping-An Liu
Summary: This paper investigates the damage initiation/propagation mechanisms and failure modes of open-hole carbon fiber-reinforced thermoplastic composites and thermosetting composites under tension, compression, and bearing loads through experiments and finite element simulations. Experimental evaluations using different methods are performed on specimens, and the differences between thermoplastic and thermosetting composites under compressive load are analyzed. The micro-failure mechanisms of fibers, matrices, and fiber/matrix interfaces are compared and analyzed based on scanning electron microscope images, and a damage model is developed using continuum damage mechanics for predicting damage initiation and propagation in thermoplastic composites. Numerical simulation results are compared with experimental results, showing good reliability of the finite element model.
