Article
Agricultural Engineering
Zhu Chen, Yuguang Wang, Haina Cheng, Hongbo Zhou
Summary: This article highlights the importance of preventing hemicellulose degradation and improving its valorization in ADESs pretreatment for economic viability. The major degradation products and pathways of hemicellulose in ADESs pretreatment are discussed.
INDUSTRIAL CROPS AND PRODUCTS
(2022)
Article
Agricultural Engineering
E. Gokce Bahcegul, Erinc Bahcegul, Necati Ozkan
Summary: Using lignocellulosic biomass for polymeric material applications is an attractive option due to its abundance, biodegradability, and renewability. This study developed a novel method for 3D printing the alkaline soluble portion of corn cobs without any purification or modification. The printing parameters were optimized, and the models were fixed using ethanol.
INDUSTRIAL CROPS AND PRODUCTS
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Vinicius W. Faria, Kryslaine M. A. Santos, Alannah M. Calazans, Marco A. Fraga
Summary: This study investigated the influence of the nature, strength, and amount of acid sites on the hydrolysis of furfuryl alcohol over Nb2O5 and NbOPO4. It was found that levulinic acid is produced through a two-step cascade reaction with angelica lactones as intermediates. The hydrolysis steps were catalyzed by Bronsted acid sites, while Lewis centers had no contribution. Phosphate moieties on NbOPO4 showed activity, while Bronsted acidity of Nb2O5 was inactive. Mixture of organic solvent and water hindered side reactions and improved selectivity. 1,4-dioxane was identified as the most suitable solvent. This study demonstrates that a selectivity of 96% for levulinic acid and angelica lactones can be achieved over NbOPO4.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Andrea Simion, Tobias Schubeis, Tanguy Le Marchand, Mihai Vasilescu, Guido Pintacuda, Anne Lesage, Claudiu Filip
Summary: A new heteronuclear decoupling pulse sequence called ROSPAC is introduced, which enhances decoupling efficiency by using a large pattern of radio-frequencies and minimizing cross-effects. ROSPAC performs well for a wide range of chemical shifts and low radio-frequency powers, making it suitable for ultra-fast magic-angle spinning (MAS) conditions.
JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL PHYSICS
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Yuewen Shao, Mingzhu Guo, Junzhe Wang, Kai Sun, Lijun Zhang, Shu Zhang, Guangzhi Hu, Leilei Xu, Xiangzhou Yuan, Xun Hu
Summary: The study investigated the production of 1,5-PDO from furfural using a Co-Mg-Al catalyst, which showed superior catalytic activity due to abundant basic sites. The cooperation of abundant hydrogenation sites and basic sites facilitated the conversion of furfural into diols, as demonstrated by in situ diffuse reflectance infrared spectroscopy characterization. The use of layered double hydroxides as the catalyst precursor benefited dispersion of metallic Co particles and development of pore structures.
INDUSTRIAL & ENGINEERING CHEMISTRY RESEARCH
(2021)
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Kapil Khandelwal, Sonil Nanda, Philip Boahene, Ajay K. Dalai
Summary: The global warming problem caused by the rapid use of fossil fuels is leading to an increased demand for sustainable energy sources, such as hydrogen. The demand for hydrogen has quadrupled from 18 million tons in 1975 to 90 million tons in 2020, and is projected to reach 180 million tons by 2030. This article reviews the conversion of biomass into hydrogen-rich syngas using supercritical water gasification, focusing on the thermophysical properties of supercritical water and the parameters influencing water gasification. The processes and reactions influencing the distribution of products during water gasification include hydrolysis, water-gas shift, methanation, hydrogenation, and reforming.
ENVIRONMENTAL CHEMISTRY LETTERS
(2023)
Review
Environmental Sciences
Tumpa R. Sarker, Falguni Pattnaik, Sonil Nanda, Ajay K. Dalai, Venkatesh Meda, Satyanarayan Naik
Summary: The pretreatment of lignocellulosic biomass using hydrothermal methods like steam explosion and subcritical water hydrolysis is eco-friendly and cost-effective. These methods have the potential to efficiently convert biomass into biofuels and value-added chemicals. Further research is needed to fully understand the mechanisms and operating conditions of these promising technologies.
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Yuchan Lu, Qiao He, Guozhi Fan, Qunpeng Cheng, Guangsen Song
Summary: Hemicellulose, a carbohydrate biopolymer second only to cellulose, faces challenges in high-value utilization. The extraction and modification processes are crucial, involving physical, chemical, and combined pretreatments; further development of chemical modification techniques is expected in the future.
GREEN PROCESSING AND SYNTHESIS
(2021)
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Xiaofang Liu, Hangyu Luo, Dayong Yu, Zhengfei Pei, Zhuangzhuang Zhang, Can Li
Summary: This mini-review discusses the properties and structures of ionic liquids, their application in the pretreatment of lignocellulosic biomass, and the development of novel solid catalysts based on ionic liquids for cellulose and hemicellulose derived HMF production.
FRONTIERS IN CHEMISTRY
(2022)
Review
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Juhi Sharma, Vinod Kumar, Rajendra Prasad, Naseem A. Gaur
Summary: Lignocellulosic biomass is an abundant material on earth and can be processed by microorganisms to produce biofuels. Saccharomyces cerevisiae is an ideal candidate for consolidated bio-processing (CBP) to produce cellulose-based ethanol. However, there are still challenges in the process, such as incomplete substrate catabolism and low expression of heterologous proteins.
BIOTECHNOLOGY ADVANCES
(2022)
Article
Food Science & Technology
Gabriela N. Pereira, Karina Cesca, Anelise Leal Vieira Cubas, Debora de Oliveira
Summary: Non-thermal plasma technology has been extensively studied and applied as an environmentally friendly technique for the clean treatment of lignocellulosic materials. Compared to traditional chemical pre-treatments, non-thermal plasma technology can reduce environmental pollution effectively, and is expected to be an efficient pretreatment method for producing high value-added products from large quantities of residues in the future.
TRENDS IN FOOD SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Agricultural Engineering
Jude A. Okolie
Summary: This study proposes a hybrid deep learning model based on generative adversarial algorithm (GAN) to predict the composition of lignocellulosic biomass. The model utilizes both proximate and ultimate analyses as input features and compares the performance of different machine learning models, with random forest (RF) showing the best results. The implementation of GAN significantly enhances the model's performance.
INDUSTRIAL CROPS AND PRODUCTS
(2023)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Rosangela C. Alves, Ranieri B. Melati, Giovanna M. S. Casagrande, Jonas Contiero, Fernando C. Pagnocca, Michel Brienzo
Summary: The study demonstrated that the particle size selection of non-milled sugarcane bagasse has an impact on the solubilization of xylan and xylose, as well as the enzymatic hydrolysis of the pretreated material. Proper particle size selection can enhance the solubilization of xylan and improve the enzymatic hydrolysis efficiency.
JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL TECHNOLOGY AND BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Polymer Science
Maria Angeles Perez-Liminana, Henoc Perez-Aguilar, Carlos Ruzafa-Silvestre, Elena Orgiles-Calpena, Francisca Aran-Ais
Summary: This study aims to utilize pruning wastes as a source of cellulose fibers for the development of sustainable textiles and fillers for footwear components. By optimizing the hydrothermal process, crystalline cellulose fibers were successfully extracted from the wastes, achieving more efficient removal of hemicellulose and lignin when the process was assessed over 25-33 minutes.
Review
Engineering, Chemical
Samuel Jacob, Aswin Dilshani, Srinivasan Rishivanthi, Pratham Khaitan, Adhinarayan Vamsidhar, Gunasekaran Rajeswari, Vinod Kumar, Rajiv Chandra Rajak, Mohd Fadhil Md. Din, Vasudeo Zambare
Summary: The exploration of natural substrates for microbial conversion to synthesize industrial chemicals in a circular bioeconomy context is inevitable. L-arabinose is a pentose sugar found in lignocellulosic biomass and has multiple industrial applications, including the production of value-added chemicals and sweeteners. It is also used in the medical and pharmaceutical sectors. The review focuses on the sources of L-arabinose, microbes that utilize it, and the potential for strain improvements to increase the yield of high-value products.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Akihiro Matsui, Daisuke Todaka, Maho Tanaka, Kayoko Mizunashi, Satoshi Takahashi, Yuji Sunaoshi, Yuuri Tsuboi, Junko Ishida, Khurram Bashir, Jun Kikuchi, Miyako Kusano, Makoto Kobayashi, Kanako Kawaura, Motoaki Seki
Summary: Ethanol priming enhances heat tolerance and improves leaf growth in plants grown under high temperatures. Transcriptome analysis reveals a set of up-regulated genes, including the endoplasmic reticulum stress marker chaperone gene BIP3, in ethanol-pretreated plants. The study shows that ethanol priming activates the unfolded protein response (UPR) signaling through putrescine accumulation, leading to enhanced heat stress tolerance.
PLANT MOLECULAR BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Hirokuni Miyamoto, Futo Asano, Koutarou Ishizawa, Wataru Suda, Hisashi Miyamoto, Naoko Tsuji, Makiko Matsuura, Arisa Tsuboi, Chitose Ishii, Teruno Nakaguma, Chie Shindo, Tamotsu Kato, Atsushi Kurotani, Hideaki Shima, Shigeharu Moriya, Masahira Hattori, Hiroaki Kodama, Hiroshi Ohno, Jun Kikuchi
Summary: This study performed structural inferences to explore the potential rules underlying the carbon and nitrogen metabolism of beetle larvae by analyzing the bacterial structures. The analysis showed enrichment of certain bacteria in the larvae feces, which might be involved in plant growth promotion, nitrogen cycle modulation, and environmental protection. Correlation and association analyses revealed the potential influence of common fecal bacteria on carbon and nitrogen metabolism. Structural equation modeling identified bacterial groups associated with carbon and nitrogen metabolism in the feces. The study highlights the importance of larval fecal-enriched bacteria and common symbiotic bacteria in wood biomass carbon and nitrogen metabolism.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Koki Hara, Shunji Yamada, Atsushi Kurotani, Eisuke Chikayama, Jun Kikuchi
Summary: In the development of polymer materials, exploring the relationship between domain structure and physical properties is crucial. This study proposes a materials informatics approach that combines domain modeling and meta-information analysis to estimate and analyze the domain structure and property relationships of polymer materials.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Hirokuni Miyamoto, Nobuhiro Kawachi, Atsushi Kurotani, Shigeharu Moriya, Wataru Suda, Kenta Suzuki, Makiko Matsuura, Naoko Tsuji, Teruno Nakaguma, Chitose Ishii, Arisa Tsuboi, Chie Shindo, Tamotsu Kato, Motoaki Udagawa, Takashi Satoh, Satoshi Wada, Hiroshi Masuya, Hisashi Miyamoto, Hiroshi Ohno, Jun Kikuchi
Summary: Coastal aquaculture significantly impacts the distribution of seagrass and seaweed. A study found an exceptional area near the onshore aquaculture facility where seagrass thrives. The sediment in this area is suitable for seagrass growth and harbors beneficial bacterial populations. These findings have important implications for the conservation of coastal ecosystems and blue carbon.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Computer Science, Interdisciplinary Applications
He Liu, Chuanjun Dai, Hengguo Yu, Qing Guo, Jianbing Li, Aimin Hao, Jun Kikuchi, Min Zhao
Summary: This paper presents an analytical and numerical investigation of a stochastic non-autonomous phytoplankton-zooplankton system with toxin-producing phytoplankton (TPP) and impulsive perturbations. The study examines the impact of white noise, impulsive perturbations, and TPP on the system dynamics. Mathematical derivations are used to analyze threshold conditions for the existence of global positive solution, population extinction, and persistence in the mean. The results demonstrate the effects of white noise, impulsive control parameter, and toxin liberation rate on population extinction and persistence in the mean. The findings contribute to a better understanding of the dynamics of aquatic ecosystems in fluctuating environments.
MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTERS IN SIMULATION
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Hirokuni Miyamoto, Jun Kikuchi
Summary: The natural world is undergoing constant changes, with planetary boundaries warning about biodiversity and the cycles of carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus. Furthermore, social issues like global warming and food shortages are spreading across different fields. These seemingly unrelated problems are closely interconnected, but a comprehensive understanding is still a work in progress. However, advancements in analytical technologies, such as next-generation sequencers (NGS) and mass spectrometry, have made it possible to obtain various forms of molecular information. Additionally, the development of environmental analytical instruments and measurement facilities have increased the availability of data for different environmental factors. Computational science plays a vital role in integrating and understanding these disparate data sets through techniques like machine learning and statistical causal inference.
COMPUTATIONAL AND STRUCTURAL BIOTECHNOLOGY JOURNAL
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Tharatorn Rungreungthanapol, Chishu Homma, Ken-ichi Akagi, Masayoshi Tanaka, Jun Kikuchi, Hideyuki Tomizawa, Yoshiaki Sugizaki, Atsunobu Isobayashi, Yuhei Hayamizu, Mina Okochi
Summary: Researchers designed an olfactory receptor mimetic peptide-modified graphene field-effect transistor (gFET) to address the low specificity challenge of graphene-based sensors for volatile organic compound (VOC) sensing. Peptides mimicking a fruit fly olfactory receptor were designed using a high-throughput analysis method and successfully achieved sensitive and selective detection of limonene. The peptide probe was bifunctionalized and facilitated facile sensor functionalization. This study demonstrates the advancement of a precise VOC detection system using a target-specific peptide selection and functionalization strategy for gFET sensors.
ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
(2023)
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Shunji Yamada, Yuuri Tsuboi, Daiki Yokoyama, Jun Kikuchi
Summary: As the focus on global environmental sustainability grows, the development of ecofriendly materials, including addressing the issue of marine plastics, is flourishing. The vast parameter space of materials poses a challenge for efficient search. Time-domain nuclear magnetic resonance offers a way to gather information about material properties through complex T2 relaxation curves. In this research, we used a pulse sequence to assess water affinity in polymers and evaluated their relaxation properties using various techniques. By separating the relaxation curves and utilizing polymer properties, we developed a method to optimize polymer composition for desired water affinity and rigidity.
JOURNAL OF MAGNETIC RESONANCE
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Shunnosuke Okada, Yudai Inabu, Hirokuni Miyamoto, Kenta Suzuki, Tamotsu Kato, Atsushi Kurotani, Yutaka Taguchi, Ryoichi Fujino, Yuji Shiotsuka, Tetsuji Etoh, Naoko Tsuji, Makiko Matsuura, Arisa Tsuboi, Akira Saito, Hiroshi Masuya, Jun Kikuchi, Yuya Nagasawa, Aya Hirose, Tomohito Hayashi, Hiroshi Ohno, Hideyuki Takahashi
Summary: Reducing antibiotic usage among livestock animals to prevent antimicrobial resistance has become an urgent issue worldwide. This study evaluated the effects of administering chlortetracycline (CTC), a versatile antibacterial agent, on the performance, blood components, fecal microbiota, and organic acid concentrations of calves. The results showed that CTC administration had an impact on the correlation between fecal organic acids and bacterial genera, and also affected the populations of various types of fecal bacteria.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Hideaki Shima, Kenji Sakata, Jun Kikuchi
Summary: Aquaculture is being acknowledged as a solution to the global food problem. This study focuses on the impact of fish and their environment on the stability and quality of fish meat. Nuclear magnetic resonance is used to non-destructively acquire metabolite information, while machine learning and artificial neural network analysis provide comprehensive analysis. It was found that the antioxidant anserine is reduced in fish muscles at low water temperature, affecting other metabolites. The relationship between water temperature and fish intestinal microbiota was also established.
APPLIED SCIENCES-BASEL
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Daiki Yokoyama, Jun Kikuchi
Summary: In this study, the assembly processes of particle-associated and free-living surface water microbiomes in an urban river in Japan were analyzed. The variation in microbiomes was successfully explained by environmental factors, such as organic matter, nitrogen metabolism, and salinity. The study also revealed the dominance of stochastic processes over deterministic processes in community assembly, and the potential enhanced contribution of heterogeneous selection to community assembly in areas with salinity gradient.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Hiroshi Kudo, Ning Han, Daiki Yokoyama, Tomoko Matsumoto, Mei-Fang Chien, Jun Kikuchi, Chihiro Inoue
Summary: Phytoextraction is a cost-effective and eco-friendly method for removing pollutants from contaminated soil. Bayesian network analysis revealed that the microbial strain Pseudomonas sp. m307 and MND1 order microbes positively contribute to arsenic accumulation in P. vittata.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Hirokuni Miyamoto, Katsumi Shigeta, Wataru Suda, Yasunori Ichihashi, Naoto Nihei, Makiko Matsuura, Arisa Tsuboi, Naoki Tominaga, Masahiko Aono, Muneo Sato, Shunya Taguchi, Teruno Nakaguma, Naoko Tsuji, Chitose Ishii, Teruo Matsushita, Chie Shindo, Toshiaki Ito, Tamotsu Kato, Atsushi Kurotani, Hideaki Shima, Shigeharu Moriya, Satoshi Wada, Sankichi Horiuchi, Takashi Satoh, Kenichi Mori, Takumi Nishiuchi, Hisashi Miyamoto, Hiroaki Kodama, Masahira Hattori, Hiroshi Ohno, Jun Kikuchi, Masami Yokota Hirai
Summary: The study investigated the effects of compost on the growth and quality of carrots and the soil bacterial composition. The results showed that exposure to compost significantly improved carrot productivity, antioxidant activity, color, and taste. It also altered the soil bacterial composition and influenced the levels of characteristic metabolites. Structural equation modeling revealed the optimal linkages between amino acids, antioxidant activity, flavonoids and/or carotenoids in plants, and the involvement of Paenibacillus genus and nitrogen compounds in the soil during exposure to compost. These findings suggest the presence of a complex cascade of plant growth-promoting effects and modulation of the nitrogen cycle by compost.
ISME COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Daiki Yokoyama, Ayari Takamura, Yuuri Tsuboi, Jun Kikuchi
Summary: In this study, the authors compared the microbiomes and degradation processes of different biodegradable polymers using prompt evaluation systems. They found differences in the microbial community compositions among the polymer materials, with the largest differences observed in one particular polymer material, PHBH. Time-series sampling showed several stages of microbial succession during polymer degradation. Metagenome prediction revealed functional changes, including the adhesion of free-swimming microbes onto the polymer and the formation of a biofilm by certain microbes.
ISME COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Correction
Plant Sciences
Ryosuke Mega, Fumitaka Abe, June-Sik Kim, Yuuri Tsuboi, Keisuke Tanaka, Hisato Kobayashi, Yoichi Sakata, Kousuke Hanada, Hisashi Tsujimoto, Jun Kikuchi, Sean R. Cutler, Masanori Okamoto
