Patricia R. Moreira

Decolourisation of Remazol Brilliant Blue R via a novel Bjerkandera sp. strain.

A novel strain of Bjerkandera sp. (B33/3), with particularly high decolourisation activities upon Poly R-478 and Remazol Brilliant Blue R (RBBR) dyes, was isolated. The role of the ligninolytic extracellular enzymes produced by this strain on decolourisation of RBBR was studied in some depth. The basis of decolourisation is an enzyme-mediated process, in which the main enzyme responsible is a recently described peroxidase with capacity for oxidation of manganese, as well as veratryl alcohol and 2,6-dimethoxyphenol in a manganese-independent reaction.

Application of immobilized enzyme technologies for the textile industry: a review

Abstract A number of enzymes have applications in the textile sector, as several natural fibres (e.g. cotton, wool and flax) can be subjected to processing using such natural biocatalysts. In the latest two decades, demand for industrial enzymes has increased considerably; however, the textile industry requires highly stable enzymes, and good performance at extreme values of pH and temperature. New strategies are continuously emerging for the immobilization of enzymes with superior efficiency and usage. Enzymatic immobilization can stabilize enzymes and extend their useful life. Additionally, reduction in effluent treatment costs and improvement of efficiency is possible. This paper briefly reviews the most recent research efforts pertaining to immobilization of enzymes with potential application in the textile industry.

Biotechnology for Preventive Conservation: Development of Bionanomaterials for Antimicrobial Coating of Outdoor Sculptures

ABSTRACT Outdoor sculptures are part of the sociocultural identity of cities, but are extremely vulnerable to deterioration due to exposure to harsh environmental conditions and climate change. Furthermore, deterioration by micro-organisms renders urgent the need to design protective coatings. This research proposes an integrated methodology for the development of innovative and sustainable nanofilms for applications in the area of art conservation, very specifically in the preventive conservation of outdoor sculptures. Gathering objective data for the characterization of the surface microbiota is important in order to design strategies that make use of bio or nanotechnology innovative coatings. Methodologies for the characterization of the microbiota present in a granite outdoor sculpture, followed by preliminary results on the application of protective antimicrobial coatings for surfaces of cultural objects are described.

Development of a Workflow for Protein Sequence Analysis Based on the Taverna Workbench® Software

A workflow based on the Taverna Workbench® software and tentatively named WPSA was developed to perform a generic protein sequence analysis eliminating the need to cut and paste data throughout web applications. The program performs a homology search, a multiple sequence alignment and a phylogeny analysis using PHYLogeny Interface Package (PHYLIP). The workflow designed gives a fast and significant answer to the user about the input sequence entered taking between 5 to 10 minutes to run depending on the Internet connection and web services.

Isolation and screening of yeast strains possessing synthetic dye decolorizing activity

Results Materials and Methods Four commercial dyes were used — Remazol® Black BA, Levafix® Blue Ca, Levafix® Yellow CA and Levafix® Red CA (Dystar). A standard anthraquinone dye, Remazol Brilliant Blue R (RBBR, Sigma) was also used. Dye stock solutions were added to solid or liquid decolorization media, up to 200 mg.L-1 final concentration. Rose Bengal Agar and Potato Dextrose Agar (both from Difco) were used for yeast isolation and maintenance. Normal Solid Decolorization Media (NSDM) and Normal Liquid Decolorization Media (NDM) were prepared, as described by Pajot et al. (2007), and used for decolorization assays. Yeast strains were isolated from wastewater samples collected at biological treatment and homogenization tanks, from two wastewater stations receiving textile effluents. Newly isolated yeasts, as well as a few ones isolated previously from cheese were evaluated for decolorization ability in in NSDM at 30 oC, along 48 h. Three isolates were selected for further evaluation of decolorization ability in NDM at 30oC (120 rpm) for 72 h. Synthetic dyes — although extensively used in several industrial sectors, due to their aromatic moieties, are often highly recalcitrant. Furthermore dyes can cause considerable environmental pollution, so their removal has received considerable attention. A few microorganisms have been found that can degrade dyes; including filamentous fungi due to their extracellular enzyme systems (Moreira et al., 2001). Yeasts, however, possess the advantage of growing faster than filamentous fungi, and some can easily resist to adverse environments. Nevertheless, degradation of synthetic dyes by yeasts has not been extensively studied to date.