Current Biotechnology - Volume 5, Issue 1, 2016

Background: Duckweed is the common name for Lemnaceae, a plant family consisting of five major genera: Lemna, Spirodela, Wolffia, Wolffiella and Landoltia. They are the world's smallest and simplest flowering plants with a high growth rate under appropriate environmental conditions. Duckweed can be used as a feed source for livestock and poultry, as well as biomass for production of biofuel and recombinant proteins Read More

Background: When a human being is infected with a virus, antibodies are produced against many epitopes or multiple virus proteins. A subset of these antibodies can block virus infection by a process that is called neutralization. Recent research has proved that Human antibodies to human immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV-1) can neutralize a broad range of viral isolates in vitro and protect non-human primates against infectio Read More

Background: Canopy light environment plays a crucial role in plant growth and development. Gasdischarge lamps (GDLs) are typically used in controlled-environment crop production system for illuminating crops. GDLs have broad emission spectra and heat-up significantly during operation. The advent of light-emitting diodes (LEDs) has provided the means for developing a lighting system for growing crops that is Read More

Background: Recent advances in nanotechnology and gene therapy have created new avenues for therapeutics. However, only a few studies have combined these successful systems for biomedical applications. This review presents an overview of currently available nanoparticle-vector hybrid delivery strategies, the challenges and potential solutions to their widespread use. Methods: A comprehesive analysis of literarure on the Read More

Background: Autotrophic Clostridia are of considerable interest for use in renewable biofuel and biocommodities production. One such autotrophic Clostridium, Clostridium ljungdahlii, was the first to be identified as an ethanologenic acetogen and has been extensively studied as a microbial catalyst for the conversion of biomass derived synthesis gas to biofuels. To better exploit this bacterium for bulk chemicals (including bio Read More

Background: Agricultural activities generate large amounts of biomass residues and improper management of the biomass contributes to water, soil and air pollution. The quest to manage waste agricultural biomass and convert it into bioresource is therefore of great concern. Methods: Fourteen fungal species isolated from decaying wood were identified and production of extracellular lignocellulolytic enzymes from the Read More

Background: Thermostable alkaline lipases have commercial value and find applications in various industrial and biotechnological sectors such as additives in detergents and food industries, environmental bioremediations and in molecular biology. To use any lipase for esterification or any other application, it is important to purify and characterize the enzyme and study its properties. The aim of this paper to purify and char Read More