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Inulin Diet Uncovers Complex Diet-Microbiota-Immune Cell Interactions Remodeling The Gut Epithelium, Renan Oliveira Corrêa, José Luís Fachi, Marco Colonna, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: The continuous proliferation of intestinal stem cells followed by their tightly regulated differentiation to epithelial cells is essential for the maintenance of the gut epithelial barrier and its functions. How these processes are tuned by diet and gut microbiome is an important, but poorly understood question. Dietary soluble fibers, such as inulin, are known for their ability to impact the gut bacterial community and gut epithelium, and their consumption has been usually associated with health improvement in mice and humans. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that inulin consumption modifies the composition of colonic bacteria and this impacts …

The Integration Of Biopolymer-Based Materials For Energy Storage Applications: A Review., Shrey Dalwadi, Arnav Goel, Constantine Kapetanakis, David Salas-De La Cruz, Xiao Hu

Faculty Scholarship for the College of Science & Mathematics

Biopolymers are an emerging class of novel materials with diverse applications and properties such as superior sustainability and tunability. Here, applications of biopolymers are described in the context of energy storage devices, namely lithium-based batteries, zinc-based batteries, and capacitors. Current demand for energy storage technologies calls for improved energy density, preserved performance overtime, and more sustainable end-of-life behavior. Lithium-based and zinc-based batteries often face anode corrosion from processes such as dendrite formation. Capacitors typically struggle with achieving functional energy density caused by an inability to efficiently charge and discharge. Both classes of energy storage need to be packaged with sustainable …

A Biotechnological Strategy For The Valorization Of Cellulose Through Levoglucosenone, Louis Mouterde, Florent Allais, Jon D. Stewart

Microbial Engineering II

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Solid-State Nmr Of Unlabeled Plant Cell Walls: High-Resolution Structural Analysis Without Isotopic Enrichment, Wancheng Zhao, Alex Kirui, Fabien Deligey, Frederic Mentink-Vigier, Yihua Zhou, Baocai Zhang, Tuo Wang

Faculty Publications

© 2021, The Author(s). Background: Multidimensional solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (ssNMR) spectroscopy has emerged as an indispensable technique for resolving polymer structure and intermolecular packing in primary and secondary plant cell walls. Isotope (13C) enrichment provides feasible sensitivity for measuring 2D/3D correlation spectra, but this time-consuming procedure and its associated expenses have restricted the application of ssNMR in lignocellulose analysis. Results: Here, we present a method that relies on the sensitivity-enhancing technique Dynamic Nuclear Polarization (DNP) to eliminate the need for 13C-labeling. With a 26-fold sensitivity enhancement, a series of 2D 13C–13C correlation spectra were successfully collected using the unlabeled …

Inulin Fermentable Fiber Ameliorates Type I Diabetes Via Il22 And Short-Chain Fatty Acids In Experimental Models, Jun Zou, Lavanya Reddivari, Zhenda Shi, Shiyu Li, Yanling Wang, Alexis Bretin, Vu L. Ngo, Michael Flythe, Michael Pellizzon, Benoit Chassaing, Andrew T. Gewirtz

Department of Food Science Faculty Publications

Nourishment of gut microbiota via consumption of fermentable fiber promotes gut health and guards against metabolic syndrome. In contrast, how dietary fiber impacts type 1 diabetes is less clear.

Conductive Agnw/Tempo Cnf Thin Film, David Flewelling

Honors College

Cellulose is a strong, readily available biologically sourced polymer with a wide potential for applications in many fields. Its high degree of biodegradability makes it an excellent candidate for environmentally friendly sensors, but it is necessary to devise a method by which to render it conductive. Silver nanowires are highly conductive nanoparticles with many potential applications in sensing, as well as being on a similar order-of-magnitude in size as cellulose derivatives, which makes them a prime candidate for use in this application. Methods of casting cellulose nanofibrils (CNF), cellulose nanocrystals (CNC), and TEMPO-Oxidized CNF (TEMPO CNF) films were explored, and …

A Method For Orientation Of Cellulose Nano Fibers For Addition Of Biological Nanoparticles And Tissue Integration, Joshua Hamilton

Honors College

The University of Maine is one of the world’s leading producers of cellulose nanofibers (CNF). This material has the power to revitalize the Maine paper industry. This has led to an abundance of labs on campus researching applications for the material. Active research activities at the University of Maine include industrial applications such as filtration, biodegradable packaging, building materials and niche health care applications. Niche health care applications include wicking pads for point of care diagnostics and tunable biomaterials ranging from dressings to implantable bone-like materials. Medical applications require an analysis of the biocompatibility of CNF.CNF is biocompatible in general: …

Synthesis And Evaluation Of Cellulose-Based, 1,2,3-Triazolium-Functionalized Polymerized Ionic Liquids: Thermal Transitions, Ionic Conductivities, And Morphological Properties, Rose J. Miller, Vanessa M. Smith, Stacey A. Love, Sarah M. Byron, David Salas-De La Cruz, Kevin M. Miller

Faculty & Staff Research and Creative Activity

A series of 1,2,3-triazolium-functionalized cellulose derivatives were prepared using an azide–alkyne “click” cyclization strategy, followed by quaternization. As cellulose represents an inexpensive and sustainable biomacromolecule, the ability to functionalize the backbone with an ionic liquid and generate conductive materials is of great interest. Here, three different counteranions ([Br], [OTf], and [NTf2]) were employed to explore the interplay between thermal, conductive, and morphological properties using a diverse set of techniques including nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), X-ray scattering, and dielectric relaxation spectroscopy (DRS). Functionalization of native cellulose resulted in …

High Ethanol Concentration (77 G/L) Of Industrial Hemp Biomass Achieved Through Optimizing The Relationship Between Ethanol Yield/Concentration And Solid Loading, Jikai Zhao, Youjie Xu, Weiqun Wang, Jason Griffin, Donghai Wang

School of Earth, Environmental, and Marine Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

In this study, the relationships between ethanol yield/concentration and solid loading (6–21%) were investigated to enhance ethanol titer and avoid a random choice of solid loading for simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF). Alkali-pretreated hemp biomass was used for SSF in four scenarios including Case I: 30 filter paper unit (FPU)-cellulase and 140 fungal xylanase unit (FXU)-hemicellulase/g-solid; Case II: 40 FPU-cellulase and 140 FXU-hemicellulase/g-solid; Case III: 30 FPU-cellulase and 140 FXU-hemicellulase/g-solid with 1% Tween80; and Case IV: 30 FPU-cellulase and 140 FXU-hemicellulase/g-solid with particle size reduction (<0.2 mm). Results showed that bioethanol yield and concentration had a negative linear (R2 = 0.76–0.93) and quadratic (R2 = 0.96–0.99) correlation with solid …

Solid-State Nmr Of Plant And Fungal Cell Walls: A Critical Review, Wancheng Zhao, Liyanage D. Fernando, Alex Kirui, Fabien Deligey, Tuo Wang

Faculty Publications

© 2020 Elsevier Inc. The cell walls of plants and microbes are a central source for bio-renewable energy and the major targets of antibiotics and antifungal agents. It is highly challenging to determine the molecular structure of complex carbohydrates, protein and lignin, and their supramolecular assembly in intact cell walls. This article selectively highlights the recent breakthroughs that employ 13C/15N solid-state NMR techniques to elucidate the architecture of fungal cell walls in Aspergillus fumigatus and the primary and secondary cell walls in a large variety of plant species such as Arabidopsis, Brachypodium, maize, and spruce. Built upon these pioneering studies, …

Covalently Functionalized Sawdust For The Remediation Of Phosphate From Agricultural Wastewater, Daniel Meister, David Ure, Angela Awada, Jean-Claude Barrette, Joel Gagnon, Bluent Mutus, John F. Trant

Chemistry and Biochemistry Publications

Phosphate remediation from wastewater is rapidly becoming an ever more attractive process due to a combination of both the economic pressure of increasing phosphate scarcity and the environmental damage caused by untreated agricultural runoff. Ideally, remediated phosphate will be recoverable and would be able to be reused as fertilizer. Many different resins have been investigated, but due to the scale of the challenge, any feasible solution will involve the use of very inexpensive waste products as the solid support. Sawdust, functionalized with iron-binding ligands, is such a potential resin. Sawdust alone binds 0.3 g/kg of phosphate which is insufficient. Iron …

Influence Of Heating Rate On The Solid Yield Of Biomass Pyrolysis, Markus Lang, Kathrin Weber, Peter Quicker

Bio-Char II: Production, Characterization and Applications

The use of biochar has become increasingly popular over the last decade. The possible applications are vast and range from renewable carbon carrier in industrial and energetic applications to soil amendment and fodder additive. The various applications have different demands on the properties of biochar. These can be influenced by the choice of feedstock, reactor and production conditions. Regardless of production process and application however, achieving a high yield of the solid product is desirable from an economic point of view. The higher the treatment temperature, the more material is devolatilized and the lower is the amount of biochar that …

Depolymerization Of Fractionated Wood By Hydrothermal Liquefaction, Felipe Buendia-Kandia, Nicolas Brosse, Guillain Mauviel, Anthony Dufour

Pyroliq 2019: Pyrolysis and Liquefaction of Biomass and Wastes

Direct thermochemical conversion of lignocellulosic biomass produces a mixture of compounds that have to be separated to produce purified building blocks. Moreover, lignin derived products have a detrimental effect on further biological conversion processes, such as fermentation. For all these reasons, it is important to develop an integrated approach for a better fractionation and valorisation of macromolecules (carbohydrates and lignin) in bio-refineries.

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Synthesis And Application Of Cellulose-Based Hydrogels For Anti-Biofouling In Marine Environments, David Rondeau

Honors College

Biofouling is a ubiquitous natural phenomenon that incurs major costs and damages to marine-based industries and infrastructure worldwide. While antibiofouling agents do exist, these contain toxic biocides and metals which are harmful to non-target organisms and the local ecosystem. This research aimed to create a renewably sourced, non-toxic hydrogel with antibiofouling properties in a marine environment. Hydrogels were made using functionalized CMC, a cellulose derivative, crosslinked with dithiol molecules. It was shown that the mechanical properties and swelling abilities of hydrogels could be controlled by making the hydrogels at a particular thiol to norbornene ratio. Hydrogels made with one of …

The Digestive System In Zygentoma As An Insect Model For High Cellulase Activity, Ratnasri Pothula, Derek Shirley, O.P. Perera, William Klingeman, Chris Oppert, Heba M.Y. Abdelgaffar, Brian R. Johnson, Juan Luis Jurat-Fuentes

Entomology & Plant Pathology Publications and Other Works

The digestive system of selected phytophagous insects has been examined as a potential prospecting resource for identification of novel cellulolytic enzymes with potential industrial applications. In contrast to other model species, however, limited detailed information is available that characterizes cellulolytic activity and systems in basal hexapod groups. As part of a screening effort to identify insects with highly active cellulolytic systems, we have for the first time, identified species of Zygentoma that displayed the highest relative cellulase activity levels when compared to all other tested insect groups under the experimental conditions, including model species for cellulolytic systems such as termite …

Atomic Resolution Of Cotton Cellulose Structure Enabled By Dynamic Nuclear Polarization Solid-State Nmr, Alex Kirui, Zhe Ling, Xue Kang, Malitha C. Dickwella Widanage, Frederic Mentink-Vigier, Alfred D. French, Tuo Wang

Faculty Publications

© 2018, Springer Nature B.V. Abstract: The insufficient resolution of conventional methods has long limited the structural elucidation of cellulose and its derivatives, especially for those with relatively low crystallinities or in native cell walls. Recent 2D/3D solid-state NMR studies of 13 C uniformly labeled plant biomaterials have initiated a re-investigation of our existing knowledge in cellulose structure and its interactions with matrix polymers but for unlabeled materials, this spectroscopic method becomes impractical due to limitations in sensitivity. Here, we investigate the molecular structure of unlabeled cotton cellulose by combining natural abundance 13 C– 13 C 2D correlation solid-state NMR …

Recent Advances In The Application Of Carbohydrates As Renewable Feedstocks For The Synthesis Of Nitrogen-Containing Compounds, S. Iraj Sadraei, Brent St Onge, John F. Trant

Chemistry and Biochemistry Publications

Carbohydrates, in the form of chitin, chitosan and cellulose, are one of the most available, renewable, and sustainable chemical feedstocks. Their conversion to biofuels, fine chemicals, and industrially-relevant monomers is becoming increasingly viable and promising as innovation decreases the price of this technology, and climate change and the price of fossil fuels increases the social and economic costs of using traditional feedstocks. In recent years, carbohydrates have been increasingly used as sources for nitrogen-containing fine chemicals. This chapter, with 86 references, provides a brief overview of the conversion of carbohydrate biomass to the standard hydrocarbon and oxygen-containing derivatives, and then …

Liberation Of Recalcitrant Cell Wall Sugars From Oak Barrels Into Bourbon Whiskey During Aging, Jarrad Wade Gollihue, Mitchell D. Richmond, Harlen Wheatley, Victoria G. Pook, Meera Nair, Isabelle A. Kagan, Seth Debolt

Horticulture Faculty Publications

Oak barrels have been used by humans for thousands of years to store and transport valuable materials. Early settlers of the United States in Kentucky began charring the interior of new white oak barrels prior to aging distillate to create the distinctively flavored spirit we know as bourbon whiskey. Despite the unique flavor and cultural significance of "America's Spirit", little is known about the wood-distillate interaction that shapes bourbon whiskey. Here, we employed an inverse method to measure the loss of specific wood polysaccharides in the oak cask during aging for up to ten years. We found that the structural …

Use Of Renewable Cellulose Nanofibrils And Water-Barrier Layers In The Production Of Snack Packaging, Thoalfakar Saheb Alsaady

Honors College

From potato chips to chocolate bars, snack packaging requires materials that have excellent water vapor and oxygen barrier properties, good mechanical behavior, and good grease resistance. The most common material used in snack packaging is polypropylene (PP) layer that has been aluminum coated or metalized on one surface. The problem is not only that non-renewable petroleum is used to produce the plastic, but the production of aluminum requires large energy inputs and generates toxic wastes. In addition, this current packaging does not break down in the environment and cannot be recycled. This research is looking at using layers of cellulose …

Adsorption Of Tnt, Dnan, Nto, Fox7, And Nq Onto Cellulose, Chitin, And Cellulose Triacetate. Insights From Density Functional Theory Calculations, Guido Todde, Sanjiv K. Jha, Gopinath Subramanian, Manoj K. Shula

Faculty Publications

Insensitive munitions (IM) compounds such as DNAN (2,4-dinitroanisole), NTO (3-nitro-1,2,4-triazol-5-one), NQ (nitroguanidine), and FOX7 (1,1-diamino-2,2-dinitroethene) reduce the risk of accidental explosions due to shock and high temperature exposure. These compounds are being used as replacements for sensitive munition compounds such as TNT (2,4,6-trinitromethylbenzene) and RDX (1,3,5-hexahydro-1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazine). NTO and NQ in IM compounds are more soluble than TNT or RDX, hence they can easily spread in the environment and get dissolved if exposed to precipitation. DNAN solubility is comparable to TNT solubility. Cellulosic biomass, due to its abundance in the environment and its chemical structure, has a high probability of adsorbing …

Structural Factors Affecting 13C Nmr Chemical Shifts Of Cellulose: A Computational Study, Hui Yang, Tuo Wang, Daniel Oehme, Loukas Petridis, Mei Hong, James D. Kubicki

Faculty Publications

© 2017, The Author(s). The doublet C4 peaks at ~ 85 and ~ 89 ppm in solid-state 13C NMR spectra of native cellulose have been attributed to signals of C4 atoms on the surface (solvent-exposed) and in the interior of microfibrils, designated as sC4 and iC4, respectively. The relative intensity ratios of sC4 and iC4 observed in NMR spectra of cellulose have been used to estimate the degree of crystallinity of cellulose and the number of glucan chains in cellulose microfibrils. However, the molecular structures of cellulose responsible for the specific surface and interior C4 peaks have not been positively …

Fiber Evolution During Alkaline Treatment And Its Impact On Handsheet Properties, Yun Ji, Yangyang Peng, Anders Strand, Shiyu Fu, Anna Sundberg, Elias Antero Retulainen

Chemical Engineering Faculty Publications

To understand the swelling effects of alkaline treatment on the morphological properties of fibers and physical properties of handsheets, bleached softwood kraft pulp was treated with NaOH at different concentrations. The results showed that the fiber swelling increased, but the shrinkage and elongation of the paper at a NaOH concentration of 6% or higher did not improve. Dissolution of amorphous material occurred during the treatment together with peeling reactions. The fiber length and shape factor decreased and the fines content increased with an increasing alkali concentration. The cellulose crystallinity decreased with an increasing NaOH concentration. This was confirmed by X-ray …

2H–13C Correlation Solid-State Nmr For Investigating Dynamics And Water Accessibilities Of Proteins And Carbohydrates, Martin D. Gelenter, Tuo Wang, Shu Yu Liao, Hugh O’Neill, Mei Hong

Faculty Publications

© 2017, Springer Science+Business Media B.V. Site-specific determination of molecular motion and water accessibility by indirect detection of 2H NMR spectra has advantages over dipolar-coupling based techniques due to the large quadrupolar couplings and the ensuing high angular resolution. Recently, a Rotor Echo Short Pulse IRrAdiaTION mediated cross polarization (RESPIRATIONCP) technique was developed, which allowed efficient transfer of 2H magnetization to 13C at moderate 2H radiofrequency field strengths available on most commercial MAS probes. In this work, we investigate the 2H–13C magnetization transfer characteristics of one-bond perdeuterated CDn spin systems and two-bond H/D exchanged C–(O)–D and C–(N)–D spin systems in …

Accounting For Photodegradation Dramatically Improves Prediction Of Carbon Losses In Dryland Systems, E. Carol Adair, William J. Parton, Jennifer Y. King, Leslie A. Brandt, Yang Lin

Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources Faculty Publications

Traditional models of decomposition fail to capture litter mass loss patterns in dryland systems. This shortcoming has stimulated research into alternative drivers of decomposition, including photodegradation. Here, we use aboveground litter decomposition data for dryland (arid) sites from the Long-term Intersite Decomposition Experiment Team data set to test hypotheses (models) about the mechanisms and impacts of photodegradation. Incorporating photodegradation into a traditional biotic decomposition model substantially improved model predictions for mass loss at these dryland sites, especially after four years. The best model accounted for the effects of solar radiation via photodegradation loss from the intermediate cellulosic and lignin pools …

Stabilization Of Iron Oxide Nanoparticles For Homogenous Integration Into Cellulose Nano Fibrils, Banton H. Heithoff

Honors College

Cellulose nanofibrils is one of the future potential giants in the medical implant industry. Its unique properties make it the ideal material for use in both permanent prosthetic devices and non- permanent implants such as screws and plates. To increase the usability of this material, the addition of super paramagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles is needed to gain MRI and X-Ray visibility. The methodology for how to homogeneously integrate these particles into the system using the addition of coating agents is explored. This research demonstrates that the addition of coating agents to the iron oxide nanoparticles can affect both the pH …

Multidimensional Solid-State Nmr Spectroscopy Of Plant Cell Walls, Tuo Wang, Pyae Phyo, Mei Hong

Faculty Publications

© 2016 Elsevier Inc. Plant biomass has become an important source of bio-renewable energy in modern society. The molecular structure of plant cell walls is difficult to characterize by most atomic-resolution techniques due to the insoluble and disordered nature of the cell wall. Solid-state NMR (SSNMR) spectroscopy is uniquely suited for studying native hydrated plant cell walls at the molecular level with chemical resolution. Significant progress has been made in the last five years to elucidate the molecular structures and interactions of cellulose and matrix polysaccharides in plant cell walls. These studies have focused on primary cell walls of growing …

Identification And Overexpression Of A Knotted1-Like Transcription Factor In Switchgrass (Panicum Virgatum L.) For Lignocellulosic Feedstock Improvement, Wegi A. Wuddineh, Mitra Mazarei, Ji-Yi Zhang, Geoffrey B. Turner, Robert W. Sykes, Stephen R. Decker, Mark F. Davis, Michael K. Udvardi, Neal Stewart

Plant Sciences Publications and Other Works

High biomass production and wide adaptation has made switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) an important candidate lignocellulosic bioenergy crop. One major limitation of this and other lignocellulosic feedstocks is the recalcitrance of complex carbohydrates to hydrolysis for conversion to biofuels. Lignin is the major contributor to recalcitrance as it limits the accessibility of cell wall carbohydrates to enzymatic breakdown into fermentable sugars. Therefore, genetic manipulation of the lignin biosynthesis pathway is one strategy to reduce recalcitrance. Here, we identified a switchgrass Knotted1 transcription factor, PvKN1, with the aim of genetically engineering switchgrass for reduced biomass recalcitrance for biofuel production. Gene …

Gender Differences In Murine Pulmonary Responses Elicited By Cellulose Nanocrystals, Anna A. Shvedova, Elena R. Kisin, Naveena Yanamala, Mariana T. Farcas, Autumn L. Menas, Andrew Williams, Philip M. Fournier, Jeffrey S. Reynolds, Dmitriy W. Gutkin, Alexander Star, Richard S. Reiner, Sabina Halappanavar, Valerian E. Kagan

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Background: Cellulose-based materials have been used for centuries to manufacture different goods derived from forestry and agricultural sources. In the growing field of nanocellulose applications, its uniquely engineered properties are instrumental for inventive products coming to competitive markets. Due to their high aspect ratio and stiffness, it is speculated that cellulose nanocrystals (CNC) may cause similar pulmonary toxicity as carbon nanotubes and asbestos, thus posing a potential negative impact on public health and the environment.

Methods: The present study was undertaken to investigate the pulmonary outcomes induced by repeated exposure to respirable CNC. C57BL/6 female and male mice were exposed …

Acetylated Bacterial Cellulose Coated With Urinary Bladder Matrix As A Substrate For Retinal Pigment Epithelium, Sara Goncalves, Ines P. Rodrigues, J Padrão, J P. Silva, Vitor Sencadas, Senentxu Lanceros-Méndez, Henrique Girao, F M. Gama, F Dourado, L R. Rodrigues

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part A

This work evaluated the effect of acetylated bacterial cellulose (ABC) substrates coated with urinary bladder matrix (UBM) on the behavior of retinal pigment epithelium (RPE), as assessed by cell adhesion, proliferation and development of cell polarity exhibiting transepithelial resistance and polygonal shaped-cells with microvilli. Acetylation of bacterial cellulose (BC) generated a moderate hydrophobic surface (around 65°) while the adsorption of UBM onto these acetylated substrates did not affect significantly the surface hydrophobicity. The ABS substrates coated with UBM enabled the development of a cell phenotype closer to that of native RPE cells. These cells were able to express proteins essential …

Switchgrass Storage Effects On The Recovery Of Carbohydrates After Liquid Hot Water Pretreatment And Enzymatic Hydrolysis, Noaa Frederick, Mengxing Li, Danielle Julie Carrier, Michael D. Buser, Mark R. Wilkins

Department of Biological Systems Engineering: Papers and Publications

Perennial grasses that would be used for bioenergy and bioproducts production will need to be stored for various periods of time to ensure a continual feedstock supply to a bioprocessing facility. The effects of storage practices on grass composition and the response of grasses to subsequent bioprocesses such as pretreatment and enzymatic hydrolysis needs to be understood to develop the most efficient storage protocols. This study examined the effect of outdoor storage of round switchgrass bales on composition before and after liquid hot water pretreatment (LHW) and enzymatic hydrolysis. This study also examined the effect of washing LHW pretreated biomass …