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Full-Text Articles in Molecular Biology

Leveraging Chemical And Computational Biology To Probe The Cellulose Synthase Complex, B. Kirtley Amos Jan 2021

Leveraging Chemical And Computational Biology To Probe The Cellulose Synthase Complex, B. Kirtley Amos

Theses and Dissertations--Plant and Soil Sciences

Cellular expansion in plants is a complex process driven by the constraint of internal cellular turgor pressure by an expansible cell wall. The main structural element of the cell wall is cellulose. Cellulose is vital to plant fitness and the protein complex that creates it is an excellent target for small molecule inhibition to create herbicides. In the following thesis many small molecules (SMs) from a diverse library were screened in search of new cellulose biosynthesis inhibitors (CBI). Loss of cellular expansion was the primary phenotype used to search for putative CBIs. As such, this was approached in a forward …


Characterization And Enzyme Engineering Of Laccases Towards Lignin Valorization In Aqueous Ionic Liquids, Joseph Stevens Jan 2020

Characterization And Enzyme Engineering Of Laccases Towards Lignin Valorization In Aqueous Ionic Liquids, Joseph Stevens

Theses and Dissertations--Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering

Lignin is one of the most abundant polymers found in nature, making up 15 – 40% of the weight of terrestrial biomass. Due to the structural and monomeric heterogeneity of lignin, it is recalcitrant thermochemical and biological valorization methods. Converting lignin to value-added products via sustainable and cost-effective pathways will reduce waste and add value to future cellulosic biorefineries. Biological methods for lignin valorization (e.g. lignin degrading enzymes or microbes) is limited by low lignin solubility in biocompatible solvents, resulting in low product yield. Recent reports on biocatalysts for lignin valorization have focused on the lignolytic multicopper oxidase laccase, …


Up Regulation Of Heat Shock Protein 70b (Hsp70b) And Ssa1 In Chlamydomonas Reinhardtii Via Hsp70a-Rbcs2 And Psad Promoter, B. Kirtley Amos Jan 2015

Up Regulation Of Heat Shock Protein 70b (Hsp70b) And Ssa1 In Chlamydomonas Reinhardtii Via Hsp70a-Rbcs2 And Psad Promoter, B. Kirtley Amos

Theses and Dissertations--Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering

Fabrication of effective algae cultivation systems adjacent to coal-fired power plants to fixate waste CO2 would represent a sizable step towards achieving a carbon neutral energy cycle. However, emission gas would elevate the algal cultivation system temperature and decreases its pH without expensive preprocessing. Increased temperature and acidity constitutes a profound stress on the algae. Although stressed algae produce heat shock proteins (HSPs) that promote protein folding and protect against stress, the ordinary biological response is insufficient to protect against coal flue gas. Experimental upregulation of HSPs could make algae respond to the stress caused by high temperatures and …


Engineering Novel Terpene Production Platforms In The Yeast Saccharomyces Cerevisiae, Xun Zhuang Jan 2013

Engineering Novel Terpene Production Platforms In The Yeast Saccharomyces Cerevisiae, Xun Zhuang

Theses and Dissertations--Plant and Soil Sciences

The chemical diversity and biological activities of terpene and terpenoids have served in the development of new flavors, fragrances, medicines and pesticides. While terpenes are made predominantly by plants and microbes in small amounts and as components of complex mixtures, chemical synthesis of terpenes remains technically challenging, costly and inefficient. In this dissertation, methods to create new yeast lines possessing a dispensable mevalonate biosynthetic pathway wherein carbon flux can be diverted to build any chemical class of terpene product are described. The ability of this line to generate diterpenes was next investigated. Using a 5.5 L fed bath fermentation system, …