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Full-Text Articles in Engineering

A Review Of Dielectric Barrier Discharge Cold Atmospheric Plasma For Surface Sterilization And Decontamination, Kolawole Adesina, Ta Chun Lin, Yue-Wern Huang, Marek Locmelis, Daoru Frank Han Jan 2024

A Review Of Dielectric Barrier Discharge Cold Atmospheric Plasma For Surface Sterilization And Decontamination, Kolawole Adesina, Ta Chun Lin, Yue-Wern Huang, Marek Locmelis, Daoru Frank Han

Biological Sciences Faculty Research & Creative Works

Numerous investigations have shown that non-equilibrium discharges at atmospheric pressure, also known as "cold atmospheric plasma" (CAP) are efficient to remove biological contaminants from surfaces of a variety of materials. Recently, CAP has quickly advanced as a technique for microbial cleaning, wound healing, and cancer therapy due to the chemical and biologically active radicals it produces, known collectively as reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (RONS). This article reviews studies pertaining to one of the atmospheric plasma sources known as Dielectric Barrier Discharge (DBD) which has been widely used to treat materials with microbes for sterilization, disinfection, and decontamination purposes. To …


Study Of Legionella Pneumophila Treatment With Copper In Drinking Water By Single Cell-Icp-Ms, Lei Xu, Austin Sigler, Anna Chernatynskaya, Lindsey Rasmussen, Jingrang Lu, Endalkachew Sahle-Demessie, David J. Westenberg, Hu Yang, Honglan Shi Jan 2023

Study Of Legionella Pneumophila Treatment With Copper In Drinking Water By Single Cell-Icp-Ms, Lei Xu, Austin Sigler, Anna Chernatynskaya, Lindsey Rasmussen, Jingrang Lu, Endalkachew Sahle-Demessie, David J. Westenberg, Hu Yang, Honglan Shi

Biological Sciences Faculty Research & Creative Works

Legionella pneumophila is a persistent opportunistic pathogen that poses a significant threat to domestic water systems. Previous studies suggest that copper (Cu) is an effective antimicrobial in water systems. A rapid and sensitive quantification method is desired to optimize the conditions of L. pneumophila treatment by Cu and to better understand the interaction mechanisms between Cu and cells. In this study, we developed a highly sensitive single cell (SC)-ICP-MS method to monitor L. pneumophila cell concentration and track their uptake of Cu. The SC-ICP-MS method showed excellent sensitivity (with a cell concentration detection limit of 1000 cells/mL), accuracy (good agreement …


Conversion Of Glycerol To 1,3-Propanediol Under Haloalkaline Conditions, Melanie R. Mormile, Daniel William Roush, Dwayne A. Elias, Oliver C. Sitton Sep 2016

Conversion Of Glycerol To 1,3-Propanediol Under Haloalkaline Conditions, Melanie R. Mormile, Daniel William Roush, Dwayne A. Elias, Oliver C. Sitton

Biological Sciences Faculty Research & Creative Works

A method of producing 1,3-propanediol. The method comprises fermenting a haloalkaliphilic species of Halanaerobium with a source of glycerol into 1,3-propanediol, at a pH of greater than about 10 and at a salt concentration of greater than about 5% w/v. Furthermore, with supplementation of vitamin B12, the yield of 1,3-propanediol to glycerol can be increased.


The Use Of A Fractional Factorial Design To Determine The Factors That Impact 1,3-Propanediol Production From Glycerol By Halanaerobium Hydrogeniformans, Shivani Kalia, Jordan Trager, Oliver C. Sitton, Melanie R. Mormile Sep 2016

The Use Of A Fractional Factorial Design To Determine The Factors That Impact 1,3-Propanediol Production From Glycerol By Halanaerobium Hydrogeniformans, Shivani Kalia, Jordan Trager, Oliver C. Sitton, Melanie R. Mormile

Biological Sciences Faculty Research & Creative Works

In recent years, biodiesel, a substitute for fossil fuels, has led to the excessive production of crude glycerol. The resulting crude glycerol can possess a high concentration of salts and an alkaline pH. Moreover, current crude glycerol purification methods are expensive, rendering this former commodity a waste product. However, Halanaerobium hydrogeniformans, a haloalkaliphilic bacterium, possesses the metabolic capability to convert glycerol into 1,3-propanediol, a valuable commodity compound, without the need for salt dilution or adjusting pH when grown on this waste. Experiments were performed with different combinations of 24 medium components to determine their impact on the production of …


Biosignatures In Mars Analog Acid Salt Lakes, Sarah Stewart Johnson, M. L. Soni, D. J. Collins, Kathleen C. Benison, Melanie R. Mormile, M. G. Chevrette, B. L. Ehlmann May 2016

Biosignatures In Mars Analog Acid Salt Lakes, Sarah Stewart Johnson, M. L. Soni, D. J. Collins, Kathleen C. Benison, Melanie R. Mormile, M. G. Chevrette, B. L. Ehlmann

Biological Sciences Faculty Research & Creative Works

Paleolake sites on Mars, particularly buried deposits that have been shielded from surface radiation, serve as intriguing targets for the search for life. Mars-like ephemeral playa lakes here on Earth can offer insights and perspectives on the possibilities for physical, metabolic, and biomolecular biosignature recovery from similar environments on Mars.


Early Acidification Of Mars And The Potential Implications For Biology, Sarah Stewart Johnson, D. Goerlitz, Kathleen C. Benison, Melanie R. Mormile, D. W. Ming Mar 2016

Early Acidification Of Mars And The Potential Implications For Biology, Sarah Stewart Johnson, D. Goerlitz, Kathleen C. Benison, Melanie R. Mormile, D. W. Ming

Biological Sciences Faculty Research & Creative Works

A leading paleoclimate theory for Mars, based on the identification of phyllosilicate minerals in ancient terrains, posits that the first several million years of the planet’s history were dominated by neutral to alkaline pH. However, evidence is mounting for the consideration of an alternate hypothesis: that some smectites on Mars formed under acidic conditions, and that the early surface of Mars may not have been subject to circum-neutral pH conditions, at least not uniformly. Work on shergottitic liquids suggests that up to 2400 ppm of sulfur could have degassed from martian magma, supplying more than enough sulfur for the planet’s …


Going From Microbial Ecology To Genome Data And Back: Studies On A Haloalkaliphilic Bacterium Isolated From Soap Lake, Washington State, Melanie R. Mormile Nov 2014

Going From Microbial Ecology To Genome Data And Back: Studies On A Haloalkaliphilic Bacterium Isolated From Soap Lake, Washington State, Melanie R. Mormile

Biological Sciences Faculty Research & Creative Works

Soap Lake is a meromictic, alkaline (∼pH 9.8) and saline (∼14-140 g liter-1) lake located in the semiarid area of eastern Washington State. Of note is the length of time it has been meromictic (at least 2000 years) and the extremely high sulfide level (∼140 mM) in its monimolimnion. As expected, the microbial ecology of this lake is greatly influenced by these conditions. A bacterium, Halanaerobium hydrogeniformans, was isolated from the mixolimnion region of this lake. Halanaerobium hydrogeniformans is a haloalkaliphilic bacterium capable of forming hydrogen from 5- and 6-carbon sugars derived from hemicellulose and cellulose. Due …


A Streamlined Strategy For Biohydrogen Production With Halanaerobium Hydrogeniformans, An Alkaliphilic Bacterium, Matthew B. Begemann, Melanie R. Mormile, Oliver C. Sitton, Judy D. Wall, Dwayne A. Elias Mar 2012

A Streamlined Strategy For Biohydrogen Production With Halanaerobium Hydrogeniformans, An Alkaliphilic Bacterium, Matthew B. Begemann, Melanie R. Mormile, Oliver C. Sitton, Judy D. Wall, Dwayne A. Elias

Biological Sciences Faculty Research & Creative Works

Biofuels are anticipated to enable a shift from fossil fuels for renewable transportation and manufacturing fuels, with biohydrogen considered attractive since it could offer the largest reduction of global carbon budgets. Currently, lignocellulosic biohydrogen production remains inefficient with pretreatments that are heavily fossil fuel-dependent. However, bacteria using alkali-treated biomass could streamline biofuel production while reducing costs and fossil fuel needs. An alkaliphilic bacterium, Halanaerobium hydrogeniformans, is described that is capable of biohydrogen production at levels rivaling neutrophilic strains, but at pH 11 and hypersaline conditions. H. hydrogeniformans ferments a variety of 5-and 6-carbon sugars derived from hemicellulose and cellulose …