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Abstract

AbstractMembrane in black for less autofluorescenceWalter et al., Eng. Life Sci. 2010, 10, 103–108.Protein microarrays are an emerging technology for diagnostics and proteomic research. Their performance is highly dependent on the appropriate surface for protein binding. Three‐dimensional substrates like nitrocellulose have a higher binding capacity than planar surfaces and allow immobilization of proteins in a functional manner. Yet, currently used nitrocellulose‐based microarrays suffer from a high background fluorescence which can interfere with the detection of low‐abundance proteins. Therefore, authors from Hanover and Satorius Stedim Biotech in Göttingen (Germany) have developed a black nitrocellulose membrane‐based protein microarray. They measured the limit of detection (LOD) and signal‐to‐noise ratio (SNR) and compared it to several commercially available systems. This new membrane exhibits a lower autofluorescence in combination with increased sensitivity. ……………103http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/elsc.200900078magnified imageDetecting inactivated sporesTalbot et al., Eng. Life Sci. 2010, 10, 109–120.Rapid detection of biological warfare agents (BWA) such as Bacillus anthracis spores is of high importance to prevent widespread contamination and dissemination in case of a terrorist attack. While a wide range of analytical methods are available for the detection and identification of BWAs they are often limited when inactivated samples are analyzed. This is essential when the detection has to take place outside of a bio safety level 3 laboratory. Here, authors from the German Armed Forces in Munster have inactivated spores of the model organism Bacillus atrophaeus by various methods and analysed the detection with RT‐PCR and MALDI‐TOF‐MS. They optimized the inactivation methods that achieve full inactivation while detection of the bacterial spore is still possible. ……………109http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/elsc.200800078magnified imageRecovery of propandiolAydoǧan et al., Eng. Life Sci. 2010, 10, 121–129.1,3‐Propandiol (1,3‐PD) is a bulk chemical used for the fabrication of polymers, cosmetics, foods, lubricants and medicines. The production of 1,3‐PD from renewable resources is an economically attractive process. 1,3‐PD can be produced through fermentation of glycerol by bacteria from several genera including Klebsiella, Citrobacter and Clostridium. Researchers from Ankara, Turkey, and Hamburg, Germany, have studied an alcohol/salt aqueous two‐phase (ATP) system for the recovery of 1,3‐PD from fermentation broth. The ethanol and dipotassium hydrogen phosphate ATP system appeared to be favorable compared with other alcohol/salt systems. The partition coefficient of 1,3‐PD in synthetic solutions was optimized by response surface methodology (RSM) with respect to the concentrations of ethanol, dipotassium hydrogen phosphate and 1,3‐PD. This new method can now be applied as a promising step in downstream processing of 1,3‐PD. ……………121http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/elsc.200900084magnified image