Intensification Approach Research Articles

Investigation of the polysaccharides synthesis enhancement mechanism from Agaricus bitoquis (Quél.) Sacc Chaidam and its fermentation regulation technology system based on multi-omics technologies

The polysaccharides (PS) of Agaricus bitoquis (Quél.) Sacc. Chaidam (ABSC) had attracted the attention of researchers due to their strong anti hypoxia, antioxidant, and anti fatigue activities. Therefore, this article focuses on studying the regulatory channels of exogenous additives-Lycium ruthenicum Murr. Anthocyanin (LRA) to delay fungus cell aging and promote the incremental synthesis of PS from ABSC, and optimizing the regulation system for pilot fermentation experiments. The joint analysis of Ultra High Performance Liquid Chromatography-Quadrupole-Time of Flight Mass Spectrometry (UHPLC-Q-TOFMS) and RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) database elucidates that at the molecular level, the crude extract of LRA inhibits the Telecommunications Association (TCA) cycle, transferring carbon metabolism to the synthesis of polysaccharide precursors (UDP-glucose, UDP-galactose, etc.), promoting the synthesis of PS, promoting the formation of key antioxidant substances (including flavonoids such as quercetin and alginate), improving cell membrane fluidity (saturated fatty acid to unsaturated conversion) and enhancing the degradation of toxic substances (oxidized glutathione), thereby promoting the anti-aging activity and PS synthesis ability of mycelial cells; LRA-adding could enhance the activity in the pilot fermentation of ABSC, which make the mycelia biomass, EPS and IPS production were significantly increased (89.04 %, 65.46 % and 37.64 % respectively) compared with the untreatment control. Based on the optimal fermentation system of PS synthesized in mycelium by adding LRA, Logistic, Gauss, and Asymptotic kinetic equations were used to describe the cell growth, product synthesis and regulatory substrate consumption from ABSC. The correlation coefficients of three models were all above 0.95, indicating a good fit between the experimental values and predicted value, this indicated ABSC fermentation kinetics model could better simulate the actual production process and provide theoretical data for the industrial production of polysaccharides. The results demonstrated that the present proposed LRA intensification approach could be useful to boost up the fermentation of ABSC, which possibly applied to yield increase and fermentation product acquisition of macrofungi.

Synthesis of Propiolic and Butynedioic Acids via Carboxylation of CaC2 by CO2 under Mild Conditions

Carbon dioxide (CO2) is a greenhouse gas, and its resource use is vital for carbon reduction and neutrality. Herein, the nucleophilic addition reaction of calcium carbide (CaC2) to CO2 was studied for the first time to synthesize propiolic and butynedioic acids by using CuI or AgNO3 as catalyst, Na2CO3 as additive, and triphenylphosphine as ligand in the presence/absence of a hydrogen donor. The effects of the experimental conditions and intensification approach on the reaction were investigated. The reactivity of CaC2 is closely associated with its synergistic activation by the catalysts, solvent, and external intensification, such as the ultrasound and mechanical force. Ultrasound helps to promote the reaction by enhancing the interfacial mass transfer of CaC2 particulates. Mechanochemistry can effectively promote the reaction, yielding 29.8% of butynedioic acid and 74.8% of propiolic acid after 2 h ball milling at 150 rpm, arising from the effective micronization and interfacial renewal of calcium carbide. The present study sheds a light on the high-value uses of CO2 and CaC2 and is of reference significance for the nucleophilic reaction of CaC2 with other carbonyl compounds.

Expert Opinion on Optimising Type2 Diabetes Treatment Using Fixed-Ratio Combination of Basal Insulin and GLP-1RA for Treatment Intensification and Simplification.

The management of type2 diabetes (T2D) often necessitates treatment intensification, and sometimes simplification to achieve glycaemic targets and mitigate complications. This expert opinion paper evaluates the use and positioning of the fixed-ratio combinations (FRCs) of basal insulin (BI) and glucagon-like peptide1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs) in optimising T2D management. On the basis of the evidence presented and discussions, these FRCs offer a promising approach for both treatment intensification and simplification in people with suboptimal glucose control despite receiving various therapies. In treatment intensification, FRCs provide a synergistic effect by addressing multiple pathophysiological defects contributing to hyperglycaemia. These FRCs effectively control both fasting and postprandial glucose (PPG) excursions, offering significantly improved glycaemic control with a lower hypoglycaemia risk and weight neutrality compared to traditional or complex insulin regimens. Moreover, the reduced injection frequency (once daily) and flexibility in the dosing schedule (with any major meal of the day) help mitigate patient resistance to insulin initiation or titration. This further reduces treatment burden, facilitating treatment adherence and enhancing patient convenience. These key benefits of FRCs over complex insulin regimens play a crucial role in long-term glycaemic management and overall treatment outcomes. Hence, the timely use of FRCs in the treatment algorithm for people with T2D represents a valuable strategy for optimising glycaemic control, addressing treatment barriers and enhancing patient-reported outcomes.

Enhanced Disinfection Efficiency Using Cu Vortex Diode for Providing Safe Drinking Water: Devising Newer Methodologies

ABSTRACTThe present research aims to refine the hydrodynamic cavitation technique with traditional knowledgebase of Ayurveda for more efficient water disinfection and that has huge potential for implementation in real life, especially for substituting the existing chlorination method for drinking water treatment. The study incorporates use of newer copper reactor configuration, employing vortex flow for generating cavitation for the disinfection of water. Elimination of model contaminant, Escherichia coli, with initial concentration of ∼105 CFU/mL of bacteria was used for the disinfection study. Copper vortex diode with a capacity of 1 m3/h was employed as a cavitating device. The cavitation using copper vortex diode gave significantly higher disinfection, over 30%, compared that with conventional vortex diode, with aluminum as material of construction, under similar conditions. Remarkably, the addition of 0.1% betel leaf oil led to an extraordinary 260‐fold increase in the rate of disinfection, requiring only a single pass to achieve complete bacteria elimination. Furthermore, a notably high synergistic index of 246.96 was achieved for the process intensification approach using the Cu vortex diode. The cost was substantially reduced by approximately three times to 0.011 $/m3 using the Cu vortex diode compared to the conventional vortex diode. The developed strategy offers significantly enhanced performance, as well as a techno‐economical and sustainable solution for drinking water treatment to ensure the provision of safe drinking water. Moreover, the newer methodology can have the advantage of producing no harmful carcinogenic disinfection by‐products compared to chemical disinfection processes apart from sustainable alternative to chlorination.

Application of Spray Coating in the Fabrication of Free Standing Nanocellulose Films and Barrier Coating on the Paper Substrates

Spray coating is a novel concept for fabricating free-standing film and producing barrier coating on paper substrates. The spraying gives comparable efficacy with vacuum filtration in terms of operation time, film quality, and process intensification approach. The smooth films created by spraying nanocellulose onto the polished impermeable surface could serve as a platform for a variety of sustainable functional devices. Finally, the application of spray-coating barriers and nanocellulose films on paper substrates is the focus of the spray-coating concept designed to create smooth nanocellulose films. One of the most important factors that affect the performance of different cellulose-based functional materials is the smoothness of nanocellulose film coated with sprays in the production of flexible and printed electronics. The uses of nanocellulose film as a high-performance barrier material and the possible replacement of synthetic plastic packaging are expanded by spray coatings. The process of creating a nanocellulose film using spray coating takes less than a minute. Compared to vacuum filtering, this method offers excellent speed potential for nanocellulose films. The wet layer of spray coating takes more than 24 hours to dry in a controlled laboratory environment, using air drying. Future research projects will improve the drying process of wet films. The film spray process serves as a proof of concept, and the quality of the film produced by this method contrasts with vacuum filtration. Studying spray coating wet film drying outside the scope of this research is not part of the scope of this study, and additional research is needed in this area. The shiny film that is created by spraying nanocellulose on the impermeable polished surface can serve as a platform for various sustainable functional devices.

An intensification approach based on fitness landscape characteristics for job shop scheduling problem

An intensification approach based on fitness landscape characteristics for job shop scheduling problem

Economic, environmental, energy, exergy (4E) analysis and simulated annealing algorithm optimization of dividing-wall column-intensified heterogeneous azeotropic pressure-swing distillation process

This work presents an approach for the recovery of high purity cyclohexane (CYCLO) and tertiary butyl alcohol (TBA) from wastewater. After thermodynamic analysis, a heterogeneous azeotrope-pressure swing distillation process (HAPSD) with a decanter is proposed. The heterogenous azeotrope distillation with a high-pressure column and a dividing-wall column process (HADWC) is also being developed to propose a green and sustainable process. The novel processes are optimized using simulated annealing algorithm (SAA). Those processes are optimized by simulated annealing algorithm by linking Aspen Plus and MATLAB via taking the total annual cost (TAC) as objective function. Three energy-efficient HADWC processes are proposed based on the process intensification approach of heat pump and heat integration technologies. All processes are evaluated for multi-criteria performance including economy, energy consumption, gas emissions and thermodynamic efficiency. As the result, HADWC-HP-HI process shows the best performance with 31.79%, 53.46%, 50.69%, and 57.94% reducing over the conventional HAPSD process in terms of TAC, energy consumption, gas emissions and thermodynamic efficiency, respectively.

Enhancing the purification of crocin-I from saffron through the combination of multicolumn countercurrent chromatography and green solvents

Crocin-I, a valuable natural compound found in saffron (Crocus sativus L.), is the most abundant among the various crocin structures. Developing a cost-effective and scalable purification process to produce high-purity crocin-I is of great interest for future investigations into its biological properties and its potential applications in the treatment of neurological disorders. However purifying crocin-I through single-column preparative chromatography (batch) poses a yield-purity trade-off due to structural similarities among crocins, meaning that the choice of the collection window sacrifices either yield in benefit of higher purity or vice versa. This study demonstrates how the continuous countercurrent operating mode resolves this dilemma. Herein, a twin-column MCSGP (multicolumn countercurrent solvent gradient purification) process was employed to purify crocin-I. This study involved an environmentally friendly ethanolic extraction of saffron stigma, followed by an investigation into the stability of the crocin-I within the feed under varying storage conditions to ensure a stable feed composition during the purification. Then, the batch purification process was initially designed, optimized, and subsequently followed by the scale-up to the MCSGP process. To ensure a fair comparison, both processes were evaluated under similar conditions (e.g., similar total column volume). The results showed that, at a purity grade of 99.7%, the MCSGP technique demonstrated significant results, namely + 334% increase in recovery + 307% increase in productivity, and − 92% reduction in solvent consumption. To make the purification process even greener, the only organic solvent employed was ethanol, without the addition of any additive. In conclusion, this study presents the MCSGP as a reliable, simple, and economical technique for purifying crocin-I from saffron extract, demonstrating for the first time that it can be effectively applied as a powerful approach for process intensification in the purification of natural products from complex matrices.Graphical

Process intensification of metal solvent extraction studies using a miniaturized solvent extraction plant

This study examines the potential of a miniaturized solvent extraction plant (MSXP) to improve the efficiency and reproducibility of laboratory and pilot-scale metallurgical studies that typically require extended testing periods. The MSXP has been designed to replace conventional solvent extraction (SX) apparatus and aims to reduce start-up time, time to reach equilibrium, and overall test time. Two copper solvent extraction (Cu-SX) research campaigns were conducted to test the functionality, ease of operation, modularity, and reproducibility of the MSXP. The first campaign quantified the extraction efficiency and net copper transfer, while the second campaign operated the MSXP in a semicontinuous countercurrent flow configuration with three extraction and two stripping stages. The main variables studied in the first campaign are the number of stages (1-3), volumetric flow rates (O/A, 1-3), and organic phase residence time in the micro-contactor (0.7-2.4 min). The results demonstrate that the MSXP can work with very low stage efficiencies (48%), while achieving high copper recoveries (> 90%). At the stripping circuit level, we show that the MSXP can operate at superior stage efficiencies (> 100%), with low copper recoveries (30%–55%). The reproducibility evaluation also demonstrates high statistical confidence (< 6% CV) in the obtained process values. The MSXP offers great flexibility in net copper transfer and can be used to benchmark and emulate a wide range of Cu-SX systems. Experimental Cu-SX campaigns can be run in about 60 min while investing roughly US$1.4/h on reagents, which is significantly lower compared to typical campaigns that can last from days to weeks to reach reliable research outcomes and require about US$62/h for reagents. The potential of MSXP extends to more elaborate solvent extraction systems, specifically those designed to purify energy-critical elements like lithium, nickel, cobalt, or rare-earth elements. This study demonstrates the promise of process intensification approaches for improving the efficiency of laboratory and pilot-scale SX studies, which can help in reducing time, reagents, and energy consumption while improving the reproducibility of results.

Process Intensification by Inoculating Antibody Production Bioreactors Directly from Cryovials

AbstractThere are several ways to make antibody production processes more efficient and less expensive through process intensification. In this study, an ultra‐high cell density working cell bank was used to inoculate production bioreactors directly with cells from cryovials. After lab‐scale experiments, a fed‐batch pilot‐scale experiment was successfully conducted as a proof‐of‐concept. In addition, cells were cultivated in perfusion mode at 2 L scale. The intensification approach presented here allows the complete elimination of the inoculum production outside the production bioreactor and the creation of additional production capacity by saving time and space. In perfusion mode, an increase in bioreactor productivity of over 180% can be achieved compared to fed‐batch mode.

Synergistic fermenter-electrolytic cell integration and phenomena-based process intensification for competitive bio-succinic acid production

The production of bio-succinic acid through fermentation presents a promising strategy for obtaining building-block chemicals from renewable sources. However, the limited yield of bio-succinic acid from fermentation and the complex purification procedures have hindered its competitiveness against petroleum-based succinic acid. One way to tackle this challenge is to develop a more efficient and sustainable production route, that is to integrate process synthesis with process intensification. In the present study, an existing flowsheet from our previous work based on process synthesis on bio-succinic acid batch fermentation was selected and subjected to heuristic and phenomena-based process intensification approaches. The heuristic approach involved integrating an electrolytic cell with the fermenter, employing an anionic exchange membrane for continuous extraction of organic acids. The resulting modified process flowsheet served as a base case for a systematic phenomena-based process intensification approach. Through this approach, intensified unit operations, such as an electro-membrane reactor and a membrane crystallizer, were generated. A total of 114 intensified process flowsheet alternatives were developed and ranked according to an enthalpy index. The top-ranked alternatives were evaluated in terms of economic performance and environmental impact. Notably, all analyzed process flowsheets exhibited improved indicators, with a minimum selling price below that of petroleum-based succinic acid (approximately $2 kg−1).

Getting pastoral systems productivity right

Beef production in pasture-based systems is increasingly contested due to related biophysical and environmental challenges. Addressing these requires rigorous science-based evidence to inform private decisions and public policies. Increasing yields and simultaneously reducing the negative environmental impacts of agricultural and livestock production are central to sustainable intensification approaches. Yet, stocking rate, the commonly used metric for animal productivity in pastures, or more broadly, of sustainable intensification in pastoral production systems, warrants scrutiny to signpost successful transformative change of food systems and to avoid provision of misleading policy advice. Here we discuss why future studies would benefit of considering the two constituent elements of productivity in pastoral systems – animal performance (kg of animal product/head) and stocking rates (heads/ha) –, rather than stocking rates alone.

Evaluation of Insulin and Glucagon-like peptide-1 Receptor Agonists Combination for Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: An Updated Meta-analysis

Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RA) increase glucose-stimulated insulin secretion, suppress glucagon production, increase satiety, reduce food intake, improve insulin sensitivity, and reduce visceral fat. This study aims to compare the GLP-1RA and insulin combination or GLP-1RA added to background insulin therapy with other injectable therapies in patients with type-2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). We searched for studies that compared GLP-1RA and insulin combination with other injectable therapies in T2DM patients for HbA1c (%) change, achieving HbA1c &lt;7% at study end, hypoglycemia incidence, and weight change. The following intervention groups were analyzed: the combination of basal insulin and GLP-1RA, basal-plus/basal-bolus, and placebo/insulin intensification (insulin uptitration)/GLP-1RA. A total of 48 studies were included. Insulin and GLP-1RA combination therapy reduced HbA1c more than placebo/insulin intensification (insulin up-titration)/GLP-1RA (WMD -0.693, p &lt;0.001) and basal-plus/basal-bolus (WMD -0.105, p =0.027). Insulin and GLP-1RA combination therapy significantly reduced body weight more than placebo/insulin intensification (insulin up-titration)/GLP-1RA (WMD -1.894, p &lt;0.001) and basal-plus/basal-bolus (WMD -3.6, p =0.001). Patients on insulin and GLP-1RA combination therapy had a higher chance of achieving the HbA1c target than placebo/insulin intensification (insulin up-titration)/GLP-1RA arm (RR 1.964, p &lt;0.001), but not than basal-plus/basal-bolus arm (RR 1.037, 95% CI 0.971 to 1.103). Hypoglycemia rates were comparable between combination therapy and placebo/insulin intensification (insulin up-titration)/GLP-1RA (RR 0.94, 95% 0.84 - 1.04), but statistically significant when compared to combination therapy and basal-plus/basal-bolus (RR 0.63, p &lt;0.001). Our findings support using GLP-1RA in combination with insulin as a useful intensification approach for producing therapeutic improvement in T2DM therapy for individuals who have not reached their HbA1c goal.

Design of intensified chemical processes for the production of ethyl tert-butyl ether

Process intensification contributes to the design of processes with better sustainability performance by allowing several tasks to be performed within the same equipment unit, for instance, reaction and separation. This work aims at the design of intensified processes using a phenomena-based methodology. A gradual intensification approach is used, and each structure is evaluated from economic and environmental considerations. A production process of ethyl tert-butyl ether (ETBE) was selected as a base flowsheet to be intensified. The process consists of one reactor and three conventional distillation columns. Three intensified process alternatives are developed, which employ technologies such as reactive distillation column (RDC), dividing wall column (DWC), and reactive dividing wall column (RDWC). The fully intensified structure, based on a RDWC, showed the best economic indicator with a total annual cost reduction of 26.7% with respect to the base case process; the partially intensified structures showed similar improvements of 18%. The energy savings offered by the intensified flowsheets provide direct benefits from environmental considerations.

AVAILABILITY OF GREEN OPEN SPACE IN MEDAN CITY

Urban development often prioritizes the economic sector over green open spaces (RTH), which significantly impacts environmental sustainability. Medan City faces challenges in meeting RTH targets, particularly in the context of rapid population growth and limited urban land. This research explores the availability and policies of RTH in Medan City and identifies factors influencing the lack of RTH. The research findings indicate that the implementation of RTH policies in Medan City is still far from the set targets. Despite efforts such as land acquisition and the addition of RTH, deficiencies persist, mainly concerning the community's understanding of the importance of RTH. Therefore, this study recommends an approach of intensification and extensification in RTH development, involving community participation, integrated planning, and the application of Green City concepts to achieve environmental sustainability and community well-being in Medan City.

Fabrication of new-generation healthy triacylglycerol enriched in medium chain fatty acid – A review

With an increase in the research advancements in the area of functional oil, the tailor-made lipids (TML) enriched in medium-chain fatty acids have attracted special attention owing to health-friendly traits. Among these sn-1/3 M: sn-2 L and sn-1/3 M: sn-2 M TML have become healthier choices for the consumers across globe. The distinct metabolism pattern of medium-chain fatty acid present in sn-1/3 M: sn-2 L and sn-1/3 M: sn-2 M TML, offers numerous physiological and functional benefits in managing certain non-communicable diseases. These functional oils are fabricated by modifying conventional lipids using chemical or enzymatic pathways by acidolysis/interesterification reaction. The numerous health benefits of sn-1/3 M: sn-2 L and sn-1/3 M: sn-2 M TML have increased their application in the food, pharmaceutical, and nutraceutical sectors. The goal of this review is to provide a piece of concise information on sn-1/3 M: sn-2 L and sn-1/3 M: sn-2 M TML skeleton, routes followed for their synthesis, intensification approaches to improve their yield (%) and quality, their recent application in the food system and future foresight to enhance their applicability in different food matrices.

Revisiting Ratify: Daunorubicin 60 Mg/m2 Vs 90 Mg/m2 in Previously Untreated FLT3mut Acute Myeloid Leukemia

1. Introduction Patients with FLT3mut acute myeloid leukemia (AML) have higher rates of relapse and a poor prognosis. FLT3 inhibitors and allogeneic stem cell transplant have resulted in improved survival, however, outcomes remain dismal - particularly for FLT3-ITD. Attempts to intensify established regimens are ongoing. The daunorubicin dose in the RATIFY trial was 60 mg/m 2; one common intensification approach in clinical practice is increasing the daunorubicin dose to 90 mg/m 2 in selected patient populations. The aim of this study was to define the baseline characteristics of these patient populations and analyze outcomes stratified by receipt of daunorubicin intensity in FLT3mut AML. 2. Methods We analyzed 40 patients from the Project ERIS database with newly diagnosed AML treated with 7+3 (daunorubicin and cytarabine) and midostaurin from January 1, 2013 to April 18, 2023 at VCU Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center. All patients had FLT3-ITD or FLT3-TKD. We divided patients into two groups: receipt of daunorubicin 60 mg/m 2 and daunorubicin 90 mg/m 2. We recorded baseline patient-related and disease characteristics, including age, ECOG, Charlson comorbidity index (CCI) scores, molecular profiling and ELN 2022 cytogenetic risk, dates of regimen initiation, and survival. We used the D'Agostino &amp; Pearson method for normality testing and the t-test or Mann-Whitney (as applicable) tests for between-group comparisons. Categorical comparisons used Fischer's exact test. We applied the Bonferroni correction if multiple comparisons were made. The Wilson-Brown method was used for 95% confidence intervals. We analyzed survival by the Kaplan-Meier method with significance determined by the log-rank test. The event for calculating the overall survival (OS) was the date of death. Patients were otherwise censored at the date of last contact. 3. Results In the overall cohort of 40 patients treated with 7+3 and midostaurin, 25 (62.5%) were treated with daunorubicin 60 mg/m 2 and 15 (37.5%) received daunorubicin 90 mg/m 2. Patients in the 60 mg/m 2 cohort were significantly older compared with the 90 mg/m 2 cohort (62 y. vs 47 y., p &amp;lt; 0.0001, Table A). Patients that received 60 mg/m 2 had worse CCI scores indicating more numerous comorbidities compared with those that received 90 mg/m 2 (4 vs 2, p &amp;lt; 0.0001). While the median ECOG score was 1 in both cohorts, the ECOG scores were significantly worse in the 60 mg/m 2 cohort - however, the significance disappeared after applying the Bonferroni correction (p = 0.029). All but one patient received next-generation testing at diagnosis. Significantly fewer patients in the 60 mg/m 2 cohort had FLT3-ITD (45.8% vs 93.3%, p = 0.0049); the remainder harbored FLT3-TKD. There was no difference in the proportion of ELN 2022 adverse-risk disease between the two cohorts (34.0% vs 26.7%, p &amp;gt; 0.999). The composite complete response rate (CRc; CR + CRi + CRh) was not significantly different between the two groups: 47.8% (95% CI, 29.2-67.0) for 60 mg/m 2 and 66.7% (95% CI, 41.7-84.8, p = 0.254) for 90 mg/m 2. There was no difference in the rates of MRD negativity between the lower and higher dose groups (18.2%, 95% CI, 3.2-47.7 vs 40.0%, 95% CI, 16.8-68.7, p = 0.254). Significantly more patients in the 90 mg/m 2 cohort proceeded to allogeneic stem cell transplant (53.3% vs 20.0%, p = 0.041). Despite this, we observed no difference in the median overall survival between the 60 mg/m 2 cohort at 20.7 m. and the 90 mg/m 2 cohort at 15.6 m. (p = 0.520, Figure B). 4. Discussion Individuals in the daunorubicin 60 mg/m 2 cohort were significantly older with worse comorbidities, resulting in significantly fewer patients proceeding to stem cell transplant. Despite this, there was no difference in the rates of response, MRD negativity, or median overall survival when stratified by receipt of daunorubicin intensity. A significantly higher proportion of FLT3-ITD relative to FLT3-TKD in the 90 mg/m 2 cohort may partially explain these findings. These results suggest a dose of daunorubicin 60 mg/m 2 in combination with cytarabine and midostaurin in patients fit for intensive chemotherapy.

A holistic approach for process intensification of nicotinamide mononucleotide production via high cell density cultivation under exponential feeding strategy

Nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN) subsists in all living organisms and has drawn tremendous attention as a nutraceutical and pharmaceutical product for several diseases such as Alzheimer’s, cancer, aging, and vascular dysfunction. Here, NMN was produced intracellularly in a high cell density bioreactor using an engineered Escherichiacoli strain via exponential feeding of co-substrates. Fed-batch culture via exponential feeding of co-substrate (glucose) and continuous feeding of substrate (nicotinamide) were performed using different cumulative nicotinamide concentrations. The highest concentration of 19.3 g/L NMN with a dry cell weight of 117 g/L was acquired from a cumulative nicotinamide concentration of 7.2 g/L with a conversion of 98 % from nicotinamide in 28 h. Further, liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis validated the NMN production. This approach will be beneficial in achieving simultaneously low cost and ensuring high quality and quantity of NMN production.

The Oxygenate-Mediated Conversion of COx to Hydrocarbons─On the Role of Zeolites in Tandem Catalysis.

Decentralized chemical plants close to circular carbon sources will play an important role in shaping the postfossil society. This scenario calls for carbon technologies which valorize CO2 and CO with renewable H2 and utilize process intensification approaches. The single-reactor tandem reaction approach to convert COx to hydrocarbons via oxygenate intermediates offers clear benefits in terms of improved thermodynamics and energy efficiency. Simultaneously, challenges and complexity in terms of catalyst material and mechanism, reactor, and process gaps have to be addressed. While the separate processes, namely methanol synthesis and methanol to hydrocarbons, are commercialized and extensively discussed, this review focuses on the zeolite/zeotype function in the oxygenate-mediated conversion of COx to hydrocarbons. Use of shape-selective zeolite/zeotype catalysts enables the selective production of fuel components as well as key intermediates for the chemical industry, such as BTX, gasoline, light olefins, and C3+ alkanes. In contrast to the separate processes which use methanol as a platform, this review examines the potential of methanol, dimethyl ether, and ketene as possible oxygenate intermediates in separate chapters. We explore the connection between literature on the individual reactions for converting oxygenates and the tandem reaction, so as to identify transferable knowledge from the individual processes which could drive progress in the intensification of the tandem process. This encompasses a multiscale approach, from molecule (mechanism, oxygenate molecule), to catalyst, to reactor configuration, and finally to process level. Finally, we present our perspectives on related emerging technologies, outstanding challenges, and potential directions for future research.

Process intensification for the production of a C-tagged antimicrobial peptide in Escherichia coli – First steps toward a platform technology

The production of antimicrobial peptides/proteins (AMPs) in sufficient quantities for clinical evaluation is challenging because complex peptides are unsuitable for chemical synthesis, natural sources have low yields, and heterologous systems often have low expression levels or require product-specific process adaptations. Here we describe the production of a complex AMP, the insect metalloproteinase inhibitor (IMPI), by adding a C-terminal C-tag to increase the yield compared to the unmodified peptide. We used a design of experiments approach for process intensification in Escherichia coli Rosetta-gami 2(DE3)pLysS cells and achieved a yield of 260mgL-1, which is up to 30-fold higher than previously reported. The C-tag also enhanced product purity but had no effect on IMPI activity, making tag removal unnecessary and therefore simplifying process analytics and downstream processing. We have confirmed that the C-tag is compatible with the peptide and could form the basis of a platform technology for the expression, purification and detection of diverse AMPs produced in E.coli.