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Author Alloul, A.; Van Kampen, W.; Cerruti, M.; Wittouck, S.; Pabst, M.; Weissbrodt, D.G.
Title Exploring the role of antimicrobials in the selective growth of purple phototrophic bacteria through genome mining and agar spot assays Type A1 Journal article
Year 2022 Publication (up) Letters in applied microbiology Abbreviated Journal Lett Appl Microbiol
Volume 75 Issue 5 Pages 1275-1285
Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)
Abstract Purple non-sulphur bacteria (PNSB) are an emerging group of microbes attractive for applied microbiology applications such as wastewater treatment, plant biostimulants, microbial protein, polyhydroxyalkanoates and H-2 production. These photoorganoheterotrophic microbes have the unique ability to grow selectively on organic carbon in anaerobic photobioreactors. This so-called selectivity implies that the microbial community will have a low diversity and a high abundance of a particular PNSB species. Recently, it has been shown that certain PNSB strains can produce antimicrobials, yet it remains unclear whether these contribute to competitive inhibition. This research aimed to understand which type of antimicrobial PNSB produce and identify whether these compounds contribute to their selective growth. Mining 166 publicly-available PNSB genomes using the computational tool BAGEL showed that 59% contained antimicrobial encoding regions, more specifically biosynthetic clusters of bacteriocins and non-ribosomal peptide synthetases. Inter- and intra-species inhibition was observed in agar spot assays for Rhodobacter blasticus EBR2 and Rhodopseudomonas palustris EBE1 with inhibition zones of, respectively, 5.1 and 1.5-5.7 mm. Peptidomic analysis detected a peptide fragment in the supernatant (SVLQLLR) that had a 100% percentage identity match with a known non-ribosomal peptide synthetase with antimicrobial activity.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000837055500001 Publication Date 2022-07-29
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 0266-8254 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record
Impact Factor 2.4 Times cited Open Access OpenAccess
Notes Approved Most recent IF: 2.4
Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:189519 Serial 7162
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author De Tommasi, E.; Gielis, J.; Rogato, A.
Title Diatom frustule morphogenesis and function : a multidisciplinary survey Type A1 Journal article
Year 2017 Publication (up) Marine Genomics Abbreviated Journal
Volume 35 Issue Pages 1-18
Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)
Abstract Diatoms represent the major component of phytoplankton and are responsible for about 2025% of global primary production. Hundreds of millions of years of evolution led to tens of thousands of species differing in dimensions and morphologies. In particular, diatom porous silica cell walls, the frustules, are characterized by an extraordinary, species-specific diversity. It is of great interest, among the marine biologists and geneticists community, to shed light on the origin and evolutionary advantage of this variability of dimensions, geometries and pore distributions. In the present article the main reported data related to frustule morphogenesis and functionalities with contributions from fundamental biology, genetics, mathematics, geometry and physics are reviewed.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000412957700001 Publication Date 2017-07-20
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 1874-7787 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor Times cited Open Access
Notes Approved no
Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:144546 Serial 7807
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author De Baere, K.; Verstraelen, H.; Rigo, P.; Van Passel, S.; Lenaerts, S.; Potters, G.
Title Study on alternative approaches to corrosion protection of ballast tanks using an economic model Type A1 Journal article
Year 2013 Publication (up) Marine structures Abbreviated Journal Mar Struct
Volume 32 Issue Pages 1-17
Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)
Abstract One of the most relevant problems in ship construction and maintenance nowadays is corrosion in ballast tanks of modern merchant vessels. On the one hand, there is a general consensus that the economic lifespan of such a vessel depends, to a large degree, upon the corrosion state of its ballast tanks, while on the other hand these ballast tanks, located between the outer hull and the cargo tanks, makes routine inspection and maintenance a difficult task. Today, ship's ballast tanks are usually constructed in steel and protected with an epoxy coating backed up by sacrificial zinc anodes. Such a construction has been applied without significant alterations for many years. The objective of this economic study is to compare this construction method with some potential alternatives. The considered alternatives are: (1) an increase in structural scantlings, eliminating the necessity to replace corroded at a cost of real cargo carrying capacity of the ship, (2) application of the novel and more durable TSCF25 coating (3), the use of corrosion resistant steel in ship construction and (4) a standard PSPC15 coating combined with lifetime lasting aluminum sacrificial anodes. A cost model was used to evaluate these alternative options together with sensitivity analysis. It is concluded that the durable coating and the use of lifetime lasting aluminum anodes are bound to improve the actual basic tank concept. Corrosion resistant steel becomes attractive when the steel price becomes competitive.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000319643500001 Publication Date 2013-03-27
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 0951-8339 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 2.052 Times cited 15 Open Access
Notes ; ; Approved Most recent IF: 2.052; 2013 IF: 1.242
Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:109346 Serial 6253
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author De Baere, K.; Verstraelen, H.; Rigo, P.; Van Passel, S.; Lenaerts, S.; Potters, G.
Title Reducing the cost of ballast tank corrosion : an economic modeling approach Type A1 Journal article
Year 2013 Publication (up) Marine structures Abbreviated Journal Mar Struct
Volume 32 Issue Pages 136-152
Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)
Abstract One of the most relevant problems in ship construction and maintenance nowadays concerns the corrosion in the double hull space ballast tanks of modern merchant vessels. On the one hand, there is a general consensus that the economic life span of such a vessel depends primarily upon the corrosion state of its ballast tanks, while on the other hand, the position of these tanks, squeezed between the outer hull and the loading tanks, makes routine inspection and maintenance almost impossible. Today, ship's ballast tanks are usually constructed in grade A steel and protected with a standard epoxy coating, backed up with sacrificial zinc anodes. Such a construction has been applied without significant alterations for many years. However, the objective of this economic study is to compare this construction method with some feasible alternatives. The considered alternatives are: (1) an increase of the scantlings, eliminating the necessity to replace corroded steel but diminishing the cargo carrying capacity of the ship, (2) application of the novel and more durable TSCF25 coating (3), the use of corrosion resistant steel in ship construction or (4) a standard PSPC15 coating combined with lifetime lasting aluminum sacrificial anodes. After running each alternative through a cost model including an extensive sensitivity analysis, it is concluded that the durable coating and the use of lifetime lasting aluminum anodes are bound to improve the actual basic tank concept. Corrosion resistant steel becomes attractive depending upon the evolution of the international steel market.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000319643500007 Publication Date 2013-05-01
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 0951-8339 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 2.052 Times cited 9 Open Access
Notes ; ; Approved Most recent IF: 2.052; 2013 IF: 1.242
Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:109347 Serial 6240
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author Tavkhelidze, I.; Cassisa, C.; Gielis, J.; Ricci, P.E.
Title About “bulky” links, generated by generalized Möbius Listing's bodies GML3n Type A1 Journal article
Year 2013 Publication (up) Matematica e applicazioni : atti della Accademia nazionale dei Lincei Abbreviated Journal
Volume 24 Issue 1 Pages 11-38
Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)
Abstract In the present paper we consider the “bulky knots'' and ”bulky links'', which appear after cutting a Generalized Möbius Listing's GMLn3 body (whose radial cross section is a plane 3-symmetric figure with three vertices) along different Generalized Möbius Listing's surfaces GMLn2 situated in it. This article is aimed to investigate the number and geometric structure of the independent objects appearing after such a cutting process of GMLn3 bodies. In most cases we are able to count the indices of the resulting mathematical objects according to the known tabulation for Knots and Links of small complexity.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000316567700002 Publication Date 2013-03-13
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 1120-6357 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor Times cited Open Access
Notes Approved no
Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:107174 Serial 7405
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author Scandura, G.; Eid, S.; Alnajjar, A.A.; Paul, T.; Karanikolos, G.N.; Shetty, D.; Omer, K.; Alqerem, R.; Juma, A.; Wang, H.; Arafat, H.A.; Dumee, L.F.
Title Photo-responsive metal-organic frameworks – design strategies and emerging applications in photocatalysis and adsorption Type A1 Journal article
Year 2023 Publication (up) Materials Advances Abbreviated Journal
Volume 4 Issue 5 Pages 1258-1285
Keywords A1 Journal article; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)
Abstract Stimuli-responsive metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are highly versatile porous materials with the ability to respond to different external stimuli, including temperature, pressure, pH, and light. The MOF properties can switch reversibly under specific light irradiation, opening the doors to various applications. This review focuses on design strategies to obtain photo-responsive MOFs, namely (i) encapsulation of photo-switchable molecules as guests in MOF porous structures, (ii) fabrication of MOF composites, (iii) post-synthesis modification, and (iv) synthesis of MOFs with photo-responsive ligands. The most recent reports from the literature are herein reviewed and analyzed in terms of material chemistry and performance. Comparisons between the different strategies are performed and future challenges are discussed. The critical aspect of the fatigue of photo-responsive MOFs applied for prolonged cycling of irradiation is also discussed.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000938241000001 Publication Date 2023-02-24
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor Times cited Open Access OpenAccess
Notes Approved Most recent IF: NA
Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:199418 Serial 8913
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author de Baere, K.; Verstraelen, H.; Dewil, R.; Lemmens, L.; Lenaerts, S.; Nkunzimana, T.; Potters, G.
Title Impact of tank construction on corrosion of ship ballast tanks Type A1 Journal article
Year 2010 Publication (up) Materials performance Abbreviated Journal Mater Performance
Volume 49 Issue 5 Pages 48-54
Keywords A1 Journal article; Theory of quantum systems and complex systems; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)
Abstract
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos Publication Date
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 0094-1492 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 0.149 Times cited Open Access
Notes ; ; Approved Most recent IF: 0.149; 2010 IF: 0.055
Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:82385 Serial 5961
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author Verstraelen, H.; de Baere, K.; Schillemans, W.; Lemmens, L.; Dewil, R.; Lenaerts, S.; Potters, G.
Title In situ study of ballast tank corrosion on ships: part 1 Type A1 Journal article
Year 2009 Publication (up) Materials performance Abbreviated Journal Mater Performance
Volume 48 Issue 10 Pages 48-51
Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Theory of quantum systems and complex systems; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)
Abstract
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos Publication Date
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 0094-1492 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 0.149 Times cited Open Access
Notes Approved Most recent IF: 0.149; 2009 IF: 0.124
Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:78547 Serial 5963
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author Verstraelen, H.; de Baere, K.; Schillemans, W.; Lemmens, L.; Dewil, R.; Lenaerts, S.; Potters, G.
Title In situ study of ballast tank corrosion on ships: part 2 Type A1 Journal article
Year 2009 Publication (up) Materials performance Abbreviated Journal Mater Performance
Volume 48 Issue 11 Pages 54-57
Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Theory of quantum systems and complex systems; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)
Abstract A study was undertaken to determine causes and effects of corrosion processes in ballast tanks. Part 1 of this article (October 2009 MP) described the data collection. Part 2 describes the development of a corrosion index (CI) derived from the general International Association of Classification Societies corrosion assessment methods. The CI can be used in situ to assess ballast tank corrosion. An average timeline for-corrosion of tanks is presented.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos Publication Date
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 0094-1492 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 0.149 Times cited Open Access
Notes Approved Most recent IF: 0.149; 2009 IF: 0.124
Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:79761 Serial 5964
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author Kumar, M.; Sengupta, A.; Kummamuru, N.B.
Title Molecular simulations for carbon dioxide capture in silica slit pores Type A3 Journal article
Year 2023 Publication (up) Materials Today: Proceedings Abbreviated Journal
Volume Issue Pages 1-9
Keywords A3 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)
Abstract In present work, we have performed the Grand Canonical Monte Carlo (GCMC) simulations to quantify CO2 capture inside porous silica at high operating temperatures of 673.15 K and 873.15 K; and over a operating pressure range of 500 kPa – 4000 kPa that are methane steam reforming process parameters. Related chemical potential values at these thermodynamic conditions are obtained from the bulk phase simulations in the Canonical ensemble in conjunction with Widom’s insertion technique, where the CO2 has been accurately represented by TraPPE force field. Present structure of the porous silica is a single slit pore geometry of various heights (H = 20 Å, 31.6 Å, 63.2 Å and 126.5 Å), dimensions in which possible vapour-liquid equilibria for generic square well fluids has been reported in literature. Estimation of the pore-fluid interactions show a higher interaction between silica pore and adsorbed CO2 compared to the reported pore-fluid interactions between homogeneous carbon slit pore and adsorbed CO2; thus resulting in an enhancement of adsorption inside silica pores of H = 20 Å and H = 126.5 Å, which are respectively 3.5 times and 1.5 times higher than that in homogeneous carbon slit pores of same dimensions and at 673.15 K and 500 kPa. Estimated local density plots indicate the presence of structured layers due to more molecular packing, which confirms possible liquid-like and vapour-like phase coexistence of the supercritical bulk phase CO2 under confinement.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos Publication Date 2023-05-06
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 2214-7853 ISBN Additional Links UA library record
Impact Factor Times cited Open Access
Notes Approved Most recent IF: NA
Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:200944 Serial 9058
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author Mescia, L.; Bia, P.; Caratelli, D.; Chiapperino, M.A.; Stukach, O.; Gielis, J.
Title Electromagnetic mathematical modeling of 3D supershaped dielectric lens antennas Type A1 Journal article
Year 2016 Publication (up) Mathematical problems in engineering: theory, methods, and applications Abbreviated Journal
Volume Issue Pages 8130160-10
Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)
Abstract The electromagnetic analysis of a special class of 3D dielectric lens antennas is described in detail. This new class of lens antennas has a geometrical shape defined by the three-dimensional extension of Gielis formula. The analytical description of the lens shape allows the development of a dedicated semianalytical hybrid modeling approach based on geometrical tube tracing and physical optic. In order to increase the accuracy of the model, the multiple reflections occurring within the lens are also taken into account.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000372246600001 Publication Date 2016-02-29
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 1024-123x; 1563-5147 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor Times cited Open Access
Notes Approved no
Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:131516 Serial 7866
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author Spanoghe, J.; Grunert, O.; Wambacq, E.; Sakarika, M.; Papini, G.; Alloul, A.; Spiller, M.; Derycke, V.; Stragier, L.; Verstraete, H.; Fauconnier, K.; Verstraete, W.; Haesaert, G.; Vlaeminck, S.E.
Title Storage, fertilization and cost properties highlight the potential of dried microbial biomass as organic fertilizer Type A1 Journal article
Year 2020 Publication (up) Microbial biotechnology Abbreviated Journal Microb. Biotechnol.
Volume Issue Pages 1-13
Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)
Abstract The transition to sustainable agriculture and horticulture is a societal challenge of global importance. Fertilization with a minimum impact on the environment can facilitate this. Organic fertilizers can play an important role, given their typical release pattern and production through resource recovery. Microbial fertilizers (MFs) constitute an emerging class of organic fertilizers and consist of dried microbial biomass, for instance produced on effluents from the food and beverage industry. In this study, three groups of organisms were tested as MFs: a high-rate consortium aerobic bacteria (CAB), the microalga Arthrospira platensis (‘Spirulina’) and a purple non-sulfur bacterium (PNSB) Rhodobacter sp. During storage as dry products, the MFs showed light hygroscopic activity, but the mineral and organic fractions remained stable over a storage period of 91 days. For biological tests, a reference organic fertilizer (ROF) was used as positive control, and a commercial organic growing medium (GM) as substrate. The mineralization patterns without and with plants were similar for all MFs and ROF, with more than 70% of the organic nitrogen mineralized in 77 days. In a first fertilization trial with parsley, all MFs showed equal performance compared to ROF, and the plant fresh weight was even higher with CAB fertilization. CAB was subsequently used in a follow-up trial with petunia and resulted in elevated plant height, comparable chlorophyll content and a higher amount of flowers compared to ROF. Finally, a cost estimation for packed GM with supplemented fertilizer indicated that CAB and a blend of CAB/PNSB (85%/15%) were most cost competitive, with an increase of 6% and 7% in cost compared to ROF. In conclusion, as biobased fertilizers, MFs have the potential to contribute to sustainable plant nutrition, performing as good as a commercially available organic fertilizer, and to a circular economy.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000563539700001 Publication Date 2020-03-16
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 1751-7915 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 5.7 Times cited Open Access
Notes The authors would like to kindly acknowledge (i) the MIP i‐Cleantech Flanders (Milieu‐innovatieplatform; Environment innovation platform) project Microbial Nutrients on Demand (MicroNOD) for financial support, (ii) the DOCPRO4 project ‘PurpleTech’, funded by the BOF (Bijzonder onderzoeksfonds; Special research fund) from the University of Antwerp for financially supporting J.S., (iii) all MicroNOD partners, including the University of Antwerp, Ghent University, AgrAqua, Greenyard Horticulture and Avecom; and (iv) all steering committee members, including Greenyard Frozen, Agristo, AVBS, Vlakwa, het Innovatiesteunpunt, VCM and OVAM. Approved Most recent IF: 5.7; 2020 IF: NA
Call Number DuEL @ duel @c:irua:167595 Serial 6357
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author Sakarika, M.; Spanoghe, J.; Sui, Y.; Wambacq, E.; Grunert, O.; Haesaert, G.; Spiller, M.; Vlaeminck, S.E.
Title Purple non-sulphur bacteria and plant production: benefits for fertilization, stress resistance and the environment Type A1 Journal article
Year 2020 Publication (up) Microbial biotechnology Abbreviated Journal
Volume 13 Issue 5 Pages 1336-1365
Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)
Abstract Purple non-sulphur bacteria (PNSB) are phototrophic microorganisms, which increasingly gain attention in plant production due to their ability to produce and accumulate high-value compounds that are beneficial for plant growth. Remarkable features of PNSB include the accumulation of polyphosphate, the production of pigments and vitamins and the production of plant growth-promoting substances (PGPSs). Scattered case studies on the application of PNSB for plant cultivation have been reported for decades, yet a comprehensive overview is lacking. This review highlights the potential of using PNSB in plant production, with emphasis on three key performance indicators (KPIs): fertilization, resistance to stress (biotic and abiotic) and environmental benefits. PNSB have the potential to enhance plant growth performance, increase the yield and quality of edible plant biomass, boost the resistance to environmental stresses, bioremediate heavy metals and mitigate greenhouse gas emissions. Here, the mechanisms responsible for these attributes are discussed. A distinction is made between the use of living and dead PNSB cells, where critical interpretation of existing literature revealed the better performance of living cells. Finally, this review presents research gaps that remain yet to be elucidated and proposes a roadmap for future research and implementation paving the way for a more sustainable crop production.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000482388700001 Publication Date 2019-08-21
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 1751-7915 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 5.7 Times cited 10 Open Access
Notes ; The authors would like to acknowledge: (i) the MIP i-Cleantech Flanders (Milieu-innovatieplatform; Environment innovation platform) project Microbial Nutrients on Demand (MicroNOD) for financial support; (ii) the China Scholarship Council for financially supporting Y. Sui (File No. 201507650015); (iii) the DOCPRO4 project 'PurpleTech', funded by the BOF (Bijzonder onderzoeksfonds); Special research fund from the University of Antwerp for financially supporting J. Spanoghe, and (iv) E. Koutsoukou for constructing components of Figs 5 and 6. ; Approved Most recent IF: 5.7; 2020 IF: NA
Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:162876 Serial 6587
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author Alloul, A.; Spanoghe, J.; Machado, D.; Vlaeminck, S.E.
Title Unlocking the genomic potential of aerobes and phototrophs for the production of nutritious and palatable microbial food without arable land or fossil fuels Type A1 Journal article
Year 2022 Publication (up) Microbial biotechnology Abbreviated Journal
Volume 15 Issue 1 Pages 6-12
Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)
Abstract The increasing world population and living standards urgently necessitate the transition towards a sustainable food system. One solution is microbial protein, i.e. using microbial biomass as alternative protein source for human nutrition, particularly based on renewable electron and carbon sources that do not require arable land. Upcoming green electrification and carbon capture initiatives enable this, yielding new routes to H2, CO2 and CO2-derived compounds like methane, methanol, formic- and acetic acid. Aerobic hydrogenotrophs, methylotrophs, acetotrophs and microalgae are the usual suspects for nutritious and palatable biomass production on these compounds. Interestingly, these compounds are largely un(der)explored for purple non-sulfur bacteria, even though these microbes may be suitable for growing aerobically and phototrophically on these substrates. Currently, selecting the best strains, metabolisms and cultivation conditions for nutritious and palatable microbial food mainly starts from empirical growth experiments, and mostly does not stretch beyond bulk protein. We propose a more target-driven and efficient approach starting from the genome-embedded potential to tuning towards, for instance, essential amino- and fatty acids, vitamins, taste,... Genome-scale metabolic models combined with flux balance analysis will facilitate this, narrowing down experimental variations and enabling to get the most out of the 'best' combinations of strain and electron and carbon sources.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000613868600001 Publication Date 2021-02-06
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 1751-7915 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 5.7 Times cited Open Access OpenAccess
Notes Approved Most recent IF: 5.7
Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:176174 Serial 7225
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author Grunert, O.; Reheul, D.; Van Labeke, M.-C.; Perneel, M.; Hernandez-Sanabria, E.; Vlaeminck, S.E.; Boon, N.
Title Growing media constituents determine the microbial nitrogen conversions in organic growing media for horticulture Type A1 Journal article
Year 2016 Publication (up) Microbial Biotechnology Abbreviated Journal
Volume 9 Issue 3 Pages 389-399
Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)
Abstract Vegetables and fruits are an important part of a healthy food diet, however, the eco-sustainability of the production of these can still be significantly improved. European farmers and consumers spend an estimated Euro15.5 billion per year on inorganic fertilizers and the production of N-fertilizers results in a high carbon footprint. We investigated if fertilizer type and medium constituents determine microbial nitrogen conversions in organic growing media and can be used as a next step towards a more sustainable horticulture. We demonstrated that growing media constituents showed differences in urea hydrolysis, ammonia and nitrite oxidation and in carbon dioxide respiration rate. Interestingly, mixing of the growing media constituents resulted in a stimulation of the function of the microorganisms. The use of organic fertilizer resulted in an increase in amoA gene copy number by factor 100 compared to inorganic fertilizers. Our results support our hypothesis that the activity of the functional microbial community with respect to nitrogen turnover in an organic growing medium can be improved by selecting and mixing the appropriate growing media components with each other. These findings contribute to the understanding of the functional microbial community in growing media and its potential role towards a more responsible horticulture.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000374662600009 Publication Date 2016-03-23
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 1751-7907 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor Times cited Open Access
Notes Approved no
Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:133617 Serial 8013
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author Timmis, K.; de Vos, W.M.; Luis Ramos, J.; Vlaeminck, S.E.; Prieto, A.; Danchin, A.; Verstraete, W.; de Lorenzo, V.; Lee, S.Y.; Brussow, H.; Timmis, J.K.; Singh, B.K.
Title The contribution of microbial biotechnology to sustainable development goals Type Editorial
Year 2017 Publication (up) Microbial biotechnology Abbreviated Journal
Volume 10 Issue 5 Pages 984-987
Keywords Editorial; Engineering sciences. Technology; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)
Abstract
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000411491300001 Publication Date 2017-08-25
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 1751-7915 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor Times cited Open Access
Notes Approved no
Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:146778 Serial 8653
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author Fougerolle, Y.; Truchetet, F.; Gielis, J.
Title Potential fields of self intersecting Gielis curves for modeling and generalized blending techniques Type P1 Proceeding
Year 2017 Publication (up) Modeling In Mathematics Abbreviated Journal
Volume 2 Issue Pages 67-81 T2 -
Keywords P1 Proceeding; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)
Abstract The definition of Gielis curves allows for the representation of self intersecting curves. The analysis and the understanding of these representations is of major interest for the analytical representation of sectors bounded by multiple subsets of curves (or surfaces), as this occurs for instance in many natural objects. We present a construction scheme based on R-functions to build signed potential fields with guaranteed differential properties, such that their zero-set corresponds to the outer, the inner envelop, or combined subparts of the curve. Our framework is designed to allow for the definition of composed domains built upon Boolean operations between several distinct objects or some subpart of self-intersecting curves, but also provides a representation for soft blending techniques in which the traditional Boolean union and intersection become special cases of linear combinations between the objects' potential fields. Finally, by establishing a connection between R-functions and Lame curves, we can extend the domain of the p parameter within the R-p-function from the set of the even positive numbers to the real numbers strictly greater than 1, i.e. p is an element of]1, +infinity[.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000442076400006 Publication Date 2017-04-20
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 978-94-6239-261-8; 978-94-6239-260-1; 978-94-6239-260-1 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor Times cited Open Access
Notes Approved no
Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:153801 Serial 8395
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author Lu, Y.; Cheng, X.; Tian, G.; Zhao, H.; He, L.; Hu, J.; Wu, S.-M.; Dong, Y.; Chang, G.-G.; Lenaerts, S.; Siffert, S.; Van Tendeloo, G.; Li, Z.-F.; Xu, L.-L.; Yang, X.-Y.; Su, B.-L.
Title Hierarchical CdS/m-TiO 2 /G ternary photocatalyst for highly active visible light-induced hydrogen production from water splitting with high stability Type A1 Journal article
Year 2018 Publication (up) Nano energy Abbreviated Journal Nano Energy
Volume 47 Issue Pages 8-17
Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT); Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)
Abstract Hierarchical semiconductors are the most important photocatalysts, especially for visible light-induced hydrogen production from water splitting. We demonstrate herein a hierarchical electrostatic assembly approach to hierarchical CdS/m-TiO2/G ternary photocatalyst, which exhibits high photoactivity and excellent photostability (more than twice the activity of pure CdS while 82% of initial photoactivity remained after 15 recycles during 80 h irradiation). The ternary nanojunction effect of the photocatalyst has been investigated from orbitals hybrid, bonding energy to atom-stress distortion and nano-interface fusion. And a coherent separation mechanism of charge carriers in the ternary system has been proposed at an atomic/nanoscale. This work offers a promising way to inhibit the photocorrosion of CdS and, more importantly, provide new insights for the design of ternary nanostructured photocatalysts with an ideal heterojunction.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000430057000002 Publication Date 2018-02-14
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 2211-2855 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 12.343 Times cited 58 Open Access Not_Open_Access
Notes This work supported by National Key R&D Program of China (2017YFC1103800), Program for Changjiang Scholars and Innovative Research Team in University (IRT_15R52), National Natural Science Foundation of China (U1663225, U1662134, 51472190, 51611530672, 21711530705, 51503166, 51602236, 21706199), International Science & Technology Cooperation Program of China (2015DFE52870), Natural Science Foundation of Hubei Province (2016CFA033, 2017CFB487), Open 22 Project Program of State Key Laboratory of Petroleum Pollution Control (PPC2016007) CNPC Research Institute of Safety and Environmental Technology., China Postdoctoral Science Foundation (2016M592400), Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (WUT: 2017IVB012). Approved Most recent IF: 12.343
Call Number EMAT @ lucian @c:irua:150720 Serial 4925
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Author Liao, T.-W.; Verbruggen, S.; Claes, N.; Yadav, A.; Grandjean, D.; Bals, S.; Lievens, P.
Title TiO2 Films Modified with Au Nanoclusters as Self-Cleaning Surfaces under Visible Light Type A1 Journal article
Year 2018 Publication (up) Nanomaterials Abbreviated Journal Nanomaterials-Basel
Volume 8 Issue 8 Pages 30
Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT); Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)
Abstract In this study, we applied cluster beam deposition (CBD) as a new approach for fabricating efficient plasmon-based photocatalytic materials. Au nanoclusters (AuNCs) produced in the gas phase were deposited on TiO2 P25-coated silicon wafers with coverage ranging from 2 to 8 atomic monolayer (ML) equivalents. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) images of the AuNCs modified TiO2 P25 films show that the surface is uniformly covered by the AuNCs that remain isolated at low coverage (2 ML, 4 ML) and aggregate at higher coverage (8 ML). A clear relationship between AuNCs coverage and photocatalytic activity towards stearic acid photo-oxidation was measured, both under ultraviolet and green light illumination. TiO2 P25 covered with 4 ML AuNCs showed the best stearic acid photo-oxidation performance under green light illumination (Formal Quantum Efficiency 1.6 x 10-6 over a period of 93 h). These results demonstrate the large potential of gas-phase AuNCs beam deposition technology for the fabrication of visible light active plasmonic photocatalysts.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000424131600030 Publication Date 2018-01-08
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 2079-4991 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 3.553 Times cited 29 Open Access OpenAccess
Notes The research leading to these results has received funding from the European Union’s Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007-2013) under grant agreement n 607417 (Catsense). We also thank the Research Foundation—Flanders (FWO, Belgium), the Flemish Concerted Action (BOF KU Leuven, Project No. GOA/14/007) research program, and the microscope was partly funded by the Hercules Fund from the Flemish Government for the support. N.C. and S.B. acknowledge financial support from European Research Council (ERC Starting Grant #335078-COLOURATOM). ECAS_Sara (ROMEO:green; preprint:; postprint:can ; pdfversion:can); Approved Most recent IF: 3.553
Call Number EMAT @ emat @c:irua:147898UA @ admin @ c:irua:147898 Serial 4805
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Author Rocha Segundo, I.; Landi Jr., S.; Margaritis, A.; Pipintakos, G.; Freitas, E.; Vuye, C.; Blom, J.; Tytgat, T.; Denys, S.; Carneiro, J.
Title Physicochemical and rheological properties of a transparent asphalt binder modified with nano-TiO₂ Type A1 Journal article
Year 2020 Publication (up) Nanomaterials Abbreviated Journal Nanomaterials-Basel
Volume 10 Issue 11 Pages 2152
Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL); Energy and Materials in Infrastructure and Buildings (EMIB)
Abstract Transparent binder is used to substitute conventional black asphalt binder and to provide light-colored pavements, whereas nano-TiO2 has the potential to promote photocatalytic and self-cleaning properties. Together, these materials provide multifunction effects and benefits when the pavement is submitted to high solar irradiation. This paper analyzes the physicochemical and rheological properties of a transparent binder modified with 0.5%, 3.0%, 6.0%, and 10.0% nano-TiO2 and compares it to the transparent base binder and conventional and polymer modified binders (PMB) without nano-TiO2. Their penetration, softening point, dynamic viscosity, master curve, black diagram, Linear Amplitude Sweep (LAS), Multiple Stress Creep Recovery (MSCR), and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) were obtained. The transparent binders (base and modified) seem to be workable considering their viscosity, and exhibited values between the conventional binder and PMB with respect to rutting resistance, penetration, and softening point. They showed similar behavior to the PMB, demonstrating signs of polymer modification. The addition of TiO2 seemed to reduce fatigue life, except for the 0.5% content. Nevertheless, its addition in high contents increased the rutting resistance. The TiO2 modification seems to have little effect on the chemical functional indices. The best percentage of TiO2 was 0.5%, with respect to fatigue, and 10.0% with respect to permanent deformation.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000593731700001 Publication Date 2020-10-29
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 2079-4991 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 5.3 Times cited Open Access
Notes Approved Most recent IF: 5.3; 2020 IF: 3.553
Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:172621 Serial 6580
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Author Dingenen, F.; Blommaerts, N.; Van Hal, M.; Borah, R.; Arenas-Esteban, D.; Lenaerts, S.; Bals, S.; Verbruggen, S.W.
Title Layer-by-Layer-Stabilized Plasmonic Gold-Silver Nanoparticles on TiO2: Towards Stable Solar Active Photocatalysts Type A1 Journal article
Year 2021 Publication (up) Nanomaterials Abbreviated Journal Nanomaterials-Basel
Volume 11 Issue 10 Pages 2624
Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)
Abstract To broaden the activity window of TiO2, a broadband plasmonic photocatalyst has been designed and optimized. This plasmonic ‘rainbow’ photocatalyst consists of TiO2 modified with gold–silver composite nanoparticles of various sizes and compositions, thus inducing a broadband interaction with polychromatic solar light. However, these nanoparticles are inherently unstable, especially due to the use of silver. Hence, in this study the application of the layer-by-layer technique is introduced to create a protective polymer shell around the metal cores with a very high degree of control. Various TiO2 species (pure anatase, PC500, and P25) were loaded with different plasmonic metal loadings (0–2 wt %) in order to identify the most solar active composite materials. The prepared plasmonic photocatalysts were tested towards stearic acid degradation under simulated sunlight. From all materials tested, P25 + 2 wt % of plasmonic ‘rainbow’ nanoparticles proved to be the most promising (56% more efficient compared to pristine P25) and was also identified as the most cost-effective. Further, 2 wt % of layer-by-layer-stabilized ‘rainbow’ nanoparticles were loaded on P25. These layer-by-layer-stabilized metals showed superior stability under a heated oxidative atmosphere, as well as in a salt solution. Finally, the activity of the composite was almost completely retained after 1 month of aging, while the nonstabilized equivalent lost 34% of its initial activity. This work shows for the first time the synergetic application of a plasmonic ‘rainbow’ concept and the layer-by-layer stabilization technique, resulting in a promising solar active, and long-term stable photocatalyst.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000712759800001 Publication Date 2021-10-06
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 2079-4991 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 3.553 Times cited 7 Open Access OpenAccess
Notes Research was funded by Research Foundation—Flanders (FWO), FN 700300001— Aspirant F. Dingenen. Approved Most recent IF: 3.553
Call Number EMAT @ emat @c:irua:183281 Serial 6812
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Author Volders, J.; Elen, K.; Raes, A.; Ninakanti, R.; Kelchtermans, A.-S.; Sastre, F.; Hardy, A.; Cool, P.; Verbruggen, S.W.; Buskens, P.; Van Bael, M.K.
Title Sunlight-powered reverse water gas shift reaction catalysed by plasmonic Au/TiO₂ nanocatalysts : effects of Au particle size on the activity and selectivity Type A1 Journal article
Year 2022 Publication (up) Nanomaterials Abbreviated Journal Nanomaterials-Basel
Volume 12 Issue 23 Pages 4153-13
Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Laboratory of adsorption and catalysis (LADCA); Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)
Abstract This study reports the low temperature and low pressure conversion (up to 160 °C, p = 3.5 bar) of CO2 and H2 to CO using plasmonic Au/TiO2 nanocatalysts and mildly concentrated artificial sunlight as the sole energy source (up to 13.9 kW·m-2 = 13.9 suns). To distinguish between photothermal and non-thermal contributors, we investigated the impact of the Au nanoparticle size and light intensity on the activity and selectivity of the catalyst. A comparative study between P25 TiO2-supported Au nanocatalysts of a size of 6 nm and 16 nm displayed a 15 times higher activity for the smaller particles, which can only partially be attributed to the higher Au surface area. Other factors that may play a role are e.g., the electronic contact between Au and TiO2 and the ratio between plasmonic absorption and scattering. Both catalysts displayed ≥84% selectivity for CO (side product is CH4). Furthermore, we demonstrated that the catalytic activity of Au/TiO2 increases exponentially with increasing light intensity, which indicated the presence of a photothermal contributor. In dark, however, both Au/TiO2 catalysts solely produced CH4 at the same catalyst bed temperature (160 °C). We propose that the difference in selectivity is caused by the promotion of CO desorption through charge transfer of plasmon generated charges (as a non-thermal contributor).
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000896093900001 Publication Date 2022-11-24
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 2079-4991 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 5.3 Times cited Open Access OpenAccess
Notes Approved Most recent IF: 5.3
Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:191843 Serial 7341
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Author Claes, N.; Asapu, R.; Blommaerts, N.; Verbruggen, S.W.; Lenaerts, S.; Bals, S.
Title Characterization of silver-polymer core–shell nanoparticles using electron microscopy Type A1 Journal article
Year 2018 Publication (up) Nanoscale Abbreviated Journal Nanoscale
Volume 10 Issue 10 Pages 9186-9191
Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT); Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)
Abstract Silver-polymer core–shell nanoparticles show interesting optical properties, making them widely applicable in the field of plasmonics. The uniformity, thickness and homogeneity of the polymer shell will affect the properties of the system which makes a thorough structural characterization of these core–shell silver-polymer nanoparticles of great importance. However, visualizing the shell and the particle simultaneously is far from straightforward due to the sensitivity of the polymer shell towards the electron beam. In this study, we use different 2D and 3D electron microscopy techniques to investigate different structural aspects of the polymer coating.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000437007700028 Publication Date 2018-04-16
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 2040-3364 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 7.367 Times cited 11 Open Access OpenAccess
Notes N. C. and S. B. acknowledge financial support from European Research Council (ERC Starting Grant #335078-COLOURATOMS) and from the FWO through project funding (G038116N). R. A. and S. L. acknowledge the Research Foundation Flanders (FWO) for financial support. (ROMEO:yellow; preprint:; postprint:restricted ; pdfversion:cannot); ECAS_Sara Approved Most recent IF: 7.367
Call Number EMAT @ emat @c:irua:151290UA @ admin @ c:irua:151290 Serial 4959
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Author Lu, Y.; Liu, Y.-X.; He, L.; Wang, L.-Y.; Liu, X.-L.; Liu, J.-W.; Li, Y.-Z.; Tian, G.; Zhao, H.; Yang, X.-H.; Liu, J.; Janiak, C.; Lenaerts, S.; Yang, X.-Y.; Su, B.-L.
Title Interfacial co-existence of oxygen and titanium vacancies in nanostructured TiO₂ for enhancement of carrier transport Type A1 Journal article
Year 2020 Publication (up) Nanoscale Abbreviated Journal Nanoscale
Volume 12 Issue 15 Pages 8364-8370
Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)
Abstract The interfacial co-existence of oxygen and metal vacancies in metal oxide semiconductors and their highly efficient carrier transport have rarely been reported. This work reports on the co-existence of oxygen and titanium vacancies at the interface between TiO2 and rGO via a simple two-step calcination treatment. Experimental measurements show that the oxygen and titanium vacancies are formed under 550 degrees C/Ar and 350 degrees C/air calcination conditions, respectively. These oxygen and titanium vacancies significantly enhance the transport of interfacial carriers, and thus greatly improve the photocurrent performances, the apparent quantum yield, and photocatalysis such as photocatalytic H-2 production from water-splitting, photocatalytic CO2 reduction and photo-electrochemical anticorrosion of metals. A new “interfacial co-existence of oxygen and titanium vacancies” phenomenon, and its characteristics and mechanism are proposed at the atomic-/nanoscale to clarify the generation of oxygen and titanium vacancies as well as the interfacial carrier transport.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000529201500029 Publication Date 2020-02-26
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 2040-3364 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 6.7 Times cited 4 Open Access
Notes ; This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (51861135313, U1663225, U1662134, and 51472190), the International Science & Technology Cooperation Program of China (2015DFE52870), the Program for Changjiang Scholars and Innovative Research Team in University (IRT_15R52), the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (19lgpy113 and 19lgzd16), the Jilin Province Science and Technology Development Plan (20180101208JC) and the Hubei Provincial Natural Science Foundation of China (2016CFA033). ; Approved Most recent IF: 6.7; 2020 IF: 7.367
Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:169578 Serial 6550
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Author Spanoghe, J.; Ost, K.J.; Van Beeck, W.; Vermeir, P.; Lebeer, S.; Vlaeminck, S.E.
Title Purple bacteria screening for photoautohydrogenotrophic food production : are new H₂-fed isolates faster and nutritionally better than photoheterotrophically obtained reference species? Type A1 Journal article
Year 2022 Publication (up) New biotechnology Abbreviated Journal New Biotechnol
Volume 72 Issue Pages 38-47
Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)
Abstract Photoautohydrogenotrophic enrichments of wastewater treatment microbiomes were performed to obtain hypothetically high-potential specialist species for biotechnological applications. From these enrichment cultures, ten photoautohydrogenotrophic species were isolated: six Rhodopseudomonas species, three Rubrivivax members and Rhodobacter blasticus. The performance of these isolates was compared to three commonly studied, and originally photoheterotrophically enriched species (Rhodopseudomonas palustris, Rhodobacter capsulatus and Rhodobacter sphaeroides), designated as reference species. Repeated subcultivations were applied to improve the initial poor performance of the isolates (acclimation effect), which resulted in increases in both maximum growth rate and protein productivity. However, the maximum growth rate of the reference species remained 3–7 times higher compared to the isolates (0.42–0.84 d−1 at 28 °C), while protein productivities remained 1.5–1.7 times higher. This indicated that H2-based enrichment did not result in photoautohydrogenotrophic specialists, suggesting that the reference species are more suitable for intensified biomass and protein production. On the other hand, the isolates were able to provide equally high protein quality profiles as the references species, providing full dietary essential amino acid matches for human food. Lastly, the effect of metabolic carbon/electron switching (back and forth between auto- to heterotrophic conditions) initially boosted µmax when returning to photoautohydrogenotrophic conditions. However, the switch negatively impacted lag phase, protein productivities and pigment contents. In the case of protein productivity, the acquired acclimation was partially lost with decreases of up to 44 % and 40 % respectively for isolates and reference species. Finally, the three reference species, and specifically Rh. capsulatus, remained the most suitable candidate(s) for further biotechnological development.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000861078800005 Publication Date 2022-08-29
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 1871-6784; 1876-4347 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 5.4 Times cited Open Access OpenAccess
Notes Approved Most recent IF: 5.4
Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:190188 Serial 7199
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Author Rossi, F.; Olguin, E.J.; Diels, L.; De Philippis, R.
Title Microbial fixation of CO2 in water bodies and in drylands to combat climate change, soil loss and desertification Type A1 Journal article
Year 2015 Publication (up) New biotechnology Abbreviated Journal
Volume 32 Issue 1 Pages 109-120
Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)
Abstract The growing concern for the increase of the global warming effects due to anthropogenic activities raises the challenge of finding novel technological approaches to stabilize CO2 emissions in the atmosphere and counteract impinging interconnected issues such as desertification and loss of biodiversity. Biological-CO2 mitigation, triggered through biological fixation, is considered a promising and eco-sustainable method, mostly owing to its downstream benefits that can be exploited. Microorganisms such as cyanobacteria, green algae and some autotrophic bacteria could potentially fix CO2 more efficiently than higher plants, due to their faster growth. Some examples of the potential of biological-CO2 mitigation are reported and discussed in this paper. In arid and semiarid environments, soil carbon sequestration (CO2 fixation) by cyanobacteria and biological soil crusts is considered an eco-friendly and natural process to increase soil C content and a viable pathway to soil restoration after one disturbance event. Another way for biological-CO2 mitigation intensively studied in the last few years is related to the possibility to perform carbon dioxide sequestration using microalgae, obtaining at the same time bioproducts of industrial interest. Another possibility under study is the exploitation of specific chemotrophic bacteria, such as Ralstonia eutropha (or picketii) and related organisms, for CO2 fixation coupled with the production chemicals such as polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs). In spite of the potential of these processes, multiple factors still have to be optimized for maximum rate of CO2 fixation by these microorganisms. The optimization of culture conditions, including the optimal concentration of CO2 in the provided gas, the use of metabolic engineering and of dual purpose systems for the treatment of wastewater and production of biofuels and high value products within a biorefinery concept, the design of photobioreactors in the case of phototrophs are some of the issues that, among others, have to be addressed and tested for cost-effective CO2 sequestration.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000347507800015 Publication Date 2013-12-16
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 1871-6784; 1876-4347 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor Times cited Open Access
Notes Approved no
Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:123762 Serial 8242
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Author De Micco, V.; Amitrano, C.; Mastroleo, F.; Aronne, G.; Battistelli, A.; Carnero-Diaz, E.; De Pascale, S.; Detrell, G.; Dussap, C.-G.; Ganigué, R.; Jakobsen, Ø.M.; Poulet, L.; Van Houdt, R.; Verseux, C.; Vlaeminck, S.E.; Willaert, R.; Leys, N.
Title Plant and microbial science and technology as cornerstones to Bioregenerative Life Support Systems in space Type A1 Journal article
Year 2023 Publication (up) NPJ microgravity Abbreviated Journal
Volume 9 Issue 1 Pages 69-12
Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)
Abstract Long-term human space exploration missions require environmental control and closed Life Support Systems (LSS) capable of producing and recycling resources, thus fulfilling all the essential metabolic needs for human survival in harsh space environments, both during travel and on orbital/planetary stations. This will become increasingly necessary as missions reach farther away from Earth, thereby limiting the technical and economic feasibility of resupplying resources from Earth. Further incorporation of biological elements into state-of-the-art (mostly abiotic) LSS, leading to bioregenerative LSS (BLSS), is needed for additional resource recovery, food production, and waste treatment solutions, and to enable more self-sustainable missions to the Moon and Mars. There is a whole suite of functions crucial to sustain human presence in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) and successful settlement on Moon or Mars such as environmental control, air regeneration, waste management, water supply, food production, cabin/habitat pressurization, radiation protection, energy supply, and means for transportation, communication, and recreation. In this paper, we focus on air, water and food production, and waste management, and address some aspects of radiation protection and recreation. We briefly discuss existing knowledge, highlight open gaps, and propose possible future experiments in the short-, medium-, and long-term to achieve the targets of crewed space exploration also leading to possible benefits on Earth.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 001093834300001 Publication Date 2023-08-24
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 2373-8065 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor Times cited Open Access OpenAccess
Notes Approved Most recent IF: NA
Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:199050 Serial 8916
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author Verbeelen, T.; Fernandez, C.A.; Nguyen, T.H.; Gupta, S.; Aarts, R.; Tabury, K.; Leroy, B.; Wattiez, R.; Vlaeminck, S.E.; Leys, N.; Ganigué, R.; Mastroleo, F.
Title Whole transcriptome analysis highlights nutrient limitation of nitrogen cycle bacteria in simulated microgravity Type A1 Journal article
Year 2024 Publication (up) NPJ microgravity Abbreviated Journal
Volume 10 Issue 1 Pages 3-19
Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)
Abstract Regenerative life support systems (RLSS) will play a vital role in achieving self-sufficiency during long-distance space travel. Urine conversion into a liquid nitrate-based fertilizer is a key process in most RLSS. This study describes the effects of simulated microgravity (SMG) on Comamonas testosteroni, Nitrosomonas europaea, Nitrobacter winogradskyi and a tripartite culture of the three, in the context of nitrogen recovery for the Micro-Ecological Life Support System Alternative (MELiSSA). Rotary cell culture systems (RCCS) and random positioning machines (RPM) were used as SMG analogues. The transcriptional responses of the cultures were elucidated. For CO2-producing C. testosteroni and the tripartite culture, a PermaLifeTM PL-70 cell culture bag mounted on an in-house 3D-printed holder was applied to eliminate air bubble formation during SMG cultivation. Gene expression changes indicated that the fluid dynamics in SMG caused nutrient and O2 limitation. Genes involved in urea hydrolysis and nitrification were minimally affected, while denitrification-related gene expression was increased. The findings highlight potential challenges for nitrogen recovery in space.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 001140007100001 Publication Date 2024-01-10
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 2373-8065 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record
Impact Factor Times cited Open Access Not_Open_Access
Notes Approved Most recent IF: NA
Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:202285 Serial 9113
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author Li, Y.; Quinn, B.K.; Niinemets, Ü.; Schrader, J.; Gielis, J.; Liu, M.; Shi, P.
Title Ellipticalness index : a simple measure of the complexity of oval leaf shape Type A1 Journal article
Year 2022 Publication (up) Pakistan journal of botany : An official publication of pakistan botanical society Abbreviated Journal Pak J Bot
Volume 54 Issue 6 Pages 1-8
Keywords A1 Journal article; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)
Abstract Plants have diverse leaf shapes that have evolved to adapt to the environments they have experienced over their evolutionary history. Leaf shape and leaf size can greatly influence the growth rate, competitive ability, and productivity of plants. However, researchers have long struggled to decide how to properly quantify the complexity of leaf shape. Prior studies recommended the leaf roundness index (RI = 4πA/P2) or dissection index (DI = ), where P is leaf perimeter and A is leaf area. However, these two indices merely measure the extent of the deviation of leaf shape from a circle, which is usually invalid as leaves are seldom circular. In this study, we proposed a simple measure, named the ellipticalness index (EI), for quantifying the complexity of leaf shape based on the hypothesis that the shape of any oval leaf can be regarded as a variation from a standard ellipse. 2220 leaves from nine species of Magnoliaceae were sampled to check the validity of the EI. We also tested the validity of the Montgomery equation (ME), which assumes a proportional relationship between leaf area and the product of leaf length and width, because the EI actually comes from the proportionality coefficient of the ME. We also compared the ME with five other models of leaf area. The ME was found to be the best model for calculating leaf area based on consideration of the trade-off between model fit vs. complexity, which strongly supported the robustness of the EI for describing oval leaf shape. The new index can account for both leaf shape and size, and we conclude that it is a promising method for quantifying and comparing oval leaf shapes across species in future studies.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000814279700028 Publication Date 2022-05-23
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 0556-3321 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 1.2 Times cited Open Access OpenAccess
Notes Approved Most recent IF: 1.2
Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:188469 Serial 7153
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author Fougerolle, Y.D.; Truchetet, F.; Demonceaux, C.; Gielis, J.
Title A robust evolutionary algorithm for the recovery of rational Gielis curves Type A1 Journal article
Year 2013 Publication (up) Pattern recognition Abbreviated Journal
Volume 46 Issue 8 Pages 2078-2091
Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)
Abstract Gielis curves (GC) can represent a wide range of shapes and patterns ranging from star shapes to symmetric and asymmetric polygons, and even self intersecting curves. Such patterns appear in natural objects or phenomena, such as flowers, crystals, pollen structures, animals, or even wave propagation. Gielis curves and surfaces are an extension of Lamé curves and surfaces (superquadrics) which have benefited in the last two decades of extensive researches to retrieve their parameters from various data types, such as range images, 2D and 3D point clouds, etc. Unfortunately, the most efficient techniques for superquadrics recovery, based on deterministic methods, cannot directly be adapted to Gielis curves. Indeed, the different nature of their parameters forbids the use of a unified gradient descent approach, which requires initial pre-processings, such as the symmetry detection, and a reliable pose and scale estimation. Furthermore, even the most recent algorithms in the literature remain extremely sensitive to initialization and often fall into local minima in the presence of large missing data. We present a simple evolutionary algorithm which overcomes most of these issues and unifies all of the required operations into a single though efficient approach. The key ideas in this paper are the replacement of the potential fields used for the cost function (closed form) by the shortest Euclidean distance (SED, iterative approach), the construction of cost functions which minimize the shortest distance as well as the curve length using R-functions, and slight modifications of the evolutionary operators. We show that the proposed cost function based on SED and R-function offers the best compromise in terms of accuracy, robustness to noise, and missing data.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000317944800002 Publication Date 2013-01-29
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 0031-3203 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor Times cited Open Access
Notes Approved no
Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:107181 Serial 8485
Permanent link to this record