Development of Smart Automated Irrigation System

This study is designed to develop an automatic irrigation system that switches (ON/OFF) a pump motor by sensing the moisture content of the soil using wireless technology. Through GSM Modem, the sensed moisture content data will be sent as an SMS to the user. The project uses 8051 series microcontroller, which is programmed to receive the input signal of varying moistures of the soil through sensors. This is achieved by using an op-amp as comparator which acts as interface between the sensing device and the microcontroller. Once the controller receives the signal, it generates an output that drives a relay for operating the water pump. It also sends an SMS to the concerned number using GSM modem. An LCD display is also interfaced to the microcontroller to display the status of the soil and water pump ON/Off condition. The sensing arrangement is made using two stiff metallic rods inserted to the agricultural field required to be in control. Connections from the metallic rods are interfaced to the control unit. This concept can also be enhanced by integrating XBEE/Bluetooth technology, such that whenever the water pump switches ON/OFF, the information is sent to a smart mobile phone or XBEE transceiver module regarding the status of the pump

A ubiquitous amino acid source for prokaryotic and eukaryotic cell-free transcription-translation systems

Cell-free gene expression (CFE) systems are an attractive tool for engineering within synthetic biology and for industrial production of high-value recombinant proteins. CFE reactions require a cell extract, energy system, amino acids, and DNA, to catalyse mRNA transcription and protein synthesis. To provide an amino acid source, CFE systems typically use a commercial standard, which is often proprietary. Herein we show that a range of common microbiology rich media (i.e., tryptone, peptone, yeast extract and casamino acids) unexpectedly provide an effective and low-cost amino acid source. We show that this approach is generalisable, by comparing batch variability and protein production in the following range of CFE systems: Escherichia coli (Rosetta™ 2 (DE3), BL21(DE3)), Streptomyces venezuelae and Pichia pastoris. In all CFE systems, we show equivalent or increased protein synthesis capacity upon replacement of the commercial amino acid source. In conclusion, we suggest rich microbiology media provides a new amino acid source for CFE systems with potential broad use in synthetic biology and industrial biotechnology applications

Emergence of light-driven protometabolism on recruitment of a photocatalytic cofactor by a self-replicator

Establishing how life can emerge from inanimate matter is among the grand challenges of contemporary science. Chemical systems that capture life’s essential characteristics—replication, metabolism and compartmentalization—offer a route to understanding this momentous process. The synthesis of life, whether based on canonical biomolecules or fully synthetic molecules, requires the functional integration of these three characteristics. Here we show how a system of fully synthetic self-replicating molecules, on recruiting a cofactor, acquires the ability to transform thiols in its environment into disulfide precursors from which the molecules can replicate. The binding of replicator and cofactor enhances the activity of the latter in oxidizing thiols into disulfides through photoredox catalysis and thereby accelerates replication by increasing the availability of the disulfide precursors. This positive feedback marks the emergence of light-driven protometabolism in a system that bears no resemblance to canonical biochemistry and constitutes a major step towards the highly challenging aim of creating a new and completely synthetic form of life. [Figure not available: see fulltext.]

Promotion of protocell self-assembly from mixed amphiphiles at the origin of life

Vesicles formed from single-chain amphiphiles (SCAs) such as fatty acids probably played an important role in the origin of life. A major criticism of the hypothesis that life arose in an early ocean hydrothermal environment is that hot temperatures, large pH gradients, high salinity and abundant divalent cations should preclude vesicle formation. However, these arguments are based on model vesicles using 1–3 SCAs, even though Fischer–Tropsch-type synthesis under hydrothermal conditions produces a wide array of fatty acids and 1-alkanols, including abundant C10–C15 compounds. Here, we show that mixtures of these C10–C15 SCAs form vesicles in aqueous solutions between pH ~6.5 and >12 at modern seawater concentrations of NaCl, Mg2+ and Ca2+. Adding C10 isoprenoids improves vesicle stability even further. Vesicles form most readily at temperatures of ~70 °C and require salinity and strongly alkaline conditions to self-assemble. Thus, alkaline hydrothermal conditions not only permit protocell formation at the origin of life but actively favour it

Small and random peptides: An unexplored reservoir of potentially functional primitive organocatalysts. the case of seryl-histidine

Catalysis is an essential feature of living systems biochemistry, and probably, it played a key role in primordial times, helping to produce more complex molecules from simple ones. However, enzymes, the biocatalysts par excellence, were not available in such an ancient context, and so, instead, small molecule catalysis (organocatalysis) may have occurred. The best candidates for the role of primitive organocatalysts are amino acids and short random peptides, which are believed to have been available in an early period on Earth. In this review, we discuss the occurrence of primordial organocatalysts in the form of peptides, in particular commenting on reports about seryl-histidine dipeptide, which have recently been investigated. Starting from this specific case, we also mention a peptide fragment condensation scenario, as well as other potential roles of peptides in primordial times. The review actually aims to stimulate further investigation on an unexplored field of research, namely one that specifically looks at the catalytic activity of small random peptides with respect to reactions relevant to prebiotic chemistry and early chemical evolution

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Enhancing nitrogen removal efficiency of domestic wastewaterThe temperatures of sewage water were too low in cold climatic regions of Baltic Sea, which resulted in inefficiency of denitrification in sewage treatment process (STP). This is not prescribed to meet the effluent nitrogen levels (<10 mg/l) as per Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive 98/15/EC. In order to improve the denitrification efficiency and the subsequent removal of nitrogen from the municipal wastewater as per the above European Commission guidelines, modified process was formulated with pre-anaerobic and post-aerobic activated sewage treatment processes. The modified process includes the rise in ambient temperature up to 20 ± 2 C by using heat exchangers in Increased Technology and Efficiency in Sewage Treatment (ITEST) pilot plant at the Swedish Environmental Research Institute (IVL) laboratory. The experiments were conducted with the modified process of sewage water in one line (treatment line (TL)) and the existing process in another line (reference line (RL)) of the pilot plant. The physical (such as Temperature, Suspended solids and Sludge volume) and chemical (ammonium-nitrate (NH4 +-N), nitrate-nitrogen (NO3 -N) and total-nitrogen (TN)) parameters were analyzed. The results concluded that the NH4 +-N, NO3 -N and TN concentrations of treated waste water were satisfactory with a concentration of <10 mg/l as per the European Directives 98/15/EEC at treatment line as compared to influent and reference lines. The average nitrogenouscompounds’ removal efficiencies were 84% and 76% of NH4 +, 80% and 65% of NO3 , 78% and 62% of TN for TL and RL, respectively. 2017 The Gulf Organisation for Research and Development. Production and hosting by Elsevier B.V.Not Availabl