Utilization of glycerin byproduct derived from soybean oil biodiesel as a carbon source for heterologous protein production in Pichia pastoris

AbstractCrude glycerol, also known as glycerin, is the main byproduct of the biodiesel industry. It has been estimated that up to 40,000tons of glycerin will be produced each year by 2020. This study evaluated the value-added use of crude glycerol derived from soybean biodiesel preparation as a carbon source for heterologous protein production using the yeast Pichia pastoris. Eleven glycerin samples were obtained by methanolysis of soybean oil using different acids or bases as catalysts. Cell growth experiments showed that crude glycerol containing either potassium or sodium hydroxide resulted in 1.5–2 times higher final cell densities when compared to glycerol P.A. Finally, crude glycerol containing sodium hydroxide was successfully utilized for constitutive heterologous α-amylase production in P. pastoris. This study demonstrated that crude glycerol without any purification steps may be directly used as carbon source for protein production in P. pastoris

Digital Media in Pre Service Teacher Education – A Question of Implementation

Stinken-Rösner L. Digital Media in Pre Service Teacher Education – A Question of Implementation. In: Carvalho GS, Alfonso AS, Anastácio Z, eds. Fostering scientific citizenship in an uncertain world (Proceedings of ESERA 2021). Braga: CIEC, University of Minho; 2022: 978-984.STEM education has, due to its technology-related topics, many potentials for a multifaced use of digital media. Integrating these tools into the classroom requires (pre-service) teachers to develop additional knowledge about the technologies themselves and their purposeful implementation in practice. In contrast to approaches that treat ICT separately, digital media were integrated systematically into the existing study program at the Leuphana University Lüneburg (Germany) by linking fundamental science education topics explicitly with the purposeful application of digital media in practice. The designed course has a (significantly) positive influence on pre-service teachers’ behavioural intentions (TPB; Ajzen, 1991) and professional knowledge (TPACK; Koehler et al., 2014). Additionally, content analysis of lesson plans showed that after attending the course, pre-service teachers are able to design multimedia enriched learning situations, which go beyond the mere substitution of ‘classical’ media (SAMR; Puentedura, 2006)

Predicting current and future distribution of Hovenia dulcis Thunb. (Rhamnaceae) worldwide

Biological invasions are increasingly recognized as one of the major threats to biodiversity. The Japanese raisin tree (Hovenia dulcis) is native to East Asia, however, in southeastern South America this species has become one of the most pervasive invaders. Hovenia dulcis has many biological characteristics that favor the process of invasion and few studies have indicated changes in the structure and composition of native plant communities where this species has become invader. Given the invasiveness shown in southeastern South America, our main goal was to identify the potentially suitable habitats for this invasive species at a global scale. In this sense, we modeled the potential distribution of H. dulcis along the terrestrial areas worldwide using an ensemble forecasting approach. Additionally, the percentage of overlapping biodiversity hotspot areas with the currently suitable areas for this species was calculated. Our results revealed that the current potential H. dulcis range is equivalent to 7.88% (12,719,365 km2) of the terrestrial area worldwide. For the future scenarios of climate change, the potential distribution area tends to have a small reduction. However, significant suitable areas were identified for H. dulcis range in the northern limits of the boreal distribution. Currently, around 17% of biodiversity hotspot areas overlap with the suitable areas for H. dulcis occurrence. In summary, given that the prevention is well-recognized as a more effective management action against invasive alien species, it is essential to implement policies to prevent H. dulcis introduction in suitable areas worldwide, as well as local population control, especially in biodiversity hotspots