Izolacija, biokemijske značajke i identifikacija termotolerantnih i celulolitičkih bakterija Paenibacillus lactis i Bacillus licheniformis

Research background. Cellulose is an ingredient of waste materials that can be converted to other valuable substances. This is possible provided that the polymer molecule is degraded to smaller particles and used as a carbon source by microorganisms. Because of the frequently applied methods of pretreatment of lignocellulosic materials, the cellulases derived from thermophilic microorganisms are particularly desirable. Experimental approach. We were looking for cellulolytic microorganisms able to grow at 50 °C and we described their morphological features and biochemical characteristics based on carboxymethyl cellulase (CMCase) activity and the API® ZYM system. The growth curves during incubation at 50 °C were examined using the BioLector® microbioreactor. Results and conclusions. Forty bacterial strains were isolated from fermenting hay, geothermal karst spring, hot spring and geothermal pond at 50 °C. The vast majority of the bacteria were Gram-positive and rod-shaped with the maximum growth temperature of at least 50 °C. We also demonstrated a large diversity of biochemical characteristics among the microorganisms. The CMCase activity was confirmed in 27 strains. Hydrolysis capacities were significant in bacterial strains: BBLN1, BSO6, BSO10, BSO13 and BSO14, and reached 2.74, 1.62, 1.30, 1.38 and 8.02 respectively. Rapid and stable growth was observed, among others, for BBLN1, BSO10, BSO13 and BSO14. The strains fulfilled the selection conditions and were identified based on the 16S rDNA sequences. BBLN1, BSO10, BSO13 were classified as Bacillus licheniformis, whereas BSO14 as Paenibacillus lactis. Novelty and scientific contribution. We described cellulolytic activity and biochemical characteristics of many bacteria isolated from hot environments. We are also the first to report the cellulolytic activity of thermotolerant P. lactis. Described strains can be a source of new thermostable cellulases, which are extremely desirable in various branches of circular bioeconomy.Pozadina istraživanja. Celuloza je sastojak otpadnih tvari koji se može preraditi u korisne spojeve. To je moguće ako se molekule polimera razgrade na manje čestice koje mikroorganizmi mogu iskoristiti kao izvor ugljika. Celulaze proizvedene s pomoću termofilnih mikroorganizama su naročito zanimljive zbog njihove učestale primjene u prethodnoj obradi lignoceluloznog materijala. Eksperimentalni pristup. Istražili smo celulolitičke mikroorganizme koji rastu na 50 °C te opisali njihove morfološke i biokemijske značajke na osnovi aktivnosti karboksimetil celulaze i ostalih enzima ispitanih sustavom API® ZYM. Krivulje rasta tijekom inkubacije pri 50 °C ispitane su uzgojem bakterija u mikrobioreaktoru BioLector®. Rezultati i zaključci. Četrdeset sojeva bakterija izolirano je iz fermentirane slame, geotermičkog izvora u kršu, termalnog vrela i geotermalnog jezera s temperaturom od 50 °C. Većina bakterija bile su Gram-pozitivne i štapićastog oblika, a najviša temperatura pri kojoj su rasle je iznosila najmanje 50 °C. Također smo potvrdili veliku raznolikost biokemijskih značajki među ispitanim mikroorganizmima. Aktivnost karboksimetil celulaze potvrđena je u 27 sojeva. Sojevi bakterija sa značajnim hidrolitičkim kapacitetom bili su: BBLN1 s 2,74; BSO6 s 1,62; BSO10 s 1,30; BSO13 s 1.38 i BSO14 s kapacitetom od 8,02. Sojevi BBLN1, BSO10, BSO13 i BSO14 rasli su brzo i stabilno. Ispunjavali su odabrane preduvjete pa su identificirani 16S rDNA sekvenciranjem. Sojevi BBLN1, BSO10 i BSO13 klasificirani su kao sojevi bakterije Bacillus licheniformis, dok je soj BSO14 potvrđen kao soj Paenibacillus lactis. Novina i znanstveni doprinos. Opisali smo celulolitičku aktivnost i biokemijska svojstva velikog broja bakterija izoliranih iz lokacija gdje vladaju velike vrućine. Prvi smo izvijestili o celulolitičkoj aktivnosti termotolerantne bakterije P. lactis. Opisani bi sojevi mogli biti izvor novih termički stabilnih celulaza, što je izuzetno poželjno u različitim granama cirkularne bioekonomije

Search for dark matter produced in association with bottom or top quarks in √s = 13 TeV pp collisions with the ATLAS detector

A search for weakly interacting massive particle dark matter produced in association with bottom or top quarks is presented. Final states containing third-generation quarks and miss- ing transverse momentum are considered. The analysis uses 36.1 fb−1 of proton–proton collision data recorded by the ATLAS experiment at √s = 13 TeV in 2015 and 2016. No significant excess of events above the estimated backgrounds is observed. The results are in- terpreted in the framework of simplified models of spin-0 dark-matter mediators. For colour- neutral spin-0 mediators produced in association with top quarks and decaying into a pair of dark-matter particles, mediator masses below 50 GeV are excluded assuming a dark-matter candidate mass of 1 GeV and unitary couplings. For scalar and pseudoscalar mediators produced in association with bottom quarks, the search sets limits on the production cross- section of 300 times the predicted rate for mediators with masses between 10 and 50 GeV and assuming a dark-matter mass of 1 GeV and unitary coupling. Constraints on colour- charged scalar simplified models are also presented. Assuming a dark-matter particle mass of 35 GeV, mediator particles with mass below 1.1 TeV are excluded for couplings yielding a dark-matter relic density consistent with measurements

The ATLAS fast tracKer system

The ATLAS Fast TracKer (FTK) was designed to provide full tracking for the ATLAS high-level trigger by using pattern recognition based on Associative Memory (AM) chips and fitting in high-speed field programmable gate arrays. The tracks found by the FTK are based on inputs from all modules of the pixel and silicon microstrip trackers. The as-built FTK system and components are described, as is the online software used to control them while running in the ATLAS data acquisition system. Also described is the simulation of the FTK hardware and the optimization of the AM pattern banks. An optimization for long-lived particles with large impact parameter values is included. A test of the FTK system with the data playback facility that allowed the FTK to be commissioned during the shutdown between Run 2 and Run 3 of the LHC is reported. The resulting tracks from part of the FTK system covering a limited η-ϕ region of the detector are compared with the output from the FTK simulation. It is shown that FTK performance is in good agreement with the simulation. © The ATLAS collaboratio