Understanding Lignin-Degrading Reactions of Ligninolytic Enzymes: Binding Affinity and Interactional Profile

Previous works have demonstrated that ligninolytic enzymes mediated effective degradation of lignin wastes. The degrading ability greatly relied on the interactions of ligninolytic enzymes with lignin. Ligninolytic enzymes mainly contain laccase (Lac), lignin peroxidase (LiP) and manganese peroxidase (MnP). In the present study, the binding modes of lignin to Lac, LiP and MnP were systematically determined, respectively. Robustness of these modes was further verified by molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. Residues GLU460, PRO346 and SER113 in Lac, residues ARG43, ALA180 and ASP183 in LiP and residues ARG42, HIS173 and ARG177 in MnP were most crucial in binding of lignin, respectively. Interactional analyses showed hydrophobic contacts were most abundant, playing an important role in the determination of substrate specificity. This information is an important contribution to the details of enzyme-catalyzed reactions in the process of lignin biodegradation, which can be used as references for designing enzyme mutants with a better lignin-degrading activity

Genomics, Lifestyles and Future Prospects of Wood-Decay and Litter-Decomposing Basidiomycota

Saprobic (saprotrophic and saprophytic) wood-decay fungi are in majority species belonging to the fungal phylum Basidiomycota, whereas saprobic plant litter-decomposing fungi are species of both the Basidiomycota and the second Dikarya phylum Ascomycota. Wood-colonizing white rot and brown rot fungi are principally polypore, gilled pleurotoid, or corticioid Basidiomycota species of the class Agaricomycetes, which also includes forest and grassland soil-inhabiting and litter-decomposing mushroom species. In this chapter, examples of lignocellulose degradation patterns are presented in the current view of genome sequencing and comparative genomics of fungal wood-decay enzymes. Specific attention is given to the model white rot fungus, lignin-degrading species Phanerochaete chrysosporium and its wood decay-related gene expression (transcriptomics) on lignocellulose substrates. Types of fungal decay patterns on wood and plant lignocellulose are discussed in the view of fungal lifestyle strategies. Potentiality of the plant biomass-decomposing Basidiomycota species, their secreted enzymes and respective lignocellulose-attacking genes is evaluated in regard to development of biotechnological and industrial applications.Peer reviewe

Camera Based 3D Mine-Shaft Inspection System

This paper describes the development of an Optical 3D Shaft Inspection System needed for the survey and monitoring of Water Handling Shafts in the German Ruhrgebiet. The development is part of the RAG R&D project “ABSMon”. The end of the German hard coal mining at the end of 2018 has been determined with the Steinkohlefinanzierungsgesetz (SteinkohleFinG) from 2007-12-20. About three hundred years before now the near surface hard coal mining began in the southern Ruhr Area and in our days advanced to the northern Ruhr Area with mining depth of around -1.500 meters. The mine workings are kept dry by mine water pumping. When the active mining activities will have finished a controlled Water Handling will raise and keep the mine water to levels predetermined by the Mining Authorities. A monitoring with a mobile wireline shaft survey system is needed to run the Water Handling Shafts for an enduring Water Management. At the moment only laser scanner systems are available, but also optical systems are needed to enable the near real-time inspection with 3D presentation and 3D examination during the measurement campaign. An approach is presented that uses a camera to generate high resolution and textured 3D models of mining shafts and tunnels for inspection purposes

Camera Based 3D Object Reconstruction

3D models with high resolution and high accuracy are very useful for many different applications. As an alternative to active scanners new photogrammetric techniques (e.g. Structure from Motion, SfM) have been coming up in the last years. Although their great strengths they are connected to a computationally complex data processing chain limiting the achievable size and resolution of the models. This paper shows an approach to overcome these limitations by evaluating the DLR’s integrated navigation system (IPS) as a useful source for exterior orientation measurements that works well especially in indoor environments. These measurements provide the chance to significantly reduce the effort of the mandatory image matching step that has been identified as the main limiting factor for size and resolution. A test of the approach is presented in the context of creating a 3D model of a coal mine shaft

IPS - an autonomous navigation system for future planetary exploration missions

Traditional landing sites for planetary rovers were characterized by relatively benign terrain characteristics (e.g., slopes, roughness), but these sites are not necessarily the most scientifically attractive places. Next generations of planetary exploration missions will feature advanced mobility concepts that focus on close-up or in situ investigations of more challenging regions, e.g., canyons, caves and other sites with difficult topography. Scientific questions linked to such sites rose already from different disciplines, be it astrobiology, geology or geochemistry. As an example, caves on Mars are thought to be unique environments that may enable analyzing habitable conditions, yet their exploration is impossible with current rover designs. Another example are compositionally interesting outcrops high on steep slopes, for example in the Valles Marineris on Mars, which cannot be accessed by wheeled vehicles. In order to explore such spots, innovative mobile robotic systems such as rovers, crawlers, copters, and planes have to be involved. Such robots will need a high degree of autonomy, since they have to move with restricted interaction with any ground station. These robotic systems will have to determine and decide on their own, where they are, where they want to go and which way they will select. This will be a revolutionary step enabling an unprecedented look at the objects of interest. This paper introduces a sensor system for enabling robots to navigate autonomously called IPS (integrated positioning system)

Sensor head for autonomous planetary exploration

Autonomy will be one of the key features of future space exploration systems. There are several reasons to enable machines to perform standalone. First of all, a huge distance to an Earth based ground station can lead to a significant time lapse between command and control. Time critical maneuvers, like descending/ landing or evading/ handling risky situations require autonomous actions. Second, regions on planets, asteroids or comets with no direct line of sight neither to Earth nor to a relay station (e.g. caves, canyons, craters) can be explored by autonomous systems only. Third, system’s ability to approach regions of interest without interactions with human operators and even to detect and prioritize spots of scientific value will increase the efficiency of a mission. All these tasks require a reliable and precise navigation technology, which is able to operate with and without a priori knowledge (e.g. via maps, spatial reference). One promising approach to fulfil this requirement is applying an imaging sensor for the navigation system. Since cameras generate data which are very familiar to human being’s experience such sensors are predestinated to be used for a navigation system. Additionally, camera images can be used for a large number of other tasks – spatial modelling of the environment, identification of spots of interest, visual inspection of the scenery or the exploration system itself by operators. Cameras are the main sensors of the navigation system IPS. Based on the human perception system, DLR developed a multi-sensor head in the last 10 years. This sensor system acquires sensor data and determines the ego motion and derives a 3D model of the environment in real time. IPS can be a valuable technical contribution to future exploration missions on planets, asteroids and comets