10 research outputs found
Adaptation of Scheffersomyces stipitis to hardwood spent sulfite liquor by evolutionary engineering
Hardwood spent sulfite liquor (HSSL) is a by-product of acid sulfite pulping process that is rich in
xylose, a monosaccharide that can be fermented to ethanol by Scheffersomyces stipitis. However, HSSL also contains
acetic acid and lignosulfonates that are inhibitory compounds of yeast growth. The main objective of this study
was the use of an evolutionary engineering strategy to obtain variants of S. stipitis with increased tolerance to HSSL
inhibitors while maintaining the ability to ferment xylose to ethanol
Primate responses to changing environments in the anthropocene
Most primates have slow life-histories and long generation times. Because environmental change is occurring at an unprecedented rate, gene-based adaptations are unlikely to evolve fast enough to offer successful responses to these changes. The paper reviews the most common types of habitat/landscape alterations, the extent of human-primate interactions, and the impact of climate change. It demonstrates how understanding behavioural flexibility as a response to environmental change will be crucial to optimize conservation efforts by constructing informed management plans. Comparisons across species, space, and time can be used to draw generalizations about primate responses to environmental change while considering their behavioural flexibility