Biotechnological Advances in Luciferase Enzymes

This chapter explores the history of the bioengineering advances that have been applied to common luciferase enzymes and the improvements that have been accomplished by this work. The primary focus is placed on firefly luciferase (FLuc), Gaussia luciferase (GLuc), Renilla luciferase (RLuc), Oplophorus luciferase (OLuc; NanoLuc), and bacterial luciferase (Lux). Beginning with the cloning and exogenous expression of each enzyme, their step-wise modifications are presented and the new capabilities endowed by each incremental advancement are highlighted. Using the historical basis of this information, the chapter concludes with a prospective on the overall impact these advances have had on scientific research and provides an outlook on what capabilities future advances could unlock

Genome sequence of the Bacteroides fragilis phage ATCC 51477-B1

The genome of a fecal pollution indicator phage, Bacteroides fragilis ATCC 51477-B1, was sequenced and consisted of 44,929 bases with a G+C content of 38.7%. Forty-six putative open reading frames were identified and genes were organized into functional clusters for host specificity, lysis, replication and regulation, and packaging and structural proteins

Rapid, High-Throughput Detection of Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals Using Autobioluminescent Cellular Bioreporters

Dunia dongeng merupakan dunia yang menakjubkan terutama untuk anak anak. Melalui dongeng komunikasi dan kedekatan emosional akan terbentuk antara pendongeng dengan pendengar dongeng. Transfer nilai-nilai yang terkandung dalam sebuah dongeng dapat dipahami dengan cara mendongeng. Kegiatan belajar mengajar merupakan suatu proses kegiatan yang melibatkan antara guru dan siswa melakukan pembelajaran dan berinteraksi untuk mencapai tujuan pembelajaran. Agar tujuan pembelajaran dapat dicapai, khususnya untuk pembelajaran mendongeng maka guru dituntut untuk memiliki kemampuan mendongeng dan guru harus mampu mempersiapkan komponen-komponen penunjang pembelajaran, mulai dari menjabarkan kurikulum hingga membuat skenario pembelajaran dikelas. Pembelajaran dengan mengintegrasikan media, dianggap lebih efektif dibandingkan dengan tanpa mengintegrasikan media apalagi pada tingkat pendidikan dasar. Teknik pagelaran wayang beber dapat digunakan sebagai alternatif yang tepat untuk menyampaikan pembelajaran mendongeng karena teknik pagelaran ini tidak serumit pagelaran wayang yang lainnya

Rapid, High-Throughput Detection of Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals Using Autobioluminescent Cellular Bioreporters

Overexposure to endocrine disruptor chemicals (EDCs) can result in serious health problems, yet they are commonly found in everyday items such as pesticides, personal care products, nutritional supplements, and plastics. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, along with other such agencies from around the world, have therefore mandated that new approaches be designed to screen these products for the presence of EDCs. However, despite the presence of several types of extant EDC detection assays, there still exists a backlog approaching 87,000 chemicals currently awaiting screening. Autobioluminescent detection systems, which utilize cellular bioreporters capable of autonomously modulating bioluminescent signals without the need for external stimulation or investigator interaction, provide an attractive means for addressing this backlog because of their reduced performance costs and increased throughput relative to alternative assay systems. This chapter reviews the variety of existing EDC detection assays and evaluates the performance of a representative autobioluminescent estrogen-responsive EDC bioreporter to provide an overview of how autobioluminescence can be used to improve EDC detection using in vitro assay systems

Field application of a genetically engineered microorganism for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon bioremediation process monitoring and control

On October 30, 1996, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) commenced the first test release of genetically engineered microorganisms (GEMs) for use in bioremediation. The specific objectives of the investigation were multifaceted and include (1) testing the hypothesis that a GEM can be successfully introduced and maintained in a bioremediation process, (2) testing the concept of using, at the field scale, reporter organisms for direct bioremediation process monitoring and control, and (3) acquiring data that can be used in risk assessment decision making and protocol development for future field release applications of GEMs. The genetically engineered strain under investigation is Pseudomonas fluorescens strain HK44 (King et al., 1990). The original P. fluorescens parent strain was isolated from polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) contaminated manufactured gas plant soil. Thus, this bacterium is able to biodegrade naphthalene (as well as other substituted naphthalenes and other PAHs) and is able to function as a living bioluminescent reporter for the presence of naphthalene contamination, its bioavailability, and the functional process of biodegradation. A unique component of this field investigation was the availability of an array of large subsurface soil lysimeters. This article describes the experience associated with the release of a genetically modified microorganism, the lysimeter facility and its associated instrumentation, as well as representative data collected during the first eighteen months of operation