11 research outputs found
Hind limb unloading of mice modulates gene expression at the protein and mRNA level in mesenchymal bone cells
Design and validation of a biomechanical bioreactor for cartilage tissue culture
Specific tissues, such as cartilage undergo mechanical solicitation under their normal performance in human body. In this sense, it seems necessary that proper tissue engineering strategies of these tissues should incorporate mechanical solicitations during cell culture, in order to properly evaluate the influence of the mechanical stimulus. This work reports on a user-friendly bioreactor suitable for applying controlled mechanical stimulation - amplitude and frequency - to three dimensional scaffolds. Its design and
main components are described, as well as its operation characteristics. The modular design allows easy cleaning and operating under laminar hood. Different protocols for the sterilization of the hermetic enclosure are tested and ensure lack of observable contaminations, complying with the requirements to be used for cell culture. The cell viability study was performed with KUM5 cells.This work is funded by FEDER funds through the "Programa Operacional Fatores de
Competitividade – COMPETE" and by national funds arranged by FCT- Fundação para
a CiĂŞncia e a Tecnologia, project reference PEST-C/FIS/UI607/2014. The authors also
thank funding from Matepro – Optimizing Materials and Processes”, ref. NORTE-07
0124-FEDER-000037”, co-funded by the “Programa Operacional Regional do Norte”
(ON.2 – O Novo Norte), under the “Quadro de Referência Estratégico Nacional”
(QREN), through the “Fundo Europeu de Desenvolvimento Regional” (FEDER). JAP,
VS, CR and VC thank the FCT for the SFRH/BD/64586/2009 and SFRH/BPD/63148/2009, SFRH/BPD/90870/2012, and SFRH/BPD/97739/2013 grants,
respectively. This work was funded also by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and
Copetitiveness (MINECO) through the project MAT2013-46467-C4-1-R (including the
FEDER financial support). CIBER-BBN is an initiative funded by the VI National
R&D&i Plan 2008–2011, Iniciativa Ingenio 2010, Consolider Program, CIBER Actions
and financed by the Instituto de Salud Carlos III with assistance from the European
Regional Development Fund
Thermotolerance of Fungal Conidia
Conidia of entomopathogenic fungi (EF) are the propagules most frequently used in arthropod biocontrol programs. This anamorphic form is essential for the infection process, including spore germination, penetration, vegetative growth, conidiogenesis and dissemination. Most EF are mesophilic and can develop between 10 and 40 °C, but optimal growth is between 25 and 35 °C. Abiotic factors, especially temperature (high or low) can determine their viability, virulence and success or failure of infection process. Temperature has the highest impact on conidial stress inhibiting metabolic processes, such as decreased morphogenesis during germination, protein denaturation and membrane disorganization. Several studies show that some strains of Beauveria spp., Metarhizium spp., and Isaria spp. exhibit conidial survival even when grown at high temperatures, indicating a relationship between conidial thermotolerance and their geographical isolation origin. Moreover, the high variability in fungal thermotolerance is also dependent of the culture media composition and growth condition. EF that grow at high temperatures do not grow at low temperatures and vice versa. Moreover, when growth conditions are not set at optimal temperatures, EF development is affected and their effectiveness in biological control programs of arthropods is reduced. Thermal stress directly impacts on fungal strains ability to target arthropods and their environmental activity performance. The screening for fungal strains with a higher thermotolerance and the improvement on conidial formulations may aid in optimizing the conditions for biocontrol agent application.Fil: PaixĂŁo, Flávia R. S.. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones CientĂficas y TĂ©cnicas. Centro CientĂfico TecnolĂłgico Conicet - La Plata. Instituto de Investigaciones BioquĂmicas de La Plata "Prof. Dr. Rodolfo R. Brenner". Universidad Nacional de la Plata. Facultad de Ciencias MĂ©dicas. Instituto de Investigaciones BioquĂmicas de La Plata "Prof. Dr. Rodolfo R. Brenner"; ArgentinaFil: Fernandes, Éverton. Universidade Federal de Goiás; BrasilFil: Pedrini, Nicolás. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones CientĂficas y TĂ©cnicas. Centro CientĂfico TecnolĂłgico Conicet - La Plata. Instituto de Investigaciones BioquĂmicas de La Plata "Prof. Dr. Rodolfo R. Brenner". Universidad Nacional de la Plata. Facultad de Ciencias MĂ©dicas. Instituto de Investigaciones BioquĂmicas de La Plata "Prof. Dr. Rodolfo R. Brenner"; Argentin