Surface plasmon resonance imaging sensor for detection of photolytically and photocatalytically degraded glyphosate

Glyphosate is one of the most widely used pesticides, which, together with its primary metabolite aminomethylphosphonic acid, remains present in the environment. Many technologies have been developed to reduce glyphosate amounts in water. Among them, heterogeneous photocatalysis with titanium dioxide as a commonly used photocatalyst achieves high removal efficiency. Nevertheless, glyphosate is often converted to organic intermediates during its degradation. The detection of degraded glyphosate and emerging products is, therefore, an important element of research in terms of disposal methods. Attention is being paid to new sensors enabling the fast detection of glyphosate and its degradation products, which would allow the monitoring of its removal process in real time. The surface plasmon resonance imaging (SPRi) method is a promising technique for sensing emerging pollutants in water. The aim of this work was to design, create, and test an SPRi biosensor suitable for the detection of glyphosate during photolytic and photocatalytic experiments focused on its degradation. Cytochrome P450 and TiO2 were selected as the detection molecules. We developed a sensor for the detection of the target molecules with a low molecular weight for monitoring the process of glyphosate degradation, which could be applied in a flow-through arrangement and thus detect changes taking place in real-time. We believe that SPRi sensing could be widely used in the study of xenobiotic removal from surface water or wastewater.Web of Science2223art. no. 921

Trends in Waste Management in the Czech Republic and the European Union

Import 26/06/2013Tato diplomová práce se zabývá trendy v nakládání s odpady v České republice a v Evropské unii. Po představení hlavních institucí, legislativy, vývoje nakládání s odpady a jednotlivých metod pro zpracování odpadů se zaměřuje na analýzu jednotlivých způsobů nakládání s odpady, důraz klade především na komparaci ČR s ostatními státy EU. V poslední části je provedena syntéza nabytých poznatků s cílem stanovit možnosti vývoje nakládání s odpadem, určit do jaké míry členské státy EU oddělují ekonomický růst od vývoje produkce odpadů (tj. decoupling) a jak účinné nástroje k tomu zavádí. Cílem práce je objasnění charakteru odpadového hospodářství v České republice a jeho komparace s EU a jejími členskými státy pomocí analýzy aplikovaných metod odpadového hospodářství a dále odhalení rozsahu decouplingu v zemích EU.This thesis deals with the trends in waste management in the Czech Republic and in the EU. At first main institutions, legislation, development of waste management and particular methods of waste processing are introduced. Then the thesis is focused on the analysis of particular methods of waste management and the stress is laid on the comparison of the Czech Republic with the other EU member states. In the last section the synthesis of gained knowledge is carried out in order to define possibilities of waste management development, to determine to which extent the EU member states separate the economic growth from the development of waste generation (i.e. decoupling) and if the applied tools are effectively utilized. The aim of this thesis is to clarify the character of waste management in the Czech Republic and its comparison with the EU and other EU member states by using the analysis of applied waste management methods and to determine the extent of decoupling in the EU countries.120 - Katedra evropské integracevelmi dobř

Regulation of stomatal development by environmental conditions and physiological processes in the leaf

Stomatal development and its regulation by environmental conditions (light, CO2 concentration) and physiological processes in the leaf of higher plants were investigated. The study was based on the assumptions that stomatal development should be regulated by signals coming from both external environment and leaf interior, and that the signal should be transduced from cotyledons to leaves. Transgenerational effect in stomatal development was also studied. Molecular and physiological approaches were applied to reveal the relationship between leaf environment, stomatal development, stomatal function and leaf physiology

Logistic Waste Centre of Microregion Vsetínsko

Import 04/07/2011Základem této práce je projekt Logistického centra odpadů. Jedná se o závod na zpracování biologicky rozložitelného odpadu. Tento projekt Mikroregionu Vsetínsko se týká fondů Evropské unie, protože díky nim mohl být zrealizován a také se pozitivně dotýká životního prostředí. Proto je první teoretická část věnována právě fondům Evropské unie, kde se zaměřuji na Regionální politiku EU a její fungování, čímž se dostanu až k samotné problematice přerozdělování prostředků. V další části následuje již zmíněné životní prostředí, kde se soustředím na zhodnocení stávajícího stavu a na činnosti Evropské unie, které přispívají k ochraně přírody. K doplnění těchto teoretických oblastí následuje závěrečná kapitola, která se věnuje danému projektu. Zde je největší důraz kladen na administrativní kroky spojené s přidělením dotace.The basis of this work is a project of the Logistic waste Center. It is Factory for Biologically Degradable Waste Processing. This project of Microregion Vsetínsko is being implemented by EU funds and has benefits for the environment. Therefore, the first theoretical part focused on EU funds, where the focus of EU regional policy and its operation and reallocation of funds. In the next section followed by the environment, where I focus on the assessment of current status and activities of the European Union, that contribute to environmental protection. The final chapter is devoted to each project, which sum up the administrative steps associated with the allocation of subsidies.120 - Katedra evropské integracevelmi dobř

Stomatal function, density and pattern, and CO2 assimilation in Arabidopsis thaliana tmm1 and sdd1-1 mutants

Stomata modulate the exchange of water and CO2 between plant and atmosphere. Although stomatal density is known to affect CO2 diffusion into the leaf and thus photosynthetic rate, the effect of stomatal density and patterning on CO2 assimilation is not fully understood. We used wild types Col-0 and C24 and stomatal mutants sdd1-1 and tmm1 of Arabidopsis thaliana, differing in stomatal density and pattern, to study the effects of these variations on both stomatal and mesophyll conductance and CO2 assimilation rate. Anatomical parameters of stomata, leaf temperature and carbon isotope discrimination were also assessed. Our results indicate that increased stomatal density enhanced stomatal conductance in sdd1-1 plants, with no effect on photosynthesis, due to both unchanged photosynthetic capacity and decreased mesophyll conductance. Clustering (abnormal patterning formed by clusters of two or more stomata) and a highly unequal distribution of stomata between the adaxial and abaxial leaf sides in tmm1 mutants also had no effect on photosynthesis. Except at very high stomatal densities, stomatal conductance and water loss were proportional to stomatal density. Stomatal formation in clusters reduced stomatal dynamics and their operational range as well as the efficiency of CO2 transport.Web of Science19570168

Light intensity-regulated stomatal development in three generations of Lepidium sativum

Stomata are of crucial importance for CO2 uptake and the water economy of terrestrial plants. They evolve during the early phases of leaf development according to genetically conserved information modulated in its expression by environmental conditions. Mature leaves experience the environment, e.g. light intensity, and signal to younger developing leaves, modifying stomatal density (SD) and probably other leaf traits as well. In addition, the parental environment can affect the offspring's phenotypes in an adaptive manner. However, the transgenerational effect of light on SD and interactions with the offspring's light environment have not been studied so far. Here we compare transgenerational (parental) and growth-light (environmental) effects on SD. We grew three generations of garden cress (Lepidiurn sativum) in two contrasting light environments in a full factorial design. Stomatal and pavement cell densities (SD, PCD), C-13 abundance as a proxy of leaf internal CO2 concentration (C-i) and leaf area were analysed in cotyledons and first true leaves of parental plants and two generations of offspring. Our results indicate that SD of offspring reflects both current and maternal light intensities. The transgenerational effect of light on SD was much smaller than the influence of current growth light and the former's manifestation was dependent on light experienced by offspring. The cotyledons' SD was unresponsive to variations in C-i but retained its light sensitivity, though it was smaller than in true leaves. High light reduced amphistomy in favour of the lower (abaxial) leaf side. SD and PCD were linearly proportional irrespective of light level, indicating invariant portions of spacing and amplifying cell divisions, and causing lower sensitivity of stomatal index at high SD. We show that light-stimulated stomatal development in garden cress differs in cotyledons and true leaves, varies between adaxial and abaxial leaf sides, and retains transgenerational information about environmental clues.Web of Science15632431

Surface Plasmon Resonance Imaging Sensor for Detection of Photolytically and Photocatalytically Degraded Glyphosate

Glyphosate is one of the most widely used pesticides, which, together with its primary metabolite aminomethylphosphonic acid, remains present in the environment. Many technologies have been developed to reduce glyphosate amounts in water. Among them, heterogeneous photocatalysis with titanium dioxide as a commonly used photocatalyst achieves high removal efficiency. Nevertheless, glyphosate is often converted to organic intermediates during its degradation. The detection of degraded glyphosate and emerging products is, therefore, an important element of research in terms of disposal methods. Attention is being paid to new sensors enabling the fast detection of glyphosate and its degradation products, which would allow the monitoring of its removal process in real time. The surface plasmon resonance imaging (SPRi) method is a promising technique for sensing emerging pollutants in water. The aim of this work was to design, create, and test an SPRi biosensor suitable for the detection of glyphosate during photolytic and photocatalytic experiments focused on its degradation. Cytochrome P450 and TiO2 were selected as the detection molecules. We developed a sensor for the detection of the target molecules with a low molecular weight for monitoring the process of glyphosate degradation, which could be applied in a flow-through arrangement and thus detect changes taking place in real-time. We believe that SPRi sensing could be widely used in the study of xenobiotic removal from surface water or wastewater

Combined SPRi sensor for simultaneous detection of nitrate and ammonium in wastewater

Water pollution is a serious problem in modern society. Agriculture, being responsible for the discharge of agrochemicals, organic matter, or drug residues, produces a huge amount of wastewater. Aquaponics has the potential to reduce both water consumption and the impact of water pollution on fish farming and plant production. In the aquatic environment, inorganic nitrogen is mostly present in the form of nitrate and ammonium ions. Nitrate, as a final product of ammonia mineralization, is the most common chemical contaminant in aquifers around the world. For continuous monitoring of nitrogen compounds in wastewater, we propose a sensor for the simultaneous detection of nitrate and ammonium. A surface plasmon resonance imaging method with enzyme-mediated detection was used. Active layers of nitrate reductase and glutamine synthetase were created on the gold surface of a biochip and tested for the sensing of nitrate and ammonium in water from an aquaponic system. The proposed sensor was applied in water samples with a concentration of NO3- and NH4+ in a range between 24-780 mg.L-1 and 0.26-120 mg.L-1, respectively, with minimal pretreatment of a sample by its dilution with a buffer prior to contact on a biochip surface.Web of Science213art. no. 72

A modified method for enzymatic isolation of and subsequent wax extraction from Arabidopsis thaliana leaf cuticle

Background The plant cuticle represents one of the major adaptations of vascular plants to terrestrial life. Cuticular permeability and chemical composition differ among species.Arabidopsis thalianais a widely used model for biochemical and molecular genetic studies in plants. However, attempts to isolate the intact cuticle from fresh leaves of Arabidopsis have failed so far. The goal of this study was to optimise an enzymatic method for cuticle isolation of species with a thin cuticle and to test it on severalA. thalianawild types and mutants. Results We developed a method for isolation of thin cuticles that allows reducing the isolation time, the separation of abaxial and adaxial cuticles, and avoids formation of wrinkles. Optical microscopy was used for studying cuticle intactness and scanning electron microscopy for visualisation of external and internal cuticle structures after isolation. Wax extracts were analysed by GC-MS. Isolation of intact cuticle was successful for all tested plants. The wax compositions (very-long-chained fatty acids, alcohols and alkanes) of intact leaves and isolated cuticles of wild type Col-0 were compared. Conclusions We conclude that the optimised enzymatic method is suitable for the isolation ofA. thalianaadaxial and abaxial cuticles. The isolated cuticles are suitable for microscopic observation. Analysis of wax composition revealed some discrepancies between isolated cuticles and intact leaves with a higher yield of wax in isolated cuticles.Web of Science161art. no. 12

Adsorption and permeability of heavy metals (Fe, Cu, Pb, Zn, Cr, and Cd) onto the adaxial cuticle of Ficus elastica leaf

Air pollution represents a serious worldwide problem as atmospheric deposition of pollutants widely affects human and wildlife health. Heavy metals are significant pollutants with high toxicity, persistence, and bioaccumulation. In an environment polluted by industry and transportation, deposits of heavy metals on the leaves and their subsequent uptake by the plant occur. The leaf cuticle is the most important barrier between plant tissue and the atmosphere. To understand the processes of adsorption of heavy metals and their diffusion into the leaf, adaxial cuticles of Ficus elastica were enzymatically isolated and used in batch adsorption experiments and permeability measurements using diffusion chambers. A demonstration experiment with a whole leaf was also carried out, which pointed to the real uptake of metals by the leaf. Cuticles were subjected to characterization by methods of elemental analysis, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy. In the adsorption experiment, significant differences in the maximum adsorption capacity (Cd>Pb>Cr>Fe>Cu>Zn), and mechanism of adsorption (Langmuir model for Fe and Cr, Freundlich model for Zn, Cu, Pb, and Cd) were found. The permeability of intact adaxial cuticle for studied heavy metals did not differ significantly. The extent of foliar uptake differed between metals, with the relatively highest uptake of Fe and Zn. The transport of metals in the leaf was also observed. It seems that adsorption to the leaf surface more than the permeability of the cuticle is a limiting factor for foliar uptake of heavy metals from atmospheric deposits.Web of Science321art. no. 11231