Bioremediation via Methanotrophy: Overview of Recent Findings and Suggestions for Future Research

Microbially mediated bioremediation of polluted sites has been a subject of much research over the past 30 years, with many different compounds shown to be degraded under both aerobic and anaerobic conditions. Aerobic-mediated bioremediation commonly examines the use of methanotrophs, microorganisms that consume methane as their sole source of carbon and energy. Given the diverse environments in which methanotrophs have been found, the range of substrates they can degrade and the fact that they can be easily stimulated with the provision of methane and oxygen, these microorganisms in particular have been examined for aerobic degradation of chlorinated hydrocarbons. The physiological and phylogenetic diversity of methanotrophy, however, has increased substantially in just the past 5 years. Here in this review, the current state of knowledge of methanotrophy, particularly as it applies to pollutant degradation is summarized, and suggestions for future research provided

Experimental Demonstration of Geometrically-Shaped Constellations Tailored to the Nonlinear Fibre Channel

A geometrically-shaped 256-QAM constellation, tailored to the nonlinear optical fibre channel, is experimentally demonstrated. The proposed constellation outperforms both uniform and AWGN-tailored 256-QAM, as it is designed to optimise the trade-off between shaping gain, nonlinearity and transceiver impairments

Candidate technologies for high-capacity optical communication systems

The practicalities in designing high-capacity optical communication systems are described. With a given perspective on the present and future technologies, we cover the transceiver design and optical amplifier technologies to maximize optical fiber capacity. OCIS codes:

Quantification of gene expression in methanotrophs by competitive reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction

To improve the monitoring of methanotrophic activity, a competitive reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) methodology was developed. Homologous internal RNA standards were created for mmoX and pmoA , genes encoding polypeptides of sMMO and pMMO, respectively. Using specific primer sets, expression of sMMO and pMMO could be quantified by means of competitive RT-PCR and capillary electrophoresis with uncoated bare-fused silica columns and UV detection. Using this technique, it was discovered that the amount of mRNA transcript for both mmoX and pmoA correlated well with whole-cell sMMO and pMMO activity respectively. A method for soil RNA extraction was also developed to utilize this RNA quantification technique for the monitoring of methanotrophic activity in situ . In a model soil slurry system with a background concentration of 2.9 µM copper, it was found that only pmoA was transcribed by cells capable of expressing both forms of MMO. As pMMO and sMMO have very different substrate ranges and kinetics, this methodology may prove useful for optimizing in situ bioremediation by methanotrophs. Provided sufficient sequence information is available to create specific primer sets, these techniques can be applied for monitoring and measuring the activity of other microbial communities in situ .Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/75134/1/j.1462-2920.2004.00572.x.pd

Achievable rate degradation of ultra-wideband coherent fiber communication systems due to stimulated Raman scattering

As the bandwidths of optical communication systems are increased to maximize channel capacity, the impact of stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) on the achievable information rates (AIR) in ultra-wideband coherent WDM systems becomes significant, and is investigated in this work, for the first time. By modifying the GN-model to account for SRS, it is possible to derive a closed-form expression that predicts the optical signal-to-noise ratio of all channels at the receiver for bandwidths of up to 15 THz, which is in excellent agreement with numerical calculations. It is shown that, with fixed modulation and coding rate, SRS leads to a drop of approximately 40% in achievable information rates for bandwidths higher than 15 THz. However, if adaptive modulation and coding rates are applied across the entire spectrum, this AIR reduction can be limited to only 10%

A Closed-Form Expression to Evaluate Nonlinear Interference in Raman-Amplified Links

An accurate, closed-form expression to evaluate the nonlinear interference (NLI) noise power in Nyquist-spaced, coherent optical communication systems using backward-pumped Raman amplification is presented. This enables rapid estimation of the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and avoids the need of integral evaluations and split-step simulations. The accuracy of the proposed formula is compared to numerical integration of the Gaussian noise (GN) model and split-step simulations over a wide range of parameters, including three different fiber types. Additionally, the impact of pump depletion on the NLI noise power is studied and the formula is applied to a second-order Raman-amplified system. In the case of first-order amplification and negligible pump depletion, a maximum deviation of 0.34 dB in NLI coefficient between the GN model and the closed-form formula is found which corresponds to a maximum deviation of 0.1 dB in optimal SNR or similar figures of merit (e.g., maximum reach). When pump depletion is considered, it is shown that the NLI coefficient becomes a function of launch power and as a result the cubic power dependence of the NLI noise power is no longer valid in such regimes. Finally, for the second-order Raman-amplified system, a maximum deviation of 0.39 dB in NLI coefficient is reported

The Benefits of Using the S-Band in Optical Fiber Communications and How to Get There

The throughput gains of extending the optical transmission bandwidth to the S+C+L-band are quantified using a Gaussian Noise model that accounts for inter-channel stimulated Raman scattering (ISRS). The impact of potential ISRS mitigation strategies, such as dynamic gain equalization and power optimization, are investigated

Methanotrophs and copper

Methanotrophs, cells that consume methane (CH 4 ) as their sole source of carbon and energy, play key roles in the global carbon cycle, including controlling anthropogenic and natural emissions of CH 4 , the second-most important greenhouse gas after carbon dioxide. These cells have also been widely used for bioremediation of chlorinated solvents, and help sustain diverse microbial communities as well as higher organisms through the conversion of CH 4 to complex organic compounds (e.g. in deep ocean and subterranean environments with substantial CH 4 fluxes). It has been well-known for over 30 years that copper (Cu) plays a key role in the physiology and activity of methanotrophs, but it is only recently that we have begun to understand how these cells collect Cu, the role Cu plays in CH 4 oxidation by the particulate CH 4 monooxygenase, the effect of Cu on the proteome, and how Cu affects the ability of methanotrophs to oxidize different substrates. Here we summarize the current state of knowledge of the phylogeny, environmental distribution, and potential applications of methanotrophs for regional and global issues, as well as the role of Cu in regulating gene expression and proteome in these cells, its effects on enzymatic and whole-cell activity, and the novel Cu uptake system used by methanotrophs.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/79061/1/j.1574-6976.2010.00212.x.pd

Modeling and mitigation of fiber nonlinearity in wideband optical signal transmission [Invited]

The adoption of open optical networks (OONs) requires the development of open and effective network planning tools, enabling the use of multi-vendor or white-box transport solutions. Such tools for studying and planning optical networks must be able to take into account the physical layer impairments, including fiber nonlinearity. The use of wideband wavelength division multiplexing in OONs, with channel frequencies extending across the short, conventional, and long bands and beyond, offers a pathway to increasing data rates through the installed fiber infrastructure. However, achievable information rates are limited by the resulting signal distortion due to fiber nonlinearity as signal bandwidths are increased, in particular, inter-channel stimulated Raman scattering (ISRS). In this paper, we describe the nonlinear effects observed in wideband transmission systems, and review recently developed analytical tools, based on the Gaussian noise (GN) model of nonlinear interference with the inclusion of ISRS. Using the ISRS GN model, we assess the impact of fiber nonlinearity on the achievable information rates in transmission systems with bandwidths of up to 12 THz. We demonstrate the use of the model in the optimization of launch power spectral profiles for a variety of dynamic gain equalizer arrangements in a 1000 km standard single-mode fiber link, using particle swarm optimization and the steepest descent algorithm. Such nonlinear models and optimization methods could be applied in OON planning tools, for example, in optical link emulators to estimate quality-of-transmission and data throughput, and in impairment-aware software-defined network control and management