Ecological modelling of a wetland for phytoremediating Cu, Zn and Mn in a gold–copper mine site using Typha domingensis (Poales: Typhaceae) near Orange, NSW, Australia

Abstract: An artificial wetland was computationally modelled using STELLA®, a graphical programming tool for an Au–Cu mine site in Central-west NSW, the aim of which was to offer a predictive analysis of a proposed wetland for Cu, Zn and Mn removal using Typha domingensis as the agent. The model considers the important factors that impact phytoremediation of Cu, Zn and Mn. Simulations were performed to optimise the area of the wetland; concentration of Cu, Zn and Mn released from mine (AMD); and flow rates of water for maximum absorption of the metals. A scenario analysis indicates that at AMD = 0.75mg/L for Cu, Zn and Mn, 12.5, 8.6, and 357.9 kg of Cu, Zn and Mn, respectively, will be assimilated by the wetland in 35 years, which would be equivalent to 61 mg of Cu/kg, 70 mg of Zn/kg and 2,886 mg of Mn/kg of T. domingensis, respectively. However, should Cu, Zn and Mn in AMD increase to 3 mg/L, then 18.6 kg of Cu and 11.8 kg of Zn, respectively, will be assimilated in 35 years, whereas no substantial increase in absorption for Mn would occur. This indicates that 91 mg of Cu, 96 mg of Zn and 2917 mg of Mn will be assimilated for every kg of T. domingensis in the wetland. The best option for Cu storage would be to construct a wetland of 50,000 m2 area (AMD = 0.367 mg/L of Cu), which would capture 14.1 kg of Cu in 43 years, eventually releasing only 3.9 kg of Cu downstream. Simulations performed for a WA of 30,000 m2 indicate that for AMD = 0.367 mg/L of Zn, the wetland captures 6.2 kg, releasing only 3.5 kg downstream after 43 years; the concentration of Zn in the leachate would be 10.2 kg, making this the most efficient wetland amongst the options considered for phytoremediating Zn. This work will help mine managers and environmental researchers in developing an effective environmental management plan by focusing on phytoremediation, with a view at extracting Cu, Zn and Mn from the contaminated sites

Development of a Cytosensor for the Detection of Fusarium Oxysporum - A Functional Approach Towards Bioanalytical Applications

The development of bio-analytical methods for monitoring microorganisms have created opportunities for applications in biosensors, bioprocess monitoring, assessment of cell signalling, analysis of drug responses, among several others. The voltammetric sensing system employed for studying the electrode behavior of the fungus Fusarium oxysporum comprised working (gold) electrode (0.2 cm2 ) platinum as counter electrode (0.2 cm2 ) and a saturated calomel as the reference, where the electrochemical response corresponded to the growth phases (lag, log, stationary and decline) of the fungus. The electrochemical method based on voltammetric response matched well with the response obtained through conventional methodology, where the dry weight of the fungus is estimated against time. The peak potential is a function of scan rate, which is one of the characteristic features of a totally irreversible electrode process. It is important to mention here that this dependence is true regardless of reversibility for any diffusing redoxactive species. The proposed electrochemical method is less cumbersome and more accurate. Furthermore, the proposed electrochemical method captures the decline phase of fungal growth, which is generally difficult using the conventional method of assessment of the growth curve. Further experiments confirm that the anodic peaks were not due to the biomass or the fungal spores and only due to the extracellular metabolites. However, at this stage it is difficult to exactly determine the metabolite or the group of metabolites that are responsible for the anodic peak. In conclusion this cytosensor is capable of accurately and rapidly quantifying fungi with Fusarium oxysporum as a model organism

Salivary Gland Transcriptomes and Proteomes of Phlebotomus tobbi and Phlebotomus sergenti, Vectors of Leishmaniasis

Phlebotomine female sand flies require a blood meal for egg development, and it is during the blood feeding that pathogens can be transmitted to a host. Leishmania parasites are among these pathogens and can cause disfiguring cutaneous or even possibly fatal visceral disease. The Leishmania parasites are deposited into the bite wound along with the sand fly saliva. The components of the saliva have many pharmacologic and immune functions important in blood feeding and disease establishment. In this article, the authors identify and investigate the protein components of saliva of two important vectors of leishmaniasis, Phlebotomus tobbi and P. sergenti, by sequencing the transcriptomes of the salivary glands. We then compared the predicted protein sequences of these salivary proteins to those of other bloodsucking insects to elucidate the similarity in composition, structure, and enzymatic activity. Finally, this descriptive analysis of P. tobbi and P. sergenti transcriptomes can aid future research in identifying molecules for epidemiologic assays and in investigating sand fly-host interactions

Design of molecularly imprinted polymers for sensors and solid phase extraction

This thesis presents broadly the applications of molecularly imprinted polymers in sensors and solid phase extraction. Sensors for creatine and creatinine have been reported using a novel method of rational design of molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs), and solid phase extraction of aflatoxin-B 1 has also been described in the thesis. A method for the selective detection of creataine and creatinine is reported in this thesis, which is based on the reaction between polymerised hemithioacetal, formed by allyl mercaptan, o-phthalic aldehyde, and primary amine leading to the formation of fluorescent isoindole complex. This method was demonstrated for the detection of creatine using creatine-imprinted MIPs. Since MIPs created using traditional methods were unable to differentiate between creatine and creatinine, a new approach to the rational design of a MIP selective for creatinine was developed using computer simulation. A virtual library of functional monomers was assigned and screened against the target molecule, creatinine, using molecular modeling software. The monomers giving the highest binding score were further tested using simulated annealing in order to mimic the complexation of the functional monomers with template in the monomer mixture. The result of this simulation gave an optimised MIP composition. The computationally designed polymer demonstrated superior selectivity in comparison to the polymer prepared using traditional approach, a detection limit of 25 μM and good stability. The 'Bite-and- Switch' approach combined with molecular imprinting can be used for the design of assays and sensors, selective for amino containing substances. MEP for the selective binding properties for aflatoxin-B 1 was prepared using the computational approach. The results obtained demonstrate that the MISPE offers a simple, convenient and a rapid methodology for solid phase extraction of aflatoxin-B 1 even at very low concentrations of 2 ppb. The commercially available C-18 cartridges were able to recover only about 52% of aflatoxin-B 1 at concentrations of 2 ppb when compared with almost complete recovery by the MIP. We have proved here that, MIPs as a solid phase extraction materials offer important and practical advantages with respect to other solid phase extraction methodologies

Analytical methods for determination of mycotoxins: a review

Mycotoxins are small (MW ~700), toxic chemical products formed as secondary metabolites by a few fungal species that readily colonise crops and contaminate them with toxins in the field or after harvest. Ochratoxins and Aflatoxins are mycotoxins of major significance and hence there has been significant research on broad range of analytical and detection techniques that could be useful and practical. Due to the variety of structures of these toxins, it is impossible to use one standard technique for analysis and/or detection. Practical requirements for high-sensitivity analysis and the need for a specialist laboratory setting create challenges for routine analysis. Several existing analytical techniques, which offer flexible and broad-based methods of analysis and in some cases detection, have been discussed in this manuscript. There are a number of methods used, of which many are lab-based, but to our knowledge there seems to be no single technique that stands out above the rest, although analytical liquid chromatography, commonly linked with mass spectroscopy is likely to be popular. This review manuscript discusses (a) sample pre-treatment methods such as liquid–liquid extraction (LLE), supercritical fluid extraction (SFE), solid phase extraction (SPE), (b) separation methods such as (TLC), high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), gas chromatography (GC), and capillary electrophoresis (CE) and (c) others such as ELISA. Further currents trends, advantages and disadvantages and future prospects of these methods have been discussed

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Not AvailableIn a study that was carried out by Central Research Institute for Dryland Agriculture, Hyderabad a novel institutional arrangements was tried for both leveraging better project administration and eliciting higher community participation. Salaha samithis that were formed to liaise between project staff and the poor people of the project area came out as useful arrangement that could go beyond achieving project goals. This case study shares experiences in which institutional innovation evolved as a result of consultations between the project staff and the stakeholders facilitated the process of best natural resource management practices for improved livelihoodsNot Availabl

Ecological modelling of a wetland for phytoremediating Cu, Zn and Mn in a gold–copper mine site using Typha domingensis (Poales: Typhaceae) near Orange, NSW, Australia

An artificial wetland was computationally modelled using STELLA®, a graphical programming tool for an Au-Cu mine site in Central-west NSW, the aim of which was to offer a predictive analysis of a proposed wetland for Cu, Zn and Mn removal using Typha domingensis as the agent. The model considers the important factors that impact phytoremediation of Cu, Zn and Mn. Simulations were performed to optimise the area of the wetland; concentration of Cu, Zn and Mn released from mine (AMD); and flow rates of water for maximum absorption of the metals. A scenario analysis indicates that at AMD = 0.75mg/L for Cu, Zn and Mn, 12.5, 8.6, and 357.9 kg of Cu, Zn and Mn, respectively, will be assimilated by the wetland in 35 years, which would be equivalent to 61 mg of Cu/kg, 70 mg of Zn/kg and 2,886 mg of Mn/kg of T. domingensis, respectively. However, should Cu, Zn and Mn in AMD increase to 3 mg/L, then 18.6 kg of Cu and 11.8 kg of Zn, respectively, will be assimilated in 35 years, whereas no substantial increase in absorption for Mn would occur. This indicates that 91 mg of Cu, 96 mg of Zn and 2917 mg of Mn will be assimilated for every kg of T. domingensis in the wetland. The best option for Cu storage would be to construct a wetland of 50,000 m2 area (AMD = 0.367 mg/L of Cu), which would capture 14.1 kg of Cu in 43 years, eventually releasing only 3.9 kg of Cu downstream. Simulations performed for a WA of 30,000 m2 indicate that for AMD = 0.367 mg/L of Zn, the wetland captures 6.2 kg, releasing only 3.5 kg downstream after 43 years; the concentration of Zn in the leachate would be 10.2 kg, making this the most efficient wetland amongst the options considered for phytoremediating Zn. This work will help mine managers and environmental researchers in developing an effective environmental management plan by focusing on phytoremediation, with a view at extracting Cu, Zn and Mn from the contaminated sites

Cyclic voltammetric measurements of growth of Aspergillus terreus

A detailed study using the cyclic voltammogram was done on the live cells of Aspergillus terreus. The peak current values were obtained for different days of growth and plotted against time. The response of cyclic voltammogram showed the phases of the growth of the fungus. The growth curve obtained matched well with the conventional methodology, which assesses the increase of dry weight of the organisms against time. The electrochemical method is more advantageous because it is easy to assess and consumes less time. Further the electrochemical method clearly shows the decline phase which is generally not very defined in the conventional method of assessment of the growth curve. It was confirmed by further experiments that the metabolites were responsible for the anodic peak and not the biomass. Further work is in progress in order to analyze the metabolite(s) that is/are responsible for the anodic peak