Removal of thorium and zirconium from aqueous streams by biosorption

Thorium and zirconium are the most stable radionuclides used in various nuclear operations, and the separation of these from aqueous industrial streams is essential. The conventional technologies followed for the treatment of high concentrate nuclear discharges containing these radionuclides are the precipitation, electro precipitation, electro coagulation, cementing, membrane separation, solvent extraction, ion-exchange resins, oxidation–reduction, adsorption, reverse osmosis, and evaporative recovery, etc. However, afore mentioned treatment methods have certain disadvantages like the high cost of implementation and operation, especially for the concentrations below 100 ppm. Hence, the necessity to invent new treatment technologies with acceptable costs is compulsory for the treatment of low concentrate radioactive wastes. One of the promising alternatives is the application of biosorption process that utilizes biomass or bio-based materials as sorbents in the waste water treatment as a pollution control process for most of the industrial discharge. The advantages of biosorption over the conventional methods are low operating cost, selectivity for specific metal, short operational time and no chemical sludge. Biosorption entails the use of living or dead biomass and their derivatives with the involvement of either ligands or functional groups (situated on the outer surface of the biomass) in the mechanism of sorption. This treatment method is based on utilizing the ability of biological materials to accumulate metal ions from liquid wastes either by metabolically mediated or physicochemical pathways. In the present research, an attempt has been made to explore the potentiality regarding adsorption characteristics of a new agro-industrial by-product namely, de-oiled Karanja seed cake for the removal and recovery of radionuclide metal ions (Th and Zr) from aqueous solutions via biosorption method. The relevant process conditions for the sorption of these metal ions (pH, sorbent mass, ionic concentration, and temperature) were studied. Furthermore, adsorption isotherm and kinetic sorption modeling, thermodynamics were investigated to determine the probable physical characteristics of the biosorption process. Also, the bound metal ions (Th and Zr) were isolated from the loaded biomass adapting desorption technique using elution agents since biosorption will be more attractive if loaded biomass can be regenerated for reuse in multiple sorption cycles. The biosorption and desorption studies were carried out in batch mode, and the process variables were optimized for the maximum biosorption/desorption efficiency through DOE concepts like Taguchi OA and RSM. The property of new biomass was investigated using characterization techniques like SEM, FTIR, EDX, pHpzc and physicochemical properties. Deoiled Karanja seed cake has shown good potentiality regarding biosorption capacity in the removal of thorium and zirconium from aqueous streams, and obtained high Kd values when compared to commercially available adsorbents, implying an important feature of DKSC to treat large volumes of low concentration metal wastes. The thorium equilibrium biosorption data fitted very well to the Langmuir isotherm model, whereas the zirconium biosorption data fitted the best with Freundlich model representing the mono-layer sorption and complex heterogeneity of the biomass respectively at optimum conditions. The sorption kinetic data followed pseudo-second order model conveying the chemisorption mechanism by the probable involvement of hydroxyl, carboxyl, amine, and nitro molecular groups. The desorption results revealed that Th ions could be eluted using 0.1M HCl and 0.1M NaHCO3 can be used for eluting Zr ions from the loaded biomass respectively. It was also proved that desorption kinetics follows pseudo-second order model for both thorium and zirconium at optimal conditions. Also, the regenerated DKSC was found to possess similar properties as of native DKSC. Hence, the research work conveys that proposed biosorption/desorption method using DKSC (new low-cost bi-sorbent) is most cost-effective and efficient treatment method that is suitable for the effluent treatment of nuclear and hydrometallurgical industries. Thus, DKSC could be effectively used as a natural and economic biosorbent for the separation of Th and Zr ions from contaminated sites

Synthesis of phthalimide and naphthalimide derived Biginelli compounds and evaluation of their anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant activities

In the present work, synthesis of phthalimide and naphthalimide derived Biginelli compounds was performed. Allylation of phthalic & naphthalic anhydride, followed by ozonolysis resulted in the formation of N-phathalimido/naphpthalimido acetaldehyde (2 and 7). These aldehydes were subjected to Biginelli reaction using urea/thiourea and divergent β-keto esters in the presence of sulfated tin oxide (5 mol%) as catalyst in ethanol reflux to produce the corresponding dihydropyrimidinone compounds (5a-j and 8a-h). Additionally, both their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory functions were carried out. Compounds 5e, 5f, 5i, and 5j have shown potent to moderate potent activity for both antioxidant and anti-inflamamtory activities when compared to standard. Compounds 8c and 8g have shown potent antioxidant and anti-inflamamtory activities when compared to other compounds

Genomic and small RNA sequencing of Miscanthus × giganteus shows the utility of sorghum as a reference genome sequence for Andropogoneae grasses

Genomic data together with sequencing of tissue specific small RNA libraries reveals insights into the genome content, small RNA repertoire and evolutionary origins of the grass Miscanthus × giganteus

A framework genetic map for \u3ci\u3eMiscanthus sinensis\u3c/i\u3e from RNAseq-based markers shows recent tetraploidy

Background: Miscanthus (subtribe Saccharinae, tribe Andropogoneae, family Poaceae) is a genus of temperate perennial C4 grasses whose high biomass production makes it, along with its close relatives sugarcane and sorghum, attractive as a biofuel feedstock. The base chromosome number of Miscanthus (x = 19) is different from that of other Saccharinae and approximately twice that of the related Sorghum bicolor (x = 10), suggesting largescale duplications may have occurred in recent ancestors of Miscanthus. Owing to the complexity of the Miscanthus genome and the complications of self-incompatibility, a complete genetic map with a high density of markers has not yet been developed. Results: We used deep transcriptome sequencing (RNAseq) from two M. sinensis accessions to define 1536 single nucleotide variants (SNVs) for a GoldenGate™ genotyping array, and found that simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers defined in sugarcane are often informative in M. sinensis. A total of 658 SNP and 210 SSR markers were validated via segregation in a full sibling F1 mapping population. Using 221 progeny from this mapping population, we constructed a genetic map for M. sinensis that resolves into 19 linkage groups, the haploid chromosome number expected from cytological evidence. Comparative genomic analysis documents a genomewide duplication in Miscanthus relative to Sorghum bicolor, with subsequent insertional fusion of a pair of chromosomes. The utility of the map is confirmed by the identification of two paralogous C4-pyruvate, phosphate dikinase (C4-PPDK) loci in Miscanthus, at positions syntenic to the single orthologous gene in Sorghum. Conclusions: The genus Miscanthus experienced an ancestral tetraploidy and chromosome fusion prior to its diversification, but after its divergence from the closely related sugarcane clade. The recent timing of this tetraploidy complicates discovery and mapping of genetic markers for Miscanthus species, since alleles and fixed differences between paralogs are comparable. These difficulties can be overcome by careful analysis of segregation patterns in a mapping population and genotyping of doubled haploids. The genetic map for Miscanthus will be useful in biological discovery and breeding efforts to improve this emerging biofuel crop, and also provide a valuable resource for understanding genomic responses to tetraploidy and chromosome fusion

A framework genetic map for Miscanthus sinensis from RNAseq-based markers shows recent tetraploidy

Abstract Background Miscanthus (subtribe Saccharinae, tribe Andropogoneae, family Poaceae) is a genus of temperate perennial C4 grasses whose high biomass production makes it, along with its close relatives sugarcane and sorghum, attractive as a biofuel feedstock. The base chromosome number of Miscanthus (x = 19) is different from that of other Saccharinae and approximately twice that of the related Sorghum bicolor (x = 10), suggesting large-scale duplications may have occurred in recent ancestors of Miscanthus. Owing to the complexity of the Miscanthus genome and the complications of self-incompatibility, a complete genetic map with a high density of markers has not yet been developed. Results We used deep transcriptome sequencing (RNAseq) from two M. sinensis accessions to define 1536 single nucleotide variants (SNVs) for a GoldenGate™ genotyping array, and found that simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers defined in sugarcane are often informative in M. sinensis. A total of 658 SNP and 210 SSR markers were validated via segregation in a full sibling F1 mapping population. Using 221 progeny from this mapping population, we constructed a genetic map for M. sinensis that resolves into 19 linkage groups, the haploid chromosome number expected from cytological evidence. Comparative genomic analysis documents a genome-wide duplication in Miscanthus relative to Sorghum bicolor, with subsequent insertional fusion of a pair of chromosomes. The utility of the map is confirmed by the identification of two paralogous C4-pyruvate, phosphate dikinase (C4-PPDK) loci in Miscanthus, at positions syntenic to the single orthologous gene in Sorghum. Conclusions The genus Miscanthus experienced an ancestral tetraploidy and chromosome fusion prior to its diversification, but after its divergence from the closely related sugarcane clade. The recent timing of this tetraploidy complicates discovery and mapping of genetic markers for Miscanthus species, since alleles and fixed differences between paralogs are comparable. These difficulties can be overcome by careful analysis of segregation patterns in a mapping population and genotyping of doubled haploids. The genetic map for Miscanthus will be useful in biological discovery and breeding efforts to improve this emerging biofuel crop, and also provide a valuable resource for understanding genomic responses to tetraploidy and chromosome fusion

Rapid Genotyping of Soybean Cultivars Using High Throughput Sequencing

Soybean (Glycine max) breeding involves improving commercially grown varieties by introgressing important agronomic traits from poor yielding accessions and/or wild relatives of soybean while minimizing the associated yield drag. Molecular markers associated with these traits are instrumental in increasing the efficiency of producing such crosses and Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) are particularly well suited for this task, owing to high density in the non-genic regions and thus increased likelihood of finding a tightly linked marker to a given trait. A rapid method to develop SNP markers that can differentiate specific loci between any two parents in soybean is thus highly desirable. In this study we investigate such a protocol for developing SNP markers between multiple soybean accessions and the reference Williams 82 genome. To restrict sampling frequency reduced representation libraries (RRLs) of genomic DNA were generated by restriction digestion followed by library construction. We chose to sequence four accessions Dowling (PI 548663), Dwight (PI 597386), Komata (PI200492) and PI 594538A for their agronomic importance as well as Williams 82 as a control

A unified nomenclature of NITRATE TRANSPORTER 1/PEPTIDE TRANSPORTER family members in plants

Members of the plant NITRATE TRANSPORTER 1/PEPTIDE TRANSPORTER (NRT1/PTR) family display protein sequence homology with the SLC15/PepT/PTR/POT family of peptide transporters in animals. In comparison to their animal and bacterial counterparts, these plant proteins transport a wide variety of substrates: nitrate, peptides, amino acids, dicarboxylates, glucosinolates, IAA, and ABA. The phylogenetic relationship of the members of the NRT1/PTR family in 31 fully sequenced plant genomes allowed the identification of unambiguous clades, defining eight subfamilies. The phylogenetic tree was used to determine a unified nomenclature of this family named NPF, for NRT1/PTR FAMILY. We propose that the members should be named accordingly: NPFX.Y, where X denotes the subfamily and Y the individual member within the species

Palladium nanoparticles supported on fluorine-doped tin oxide as an efficient heterogeneous catalyst for Suzuki coupling and 4-nitrophenol reduction

Immobilization of palladium nanoparticles onto the fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) as support Pd/FTO, resulted in a highly active heterogeneous catalyst for Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling reactions and 4-nitrophenol reduction. The Pd/FTO catalyst has been synthesized by immobilization of palladium nanoparticles onto FTO via a simple impregnation method. ICP-MS analysis confirmed that there is 0.11 mmol/g of palladium was loaded successfully on FTO support. The crystallinity, morphologies, compositions and surface properties of Pd/FTO were fully characterized by various techniques. It was further examined for its catalytic activity and robustness in Suzuki coupling reaction with different aryl halides and solvents. The yields obtained from Suzuki coupling reactions were basically over 80%. The prepared catalyst was also tested on mild reaction such as reduction of 4-nitrophenol (4-NP) to 4-aminophenol (4-AP). Pd/FTO catalyst exhibited high catalytic activity towards 4-NP reduction with a rate constant of 1.776 min(-1) and turnover frequency (TOF) value of 29.1 hr(-1). The findings revealed that Pd/FTO also maintained its high stability for five consecutive runs in Suzuki reactions and 4-NP reductions. The catalyst showed excellent catalytic activities by using a small amount of Pd/FTO for the Suzuki coupling reaction and 4-NP reduction

The transcriptional landscape of Arabidopsis thaliana pattern-triggered immunity

Plants tailor their metabolism to environmental conditions, in part through the recognition of a wide array of self and non-self molecules. In particular, the perception of microbial or plant-derived molecular patterns by cell-surface-localized pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) induces pattern-triggered immunity, which includes massive transcriptional reprogramming1. An increasing number of plant PRRs and corresponding ligands are known, but whether plants tune their immune outputs to patterns of different biological origins or of different biochemical natures remains mostly unclear. Here, we performed a detailed transcriptomic analysis in an early time series focused to study rapid-signalling transcriptional outputs induced by well-characterized patterns in the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana. This revealed that the transcriptional responses to diverse patterns (independent of their origin, biochemical nature or type of PRR) are remarkably congruent. Moreover, many of the genes most rapidly and commonly upregulated by patterns are also induced by abiotic stresses, suggesting that the early transcriptional response to patterns is part of the plant general stress response (GSR). As such, plant cells' response is in the first instance mostly to danger. Notably, the genetic impairment of the GSR reduces pattern-induced antibacterial immunity, confirming the biological relevance of this initial danger response. Importantly, the definition of a small subset of 'core immunity response' genes common and specific to pattern response revealed the function of previously uncharacterized GLUTAMATE RECEPTOR-LIKE (GLR) calcium-permeable channels in immunity. This study thus illustrates general and unique properties of early immune transcriptional reprogramming and uncovers important components of plant immunity