Production and purification of L-lactic acid in lab and pilot scales using sweet sorghum juice

Sweet sorghum juice (SSJ) was evaluated as fermentation substrate for the production of l-lactic acid. A thermophilic Bacillus coagulans isolate was selected for batch fermentations without the use of additional nutrients. The first batch of SSJ (Batch A) resulted on higher lactic acid concentration, yield and productivity with values of 78.75 g·L−1, 0.78 g·g−1 and 1.77 g·L−1 h−1, respectively. Similar results were obtained when the process was transferred into the pilot scale (50 L), with corresponding values of 73 g·L−1, 0.70 g·g−1 and 1.47 g·L−1 h−1. A complete downstream process scheme was developed in order to separate lactic acid from the fermentation components. Coarse and ultra-filtration were employed as preliminary separation steps. Mono- and bipolar electrodialysis, followed by chromatography and vacuum evaporation were subsequently carried out leading to a solution containing 905.8 g·L−1 lactic acid, with an optical purity of 98.9%. The results of this study highlight the importance of the downstream process with respect to using SSJ for lactic acid production. The proposed downstream process constitutes a more environmentally benign approach to conventional precipitation methods

Magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles as MRI contrast agents - a comprehensive physical and theoretical study

Magnetite nanoparticles, especially superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles, are established contrast agents for magnetic resonance imaging. Magnetosomes, which are magnetite nanoparticles of biological origin, have been shown to have better contrast properties than current formulations possibly because of their larger size and high monodispersity. Here, we present an integrated study of magnetosomes and synthetic magnetite nanoparticles of varying size, hence, magnetic properties. We investigate not only the relaxation times as a measure for the contrast properties of these particles, but also their cytotoxicity and demonstrate the higher contrast of the larger particles. A theoretical model is presented that enables us to simulate the R2=R1 ratio of a contrast agent and con�rm that larger particles offer higher contrast. The results from this study illustrate the possibility to obtain colloidal stability of large magnetic nanoparticles for magnetic resonance imaging applications and serve as an impetus for a more quantitative description of the contrast effect as a function of the size

Elongated magnetite nanoparticle formation from a solid ferrous precursor in a magnetotactic bacterium

Magnetotactic bacteria are aquatic microorganisms that intracellularly mineralize ferrimagnetic nanoparticles enabling the cells to align with the geomagnetic field. The bacteria produce a magnetic mineral of species-specific phase (magnetite Fe(II)Fe(III)2O4 or greigite Fe(II)Fe(III)2S4), size, morphology and particle assembly. Several species produce crystals of unusual elongated particle shapes, which break the symmetry of the thermodynamically favoured isometric morphology. Such morphologies are thought to affect domain size and orientation of the internal magnetization. Therefore, they are interesting study objects to develop new synthetic strategies for the morphological control of nanoparticles. We investigate the formation of such irregularly shaped nanomagnets in the species Desulfovibrio magneticus RS-1. In contrast to previously described organisms, this bacterium accumulates iron predominantly as Fe(II) rather than Fe(III) consistent with an alternative oxidative biomineralization route. Further, using high-resolution electron microscopy, we observe an epitaxial relationship between precursor and the final mineral phase supporting the notion of a solid-state transformation pathway. The precursor is likely a green rust previously thought to convert to magnetite only by dissolution and re-precipitation. Our findings represent a novel observation in the interconversion of iron (oxyhydr)oxide materials and suggest that solid-state growth processes could be required to produce irregularly shaped, elongated magnetite nanocrystals

Formation of Magnetite Nanoparticles at Low Temperature From Superparamagnetic to Stable Single Domain Particles

The room temperature co-precipitation of ferrous and ferric iron under alkaline conditions typically yields superparamagnetic magnetite nanoparticles below a size of 20 nm. We show that at pH  =  9 this method can be tuned to grow larger particles with single stable domain magnetic (> 20–30 nm) or even multi-domain behavior (> 80 nm). The crystal growth kinetics resembles surprisingly observations of magnetite crystal formation in magnetotactic bacteria. The physicochemical parameters required for mineralization in these organisms are unknown, therefore this study provides insight into which conditions could possibly prevail in the biomineralizing vesicle compartments (magnetosomes) of these bacteria

Magnetotactic bacteria form magnetite from a phosphate-rich ferric hydroxide via nanometric ferric (oxyhydr)oxide intermediates

The iron oxide mineral magnetite (Fe(3)O(4)) is produced by various organisms to exploit magnetic and mechanical properties. Magnetotactic bacteria have become one of the best model organisms for studying magnetite biomineralization, as their genomes are sequenced and tools are available for their genetic manipulation. However, the chemical route by which magnetite is formed intracellularly within the so-called magnetosomes has remained a matter of debate. Here we used X-ray absorption spectroscopy at cryogenic temperatures and transmission electron microscopic imaging techniques to chemically characterize and spatially resolve the mechanism of biomineralization in those microorganisms. We show that magnetite forms through phase transformation from a highly disordered phosphate-rich ferric hydroxide phase, consistent with prokaryotic ferritins, via transient nanometric ferric (oxyhydr)oxide intermediates within the magnetosome organelle. This pathway remarkably resembles recent results on synthetic magnetite formation and bears a high similarity to suggested mineralization mechanisms in higher organisms

Probing the mechanical properties of magnetosome chains in living magnetotactic bacteria

The mechanical properties of cytoskeletal networks are intimately involved in determining how forces and cellular processes are generated, directed, and transmitted in living cells. However, determining the mechanical properties of subcellular molecular complexes in vivo has proven to be difficult. Here, we combine in vivo measurements by optical microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and transmission electron microscopy with theoretical modeling to decipher the mechanical properties of the magnetosome chain system encountered in magnetotactic bacteria. We exploit the magnetic properties of the endogenous intracellular nanoparticles to apply a force on the filament-connector pair involved in the backbone formation and stabilization. We show that the magnetosome chain can be broken by the application of external field strength higher than 30 mT and suggest that this originates from the rupture of the magnetosome connector MamJ. In addition, we calculate that the biological determinants can withstand in vivo a force of 25 pN. This quantitative understanding provides insights for the design of functional materials such as actuators and sensors using cellular components