Vibrio proteases for biomedical applications: Modulating the proteolytic secretome of v. alginolyticus and v. parahaemolyticus for improved enzymes production

Proteolytic enzymes are of great interest for biotechnological purposes, and their large-scale production, as well as the discovery of strains producing new molecules, is a relevant issue. Collagenases are employed for biomedical and pharmaceutical purposes. The high specificity of collagenase-based preparations toward the substrate strongly relies on the enzyme purity. However, the overall activity may depend on the cooperation with other proteases, the presence of which may be essential for the overall enzymatic activity, but potentially harmful for cells and tissues. Vibrios produce some of the most promising bacterial proteases (including collagenases), and their exo-proteome includes several enzymes with different substrate specificities, the production and relative abundances of which strongly depend on growth conditions. We evaluated the effects of different media compositions on the proteolytic exo-proteome of Vibrio alginolyticus and its closely relative Vibrio parahaemolyticus, in order to improve the overall proteases production, as well as the yield of the desired enzymes subset. Substantial biological responses were achieved with all media, which allowed defining culture conditions for targeted improvement of selected enzyme classes, besides giving insights in possible regulatory mechanisms. In particular, we focused our efforts on collagenases production, because of the growing biotechnological interest due to their pharmaceutical/biomedical applications

The European Council should not feel obliged to choose any of the leading candidates as President of the European Commission

This year’s European Parliament election has been noteworthy both for the rise of Euroscepticism and the introduction of leading candidates for European Commission president put forward by some of the European political parties. Anthony Salamone argues that the European Council should freely choose its own nominee for Commission president in cooperation with the Parliament, rather than automatically selecting the top leading candidate. He suggests that the absence of a legal basis for the process, limited choice among the candidates, low turnout and lack of interest in both the candidates and broader European issues renders it illegitimate, and instead the Council and Parliament should work together to reach a mutual compromise

Britain’s EU membership will now be the subject of several years of negotiation and debate

Last week’s election of a Conservative majority government paves the way for a referendum on Britain’s future in the European Union. Anthony Salamone outlines some of the challenges ahead for the upcoming renegotiation and referendum

Chaos In Egypt

In lieu of an abstract, below is the essay\u27s first paragraph. Many authors have toyed with the notion of the elusiveness of truth. Even those who would hold for an ultimate, stable truth, admit the difficulty of human comprehension of it. Human subjectivity reduces almost all statements to mere opinion. At any rate, the author\u27s epistemological bias is certain to affect his attitude towards his characters\u27 motivation, freedom, dignity, and convictions

The UK government must urgently overhaul its EU engagement strategy

Britain has suffered a number of setbacks in Europe of late, from the passage of financial services regulation it opposed to the recent selection of the next European Commission President. Anthony Salamone argues that the UK’s current approach to the European Union is part of the problem. He suggests the government must develop a new comprehensive EU strategy in order to ensure that Britain’s interests are upheld and that the EU develops in a way it can accept

Puritanism and Graham Greene

In lieu of an abstract, below is the essay\u27s first paragraph. The introduction to the recent Time edition of The Power and the Glory by Graham Greene makes a familiar charge against the author. The editor, however, does not lend the repeated generalization its usual venomous twist; indeed, he praises Greene for the wrong reason. The charge is that Greene is a hater of the material, that he despises man\u27s body and loves the spiritual in man, that he has a neo-Augustine loathing of sexual union. This observation may be true of Greene\u27s other works. It certainly is not true of The Power and the Glory. In matters of sexuality, it is the abuse of this gift that Greene regrets. (And Greene would be the first to say that there are far worse sins than these: pride and greed, for example.

Chesterton: The Youthful Joy

In lieu of an abstract, below is the essay\u27s first paragraph. In a wry moment Wordsworth remarked that the child is father to the man. The insight which he meant to convey was that by some undesired mental growth we have the nasty habit of losing our youthful joy, acceptance and wonder. The process of maturation jades our vision; the awful sense of loneliness, of isolation from our environment, enters and warps all hope, banishes all our better dreams. In this era, of new inventions, for killing bodies and for saving souls, all propagated with best intentions, we find it hard to view with delight any spontaneous action, to deal kindly with the joyous man who is probably blind; and are forever conscious of the pall of gloom that hangs over happiness

Cameron’s unilateral approach could leave the UK isolated and resented

While the UK’s draft settlement on its EU membership includes substantive changes, its symbolic value is even more important, writes Anthony Salamone. Should the draft be agreed and the UK vote to remain, it could find itself facing animosity from other Member States and less influence in the EU

Germany’s drive for Eurozone political union underlines the inadequacy of culture-based conceptions of integration

Throughout the economic and financial crisis, Germany has stood by the euro, contributing the most to the EU’s bailout programmes. At the same time, the country has continued its gradual rise to power. Anthony Salamone argues that Germany’s insistence on providing financial assistance on condition of political union in the Eurozone illustrates that European integration remains a question of states’ national interests, rather than the building of a common identity. He suggests that Eurozone political integration will deepen divides between euro and non-euro states, which could pose problems for the EU as a whole