Solid-phase-assisted synthesis of targeting peptide-PEG-oligo(ethane amino)amides for receptor-mediated gene delivery.

In the forthcoming era of cancer gene therapy, efforts will be devoted to the development of new efficient and non-toxic gene delivery vectors. In this regard, the use of Fmoc/Boc-protected oligo(ethane amino)acids as building blocks for solid-phase-supported assembly represents a novel promising approach towards fully controlled syntheses of effective gene vectors. Here we report on the synthesis of defined polymers containing the following: (i) a plasmid DNA (pDNA) binding domain of eight succinoyl-tetraethylenpentamine (Stp) units and two terminal cysteine residues; (ii) a central polyethylene glycol (PEG) chain (with twenty-four oxyethylene units) for shielding; and (iii) specific peptides for targeting towards cancer cells. Peptides B6 and c(RGDfK), which bind transferrin receptor and αvβ3 integrin, respectively, were chosen because of the high expression of these receptors in many tumoral cells. This study shows the feasibility of designing these kinds of fully controlled vectors and their success for targeted pDNA-based gene transfer

Fungal solid state fermentation on agro-industrial wastes for acid wastewater decolourization in a continuous flow packed-bed bioreactor

This study was aimed at developing a process of solid state fermentation (SSF) with the fungi Pleurotus ostreatus and Trametes versicolor on apple processing residues for wastewater decolorization. Both fungi were able to colonize apple residues without any addition of nutrients, material support or water. P. ostreatus produced the highest levels of laccases (up to 9 U g-1 of dry matter) and xylanases (up to 80 U g-1 of dry matter). A repeated batch decolorization experiment was set up with apple residues colonized by P. ostreatus, achieving 50% decolorization and 100% detoxification after 24 h, and, adding fresh wastewater every 24 h, a constant decolorization of 50% was measured for at least 1 month. A continuous decolorization experiment was set up by a packed-bed reactor based on colonized apple residues achieving a performance of 100 mg dye L-1 day-1 at a retention time of 50

By Product Exchange of Seaweed Solid Waste for Mushrooms Media

A laboratory experiment on utilization of seaweed-containing solid wastes as media for growing mushrooms was conducted by researchers from the Institute for Environmental Technology. The solid wastes were obtained from PT. Agarindo Bogatama, a food industry which produces jelly powder processed from seaweed of Gracilaria. The company generates 60 tones of solid wastes of seaweed per-day that contained 70% of water content. The solid media was used to grow Auricularia polytricha, Pleurotus astreatus, and Ganoderma lucidum. Some mixed media were prepared with the percentage ratio of sawdust to solid waste as 0, 25, 50, 75, and 100. After sterilizationthe media were planted with mushrooms and then were kept in incubator. After 28-day the basidiomas of G. lucidum was developed while P. astreatus appeared after 36-day of incubation. Both were grown on 100% seaweed media (using 100% sawdust media as a control). This very early results indicated that solid waste of seaweeds have an additional value which can be used as media for mushrooms plantation. Implementation waste to product as a part of cleaner production approach should be disseminated to the industries, especially SMEs like PT. Agarindo Bogatama, who areconcern to the environment

Surface width of the Solid-On-Solid models

The low-temperature series for the surface width of the Absolute value Solid-On-Solid model and the Discrete Gaussian model both on the square lattice and on the triangular lattice are generated to high orders using the improved finite-lattice method. The series are analyzed to give the critical points of the roughening phase transition for each model.Comment: 3 pages, LaTeX, to appear in the proceedings of Lattice'97, Edinburgh, Scotland, July 22--26, 199