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MiDAS 5: Global diversity of bacteria and archaea in anaerobic digesters
Get PDFAnaerobic digestion of organic waste into methane and carbon dioxide (biogas) is carried out by complex microbial communities. Here, we use full-length 16S rRNA gene sequencing of 285 full-scale anaerobic digesters (ADs) to expand our knowledge about diversity and function of the bacteria and archaea in ADs worldwide. The sequences are processed into full-length 16S rRNA amplicon sequence variants (FL-ASVs) and are used to expand the MiDAS 4 database for bacteria and archaea in wastewater treatment systems, creating MiDAS 5. The expansion of the MiDAS database increases the coverage for bacteria and archaea in ADs worldwide, leading to improved genus- and species-level classification. Using MiDAS 5, we carry out an amplicon-based, global-scale microbial community profiling of the sampled ADs using three common sets of primers targeting different regions of the 16S rRNA gene in bacteria and/or archaea. We reveal how environmental conditions and biogeography shape the AD microbiota. We also identify core and conditionally rare or abundant taxa, encompassing 692 genera and 1013 species. These represent 84–99% and 18–61% of the accumulated read abundance, respectively, across samples depending on the amplicon primers used. Finally, we examine the global diversity of functional groups with known importance for the anaerobic digestion process.The project has been funded by the Danish Research Council (grant 6111-00617 A, P.H.N.) and the Villum Foundation (Dark Matter and grant 13351, P.H.N.).Nature Communication
In vitro assay and inhibition of 9-cis-epoxycarotenoid dioxygenase (NCED) from Solanum lycopersicum and Zea mays
Get PDFThe article reports methods for the expression and assay of 9-cis-epoxycarotenoid cleavage dioxygenase (NCED), an enzyme involved in the biosynthesis of phytohormone abscisic acid in plants. A method for the preparation of the unstable substrate 9′-cis-neoxanthin from fresh spinach is described. The inhibition of Solanum lycopersicum NCED by a series of aryl hydroxamic acid inhibitors is illustrated, and inhibitors D2 and D4 are assayed against NCED isozymes from Zea mays.Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC)This work was initiated under BBSRC SCIBS project BB/D005787/1 awarded to AJT and THDB.Methods in Enzymeolog
Flexible, scalable hierarchical graphene foam decorated with nickel layer for highly sensitive enzyme-free glucose sensing
Get PDFDeveloping functional electrode materials for enzyme-free glucose electrochemical sensing is indispensable and challenging for rapid detection and instant diagnosis. Optimizing the microstructure of electrodes to enhance molecule accessibility, facilitate rapid mass transfer, and enlarge electrochemical active surface area is critical prerequisite for improving the electrochemical analytical performance. Herein, we develop a flexible graphene foam electrode with high conductivity and multilayer channel structure achieving efficient enzyme-free glucose sensor through one-step electrodeposition of nickel. The almost defect-free graphitic structure and layered multi-channel configuration enable the graphene foam to exhibit high conductivity, large specific surface area, and excellent mechanical performance. These properties result in efficient electron transmission and mass transfer, enabling the graphene foam to function as an excellent electrode substrate material in electrochemical sensors. Thus, the detecting electrode (Ni/GF) produced by electrodepositing nickel on graphene foam, demonstrates elevated sensitivity (1719.4 μA mM−1 cm−2), low limit of detection (0.2 μM), exceptional stability, and excellent flexibility for glucose detection. More importantly, the prepared electrode has been successfully applied to artificial sweat and tea, indicating its practical utility. The attractive analytical outcomes suggest that our layered multi-channel graphene foam has the potential to serve as a crucial foundational working electrode for designing efficient electrochemical sensor.National Natural Science Foundation of China, China Postdoctoral Science Foundation, China Aerospace Science and Technology CorporationJournal of Alloys and Compound
Advancing biosensing techniques for detection of antimicrobial resistance genes and antibiotics in water
Get PDFCoulon, Frederic - Associate SupervisorAntimicrobial resistance (AMR) poses a significant global public health threat
requiring urgent attention for surveillance of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs)
and antibiotics in the environment. In this PhD study, a real-time fluorescent
detection assay of antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs) was developed to
specifically target two key ARGs, tet(M) and tet(x3) to detect tetracycline and
tigecycline resistance respectively in water samples. Additionally, crassphage
gene was investigated for anthropogenic activities since they also play a vital role
in the AMR transmission. The advanced ARG detection assay was based on
multiplexing recombinase polymerase amplification (RPA) and subsequent
sequence-specific recognition by the trans-cleavage activity of Clustered
Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats (CRISPR)/Cas12a. The assay
achieved limits of detection (LODs) of 1 copy µL⁻¹ for all three gene targets with
an accuracy of 100% in spiked tap and surface water samples.
Expanding the assay by including two additional end-point detection modalities,
lateral flow assay (LFA) and voltametric detection, further demonstrate its
versatility. LODs of 1 copy µL⁻¹ for tet(x3) and crassphage, and 10 copies µL⁻¹
for tet(M) (LFA) and 10 copies µL⁻¹ for all three targets (electrochemical) were
reached. Validation against gold standard quantitative polymerase chain reaction
(qPCR) using real water samples, including wastewater and drinking water
samples, revealed a remarkable 100% accuracy rate.
Antibiotics detection assay was conceptualised based on the amplification of
hybridisation chain reaction (HCR) followed by CRISPR/Cas mediated cleavage
within a DNA hydrogel matrix. This approach aimed to release electroactive
methylene blue (MB) particles, detectable and quantifiable by square wave
voltammetry (SWV). While unforeseen circumstances impeded full assay
development, the preliminary data illustrated the viability of the proposed method,
suggesting avenues for further research to develop rapid and onsite antibiotics
detection methods.PhD in Wate
Dataset for Controlled atmosphere as cold chain support for extending postharvest life in cabbage
No full textRaw data is provided from an experiment exploring the influence of controlled atmosphere storage on cabbage. For relevant details please refer to Gage et al. (2024) "Controlled atmosphere as cold chain support for extending postharvest life in cabbage" (2024) Plant Biochemistry and Physiology - 10909.Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC
Safety leadership and safety citizenship behavior: the mediating roles of safety knowledge, safety motivation, and psychological contract of safety
No full textThe relationship between safety leadership and safety citizenship behavior (SCB) is well established in prior research; however, the effects of safety knowledge, safety motivation, and psychological contract of safety (PCS) on this relationship still need to be examined. This study investigated the mediating roles of safety knowledge, safety motivation, and psychological contract of safety in the relationship between safety leadership and SCB. Cross-sectional survey data were gathered from 205 employees in a high-risk industry in Iran. Path analysis showed that safety knowledge, safety motivation, and PCS played mediating roles between safety leadership and SCB. Improving the safety of employees and enhancing safety in organizations can be achieved by considering the significance of safety leadership and enhancing SCB among employees. Creating environments with higher levels of fulfillment of safety obligations between leaders and employees is important in achieving safety goals.Theoretical Issues in Ergonomics Scienc
Gibson’s criteria: lectures and exercises for test pilots and flight test engineers
Get PDFEmpire Test Pilots’ School (ETPS) trains experienced military pilots, engineers
and civilian engineers as Test Pilots and Flight Test Engineers. Over a year,
ETPS broadens the experience of each student through exposure to a wide
variety of aircraft in addition to increasing their depth of understanding of how
aerodynamics affect the handling qualities and ultimately the mission
effectiveness of aircraft.
The advent of computerized flight control systems has reduced the role of the
aerodynamicist to a necessary one but no longer sufficient to achieve excellent
handling qualities. Complex software programming performed by a control
engineer is now required to realize this goal. Consequently, second order
handling qualities criteria such as the longitudinal short period natural frequency
and damping ratio are no longer strictly applicable to the significantly higher
order modern flight control systems. Gibson’s Criteria was developed to provide
control engineers the ability to design in excellent handling qualities from the
outset, rather than waiting for pilots to identify failures during testing.
While ETPS students are introduced to Gibson’s Criteria as part of the graduate
course, the emphasis is on exposure and not an in-depth understanding. As the
expense and time to develop modern high order aircraft grows exponentially,
the importance of getting the handling qualities correct from the start only
becomes more acute. It would be highly beneficial for graduates of ETPS to
have a comprehensive understanding of how Gibson’s Criteria is applied early
in software development to ensure excellent handling qualities are designed in
early and effectively. This thesis is a survey of current material on Gibson’s
Criteria and existing aircraft data / handling qualities problems formatted as a
series of lectures and Matlab based problems designed to be given as part of
the ETPS graduate course to achieve that level of knowledge.MSc in flight dynamic
Integrated power and thermal management system for a hybrid-electric aircraft: integrated modelling and passive cooling analysis
Get PDFAircraft electrification introduces challenges in power and thermal management. In a hybrid-electric aircraft (HEA), the additional heat loads generated by the high-power electrical components in the propulsion system can negate the benefits of the HEA. Consequently, an integrated energy management system is required for the HEA to reject the additional heat loads while minimizing energy consumption. This paper presents the integrated modelling method for an integrated power and thermal management system (IPTMS) for HEA. With this method, a platform can be developed to assess the varying efficiencies of the components in the electrical propulsion system (EPS), and the performance of the thermal management system (TMS), such as passive cooling, during a flight mission. This makes it applicable to modular designs and optimizations of the IPTMS. A small/medium range (SMR) aircraft similar to ATR72 is studied. In this study, the EPS operates only during take-off and climb. Therefore, the platform assesses the heat and power loads of the IPTMS for a typical flight mission (take-off and climb) in this study. The performance of passive cooling is also analysed across this typical flight mission and under normal, hot-day, and cold-day conditions. It was found that passive cooling is sufficient under these three conditions, and the active temperature control is requried to ensure the components' temperatures are above the minimum temperatures. These findings imply the potential to minimize TMS weight and energy consumption, providing an insight for further research on IPTMS.Journal of Engineering for Gas Turbines and Powe
Integrating digital technologies in agriculture for climate change adaptation and mitigation: state of the art and future perspectives
Get PDFAgriculture faces a major challenge in meeting the world's growing demand for food in a sustainable manner in the face of increasing environmental pressures, in particular the growing impact of climate change. Agriculture is also a major contributor to climate change. Digital technologies in agriculture can contribute to climate change adaptation and mitigation. This paper examines the interactions between climate change and agriculture, reviews adaptation and mitigation strategies, explores the application of digital technologies in this context, and discusses future challenges and opportunities for sustainable and resilient agriculture. The final aim is to provide a comprehensive overview of the current state and future prospects of digital agriculture in the context of climate change. A comprehensive literature review was conducted on adaptation and mitigation strategies in agriculture, and on the current state and future prospects of digital agriculture in the context of climate change adaptation and mitigation. The identified applications of digital technologies in agriculture include Remote Sensing for crop monitoring, Big Data for predictive modelling of water shortages and pest outbreaks, Artificial Intelligence for pest identification and tracking, the Internet of Things for precision fertiliser management, nanotechnology for soil improvement, robots for targeted spraying, and blockchain for improved soil management and supply chain transparency, among others. These technologies facilitate the precise management of resources, improve decision-making processes and enable more efficient agricultural practices. Digital technologies also help mitigate climate change by optimising inputs such as water and fertiliser, thereby reducing greenhouse gas emissions and promoting carbon sequestration. However, there are significant barriers to the adoption of these technologies, including the digital divide, high up-front costs and complexity, as well as privacy and security concerns and the environmental impact of technology use. Future action must address these barriers by investing in infrastructure and training, ensuring financial incentives, developing scalable digital solutions tailored to local agricultural conditions, increasing digital literacy among farmers, developing comprehensive governance frameworks, and exploring the integration of multiple digital technologies. The paper contributes to advancing scientific understanding and guiding practice and policy towards sustainable agriculture in the face of climate change. It provides a call to action for a more sustainable future in the context of climate change and highlights the urgency of multi-stakeholder collaboration to create an enabling environment for the widespread adoption of these innovations, ensuring that they are accessible, cost-effective and suitable for different farming environments.European Commission‘Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) Postdoctoral Fellowship’ with grant agreement ID: 101052284.Computers and Electronics in Agricultur
Advancing engineering design problem-exploring practice: interviews with industry professionals
Get PDFStudies highlight that conceptualising and identifying a new engineering design problem (EDP) is vital, as the solution can benefit society. However, this essential activity, referred to as engineering design problem-exploring (EDPE), is lacking in practice in engineering design. Design engineers appear to focus on providing an engineering design solution (EDS) while their role in EDPE is rarely practised. A new EDP drives innovations and inventions, and there is a need to encourage, advance and sustain the practice of identifying new EDPs. The aim of this study is to empirically highlight the underlying determinants of the scarce practice of EDPE and suggest how to advance and sustain the practice. Interviews were conducted with 32 professionals within the engineering design community, comprising 28 practitioners and four specialists – a lecturer, an inventor, and two expert trainers in creativity and problem-solving. The results of the analyses informed the suggested approaches in this study to advance and sustain the EDPE practice.Journal of Engineering Desig