DTREEv2, a computer-based support system for the risk assessment of genetically modified plants.

Risk assessment of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) remains a contentious area and a major factor influencing the adoption of agricultural biotech. Methodologically, in many countries, risk assessment is conducted by expert committees with little or no recourse to databases and expert systems that can facilitate the risk assessment process. In this paper we describe DTREEv2, a computer-based decision support system for the identification of hazards related to the introduction of GM-crops into the environment.

Intracellular accumulation of trehalose protects Lactococcus lactis from freeze-drying damage and bile toxicity and increases gastric acid resistance.

Interleukin-10 (IL-10) is a promising candidate for the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease. Intragastric administration of Lactococcus lactis genetically modified to secrete IL-10 in situ in the intestine was shown to be effective in healing and preventing chronic colitis in mice. However, its use in humans is hindered by the sensitivity of L.

Glucose and sucrose: hazardous fast-food for industrial yeast?

Yeast cells often encounter a mixture of different carbohydrates in industrial processes. However, glucose and sucrose are always consumed first. The presence of these sugars causes repression of gluconeogenesis, the glyoxylate cycle, respiration and the uptake of less-preferred carbohydrates.

Impact of mitochondrial activity on the cell wall composition and on the resistance to tannic acid in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

In screening for resistance to tannic acid, mutants of Saccharomyces cerevisiae with an altered cell wall composition were recently isolated. Here we show that these mutants were all respiratory deficient. Cytoplasmic petite mutants isolated after ethidium bromide mutagenesis were resistant to tannic acid and had cell wall characteristics similar to the mutants isolated by screening for tannic acid resistance as shown by the lower sensitivity to zymolyase, a cell wall hydrolyzing enzyme, and by a changed sensitivity to calcofluor white, a molecule interfering with the cell wall assembly.