Isolation and characterization of phenol degrading bacterium strain Bacillus thuringiensis J20 from olive waste in Palestine.

This study aimed at isolation of phenol degrading bacteria from olive mill wastes in Palestine. The efficiency of phenol removal and factors affecting phenol degradation were investigated. A bacterial strain (J20) was isolated from solid olive mill waste and identified as Bacillus thuringiensis based on standard morphological, biochemical characteristics and 16SrRNA sequence analysis.

Living Composites of Electrospun Yeast Cells for Bioremediation and Ethanol Production.

The preparation of composites of living functional cells and polymers is a major challenge. We have fabricated such "living composites" by preparation of polymeric microtubes that entrap yeast cells. Our approach was the process of coaxial electrospinning in which a core containing the yeast was "spun" within a shell of nonbiodegradable polymer.

ASCORBATE PEROXIDASE6 protects Arabidopsis desiccating and germinating seeds from stress and mediates cross talk between reactive oxygen species, abscisic acid, and auxin.

A seed's ability to properly germinate largely depends on its oxidative poise. The level of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) is controlled by a large gene network, which includes the gene coding for the hydrogen peroxide-scavenging enzyme, cytosolic ASCORBATE PEROXIDASE6 (APX6), yet its specific function has remained unknown. In this study, we show that seeds lacking APX6 accumulate higher levels of ROS, exhibit increased oxidative damage, and display reduced germination on soil under control conditions and that these effects are further exacerbated under osmotic, salt, or heat stress.