Environmental, Economic, and Social Aspects of Human Urine Valorization through Microbial Fuel Cells from the Circular Economy Perspective.

Population growth increases the challenge of meeting basic human needs, such as water, a limited resource. Consumption habits and water pollution have compromised natural resources to unsustainable levels. Sustainable effluent treatment practices, such as decentralized systems focused on energy, nutrients, and water recovery, have attracted the attention of the scientific community.

The Implications of Membranes Used as Separators in Microbial Fuel Cells.

Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) are electrochemical devices focused on bioenergy generation and organic matter removal carried out by microorganisms under anoxic environments. In these types of systems, the anodic oxidation reaction is catalyzed by anaerobic microorganisms, while the cathodic reduction reaction can be carried out biotically or abiotically. Membranes as separators in MFCs are the primary requirements for optimal electrochemical and microbiological performance.

Susceptible and mCry3A resistant corn rootworm larvae killed by a non-hemolytic Bacillus thuringiensis Cyt1Aa mutant.

The western corn rootworm (WCR) Diabrotica virgifera virgifera causes substantial damage in corn. Genetically modified (GM) plants expressing some Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) insecticidal Cry proteins efficiently controlled this pest. However, changes in WCR susceptibility to these Bt traits have evolved and identification of insecticidal proteins with different modes of action against WCR is necessary.

Membrane binding and oligomer membrane insertion are necessary but insufficient for Bacillus thuringiensis Cyt1Aa toxicity.

Bacillus thuringiensis Cyt proteins are pore-forming toxins that have insecticidal activity mainly against dipteran insects. However, certain Cyt proteins have toxicity to some insect orders, but not toxicity of Cyt1Aa against lepidopteran larvae has been found. Insect specificity has been proposed to rely in specific binding to certain lipids on the brush border membrane of midgut cells since no protein receptors have been described so far.

Oligomerization is a key step in Cyt1Aa membrane insertion and toxicity but not necessary to synergize Cry11Aa toxicity in Aedes aegypti larvae.

Bacillus thuringiensis produces insecticidal Cry and Cyt proteins that are toxic to different insect orders. In addition, Cyt toxins also display haemolytic activity. Both toxins are pore-forming proteins that form oligomeric structures that insert into the target membrane to lyse cells.

Cyt toxins produced by Bacillus thuringiensis: a protein fold conserved in several pathogenic microorganisms.

Bacillus thuringiensis bacteria produce different insecticidal proteins known as Cry and Cyt toxins. Among them the Cyt toxins represent a special and interesting group of proteins. Cyt toxins are able to affect insect midgut cells but also are able to increase the insecticidal damage of certain Cry toxins.