Testing of antibiotic releasing implant coatings to fight bacteria in combat-associated osteomyelitis - an in-vitro study.

Purpose: Surgical procedures to prevent osteomyelitis after trauma can be supported by local application of antibiotics. This in-vitro study investigated the release and impact of antibiotics from implant coatings against bacteria associated with combat-related osteomyelitis.

Methods: K-wires were coated with poly(D,L-lactide) and ciprofloxacin, gentamicin, colistin, daptomycin or cefoxitin in different concentrations.

An epoxide hydrolase involved in the biosynthesis of an insect sex attractant and its use to localize the production site.

Epoxide hydrolases (EHs) are enzymes occurring in virtually any living organism. They catalyze the hydrolysis of epoxide containing lipids and are involved in crucial mechanisms, such as the detoxification of xenobiotics or the regulation of inflammation and blood pressure. Here, we describe a function of a putative EH gene in the biosynthesis of a sex attractant in the jewel wasp Nasonia vitripennis and use this gene to localize the site of pheromone production.

The peptide-catalyzed Maillard reaction: characterization of 13C reductones.

The reaction pathways of amino acids and reducing sugars are now fully understood. The focus in the last few years, however, has turned to the reaction of peptides and proteins with reducing sugars. We have investigated the reaction of gamma-aminobutanoic acid, the heptapeptide Nalpha-Acetyl-Lys-Lys-beta-Ala-Lys-beta-Ala-Lys-Gly, and the model protein beta-casein in Maillard reactions with 1-13C arabinose.

A male sex pheromone in a parasitic wasp and control of the behavioral response by the female's mating status.

Male insects may increase their chance of successful reproduction by releasing pheromones that attract females or elicit sexual acceptance. In parasitic wasps, male pheromones have been suggested for a few species but no chemicals have been identified so far. Here we report the first identification of a male sex pheromone in parasitic Hymenoptera.

Genetic engineering of brewing yeast to reduce the content of ethanol in beer.

The GPD1 gene encoding the glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase was overexpressed in an industrial lager brewing yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae ssp. carlsbergensis) to reduce the content of ethanol in beer. The amount of glycerol produced by the GPD1-overexpressing yeast in fermentation experiments simulating brewing conditions was increased 5.