Sand consolidation using enzyme-induced carbonate precipitation: new insights on temperature and particle size effects.

Sand production is a major issue in the oil and gas industry. Unconsolidated sand can be produced with the oil or gas a cause many issues to the production facilities. Enzyme-induced carbonate precipitation (EICP) is a promising method for sand consolidation and is characterized by its environment friendliness.

Optimization of calcium carbonate precipitation during alpha-amylase enzyme-induced calcite precipitation (EICP).

The sand production during oil and gas extraction poses a severe challenge to the oil and gas companies as it causes erosion of pipelines and valves, damages the pumps, and ultimately decreases production. There are several solutions implemented to contain sand production including chemical and mechanical means. In recent times, extensive work has been done in geotechnical engineering on the application of enzyme-induced calcite precipitation (EICP) techniques for consolidating and increasing the shear strength of sandy soil.

AUF1 promotes stemness in human mammary epithelial cells through stabilization of the EMT transcription factors TWIST1 and SNAIL1.

The AU-rich element RNA-binding protein 1 (AUF1) is an RNA-binding protein, which can both stabilize and destabilize the transcripts of several cancer-related genes. Since epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and the acquisition of cancer stem cell traits are important for cancer onset and progression, we sought to determine the role of AUF1 in these two important processes. We have shown that AUF1 induces EMT and stemness in breast epithelial cells via stabilization of the SNAIL1 and TWIST1 mRNAs, and their consequent upregulation.