Publications by authors named "Neethu B"

Lately, the bio electrochemical systems are emerging as an efficient wastewater treatment and energy conversion technology. However, their scaling-up is considerably restrained by slow-rate of cathodic oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) or otherwise by the high cost associated with the available efficient ORR catalysts. In this investigation, a cost-effective and eco-friendly approach for synthesizing Ni based ORR catalyst utilizing biosorption property of microalgae is accomplished.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Aim To evaluate the efficacy of 10% maleic acid in comparison with 17% ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) in the removal of intracanal medicaments from the root canal system. Materials and methods Forty-eight extracted single-rooted mandibular premolars were decoronated to standardize the length of 14 mm. Chemomechanical preparation was done using the crown-down technique with Protaper files (Dentsply‑Maillefer, Ballaigues, Switzerland) till F4, followed by irrigation with 2 ml of 5.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Iron sequestration through ferritin forms a major part of innate immune response in molluscs and detailed understanding of ferritin gene and its functions can be directly applied in infection and disease management studies. Accordingly, identification and detailed molecular characterization of a ferritin subunit gene from a commercially significant marine mussel Perna viridis was targeted. Molecular screening using degenerate primers in total mantle RNA resulted in the amplification of a novel ferritin gene fragment having <87% identity to the reported ferritin gene sequences.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Formation of methane in the anodic chamber of a microbial fuel cell (MFC) indicates an energy inefficiency in electricity generation as the energy required for electrogenesis gets redirected to methanogenesis. The hypothesis of this research is that inhibition of methanogenesis in the mixed anaerobic anodic inoculum is associated with an enhanced activity of the electrogenic bacterial consortia. Hence, the primary objective of this investigation is to evaluate the ability of chloroform to inhibit the methanogenesis at different dosing to enhance the activity of electrogenic consortia in MFC.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The fish market wastewater, which is rich in ammonium concentration, was investigated to explore its ability of in situ suppression of methanogenesis in the anodic chamber of microbial fuel cell (MFC) while treating it and to ensure non-reoccurrence of methanogenic consortia in the anodic chamber during its long-term operations. A lower specific methanogenic activity (0.097g chemical oxygen demand (COD)/g volatile suspended solids (VSS).

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Sediment microbial fuel cells (SMFCs) are bio-electrochemical devices generating electricity from redox gradients occurring across the sediment-water interface. Sediment microbial carbon-capture cell (SMCC), a modified SMFC, uses algae grown in the overlying water of sediment and is considered as a promising system for power generation along with algal cultivation. In this study, the performance of SMCC and SMFC was evaluated in terms of power generation, dissolved oxygen variations, sediment organic matter removal and algal growth.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF