The rosettazyme: a synthetic cellulosome.

Cellulose is an attractive feedstock for biofuel production because of its abundance, but the cellulose polymer is extremely stable and its constituent sugars are difficult to access. In nature, extracellular multi-enzyme complexes known as cellulosomes are among the most effective ways to transform cellulose to useable sugars. Cellulosomes consist of a diversity of secreted cellulases and other plant cell-wall degrading enzymes bound to a protein scaffold.

Heat shock and cold shock in Deinococcus radiodurans.

On the basis of acquired thermotolerance and cryotolerance, the optimal heat shock and cold shock temperatures have been determined for Deinococcus radiodurans. A heat shock at 42 degrees C maximized survival at the lethal temperature of 52 degrees C and a cold shock at 20 degrees C maximized survival after repeated freeze-thawing. Enhanced survival from heat shock was found to be strongly dependent on growth stage, with its greatest effect shortly after phase.

Near-infrared detection of potential evidence for microscopic organisms on Europa.

The possibility of an ocean within the icy shell of Jupiter's moon Europa has established that world as a primary candidate in the search for extraterrestrial life within our Solar System. This paper evaluates the potential to detect evidence for microbial life by comparing laboratory studies of terrestrial microorganisms with measurements from the Galileo Near Infrared Imaging Spectrometer (NIMS). If the interior of Europa at one time harbored life, some evidence may remain in the surface materials.

Impact of low-temperature plasmas on Deinococcus radiodurans and biomolecules.

The effects of cold plasma on Deinococcus radiodurans, plasmid DNA, and model proteins were assessed using microbiological, spectrometric, and biochemical techniques. In low power O(2) plasma (approximately 25 W, approximately 45 mTorr, 90 min), D. radiodurans, a radiation-resistant bacterium, showed a 99.

Ordered nanoparticle arrays formed on engineered chaperonin protein templates.

Traditional methods for fabricating nanoscale arrays are usually based on lithographic techniques. Alternative new approaches rely on the use of nanoscale templates made of synthetic or biological materials. Some proteins, for example, have been used to form ordered two-dimensional arrays.