Quantification of fungal biomass in mycelium composites made from diverse biogenic side streams.

Mycelium composite materials are comprised of renewable organic substrates interconnected by fungal mycelium, allowing full biodegradability after use. Due to their promising material properties, adaptability, and sustainable nature, these biomaterials are investigated intensively. However, one crucial aspect that has hardly been covered so far is the proportion of fungal biomass in the composites, which would be necessary to assess its contribution to the material characteristics.

The decision for or against mycoparasitic attack by Trichoderma spp. is taken already at a distance in a prey-specific manner and benefits plant-beneficial interactions.

Background: The application of plant-beneficial microorganisms as bio-fertilizer and biocontrol agents has gained traction in recent years, as both agriculture and forestry are facing the challenges of poor soils and climate change. Trichoderma spp. are gaining popularity in agriculture and forestry due to their multifaceted roles in promoting plant growth through e.

Factors Affecting SARS-CoV-2 IgG Production after Vaccination and/or Disease: A Large-Scale Seroprevalence Study.

This study aimed at identifying factors influencing SARS-CoV-2-specific IgG antibody levels after vaccination and/or infection. Between January 2022 and March 2023, 2000 adults (≥18 years, Salzburg, Austria) participated in this population-based seroprevalence study by providing 3 mL of blood to detect SARS-CoV-2-specific IgG antibodies using an anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG quantitative assay and by completing a self-designed questionnaire including anthropometric factors, vaccination information, and medical history. For 77 of the participants, a time-course study up to 24 weeks post vaccination or quarantine end was performed.

Production of Betacyanins in Transgenic Increases Tolerance to Salinity.

Although red betalain pigments (betacyanins) have been associated with salinity tolerance in some halophytes like , efforts to determine whether they have a causal role and the underlying mechanisms have been hampered by a lack of a model system. To address this, we engineered betalain-producing , by the introduction of three betalain biosynthetic genes. The plants were violet-red due to the accumulation of three betacyanins: betanin, isobetanin, and betanidin.

Gene expression and DNA methylation as mechanisms of disturbed metabolism in offspring after exposure to a prenatal HF diet.

Exposure to a prenatal high-fat (HF) diet leads to an impaired metabolic phenotype in mouse offspring. The underlying mechanisms, however, are not yet fully understood. Therefore, this study investigated whether the impaired metabolic phenotype may be mediated through altered hepatic DNA methylation and gene expression.

Response to Detection and analysis of unusual features in the structural model and structure-factor data of a birch pollen allergen.

The authors of J. Immunol. 184, 725-735 respond to the article by Rupp (2012), Acta Cryst.

Antigen aggregation decides the fate of the allergic immune response.

Previously, defined naturally occurring isoforms of allergenic proteins were classified as hypoallergens and therefore suggested as an agent for immunotherapy in the future. In this paper, we report for the first time the molecular background of hypoallergenicity by comparing the immunological behavior of hyperallergenic Betula verrucosa major Ag 1a (Bet v 1a) and hypoallergenic Bet v 1d, two isoforms of the major birch pollen allergen Betula verrucosa 1. Despite their cross-reactivity, Bet v 1a and Bet v 1d differ in their capacity to induce protective Ab responses in BALB/c mice.