Early succession of bacterial biofilms in paper machines.

Formation of biofilms causes severe problems in paper machines, and hence financial costs. It would be preferable to prevent attachment of the primary-colonizing bacteria than to control the growth of secondary communities, which are sheltered by exopolysaccharide slime layers. We have therefore investigated the early succession of paper-machine biofilms by incubating stainless-steel test coupons in the process water-flow lines in two paper machines operating in slightly alkaline conditions in temperatures (45 and 49 degrees C) supporting thermophilic microbes.

Hydrophobin (HFBI): A potential fusion partner for one-step purification of recombinant proteins from insect cells.

Hydrophobins play an important role in binding and assembly of fungal surface structures as well as in medium-air interactions. These, hydrophobic properties provide interesting possibilities when purification of macromolecules is concerned. In aqueous micellar two-phase systems, based on surfactants, the water soluble hydrophobins are concentrated inside micellar structures and, thus, distributed to defined aqueous phases.

Diversity of bacteria contaminating paper machines.

Formation of microbial biofilms and slimes is a general and serious problem in the operation of paper machines. Studies of microbial populations in paper machine-derived biofilms have been conducted using standard microbiological procedures; however, the bacterial genera present in this type of samples as well as their diversity are quite poorly known. Here, the bacterial diversity of 38 process water and 22 biofilm samples from four different Finnish paper machines were analyzed by length heterogeneity analysis of PCR-amplified 16S ribosomal DNA (LH-PCR).

Monitoring human parvovirus B19 virus-like particles and antibody complexes in solution by fluorescence correlation spectroscopy.

Fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS) was used in monitoring human parvovirus B19 virus-like particle (VLP) antibody complexes from acute phase and past-immunity serum samples. The Oregon Green 488-labeled VLPs gave an average diffusion coefficient of 1.7 x 10(-7) cm2 s(-1) with an apparent hydrodynamic radius of 14 nm.