First Report on Microcystin-LR Occurrence in Water Reservoirs of Eastern Cuba, and Environmental Trigger Factors.

The factors related to cyanotoxin occurrence and its social impact, with comprehension and risk perception being the most important issues, are not yet completely understood in the Cuban context. The objectives of this research were to determine the risk extension and microcystin-LR levels, and to identify the environmental factors that trigger the toxic cyanobacteria growth and microcystin-LR occurrence in 24 water reservoirs in eastern Cuba. Samplings were performed in the early morning hours, with in situ determination and physicochemical analysis carried out in the laboratory.

Preparation and characterization of large-format macroporous cryogel disks for use in affinity chromatography and biotechnological applications.

We have prepared and evaluated larger format phage-bound epoxy-cryogel columns in order to increase the yield of bound target. Freezing thermograms showed that larger column formats (2.5-5 cm diameter) are not usable due to irregular polymerization phenomena.

Development and screening of epoxy-spacer-phage cryogels for affinity chromatography: Enhancing the binding capacity.

Macroporous epoxy cryogels can be used as an alternative for classical matrices in affinity chromatography. Due to the structural properties of cryogels, with pores of up to 100 μm, crude samples can be processed at high speed without previous manipulations such as clarification or centrifugation. Also, we previously used a peptide-expressing M13 bacteriophage as an affinity ligand.

Inhibition of alkaline flocculation by algal organic matter for Chlorella vulgaris.

Alkaline flocculation is a promising strategy for the concentration of microalgae for bulk biomass production. However, previous studies have shown that biological changes during the cultivation negatively affect flocculation efficiency. The influence of changes in cell properties and in the quality and composition of algal organic matter (AOM) were studied using Chlorella vulgaris as a model species.

Observation of the Early Structural Changes Leading to the Formation of Protein Superstructures.

Formation of superstructures in protein aggregation processes has been indicated as a general pathway for several proteins, possibly playing a role in human pathologies. There is a severe lack of knowledge on the origin of such species in terms of both mechanisms of formation and structural features. We use equine lysozyme as a model protein, and by combining spectroscopic techniques and microscopy with X-ray fiber diffraction and ab initio modeling of Small Angle X-ray Scattering data, we isolate the partially unfolded state from which one of these superstructures (i.