, a new species of Ericaceae from limestone areas in Guangxi, China.

, a new species from limestone areas in Guangxi, China, is described and illustrated. It is morphologically most similar to and in having small and dense obovate leaf blades with a retuse apex, hairy young branches and calyx and campanulate corollas, but can be distinguished from them by the distance of basal gland from petiole, the length of peduncle, pedicle and filaments, the indumentum of calyx tube and corolla and the existence of apical glands on calyx lobes. A table to distinguish the new species from other morphologically similar species, as well as colour plates of comparison of key characters, is also provided.

Effects of Low Temperature, Nitrogen Starvation and Their Combination on the Photosynthesis and Metabolites of E542: A Comparison Study.

Both low temperature and nitrogen starvation caused chlorosis of cyanobacteria. Here, in this study, for the first time, we compared the effects of low temperature, nitrogen starvation, and their combination on the photosynthesis and metabolites of a thermophilic cyanobacterium strain, E542. Under various culture conditions, the growth rates, pigment contents, and chlorophyll fluorescence were monitored, and the composition of alkanes, lipidomes, and carbohydrates were determined.

Enzymatic Modifications of Chitin, Chitosan, and Chitooligosaccharides.

Chitin and its N-deacetylated derivative chitosan are two biological polymers that have found numerous applications in recent years, but their further deployment suffers from limitations in obtaining a defined structure of the polymers using traditional conversion methods. The disadvantages of the currently used industrial methods of chitosan manufacturing and the increasing demand for a broad range of novel chitosan oligosaccharides (COS) with a fully defined architecture increase interest in chitin and chitosan-modifying enzymes. Enzymes such as chitinases, chitosanases, chitin deacetylases, and recently discovered lytic polysaccharide monooxygenases had attracted considerable interest in recent years.

Accelerated CO₂ Hydration with Thermostable Carbonic Anhydrase-Chitin Binding Domain Fusion Protein Immobilised on Chitin Support.

Carbonic anhydrases (CAs) represent a group of enzymes that catalyse important reactions of carbon dioxide hydration and dehydration, a reaction crucial to many biological processes and environmental biotechnology. In this study we successfully constructed a thermostable fusion enzyme composed of the carbonic anhydrase (Saz_CA), the fastest CA discovered to date, and the chitin binding domain (ChBD) of chitinase from . Introduction of ChBD to the Saz_CA had no major impact on the effect of ions or inhibitors on the enzymatic activity.

Thermosynechococcus as a thermophilic photosynthetic microbial cell factory for CO utilisation.

Thermophilic unicellular cyanobacterium Thermosynechococcus elongatus PKUAC-SCTE542, has been developed as a thermophilic photosynthetic microbial cell factory for CO utilisation. The strain exhibits its highest growth rate around 55 °C, can withstand up to 15% CO, and up to 0.5 M concentration of sodium bicarbonate.

Hydrolysis of Selected Tropical Plant Wastes Catalyzed by a Magnetic Carbonaceous Acid with Microwave.

In this study, magnetic carbonaceous acids were synthesized by pyrolysis of the homogeneous mixtures of glucose and magnetic Fe3O4 nanoparticles, and subsequent sulfonation. The synthesis conditions were optimized to obtain a catalyst with both high acid density (0.75 mmol g(-1)) and strong magnetism [magnetic saturation, Ms = 19.

Production of 2,3-butanediol from cellulose and Jatropha hulls after ionic liquid pretreatment and dilute-acid hydrolysis.

Abundant Jatropha waste is a promising renewable feedstock for the production of sugars and 2,3-butanediol fermentation. To obtain high yield of water-soluble products and high concentration of reducing-sugars, ionic liquid (IL) pretreatment and dilute acid hydrolysis at 150°C were combined in this work. The destruction of crystalline structure and increase surface area of biomasses after IL-pretreatment, made their hydrolysis more efficient.