Inhibition of amyloid fibril formation of hen egg white lysozyme by trimethylamine N-oxide at low pH.

In vitro inhibition of the formation of fibrous aggregates of proteins (amyloids) has gained increasing attention due to the number of diseases associated with protein misfolding and fibrillation. An interesting group of compounds for which pronounced activity against this phenomenon can be expected consists of low molecular weight substances (osmolytes) which have the ability to change protein stability. Here we investigate the influence of trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO) in acidic solution (pH=2) on the fibrillation of hen egg white lysozyme (HEWL).

Influence of microbial adaption and supplementation of nutrients on the biodegradation of ionic liquids in sewage sludge treatment processes.

As ionic liquids are winning more attention from industry as a replacement of more hazardous chemicals, some of their structures have the potential to become persistent pollutants due to high stability towards abiotic and biotic degradation processes. Therefore it is important to determine the hazard associated with the presence of ILs in the environment, for example biodegradation under real conditions. Standard biodegradation testing procedures generally permit pre-conditioning of inoculum but do not allow for pre-exposition to the test substance.