Metagenômica: busca de novos genes envolvidos com a biodegradação de hidrocarbonetos

Industrial activities, oil spills and its derivatives, as well as the incomplete combustion of fossil fuels have caused a great accumulation of hydrocarbons in the environment. The number of microorganisms on the planet is estimated at 1030 and prokaryotes the most abundant. They colonized diverse environments for thousands of years, including those considered extreme and represent an untapped source of metabolic and genetic diversity with a large biotechnological potential. It is also known that certain microorganisms have the enzymatic capacity to degrade petroleum hydrocarbons and, in many ecosystems, there is an indigenous community capable of performing this function. The metagenomic has revolutionized the microbiology allowing access uncultured microbial communities, being a powerful tool for elucidation of their ecological functions and metabolic profiles, as well as for identification of new biomolecules. Thus, this study applied metagenomic approaches not only for functional selection of genes involved in biodegradation and emulsification processes of the petroleum-derived hydrocarbons, but also to describe the taxonomic and metabolic composition of two metagenomes from aquatic microbiome. We analyzed 123.116 (365 ± 118 bp) and 127.563 sequences (352 ± 120 bp) of marine and estuarine metagenomes, respectively. Eight clones were found, four involved in the petroleum biodegradation and four were able to emulsify kerosene indicating their abilities in biosurfactants synthesis. Therefore, the metagenomic analyses performed were efficient not only in the search of bioproducts of biotechnological interest and in the analysis of the functional and taxonomic profile of the metagenomes studied as well

Application of X-ray technique in nondestructive evaluation of eucalypt wood

X-rays were initially used for the inspection of special-purpose wood pieces for quantitative evaluation properties of different species. X-ray densitometry has had its use expanded ill dendroclimatology of Picea engelmannii trees. Subsequent laboratories developed applications of X-ray densitometry for environmental, wood science and technology, and related areas. This paper describes the basic methodology of X-ray densitometry applied to the eucalypt wood analysis, as well its presenting the results of applications in three areas: (i) evaluation of wood biodegradation by white rot fungi, (ii) detection of sapwood and heartwood, and (iii) determination of the effect of management oil wood properties. The wood decayed by white rot fungi was detected by X-ray densitometry with it decreasing wood density due to the biodegradation of cell wall components. The sapwood and heartwood of eucalypts were separated in response to the attenuation of X-rays, reflected by the wood anatomical structure and chemical composition. Also, Ill eucalypt trees after the application of irrigation and i characteristic wood density profiles were detected. Ill addition, the significant potential of X-ray densitometry for eucalypt wood research and analysis is discussed.

Cellulose-Based Bio- and Nanocomposites: A Review

Cellulose macro- and nanofibers have gained increasing attention due to the high strength and stiffness, biodegradability and renewability, and their production and application in development of composites. Application of cellulose nanofibers for the development of composites is a relatively new research area. Cellulose macro- and nanofibers can be used as reinforcement in composite materials because of enhanced mechanical, thermal, and biodegradation properties of composites. Cellulose fibers are hydrophilic in nature, so it becomes necessary to increase their surface roughness for the development of composites with enhanced properties. In the present paper, we have reviewed the surface modification of cellulose fibers by various methods. Processing methods, properties, and various applications of nanocellulose and cellulosic composites are also discussed in this paper.

Estudo da influência de compostos recalcitrantes na remoção de matéria orgânica biodegradável no tratamento de efluente de refinarias de petróleo

Petroleum Refinery wastewaters (PRW) have hart-to-degrade compounds, such as: phenols, ammonia, cyanides, sulfides, oils and greases and the mono and polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons: benzene, toluene and xylene (BTX), acenaphthene, nitrobenzene and naphtalene. It is known that the microrganisms activity can be reduced in the presence of certain substances, adversely affecting the biological process of wastewater treatment. This research was instigated due the small number of studies regarding to this specific topic in the avaiable literature. This body of work ims to evaluate the effect of toxic substances on the biodegradability of the organic material found in PRW. Glucose was chosen as the model substrate due to its biodegradable nature. This study was divided into three parts: i) a survey of recalcitants compounds and the removal of phenol by using both biological and photochemical-biological processes; ii) biomass aclimation and iii) evaluation of the inhibitory effect certain compounds have on glucose biodegradation. The phenol degradation experiments were carried out in an activity sludge system and in a photochemical reactor. The results showed the photochemical-biological process to be more effective on phenol degradation, suggesting the superioruty of a combined photochemical-biological treatment when compared with a simple biological process for phenol removal from industry wastewaters. For the acclimation step, was used an activated sludge from industrial wastewaters. A rapid biomass aclimation to a synthetic solution composed of the main inhibitory compouns fpund in a PRW was obtained using the following operation condition: (pH = 7,0; DO ≥ 2,0 mg/L; RS = 20 days e qH = 31,2 and 20,4 hours), The last part was consisted of using respirometry evaluation toxicity effects of selected compounds over oxygen uptake rate to adaptated and non adaptated biomass in the presence of inhibitory compounds. The adaptated sludge showed greater degration capacity, with lower sensibility to toxic effects. The respirometry has proved to be very practical, as the techiniques used were simple and rapid, such as: Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD), Dissolved Oxygen (DO), and Volatile Suspended Solids (VSS). Using the latter it is possible to perform sludge selection to beggingthe process; thus allowing its use for aerobic treatment system`s behacior prediction

Estudo de técnicas para o tratamento alternativo de efluentes oleosos oriundos da industrialização da castanha de caju

An evaluation project was conducted on the technique of treatment for effluent oil which is the deriving process to improve cashews. During the evaluation the following techniques were developed: advanced processes of humid oxidation, oxidative processes, processes of biological treatment and processes of adsorption. The assays had been carried through in kinetic models, with an evaluation of the quality of the process by means of determining the chemical demand of oxygen (defined as a technique of control by means of comparative study between the available techniques). The results demonstrated that the natural biodegradation of the effluent ones is limited, as result using the present natural flora in the effluent one revealed impracticable for an application in the industrial systems, independent of the evaluation environment (with or without the oxygen presence). The job of specific microorganisms for the oily composite degradation developed the viability technique of this route, the acceptable levels of inclusion in effluent system of treatment of the improvement of the cashew being highly good with reasonable levels of removal of CDO. However, the use combined with other techniques of daily pay-treatment for these effluent ones revealed to still be more efficient for the context of the treatment of effluent and discarding in receiving bodies in acceptable standards for resolution CONAMA 357/2005. While the significant generation of solid residues the process of adsorption with agroindustrial residues (in special the chitosan) is a technical viable alternative, however, when applied only for the treatment of the effluent ones for discarding in bodies of water, the economic viability is harmed and minimized ambient profits. Though, it was proven that if used for ends of I reuse, the viability is equalized and justifies the investments. There was a study of the photochemistry process which have are applicable to the treatment of the effluent ones, having resulted more satisfactory than those gotten for the UV-Peroxide techniques. There was different result on the one waited for the use of catalyses used in the process of Photo. The catalyses contained the mixing oxide base of Cerium and Manganese, incorporated of Potassium promoters this had presented the best results in the decomposition of the involved pollutants. Having itself an agreed form the gotten photochemistry daily paytreatment resulted, then after disinfection with chlorine the characteristics next the portability to the water were guarantee. The job of the humid oxidation presented significant results in the removal of pollutants; however, its high cost alone is made possible for job in projects of reuses, areas of low scarcity and of raised costs with the capitation/acquisition of the water, in special, for use for industrial and potable use. The route with better economic conditions and techniques for the job in the treatment of the effluent ones of the improvement of the cashew possesses the sequence to follow: conventional process of separation water-oil, photochemistry process and finally, the complementary biological treatment

Hidrocarbonetos policíclicos aromáticos no meio ambiente: diferenciação de fontes em sedimentos e metabólitos em bile de peixes

Many studies on environmental ecosystems quality related to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) have been carried out routinely due to their ubiquotus presence worldwide and to their potential toxicity after its biotransformation. PAH may be introduced into the environmet by natural and anthropogenic processes from direct runoff and discharges and indirect atmospheric deposition. Sources of naturally occurring PAHs include natural fires, natural oil seepage and recent biological or diagenetic processes. Anthropogenic sources of PAHs, acute or chronic, are combustion of organic matter (petroleum, coal, wood), waste and releases/spills of petroleum and derivatives (river runoff, sewage outfalls, maritime transport, pipelines). Besides the co-existence of multiples sources of PAH in the environmental samples, these compounds are subject to many processes that lead to geochemical fates (physical-chemical transformation, biodegradation and photo-oxidation), which leads to an alteration of their composition. All these facts make the identification of the hydrocarbons sources, if petrogenic, pyrolytic or natural, a challenge. One of the objectives of this study is to establish tools to identify the origin of hydrocarbons in environmental samples. PAH diagnostic ratios and PAH principal component analysis were tested on a critical area: Guanabara Bay sediments. Guanabara Bay is located in a complex urban area of Rio de Janeiro with a high anthropogenic influence, being an endpoint of chronic pollution from the Greater Rio and it was the scenario of an acute event of oil release in January 2000. It were quantified 38 compounds, parental and alkylated PAH, in 21 sediment samples collected in two surveys: 2000 and 2003. The PAH levels varied from 400 to 58439 ng g-1. Both tested techniques for origin identification of hydrocarbons have shown their applicability, being able to discriminate the PAH sources for the majority of the samples analysed. The bay sediments were separated into two big clusters: sediments with a clear pattern of petrogenic introduction of hydrocarbons (from intertidal area) and sediments with combustion characteristics (from subtidal region). Only a minority of the samples could not display a clear contribution of petrogenic or pyrolytic input. The diagnostic ratios that have exhibited high ability to distinguish combustion- and petroleum-derived PAH inputs for Guanabara Bay sediments were Phenanthrene+Anthracene/(Phenanthrene+Anthracene+C1Phenanthrene); Fluorantene/(Fluorantene+Pyrene); Σ (other 3-6 ring PAHs)/ Σ (5 alkylated PAH series). The PCA results prooved to be a useful tool for PAH source identification in the environment, corroborating the diagnostic indexes. In relation to the temporal evaluation carried out in this study, it was not verified significant changes on the class of predominant source of the samples. This result indicates that the hydrocarbons present in the Guanabara Bay sediments are mainly related to the long-term anthropogenic input and not directly related to acute events such as the oil spill of January 2000. This findings were similar to various international estuarine sites. Finally, this work had a complementary objective of evaluating the level of hydrocarbons exposure of the aquatic organisms of Guanabara Bay. It was a preliminary study in which a quantification of 12 individual biliar metabolites of PAH was performed in four demersal fish representing three different families. The analysed metabolites were 1-hydroxynaphtalene, 2-hidroxinaphtalene, 1hydroxyphenanthrene, 9-hydroxyphenanthrene, 2-hydroxyphenanthrene, 1hydroxypyrene, 3-hidroxibiphenil, 3- hydroxyphenanthrene, 1-hydroxychrysene, 9hydroxyfluorene, 4-hydroxyphenanthrene, 3-hydroxybenz(a)pyrene. The metabolites concentrations were found to be high, ranging from 13 to 177 µg g-1, however they were similar to worldwide regions under high anthropogenic input. Besides the metabolites established by the used protocol, it was possible to verified high concentrations of three other compounds not yet reported in the literature. They were related to pyrolytic PAH contribution to Guanabara Bay aquatic biota: 1-hydroxypyrine and 3-hydroxybenz(a)pyrine isomers

Biological Response to Wollastonite Doped alpha-Tricalcium Phosphate Implants in Hard and Soft Tissues in Rats

The biological response following subcutaneous and bone implantation of beta-wollastonite(beta-W)-doped alpha-tricalcium phosphate bioceramics in rats was evaluated. Tested materials were: tricalciurn phosphate (TCP), consisting of a mixture of alpha- and beta-polymorphs; TCP doped with 5 wt. % of beta-W (TCP5W), composed of alpha-TCP as only crystalline phase; and TCP doped with 15 wt. % of beta-W (TCP15), containing crystalline alpha-TCP and beta-W. Cylinders of 2x1 mm were implanted in tibiae and backs of adult male Rattus norvegicus, Holtzman rats. After 7, 30 and 120 days, animals were sacrificed and the tissue blocks containing the implants were excised, fixed and processed for histological examination. TCP, TCP5W and TCP15W implants were biocompatible but neither bioactive nor biodegradable in rat subcutaneous tissue. They were not osteoinductive in connective tissue either. However, in rat bone tissue beta-W-doped alpha-TCP implants (TCP5W and TCP15W) were bioactive, biodegradable and osteoconductive. The rates of biodegradation and new bone formation observed for TCP5W and TCP15W implants in rat bone tissue were greater than for non-doped TCP.

Feeding behaviour and ecosystem role of the red mangrove crab Goniopsis cruentata (Latreille, 1803) (Decapoda, Grapsoidea) in a subtropical estuary on the brazilian coast

This study provides information concerning the feeding behaviour of Goniopsis cruentata (Latreille, 1803), through analysis of stomach contents according to demographic categories. Collections were carried out monthly from May 2005 through April 2006 in a subtropical estuary on the southeastern Brazilian coast (23 degrees 29'24 '' S 45 degrees 10'12 '' W). The crabs were collected by hand, with a 2-hour sampling effort by three people. In the laboratory, the crabs were sexed and measured for greatest carapace width, and grouped into demographic categories: adult males, juvenile males, adult females, juvenile females, and ovigerous females. For the fullness analysis, the stomachs were grouped into two categories: (1) E = Empty, with no food; and (2) F = Full, whether partially filled or totally. The frequency-of-occurrence method was used to characterize feeding behaviour, and the demographic categories recognired were compared. We obtained stomachs from 171 adult males, 69 juvenile males, 136 adult females, 72 juvenile females, and 41 ovigerous females, of which 85.6% were full. of the eight food items recorded, sediment was the most frequent, and unidentified material was the least. Goniopsis cruentata can be characterized as a generalist feeder, exploiting most of the food items available in the mangrove swamps. In spite of this generalist behaviour, the dominant presence of sediment suggests that G. cruentata is primarily a detritivore that exploits particulate organic matter from microbial biodegradation, one of the most important mangrove functions. The trophic role of this crab in the ecosystem showed no significant differences among the demographic categories, and seems to be wider than those observed for sesarmid and ocypodid mangrove crabs. These ecosystem engineers may occupy different positions in the trophic chains of estuarine environments.

Biodegradação de filmes de polipropileno (PP), poli(3-hidroxibutirato) (PHB) e blenda de PP/PHB por microrganismos das águas do Rio Atibaia

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Treatment of simulated wastewater containing n-phenyl-n-isopropyl-p-phenylenediamine using electrolysis system with Ti/TiRuO2 electrodes

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Electrolytic treatment applied to the industrial effluent containing persistent wastes monitored by Bartha respirometric assays

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Influência da geometria e umidade de colunas de solo na biodegradação de filmes de PCL

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Biosurfactant synthesis by Pseudomonas aeruginosa LBI isolated from a hydrocarbon-contaminated site

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Biodegradability of commercial and weathered diesel oils

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)